He stood up at last and reached down his hat and stick. The old man
looked up.
"You are going, Mr. Baxter...? Good day.... Well then; and as I was
waiting in court--"
Laurie passed out indignantly, and went down the stairs.
So that was Mr. Cathcart. Well, he was thankful he hadn't written to
him, after all. He was not his kind in the least.
II
The moment he passed out of the door the old man stopped his fluent
talking and waited, looking after the boy. Then he turned again to his
friend.
"I'm a blundering idiot," he said.
Mr. Morton sniffed.
"I've put him against me now--Lord knows how; but I've done it; and he
won't listen to me."
"Gad!" said Mr. Morton; "what funny people you all are! And you really
meant what you said?"
"Every word," said the old man cheerfully.... "Well; our little plot's
over."
"Why don't you ask him to come and see you?"
"First," said the old man, with the same unruffled cheerfulness, "he
wouldn't have come. We've muddled it. We'd much better have been
straightforward. Secondly, he thinks me an old fool--as you do, only
more so. No; we must set to work some other way now.... Tell me about
Miss Deronnais: I showed you her letter?"
The other nodded, helping himself to cheese.
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