Reginald Cruden was a young man who took life hard and seriously. He
was not brilliant--indeed, he was not clever. He lacked both the good
sense and the good-humour which would have enabled him, like Horace, to
accept and make the best of his present lot. He felt aggrieved by the
family calamity, and just enough ashamed of his poverty to make him
touchy and intractable to a degree which, as we have seen already,
amounted sometimes almost to stupidity.
Still Reginald was honest. He made no pretence of enjoying life when he
did not enjoy it. He disliked Mr Durfy, and therefore he flared up if
Mr Durfy so much as looked at him. He liked young Gedge, and therefore
it was impossible to leave the youngster to his fate and let him ruin
himself without an effort at rescue.
It is one thing to snatch a heedless one from under the hoofs of a cab-
horse and another to pick him up from the slippery path of vice and set
him firmly on his feet. Reginald had thought nothing of the one, but he
looked forward with considerable trepidation to meeting the boy next
morning and attempting the other.
Gedge was there when he arrived, working very busily, and looking rather
troubled. He flushed up as Reginald approached, and put down his
composing-stick to shake hands with him. Reginald looked and felt by a
long way the more uncomfortable and guilty of the two, and he was at
least thankful that Gedge spared him the trouble of beginning.
"Oh! Cruden," said the boy, "I know exactly what you're going to say.
You're going to tell me you're deceived in me, and that I'm a young fool
and going to the dogs as hard as I can. I don't wonder you think so."
"I wasn't going to say that," said Reginald. "I was going to ask you
how you were."
"Oh, I'm all right; but I know you're going to lecture me, Cruden, and
I'm sure you may. There's nothing you can say I don't deserve. I only
wish I could make you believe I'll never be such a fool again. I've
been making resolutions all night, and now you've come here I'm sure I
shall be able to break it off. If you will only stand by me, Cruden! I
owe you such a lot. If you only knew how grateful I was!"
"Perhaps we'd better not talk about it now," said Reginald, feeling very
uncomfortable and rather disconcerted at this glib flow of penitence.