His features relaxed. He continued:
"Will you lend me one?"
I handed him the whole bundle.
"Allow me ..." he said. "Just a glance."
He ran through the first page, and was just going to turn over.
I made bold to say:
"There's nothing so exhilarating as that reading, I consider, sir! I confess I was thinking of letting my men profit by it...." He cut me short:
"I understand, I understand you. You're a good sort, Dreher! Two or three of you have turned out to be extraordinarily useful! I was a little bit prejudiced against you young bourgeois. I thought you would be selfish, and not care a rap about your work or anything else. I was mistaken."
He added: