It
seemed an odd thing that a man who had gone through the very real
cares and perils of the last few years without a sign of
perturbation, nay, with the cheeriest equanimity, should let himself
be thrown into disorder by the mere change to a more promising state
of things. Now and then Warburton asked himself whether his partner
could be concealing some troublesome fact with regard to
Applegarth's concern; but he dismissed the idea as too improbable;
Sherwood was far too good a fellow, far too conscientious a man of
business, to involve his friend in obvious risk--especially since
it had been decided that Mrs. Warburton's and her money should go
into the affair. The inquiries made by Mr. Turnbull had results so
satisfactory that even the resolute pessimist could not but
grudgingly admit his inability to discover storm-signals. Though a
sense of responsibility made a new element in his life, which would
not let him sleep quite so soundly as hitherto, Will persuaded
himself that he had but to get to work, and all would be right.
The impression made upon him by Applegarth himself was very
favourable. The fact that the jam manufacturer was a university man,
an astronomer, and a musician, had touched Warburton's weak point,
and he went down to Bristol the first time with an undeniable
prejudice at the back of his mind; but this did not survive a day or
two's intercourse. Applegarth recommended himself by an easy and
humorous geniality of bearing which Warburton would have been the
last man to resist; he talked of his affairs with the utmost
frankness.
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