"Well, it's a big gospel the young man has got to live up to, with all his tall talk about women. But we'll see! We'll see!"
Gell, who was wildly excited by his friend's success, was walking to and fro on the platform waiting for Stowell's arrival. When he came (he was the last to come) he had a graver look on his face than Gell had ever seen there before, except once, and he seemed to be painfully preoccupied.
"Ah, is it you?" he had said, when Gell laid hold of him—he had started as if he had seen a ghost.
They got into the train together and had a carriage to themselves. Gell began with his congratulations, but Stowell brushed them aside, and said:
"What happened with your father?"
Gell told his story as he had told it at Derby Haven—that the Speaker had cut up badly and turned him out of the house.
"But what do I care? Not a ha'porth! Best thing that ever happened to me, perhaps."
"And Bessie?"
"Oh, Bessie? Well, that's all right now. A bit troubled at first about my being cut off by the family and losing my income. Just like a woman! So unselfish!"
There was silence for some time after that save for the rumble of the carriage wheels. Then Gell said he was sorry he had told Bessie about the loss of the income. She would always be thinking he would regret the sacrifice he had made for her. If he could only find some way of showing her it didn't matter, because he could always get plenty of money....