'Who were there? Sir Ropes McKenna was in the chair, I suppose?'
'Yes, sir, he was there.'
'Ah, so I thought. Well, my opinion of him is that he is merely a guinea-pig—you know what that is? I have made up my mind to have nothing more to do with the venture, at any rate. And so they were pleased with your report, were they?'
'They appeared to be. They passed us a vote of thanks, and one or two of the gentlemen spoke in rather a complimentary manner of what we had done.'
'I am glad of that. By the way, William, you know Mr. Kenyon, do you not?'
The young man looked round with an abstracted air, and gazed past, rather than at, John Kenyon.
'Kenyon, Kenyon,' he said to himself, as if trying to recollect a name that he had once heard somewhere. 'I really don't——'
'Tut, tut!' said the old man, 'you remember Mr. Kenyon on board the Caloric?'
'Oh, ah, yes; certainly—oh, certainly. How do you do, Mr. Kenyon? I had forgotten for the moment. I thought I had met you in the City somewhere. Feeling first-rate after your trip, I hope.' And young Mr. Longworth fixed his one eyeglass in its place and flashed its glitter on Kenyon.
'I am very well, thanks.'