And, so far as I could, I shewed him how it should be done and who were the people he must get to know. Quite methodically I set him to work; and I really took a great deal of trouble about him. Connie Maitland has the sublime assurance to pretend that she got him his knighthood, but on a point like that Sir Appleton himself is surely the most reliable witness... I helped him in a hundred ways; he is quite reasonably well-known now...
When the bomb-shell first descended from Morecambe, I thought at once of him. In such a business there must be scores of openings for young men of character and ability, accustomed to command; and, say what you like, the presence of those whom for want of a better word I will call "well-connected" does help to lift commerce out of the ruck... Unhappily Sir Appleton was abroad at the time, and that was really why we chose Menton, which truly honestly is only a suburb of Monte Carlo. The opportunity was too good to be thrown away; and it was worth enduring a little discomfort if by shewing him some slight civility I could enlist his support. It was not so easy as I had hoped. He wanted to make me believe that the best positions in the business were reserved for men who had worked their way up from the bottom, as he had done; that there was an immense deal to be learned, that the most responsible part of his duties consisted in choosing the right men...
"But," I said, "I am in a position to speak with knowledge here; it is my own son whom I am putting forward."
"I shall be delighted to see him," answered Sir Appleton, "and to talk things over again on my return to London."
And really he wanted to leave it like that, but I am not quite so easily discouraged. I hammered away until I had extracted a definite promise that he would find some position in which Will could support himself, though I am afraid he was not very gracious about it...
"If I accept him in the dark," he said in conclusion, "don't blame me for discharging him after a month if I find he's no good."
"I have no fear of that," I said.
"Discharge" was hardly the word I should have chosen, but one is foolish to expect too great nicety of language...
It was arranged that Sir Appleton should dine with us here to meet Will.
I did try to impress on my boy that this would be one of the most momentous days of his life. I wanted Sir Appleton to see him at his best. When you have no experience, no technical knowledge to offer, it is so important that character, personality, breeding... I am sure you understand what I mean. And I could never forget that, when the Jew man—Sir Adolf Erckmann or whatever he now calls himself—pretended to have an appointment ready and waiting, Will endangered his prospects by participating in some ridiculous game that caused our worthy host to take offence. One had not looked for such sensitiveness in that quarter; but, when a man is uncertain of himself and takes refuge in his dignity, high spirits and irresponsibility have no place. This time, I told Will, he must run no risks. And, after that, I hoped—and expected—to see my boy taking our friend by storm...