William King whistled. "After all these years!" Then he reflected.
"Well, of course, sir, he is an old man. But he is like iron, Dr.
Lavendar. When he had quinsy two years ago, I thought he had come to
the end. Not a bit of it! He's iron. Only, of course, anger is a great
drain. Better caution Sam not to cross him."
"Then there would be some danger?"
"I shouldn't like to see him get into a rage," the doctor admitted.
"But why should he get into a rage, if they are going to patch things
up? Good Lord!" said William King, gaping with astonishment; "at
last!"
"I haven't said they would patch things up. But there is a chance that
I can get 'em to talk over Benjamin's anxiety about Sam's Sam. Fact
is, Benjamin is disturbed about the boy's sheep's-eyes. Sam thinks,
you know, that he is in love with Mrs. Richie, and--"
"In love with Mrs. Richie!" William broke in angrily. "The idea of his
bothering Mrs. Richie! it's outrageous. I don't wonder Mr. Wright is
concerned. It's disgraceful. He ought to be thrashed!"
Dr. Lavendar drew a quick breath and let his pipe-hand fall heavily on
the table beside him. "No, William, no; not thrashed. Not thrashed,
William."
"Well, I don't know," the doctor said, doggedly; "it might do him
good; a squirt of a boy!"
Dr. Lavendar sighed. They smoked silently for a while, and, indeed, it
was not until it was almost time to go home that William burst out
with his own wrongs.
"Confound him!" he ended, "what do you make of it, sir? Why, Dr.
Lavendar, he sent his girl out of the room--didn't want her to talk to
me! You'd have thought I was a case of measles. His one idea was to
get rid of me as quickly as possible."
Dr. Lavendar thrust out his lower lip; then he scratched a match on
the bottom of his chair, and held it out to Danny, who came forward
with instant curiosity, sniffed, sneezed, and plainly hurt, retired to
the hearth-rug.
"William, 'a moral, sensible and well-bred man will not affront--'"
"I'm not feeling affronted."
"Oh, aren't you?"
"No," William declared boldly, "not at all; not in the least! He's not
worth it. But I'm all mixed up."
"Daniel," said Dr. Lavendar, "how dare you lie on the rug? Willy, when
I was young--I mean when I was younger--we children were never allowed
to come nearer the fire than the outside edge of the hearth-rug. I
feel wicked now, whenever I come over that edge. But look at that
scoundrel Danny!"