“It occurred to me that I had perhaps taken too much upon myself now and then. You are my chief, of course, and I don’t want to look pushing.”
“That shows good taste,” Bethune remarked. “But how are you going to get over the difficulty that you are what you call pushing? Anyhow, I’m surprised it did occur to you.”
“To tell the truth, it was something Fuller said——”
“So I imagined! Well, when you go too far I’ll pull you up, but we needn’t bother about it in the meantime. You were obviously born a hustler, but you have an ingenuousness that disarms resentment. In fact, you quite upset our views of the British character.”
“Then the feeling’s mutual,” Dick rejoined with a grin. “You don’t harmonize with what I’ve seen of Americans.”
“Ours is a big country and we’ve room for different types; but I come from Georgia and we haven’t all learned to hustle yet in the South. That’s probably why I’m here, when I could have had a much better paid job.”
Dick did not doubt this, because he had seen something of the other’s mathematical powers. He was not a fool at figures himself, but Bethune could solve by a flash of genius problems that cost him laborious calculation. It was strange that such a man should be content to make a very modest use of his talents.
“I suppose you have met Miss Fuller,” Bethune resumed.
“Yes,” said Dick. “She made things pleasant for me when I first went to the tent. I like her very much.”
“Miss Fuller has most of the New England virtues, including a stern sense of her responsibility. I expect you don’t know if she shares her father’s good opinion of yourself.”