He ran rather than walked across the room, and rang the bell.
Slummers opened the door almost instantly and stood motionless and silent.
“Has—has that old idiot gone?” asked Stephen.
“Yes, sir,” said Slummers.
Stephen laughed hoarsely.
“Let the past go with him!” he said. “Slummers, go to my room and bring a roll of papers from my bureau-drawer. You know what they are! Plans and estimates. Do you know what I am going to do?”
Slummers raised his eyes.
“Of course you do!” said Stephen with the same laugh. “I’m going to make a clean sweep here, Slummers. I’m going to pull half this beastly place to the ground. Alterations, Slummers—alterations that will make Hurst a place for a man to live in, not a tomb, as it is at present.”
“You are right, sir, it is a tomb,” said Slummers, in his low, hollow voice.
Stephen shuddered.