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Bomford, without his motoring outfit, was still an unprepossessing figure. He wore a pince-nez; his manner was fussy and inclined to be a little patronizing. He had the air of an unsuccessful pedagogue. He was obviously regarding Burton with a new interest. During tea-time he conversed chiefly with Edith, who seemed a little nervous, and answered most of his questions with monosyllables.
"Very much to blame," the professor echoed. "Nevertheless," Mr. Bomford insisted, "it is an incident which you must forget. It is man's first impulse, is it not, to make the best bargain he can for himself? We tried it and failed. For the future we abandon all ideas of that sort, Mr. Burton. We associate you, both nominally and in effect, with our enterprise, in which we will be equal partners.
"You know that I only got engaged to please you, because you thought that Mr. Bomford would take more interest in publishing your books. If I can't ever have him here, I shall break it off. He expects to be asked I am quite sure he does." The professor frowned impatiently. "You are a most unreasonable child," he declared. "Mr.
"It is very kind of you to come and see father," he said. "I am afraid that sometimes he is very lonely here. I will go away and leave you to talk." Mr. Bomford fumbled in his pocket. "Dear me!" he exclaimed. "Dear me! Ah, here is a half-crown! You must buy some chocolates or something to-morrow, young man. Or a gun, eh? Can one buy a gun for half-a-crown?" Alfred smiled at him.
They dined at a little round table in the most desirable corner of the room the professor and Edith, Mr. Bomford and himself. The music of one of the most famous orchestras in Europe alternately swelled and died away, always with the background of that steady hum of cheerful conversation. It was his first experience of a restaurant de luxe. He looked about him in amazed wonder.
Burton, to attempt to carry out such a scheme as Mr. Bomford here had conceived, without including you in it." The professor nodded to himself, amiably satisfied with his words. Burton remained mystified. Mr. Bomford took up the ball. "We yielded, Mr. Burton," he said, "to the natural impulse of all business men. We tried to make the best bargain we could for ourselves.
Your story will be told in every quarter of the globe, it will be translated into every conceivable tongue. Your picture will very likely adorn the lid of our boxes. It will be a matter for consideration, indeed, whether we shall not name this great discovery after you." "So it was for this," Burton exclaimed, "that you offered me that thousand pounds!" "We were to blame," Mr. Bomford admitted.
He half rose from his chair but Mr. Cowper thrust him back again. "We have not finished yet, my dear Mr. Burton," he said eagerly. "You are making up your mind too hastily." "A thousand pounds," Mr. Bomford repeated, condescendingly, "is a very useful sum. Those peculiar gifts of yours may vanish. Take the advice of a business man. Remember that you will still have two or three beans left.
I have told him your story." Mr. Bomford scratched his side whiskers and nodded patronizingly. "It is a very remarkable story," he declared, "a very remarkable story indeed. I can assure you, Mr. Mr. Burton, that I never listened to anything so amazing. If any one else except my old friend here had told me of it, I should have laughed.
The passion which had thrilled him but a moment ago seemed crushed by that great resurgent impulse which he was powerless to control. "You think that I should do this?" he cried, hoarsely. "Why not?" she answered. "Money is only vulgar if you spend it vulgarly. It might mean so much to you and to me." "Tell me how?" he faltered. "Mr. Bomford is very fond of money," she continued.
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