Wolfenden looked at him doubtfully. There seemed to be no possibility of anything but advantage in accepting this offer, and yet in a sense he was sorry that it had been made.
“In case you should attach any special importance to your father’s manuscripts,” Dr. Wilmot remarked, with a note of sarcasm in his tone, “I might add that it is not at all necessary for me to be alone in the study.”
Wolfenden felt a little uncomfortable under the older man’s keen gaze. Neither did he altogether like having his thoughts read so accurately.
“I suppose,” he said, turning to his mother, “you could manage to get him away from the library for a short time?”
“I could at least try,” she answered. “Shall I?”
“I think,” he said, “that as Dr. Wilmot has been good enough to go out of his way to call here, we must make an effort.”
Lady Deringham left the room.
Dr. Wilmot, whose expression of absolute impassiveness had not altered in the least during their discussion, turned towards Wolfenden.
“Have you yourself,” he said, “never seen any of your father’s manuscripts? Has he never explained the scheme of his work to you?”
Wolfenden shook his head.