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Updated: June 17, 2025
He made no pretence of enjoying life when he did not enjoy it. He disliked Mr Durfy, and therefore he flared up if Mr Durfy so much as looked at him. He liked young Gedge, and therefore it was impossible to leave the youngster to his fate and let him ruin himself without an effort at rescue.
Mr Durfy alone, sitting at his table, and directing sharp glances every now and then in his direction, could guess the real meaning of his pre-occupation, and chuckled to himself as he saw it. Reginald spent threepence on his way home that evening one in procuring a copy of the Rocket, and two on a couple of postage-stamps.
Horace, full of fear and trembling on his brother's account, hurried with his copy to Mr Durfy, and waited impatiently till that grandee condescended to relieve him of it. "Is there anything else?" he inquired, as he gave it up. "Anything else? Yes, plenty; but don't come bothering me now."
"I felt quite sorry for the poor scared beggar as he knelt there and turned his white face to the light, unable to move or speak or do anything. You'll have guessed who it was. "`So, Mr Durfy, said Waterford, leaning up against the door and folding his arms, `it's you, is it? "The culprit glared at him and then at me, and rose to his feet with a forced laugh. "`It looks like it, he said.
"Well, the Corporation's had a short life and a merry one; and your precious secretary's likely to have a merry Christmas after it all unless you'd like to go down and spend it with him, Durfy," added Mr Shanklin, taking notice for the first time of the presence of their visitor. Durfy replied by a scowl. "I shall be far enough away by then," said he. "Why, where are you going?"
They had not, in their most sanguine moments, expected much, but this was even rather less than they had counted on. Mr Durfy mused for some time, then, turning to Reginald, he said, "Do you know your letters?" Here was a question to put to the captain of the fifth at Wilderham! "I believe I do," said Reginald, with a touch of scorn in his voice which was quite lost on the practical Mr Durfy.
But, unusual as it was, he made the bold venture of jumping to the conviction of Reginald's innocence; and that theory once started, everything went beautifully. On the evening following Mrs Cruden's sudden illness, Mr Durfy strolled down in rather a disconsolate frame of mind towards the Shades. Since his expulsion from the Rocket office things had not been going pleasantly with him.
Of course, Dick's card and a note of invitation for the gallant colonel were immediately despatched; and he had but just arrived before Edward, who found a bustling sensation in the room as the colonel was presented to those already assembled, and Tom Durfy giving whispers, aside, to each person touching his friend; such as "Very remarkable man" "Seen great service" "A little odd or so" "A fund of most extraordinary anecdote," &c., &c.
I do believe he buys his own postage-stamps when he writes home to his mamma!" This last announcement was too comical to be received gravely. "Ha, ha! he ought to be exhibited!" said Shanklin. "He ought to be starved!" said Durfy viciously. "He knocked me down once, and I wouldn't have told you of him if I didn't owe him a grudge the puppy!"
"What do you think of that?" "Why, I think it's very ridiculous not to put the `capital J' next to the `capital I," said Reginald. Gedge laughed. "Go and tell Durfy that; he'd like to hear it."
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