"Then you must allow for a reaction against the injudicious course I took. I urged him to speak for a friend of mine, which was, no doubt, very wrong, and it seems I went too far. Can you not imagine his resenting it and being so determined not to be influenced that he became hypercritical?"
Greythorpe thought this clever, since it was the best means of lessening the value of Challoner's opinion that she could use.
"I gather that you put too severe a strain upon his friendship."
"I'm afraid there's a breach between us now, but that is not the point."
"No," said Greythorpe. "In a general way, your reasoning is logical, but I hardly think it applicable to Challoner. He might resent your action; but it would not make him unjust. I presume the man you favour is Captain Sedgwick?"
"He's much the best of the three you have in view."
"Then you know something about the matter? We thought it was secret."
She laughed. "Secrets are not always well kept. I know the other men, and though there is nothing that can be urged against their character, they are plodders, men of routine, without much foresight or enterprise."
"Allowing that you are right, isn't there something to be said for the steady plodder?"
"I daresay he's useful," Mrs. Chudleigh agreed with a touch of scorn. "But for the vacant post you want a bold determined man who can see ahead."