“Oh!”
This exclamation might be taken as signifying assent, and it was thus that John Bradfield chose to take it; and the subject was dropped out of their talk, if not out of their minds.
The assiduity with which John Bradfield tended his old friend was wonderful. It was remarked that he scarcely let anybody else go near him; that he slept in Marrable’s room, and even served him with his own hands. It escaped remark that on rare occasions when John Bradfield did leave the apartment of his friend, he took care first to send Stelfox out on some errand which would take a considerable time to execute.
Mr. Bradfield’s doubts of Stelfox’s trustworthiness were increasing. Taking the bull by the horns, as his custom was when hard pressed, Mr. Bradfield took the servant severely to task for suffering Mr. Richard to get loose again, and ended by threatening him with instant dismissal if it should occur again.
At this Stelfox looked up.
“Do you mean that, sir?”
“I do, indeed.”
“And what—what, sir, would you do with Mr. Richard, if you did send me away?”
There was some spirit in the servant’s question; there was more in the master’s answer:
“That’s my business!”