The Secretary at the Weights and Measures had, after
all, but a dull time of it, and was precluded by the
routine of his office from parliamentary ambition
and the joys of government. Alaric was already
beginning to think that this Weights and Measures
should only be a stepping-stone to him; and that when
Sir Gregory, with his stern dogma of devotion to the
service, had been of sufficient use to him, he also
might with advantage be thrown over. In the meantime
an income of L600 a year brought with it to the young
bachelor some very comfortable influence. But
the warmest and the pleasantest of all the congratulations
which he received was from his dear friend Undy Scott.
‘Ah, my boy,’ said Undy, pressing his
hand, ’you’ll soon be one of us.
By the by, I want to put you up for the Downing; you
should leave that Pythagorean: there’s nothing
to be got by it.’
Now, the Downing was a political club, in which, however,
politics had latterly become a good deal mixed.
But the Government of the day generally found there
a liberal support, and recognized and acknowledged
its claim to consideration.
CONSOLATION
On the following Sunday neither Tudor nor Norman was
at Hampton. They had both felt that they could
not comfortably meet each other there, and each had
declined to go. They had promised to write; and
now that the matter was decided, how were they or
either of them to keep the promise?
It may be thought that the bitterness of the moment
was over with Norman as soon as he gave up; but such
was not the case. Let him struggle as he would
with himself he could not rally, nor bring himself
to feel happy on what had occurred. He would have
been better satisfied if Alaric would have triumphed;
but Alaric seemed to take it all as a matter of course,
and never spoke of his own promotion unless he did
so in answer to some remark of his companion; then
he could speak easily enough; otherwise he was willing
to let the matter go by as one settled and at rest.
He had consulted Norman about the purchase of a horse,
but he hitherto had shown no other sign that he was
a richer man than formerly.
It was a very bitter time for Norman. He could
not divest his mind of the subject. What was
he to do? Where was he to go? How was he
to get away, even for a time, from Alaric Tudor?
And then, was he right in wishing to get away from
him? Had he not told himself, over and over again,
that it behoved him as a man and a friend and a Christian
to conquer the bitter feeling of envy which preyed
on his spirits? Had he not himself counselled
Alaric to stand this examination? and had he not promised
that his doing so should make no difference in their
friendship? Had he not pledged himself to rejoice
in the success of his friend? and now was he to break
his word both to that friend and to himself?
