"So what it came to," he continued, "was that we might as well face it out
as not. She's like that--likes to have things straight and honest. So do
I, for the matter of that; but once you've been a gentleman's servant it
gets in your blood or something. I was three years as groom and so on up
at the Hall before I went to Canada. Should have been there now if it
hadn't been for mother. I was only a lad of sixteen when I went into
service, you see, and when I came back I got into the old habits again. I
tell you it's difficult once you've been in service to get out o' the way
of feeling that, well, old Jervaise, for instance, is a sort of little
lord god almighty."
"I can understand that," I agreed, and added, "but I'm rather sorry for
him, old Jervaise. He has been badly cut up, I think."
Banks looked at me sharply, with one of his keen, rather challenging turns
of expression. "Sorry for him? You needn't be," he said. "I could tell you
something--at least, I can't--but you can take it from me that you needn't
waste your pity on him."
I realised that this was another reference to that "pull" I had heard of,
which could not be used, and was not even to be spoken of to me after I
had been admitted to Banks's confidence. I realised, further, that my
guessing must have gone hopelessly astray. Here was the suggestion of
something far more sinister than a playing on the old man's affection for
his youngest child.
"Very well, I'll take it from you," I said. "On the other hand, you can
take it from me that old Jervaise is very much upset."
Banks smiled grimly. "He's nervous at dangerous corners, like you said,"
he returned. "However, we needn't go into that--the point is as I began to
tell you, that we've decided to face it out; and well, you saw me go up to
the Hall this morning."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Nothing," Banks said. "I saw the old man and Mr. Frank, and they were
both polite in a sort of way--no shouting nor anything, though, of course,
Mr. Frank tried to browbeat me--but very firm that nothing had got to
happen; no engagement or running away or anything. She was to come home
and I was to go back to Canada--they'd pay my fare and so on..."
"And you?"
"Me? I just stuck to it we were going to get married, and Mr. Frank tried
to threaten me till the old man stopped him, and then I came out."
"Did you wind up the stable-clock?" I put in.
"Yes. I forgot it last night," he said. "And I hate to see a thing not
working properly."
Dear Banks! I did not know, then, how characteristic that was of him.