“Merchant Livingstone!” said he. “So they are to sup together.”
“Friend Hawkins does not lag in the matter of clinching his friendships,” smiled Ben. “Look at him. One would fancy that he’d been in touch with the other all his life.”
The two mentioned were seated at a table no great distance away; their heads were bent close together, and Hawkins was speaking earnestly and in a rather lowered voice.
“Of course,” he said, “it would not do, as I already remarked to-day, to speak too openly upon certain subjects. But they can be discussed guardedly and with circumspection, and so do no general harm.”
“Yes, yes,” said Mr. Livingstone, eagerly. “I understand and thoroughly appreciate your standpoint. But,” and his head went nearer to that of his new friend, “are there actually steps being taken to—to oust, so to speak—a certain person?”
Hawkins waved one large, well-kept hand.
“My dear sir,” said he, “it is entirely too early to expect such definite things as ‘steps’ in the matter. At most, it is but under consideration.”
“Ah, I see.” Mr. Livingstone nodded his head wisely. “No steps have been taken, but the matter is being considered.” There was a pause of a few moments, then he added with a resumption of his former eagerness: “Can you tell me, is the thing being well considered?”
Hawkins shook his head gravely.
“That is all I can say at this time. The matter came to me quite in the way of an accident, and I passed my word as a gentleman to keep silent regarding it.”