?«
    »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
