"Only to say how glad I was to hear such a good account of you from Mr
Rowle."
"Thank you, sir."
"But Mr Grimstone doesn't give you much praise," he continued, with
rather a droll look in his eyes; "so I'm afraid you are a very ordinary
sort of boy after all. Well, what do you want?"
"I had a note from Miss Carr, sir, saying she would like to see me
to-day. Can I be spared?"
"Oh yes, certainly--certainly," said the old gentleman. "And look here,
my man, you've made a good friend in that lady. Try and deserve it--
deserve it."
"I will try, sir," I said.
"That's right," he said; "and try hard.--Well, Grimstone, what is it?"
The overseer looked from me to his principal and back again, before
rustling some papers in his hand in an ill-used way.
"It's very hard on me, sir, that more attention isn't paid to the
business. Here are you and me toiling and moiling all day long to keep
the customers right, and Mr John at races and steeplechases, and Lord
knows what--anything but the business!"
"You're always grumbling, Grimstone," said Mr Ruddle testily. "Here,
let me see.--You needn't wait, Grace, you can go."
I thanked him and hurried off, leaving the two immersed in some business
matters, and thinking of nothing else now but my visit.
There was a warm welcome for me at Westmouth Street, and Miss Carr's
eyes looked bright and satisfied, I thought; but I could not help seeing
that she was paler and thinner than when I saw her last.
"Well, Antony," she said, after seating me beside her; "it seems an age
since we met. What have you been doing?"