It was a bitter moment, but, to the lad's credit be it said, he met it
bravely. A gulp to a tiresome lump in the throat, a slight quivering of
the sensitive lips, and he was master of himself again, hastily stuffing
the precious note-book out of sight, and striving to display the right
amount of interest in his companion's conversation. It was not until
the inn was within sight that Mr Elgood made the slightest allusion to
the verses which he had read.
"Ah--about those rhymes!" he began casually. "Don't take yourself too
seriously, you know. It's a strange thing that young people constitute
themselves the pessimists of the world, while the old ones, who know
what real trouble is, are left to do the optimism by themselves. If you
are bound to sing, sing cheerfully! Try to forget that `sad' rhymes
with `glad,' and don't feel it necessary to end in the minor key. That
rhyming business has a lot to answer for. I like you best when you are
content to be your natural, cheerful self!"
"You think, then--you do think--some of them a little good?"
Ron's wistful voice would have melted a heart of stone. The Chieftain
laid a hand on his arm with a very kindly pressure.
"There are some of 'em," he said cheerfully, "which are a lot better
than others. I'm not partial to amateur verses myself, but I don't mind
telling you for your comfort that I've seen worse, before now--
considerably worse!"
Poor Ron! It was bitter comfort. In the blessed privacy of his own
room he sat himself down to read over the pages of the little black book
with painful criticism, asking himself miserably if it were really true
that they were feeble amateur efforts, tinged with pretence and
unreality. Here and there a flush and a wince proved that the
accusation had gone home, when a vigorous pencil mark on the side of the
page marked the necessity for correction, but on the whole he could
honestly refute the charge; could declare, with the bold yet humble
conviction of the true craftsman, that it was good work; work well done;
work worth doing!
The dreamy brown eyes sent out a flash of determination.
"I can!" said Ron to himself. "And I will!"