"Well, I am done. Meet 'nother night p'raps——"
"I hope so," he said politely. He raised his hat and the cab splashed away.
"Another cab, sir?" said the commissionaire.
"No, thanks," said Breton, and plunged out into the rain. The air was fresh and cool. Streams of water danced and spurted on the gleaming pavements.
Breton walked along. The little adventure had swept completely from his mind his earlier desperate decisions.
There were still things for him to do! Poor little girl ... he was glad that he had been there! What a fool he had been all these weeks, sitting there, letting himself go to pieces because the world had gone badly! What sort of a creature was he? Well, he was some good yet. Just one twist of the hand and that man had gone down ... Yes, she was grateful.... Her eyes had shone.
And what of the candles, his business? Why had he allowed that to drop when he had made, already, so good a start? He would be in the City early to-morrow. Business was humming just now.
And Rachel? Rachel!
Let him be content to have her as his ideal, his fine beacon to light him on, to hold him to his work and do the best that was in him!
After all, things were for the best. They would always have their fine memories, one of the other. Nothing to spoil that idyll.