“Why don’t you go and see those road experiments they are trying in Kent?” Aymer asked one day.
“Frost-proof roads? They are no good. It was tried in Germany. What I would like is to run down to Cornwall and see how the Atlantic Road stands the winter, only it’s such a beastly way down by train.”
“It would certainly interfere with golf?” returned Cæsar drily.
“I’m beginning to play. Leverson says if I work really hard I may do something in a few years. Patricia says I shan’t even if I live to be as old as Methuselah; so I must stick to it to prove her wrong.”
“That’s highly desirable, of course. All the same she might leave you a little leisure to play round with your hobby. You mustn’t work too hard or Sam will beat you yet.”
“How is Sam?”
“He came to see me before I left town. He is doing well. They will take him in as junior partner in a year or two. I always said he’d do better than you.” He sighed profoundly. 169
“What a pity you didn’t adopt him instead of me,” retorted Christopher teasingly. “Is it too late to exchange? Buy him a senior partnership and leave me a free lance.”
And because Aymer did not reply at once to his familiar nonsense, he turned quickly and surprised a strange look in the blue eyes, a fleeting, shadowy love, passionate, fierce, jealous. It lost itself almost as he caught it and Aymer drawled out in his indifferent tone:
“It really might be worth considering. For then I could go back to London and he could come home every night. Besides, Sam really appreciates me.”