"I don't interfere in that. It's your own private affair and no concern of mine. You can afford to marry her on your present salary. If she's a girl likely to make a good wife, I hope you will marry her. I like my employees to be married. It's healthy for them and makes them better business men. Is she an ambitious girl?"
"I hardly know that."
"Well, my advice to you is this: marry someone ambitious. You'll need it. You're inclined to weaken."
"It's very good of you to take such an interest in me."
"I like you. I want to make you one of my right-hand men eventually. Now I want to say this in particular: keep business affairs to yourself."
"I'll certainly do so, sir."
"Don't talk about them even to your parents, even to your young lady. I'm paying you a very good salary for a man of your age, and I expect a closed mouth about my affairs."
"Of course."
"Get the reason for it. This deal I'm engaged on is a big thing, and there are plenty of City people in London who'd like to know just what I'm planning, and just why Matheson and I sent you to Canada. I want you to keep them guessing until the scheme's floated. D'you get that?"
"Certainly, sir! You may rely on me not to say anything about your business affairs to anybody. I know how things leak around once anybody's told."