The judge’s face flushed with the annoyance he felt.
“You owe me nothing,” he said, “not even thanks. The law in such cases is well settled. There was no chance for me to do otherwise than as I did.”
“Judge,” replied Barry, “you are too modest. It was your genius in applying the law so that it should serve the best interests of society that led to the judgment in our favor. The Malleson Manufacturing Company, as the great industrial plant of this city, paying out thousands of dollars weekly in wages, must not be subject to attack by any common laborer who happens to get hurt while in our employ. The lesson which the court has taught to that class of people will doubtless prove to be a most salutary one.”
Then Barry, with a sense of duty well performed, resumed activity with his fork. But Judge Bosworth’s face had grown redder, the rector’s lips were tightly set, as if in an effort to prevent the escape from them of inadvertent words, and Ruth, fearful of the upsetting of her plans for a harmonious dinner, was nervously tapping the damask cloth with a shapely finger. Miss Chichester, seeing that Barry had unwittingly gotten himself into trouble, felt that it was her instant duty to help him out of it.
“Oh, but Barry’s going to give Mrs. Bradley some money anyway, now that her husband’s dead. Aren’t you, Barry? I call that very generous.”
“Yes,” replied Barry, “if she’ll take it. Something as a gift, you know. Purely as a gift. No obligation connected with it at all.”
“A small sum as an honorarium, I suppose, Barry,” said Mr. Tracy, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Exactly!” replied Barry, “an honorarium.” The word sounded good to him. He meant to stow it away in his memory, for use on some other occasion.
“But what if she won’t accept it?” asked Mrs. Tracy. “That kind of people are so very independent.”
“Barry intends to keep calling on her and urging her, periodically, until she does accept it. Don’t you, Barry?” inquired Westgate. Mr. Tracy and Westgate never seemed able to let escape them a good opportunity of having a little quiet amusement at Barry’s expense.