March looked at him hazily with an afternoon look of drowsiness and languor; but he was tickled by the advice thus given, and resumed the so-easily-relinquished work. Joe, so to speak, sat or stood over him all day, encouraging and stimulating. The work went on slowly, as John remarked in the evening, but still it went on. The next day and the next passed in much the same way, except that Joe, ‘hanging about’ as usual, managed to meet his comrade on his way to instead of after luncheon, and so secured a clear head and less drowsy condition for the afternoon. At last, chiefly by the exertions of this very unusual overseer, the work was concluded, and then Joe spoke his mind more clearly.
‘It’s you as has had most part of this work, guv’nor, but it’s he as’ll get the pay.’
‘That’s the way of this world, Joe,’ said his comrade. But he added after a moment, with a magnanimous air, ‘Not in this case, however—for I have only copied, I have not invented—though I may have given a few hints.’
He had given these hints only to himself, various suggestions having occurred to him in the course of his copying, which in some instances he had inserted with the wildest ignorance of practicability in his text.
‘I make no doubt,’ said Joe, ‘as the best of it come out o’ your head, guv’nor. You was always the one as had the brains; and it’s you as should profit by it. A young fellow like that’s got no occasion to make his fortune at his age. It ain’t good for him. When you make your fortune like that right off, it puffs you up with pride, and it stops you doing more. Ain’t that true? Why, you knows it is;—chaplains and parsons and all that sort say so. It’s good for you to be kep’ down when you’re young. It would be a thousand pities to spoil a young fellow’s life like, with getting everything that he wants first thing afore he’s had any experience. That’s what has always been said to me.’
‘There is some truth in it, no doubt,’ said March.
‘A deal of truth, guv’nor. I suppose, now, you’ve just got to take them papers to somebody as deals in things like that, and get money for ’em down on the nail?’
‘He will take them to some great engineering firm,’ said the other. ‘And probably he would not part with them for a sum “down on the nail,” as you say. Such a scheme as this he’d be sure to have some share in it. He would superintend the carrying out of his plans, if you understand that. It might be years of work for him, and the most excellent beginning. I should think he deserved it, too,’ said John’s amanuensis, looking round approvingly, ‘for there is every evidence that he’s a fine fellow, and I know he has been very kind to me.’
‘And you might be very kind to ’im, in that way,’ said Joe.
‘I could be—kind to him? I don’t think I’ve very much in my power one way or other,’ said March, with a smile and a sigh.