“Oh, he’s going to have a shake-down in his own room. You’ll like him, Fred; he’s a very good-natured, clever man.”
“How old?” I asked.
“About fifty, I should think. And I fancy he’s seen a good deal of trouble in his time, though I don’t like to ask him.”
“I say, Jack,” I began in an embarrassed manner, “ever since that time—”
“Shut up, now,” said Jack, briskly. “The doctor says unless you obey me in everything you’re to go straight to the hospital. And one of my rules is, you’re to talk about nothing I don’t approve of.”
“I was only going to say—”
“There you go. I don’t approve of what you were going to say. I suppose you’ll be interested to hear I reported your case to the firm yesterday, and they were very sorry to hear of it, and told me there were other fellows in the office they could have spared better. There’s a compliment!”
“Was Hawkesbury at the office?” I asked.
Jack’s face clouded for a moment.
“Yes, Hawkesbury was there.”