"Yes. Yes. I see you are studious. I always like that in a young man—gives him breadth—scope."
I assented and explained that I had been in politics a little also, all of which he appeared to think in my favor. And so it went on till he knew nearly all about me. In fact, I became quite communicative. It had been so long since I had had a lawyer to talk with. I found him to be a remarkably well-informed man, and with agreeable, rather insinuating manners. He knew something of books too, and he made, I could not tell whether consciously or unconsciously, a number of literary allusions. One of them I recall. It was a Spanish proverb, he said: "The judge is a big man, but give your presents to the clerk."
"Well, you'll do well here if you start right. The tortoise beats the hare, you know—every time—every time."
I started, so apt was the allusion. I wondered if he could ever have known Peck.
"Yes, I know that. That's what I mean to do," I said.
"Get in with the right sort of folks, then when there's any sweeping done you'll be on the side of the handle." He was moving around toward the door and was looking out of the window reflecting.
"I have a letter to a gentleman named Leigh," I said. "I have not yet presented it."
"Ah!"
I turned and glanced at him casually and was struck with the singular change that had come over his face. It was as if he had suddenly drawn a fine mask over it. His eyes were calmly fixed on me, yet I could hardly have said that they saw me. His countenance was absolutely expressionless. I have seen the same detached look in a big cat's eyes as he gazed through his bars and through the crowd before him to the far jungle, ocean spaces away. It gave me a sudden shiver and I may have shown that I was startled, but, as I looked, the mask disappeared before my eyes and he was smiling as before.
"Got a pretty daughter?" he said with a manner which offended me, I could hardly tell why.