Richard saw reason to deeply regret that the youth had been put to clerking in the first instance, and not rather trained for some handicraft, clerkships being about the least hopeful of positions for a working-class lad of small parts and pronounced blackguard tendencies.  He came to the conclusion that even now it was not too late to remedy this error.  ’Arry must be taught what work meant, and, before he came into possession of his means, he must, if possible, be led to devote his poor washy brains to some pursuit quite compatible with the standing of a capitalist, to acquire knowledge of a kind which he could afterwards use for the benefit of his own pocket.  Deficient bodily vigour had had something to do with his elevation to the office of the drain-pipe factory, but that he appeared to have outgrown.  Much pondering enabled Richard to hit at length on what he considered a hopeful scheme; he would apprentice ’Arry to engineering, and send him in the evenings to follow the courses of lectures given to working men at the School of Mines.  In this way the lad would be kept constantly occupied, he would learn the meaning of work and study, and when he became of age would be in a position to take up some capitalist enterprise.  Thus he might float clear of the shoals of black-guardism and develop into a tolerable member of society, at all events using his wealth in the direct employment of labour.

We have seen Richard engaged in asthetic speculation; now we behold him busied in the training of a representative capitalist.  But the world would be a terrible place if the men of individual energy were at all times consistent.  Richard knew well enough that in planning thus for his brother’s future he was inconsistency itself; but then the matter at issue concerned someone in whom he had a strong personal interest, and consequently he took counsel of facts.  When it was only the world at large that he was bent on benefiting, too shrewd a sifting of arguments was not called for, and might seriously have interfered with his oratorical effects.  In regulating private interests one cares singularly little for anything but hard demonstration and the logic of cause and effect.

It was now more than a month since ’Arry had been removed from the drain-pipes and set going on his new course, and Richard was watching the experiment gravely.  Connected with it was his exceptional stay at Wanley over the Sunday; he designed to go up to London quite unexpectedly about the middle of the ensuing week, that he might see how things worked in his absence.  It is true there had been another inducement to remain in the village, for Richard had troubles of his own in addition to those imposed upon him by his family.  The Manor was now at his disposal; as soon as he had furnished it there was no longer a reason for delaying his marriage.  In appearance, that is to say; inwardly there had been growing for some weeks reasons manifold.  They tormented him.