your place I should be very chary of approaching Uncle Andrew.’
Charles thought he had said enough and changed the subject. In speaking as he had he was not swayed by unkind or insincere feelings towards Peter. He really believed that Peter was a bungler, and that if he approached his uncle he would put the latter’s back up and queer the pitch for both of them. He was sure that he himself could handle the old man more tactfully, and if he succeeded not only he but Peter would benefit. If Andrew made an advance to him, there could be no possible reason for his refusing a similar accommodation to Peter.
For a while Charles was tempted to make common cause with Peter, then he saw that this would be a mistake. In the first place Peter wouldn’t agree that he, Charles, could handle the affair more successfully than himself, and in the second, even to Peter it would be unwise to admit that he was in difficulties. Though he believed Peter would never willingly betray a trust, it was very easy to give away information involuntarily, and the best way of ensuring the preservation of a secret was to keep it to oneself.
‘Here we are almost at the works,’ Charles said at length. ‘Come to the office and have a drink and let’s think if there are no other ways out.’
Peter pulled up and looked at his watch as Charles had hoped he would. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I can’t. I’ve got an appointment with Crosby directly. Well, Charles, I’m glad to have met you. When are we going to see you out with us?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Soon as I can I’ll drop out. Remember me to Elsie and the children.’
They waved adieu and Charles strode on towards his works, while Peter turned back to the centre of the town.
How far, Charles wondered, had his cautiously applied douche of cold water put Peter off his idea of applying for help to Andrew Crowther? It was a fortunate thing for both of them that they had met. With any reasonable luck he, Charles, should get in first, and if he could not sway Andrew, he did not believe that anyone else in the world would succeed.
Charles was strongly tempted to go out then and there to The Moat and put his fate to the test. But a little thought showed that this would be sheer lunacy. Besides the fact that Andrew hated to be hurried, such haste would point most undesirably to the urgency of his need. Andrew would be more suspicious and less pliable. No, the matter must be adequately prepared. The preparation, however, could be done at once.
On reaching his office he rang up The Moat, and in a moment he recognized the lugubrious tones of his uncle’s man.
‘Good afternoon, Weatherup. How’s Mr Crowther to-day?’
Andrew, it appeared, was in his usual state of health. He was reading in the study and Weatherup was sure it would be convenient for him to speak. He would put Mr Charles through.
A moment’s delay and then Charles heard his uncle’s thin voice. Mutual greetings passed.
‘I wanted some time to have a chat with you on a small matter of business,’ Charles went on presently, ‘and I really rang up to ask you when would be convenient. There’s no hurry; it’s simply that I want to keep clear whatever time we fix.’
This produced the reaction which Charles expected.
‘I’m not particular,’ came Andrew’s voice. ‘I’m not overwhelmed with appointments, as you know. When would suit you?’
‘I can’t come next week,’ Charles went on, ‘but it happens that I’m lunching in York to-morrow, and I could look in on the way back, if that would suit.’
The following afternoon would suit Andrew. They had tea, as Charles knew, at half-past four, and would expect him some time before that.
So far, so good. With a slight sigh of relief Charles turned to his papers, of which a number had accumulated since he went out for lunch.
That evening a big event in Charles’s life was to take place, and as the afternoon dragged slowly away he grew more and more restless and
Charles thought he had said enough and changed the subject. In speaking as he had he was not swayed by unkind or insincere feelings towards Peter. He really believed that Peter was a bungler, and that if he approached his uncle he would put the latter’s back up and queer the pitch for both of them. He was sure that he himself could handle the old man more tactfully, and if he succeeded not only he but Peter would benefit. If Andrew made an advance to him, there could be no possible reason for his refusing a similar accommodation to Peter.
For a while Charles was tempted to make common cause with Peter, then he saw that this would be a mistake. In the first place Peter wouldn’t agree that he, Charles, could handle the affair more successfully than himself, and in the second, even to Peter it would be unwise to admit that he was in difficulties. Though he believed Peter would never willingly betray a trust, it was very easy to give away information involuntarily, and the best way of ensuring the preservation of a secret was to keep it to oneself.
‘Here we are almost at the works,’ Charles said at length. ‘Come to the office and have a drink and let’s think if there are no other ways out.’
Peter pulled up and looked at his watch as Charles had hoped he would. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I can’t. I’ve got an appointment with Crosby directly. Well, Charles, I’m glad to have met you. When are we going to see you out with us?’
‘Oh, I don’t know. Soon as I can I’ll drop out. Remember me to Elsie and the children.’
They waved adieu and Charles strode on towards his works, while Peter turned back to the centre of the town.
How far, Charles wondered, had his cautiously applied douche of cold water put Peter off his idea of applying for help to Andrew Crowther? It was a fortunate thing for both of them that they had met. With any reasonable luck he, Charles, should get in first, and if he could not sway Andrew, he did not believe that anyone else in the world would succeed.
Charles was strongly tempted to go out then and there to The Moat and put his fate to the test. But a little thought showed that this would be sheer lunacy. Besides the fact that Andrew hated to be hurried, such haste would point most undesirably to the urgency of his need. Andrew would be more suspicious and less pliable. No, the matter must be adequately prepared. The preparation, however, could be done at once.
On reaching his office he rang up The Moat, and in a moment he recognized the lugubrious tones of his uncle’s man.
‘Good afternoon, Weatherup. How’s Mr Crowther to-day?’
Andrew, it appeared, was in his usual state of health. He was reading in the study and Weatherup was sure it would be convenient for him to speak. He would put Mr Charles through.
A moment’s delay and then Charles heard his uncle’s thin voice. Mutual greetings passed.
‘I wanted some time to have a chat with you on a small matter of business,’ Charles went on presently, ‘and I really rang up to ask you when would be convenient. There’s no hurry; it’s simply that I want to keep clear whatever time we fix.’
This produced the reaction which Charles expected.
‘I’m not particular,’ came Andrew’s voice. ‘I’m not overwhelmed with appointments, as you know. When would suit you?’
‘I can’t come next week,’ Charles went on, ‘but it happens that I’m lunching in York to-morrow, and I could look in on the way back, if that would suit.’
The following afternoon would suit Andrew. They had tea, as Charles knew, at half-past four, and would expect him some time before that.
So far, so good. With a slight sigh of relief Charles turned to his papers, of which a number had accumulated since he went out for lunch.
That evening a big event in Charles’s life was to take place, and as the afternoon dragged slowly away he grew more and more restless and
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