"He is just exactly the same as ever. He has not changed a hair since ever we can remember him."
"I suppose he sticks to the old customs--shaves clean and wears a wig."
"I suppose that is it, sir. He certainly never seems to get any older."
Then madame's warning came, and Lord Deseret carried them off to his box and afterwards to supper.
And he and Jack had much interesting conversation concerning the coming war, and armaments, and so on, to all of which Jim played the part of interested listener, though in truth his mind was busy, in its slow, heavy way, on quite other matters.
"Clever boy, that," said Lord Deseret to himself, as he thought over Jack while his man was putting him to bed that night. "He will probably find his chances in this war and go far. But I'm not sure but what--yes, Jim is a right good fellow. And to think of him sending half that money to the other! I should say that was very like him, though. Now I wonder which, after all, is Lady Susan's boy, and how it's all going to work out. If Jack's the man, I wouldn't at all mind providing for Jim. In fact, I rather think I'd like to provide for him. Not a patch on the other in the matter of brains, of course, but something very taking about him. A look in his eyes, I think----"
[CHAPTER XXXVII]
A HOPELESS QUEST
It was about a fortnight after their visit to Carne, and Jim, after several hours' hard work outside, was bolting a hasty breakfast in his quarters one morning, when his orderly came up to say that a man was wanting to see him.
"What kind of a man, Joyce?"