‘Oh?  And what are you going to do with your time?’

‘That’s my business.  How do other men spend their time?’

The reply was obvious, but Richard felt the full seriousness of the situation and restrained his scornful impulses.

‘Sit down, will you?’ he said quietly, pointing to a chair.

His tone availed more than anger would have done.

’You tell me I take good care not to do any work myself?  There you’re wrong.  I’m working hard every day.’

‘Oh, we know what kind of work that is!’

’No, I don’t think you do.  Perhaps it would be as well if you were to see.  I think you’d better go to Wanley with me.’

‘What for?’

‘I dare say I can give you a job for awhile.’

‘I tell you I don’t want a job.’

Richard’s eye wandered rather vacantly.  From the first it had been a question with him whether it would not be best to employ ’Arry at Wanley, but on the whole the scheme adopted seemed more fruitful.  Had the works been fully established it would have been a different thing.  Even now he could keep the lad at work at Wanley, though not exactly in the way he desired.  But if it came to a choice between a life of idleness in London and such employment as could be found for him at the works, ’Arry must clearly leave town at once.  In a few days the Manor would be furnished; in a few weeks Emma would be there to keep house.

There was the difficulty of leaving his mother and sister alone.  It looked as if all would have to quit London.  Yet there would be awkwardness in housing the whole family at the Manor; and besides—­

What the ‘besides’ implied Richard did not make formal even in his own thoughts.  It stood for a vague objection to having all his relatives dwelling at Wanley.  Alice he would not mind; it was not impossible to picture Alice in conversation with Mrs. and Miss Waltham; indeed, he desired that for her.  And yet—­

Richard was at an awkward pass.  Whithersoever he looked he saw stumbling-blocks, the more disagreeable in that they rather loomed in a sort of mist than declared themselves for what they were.  He had not the courage to approach and examine them one by one; he had not the audacity to imagine leaps over them; yet somehow they had to be surmounted.  At this moment, whilst ’Arry was waiting for the rejoinder to his last reply, Richard found himself wrestling again with the troubles which had kept him wakeful for the last two nights.  He had believed them finally thrown and got rid of.  Behold, they were more stubborn than ever.

He kept silence so long that his brother spoke.

‘What sort of a job is it?’

To his surprise, Richard displayed sudden anger.

’If you weren’t such a young fool you’d see what’s best for you, and go on as I meant you to!  What do you mean by saying you won’t work?  If you weren’t such a thickhead you might go to school and be taught how to behave yourself, and how a man ought to live; but it’s no use sending you to any such place.  Can’t you understand that a man with money has to find some sort of position in the world?  I suppose you’d like to spend the rest of your life in public-houses and music-halls?’