The doctor knew everything. There was no further shame in making a clean breast of it.
‘It’s better than what you were going to say,’ the doctor answered, ‘whatever it was. I hate vulgarity as the devil hates virtue. It’s a pretty sex; I know something about it You seem to have lighted upon a pretty sample.’
Just at this instant there came a tap at the door, and the voice of the maid was heard saying, ‘This is the room, sir.’ The door opened, and in walked Armstrong the elder.
‘Dad!’ cried Paul
His father held his hand and looked at him.
‘I’ve been sore troubled by your silence, lad,’ he said. ‘I’ve had hard work to find ye. Ye might have written.’
‘I was coming to see you,’ said Paul, ‘so soon as I could travel. When will that be, doctor?’
‘In a fortnight’s time, perhaps,’ the doctor answered—‘not much earlier.’
The doctor went his way, and the father and son were together.
‘You’re out of Darco’s service, I understand?’ said Armstrong. ‘He wrote kindly about ye, but he said you’d parted. Why did you leave him, Paul?’