“Oh, I don’t think I’d worry about her any more if I were you,” said Comethup. “I took the liberty, in order to save you any trouble, of settling up with her. I hope you don’t mind.”
Brian Carlaw brought his legs down from the sofa, and sat upright. He shook his head playfully for a moment, then began to smile, then to laugh outright; finally he got up and came at Comethup in his pleasantest and most jovial fashion, and clapped both hands on his shoulders. “You dear old rascal,” he said, and his eyes had a light of tenderness in them which was sufficient repayment, if any were needed, for anything that Comethup had done; “you dear old rascal, I knew that you’d put things right for me directly you came. You know, old boy, my nature—damn it, I can’t help it; it was born in me—my nature is a proud and a sensitive one; and though I may carry a brave face to the world, and laugh and joke with these people who have for the moment to supply me with bread and butter and a roof to cover me, still my spirit rebels against the idea of owing them money. I don’t like it; I don’t want to feel that I owe this man or that woman, of however common clay they may be, so many pounds, shillings, and pence. I’ve got my work to think about, my hopes in life to realize; and these sordid things come up against me and hurt me, and leave their stain, as it were, upon the work I have to do. Don’t you understand that? Now, my dear boy, I shall go on cheerfully. Like the immortal village blacksmith, I can look the whole world in the face again—well, not quite the whole world, because I’m already deeply in your debt; but all that shall be wiped off some day, and we’ll start with a clean slate. Now, I sincerely hope that that woman hasn’t overcharged you.”
“I shouldn’t bother about that if I were you,” said Comethup. “It’s paid and done with, and you won’t need to trouble about it. But how are you going on? What are you going to do?”
“My dear fellow, that’s a question for the future; and the future, for good or ill, can always be depended upon to take care of itself. For the present—and that’s the only really important thing—you have stepped in, like the splendid chap you are, and have put all my world right. I won’t attempt to thank you: thanks between friends are always meaningless. Let us go out somewhere and look on the world, and be grateful, and sit in the sunshine.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” said Comethup. “You see, I’ve been away in the country for some time, and I must hurry back home. I only called here on my way from the station.”
“Well, some other day, then, although I wish you could have made it to-day. I’m just in the mood for a holiday. So you’ve been in the country, have you? What part?”
“Oh, the old place, our old home, you know,” replied Comethup.
“Indeed! the dear old spot! And I suppose you saw all the old people and all the familiar sights of our boyhood. Been staying there long?”
“Only about a week this time,” said Comethup.
The other caught him up quickly. “This time! Do you often go down there, then?”