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His pride could not afford it, his care for young Gedge could not afford it, the slender family purse could not afford it. Why ever did he not think of it all before, and spare himself this double indignity? With a groan which represented as much inward misery and humiliation as could well be compressed into a single action, he stooped down and picked up the type and handed it to Mr Durfy.
"Mean? what I say!" shouted Durfy. "You're dismissed, kicked out, and the sooner you go the better." So this was the dignified leave-taking to which he had secretly looked forward! Kicked out! and kicked out by Durfy! Reginald's toes tingled at the very thought. "You've no right to dismiss me for being a few minutes late," said he. It was Durfy's turn now to be dignified.
But even his ingenuity failed in this respect, and as Horace passed him with a good-humoured nod, he had, much against his will, to nod back, and forego his amiable intentions. The brothers naturally turned their steps to the room presided over by Mr Durfy.
By the way," said Mr Medlock, "he deserves something for that; it's the best stroke of business we've done for a long time. It's worth three weeks to us to have him there to answer questions and choke off the inquisitive. He's got his busy time coming on, I fancy. Bless you, Durfy, the fellow was born for us! He swallows anything.
See if that'll suit your abilities, my dandy"; and without waiting to hear Reginald's explanations or remonstrances, Mr Durfy walked off, leaving the unlucky boy in the hands of Mr Barber. "Now, then, stir your stumps, Mr Dandy," said the latter. "It'll take you all your time to get that shop straight, I can tell you, so you'd better pull up your boots. Got a broom?"
"I'm going with you, to be sure," said he, doggedly. Messrs. Medlock and Shanklin greeted this announcement with a laugh of genuine amusement. "I'm glad you told us," said Mr Shanklin. "We should have forgotten to take a ticket for you." "You may grin," said Durfy. "I'm going, for all that." "You're a bigger fool even than you look," said Mr Medlock, "to think so.
He liked the way it was put, and the conditions it imposed, and, indeed, was so much taken up with the study of it that he almost forgot to set it up in type. "Whatever are you dreaming about?" said young Gedge. "You've stood like that for a quarter of an hour at least. You'll have Durfy after you if you don't mind."
He gave an admonitory touch to the elbow of Dick Dawson, who, with his friend Tom Durfy, followed Edward from the room, the bailiff bringing up the rear, and relocking the door on the unfortunate James Reddy, who was left "alone in his glory," to finish his slashing article against the successful men of the day. Nothing more than words of recognition had passed between Reddy and Edward.
He went on writing, and did his best to affect oblivion of his enemy's presence. Reginald, too indignant to know the folly of such an outburst, broke out, "I shall not take my dismissal from you. I shall stay here as long as I choose, and when I go I'll go of my own accord, you cad, you " Mr Durfy still went on writing with a cheerful smile on his countenance.
So he called for refreshments for two, and then entered on a friendly discourse with Durfy on things in general, and offered to make him a member of the club; then bringing the conversation round to Reginald, he hinted gently that he too had his eye on that young gentleman, and was at the present moment engaged in bowling him out.
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