Richard glanced at him, then walked to the window, with his hands in
his pockets, and gave himself the pleasure of a glimpse of the
furnace-chimney above the opposite houses. He laughed.
'I hope to change it a good deal more. In a year or two you won't
know the place.'
'I fear not.'
Mutimer glanced again at his visitor.
'Why do you fear?' he asked, with less command of his voice.
'I of course understand your point of view. Personally, I prefer
nature.'
Hubert endeavoured to smile, that his personal preferences might
lose something of their edge.
'You prefer nature,' Mutimer repeated, coming back to his chair, on
the seat of which he rested a foot. 'Well, I can't say that I do.
The Wanley Iron Works will soon mean bread to several hundred
families; how many would the grass support?'
'To be sure,' assented Hubert, still smiling.
'You are aware,' Mutimer proceeded to ask, 'that this is not a
speculation for my own profit?'
'I have heard something of your scheme. I trust it will be
appreciated.'
'I dare say it will be--by those who care anything about the welfare
of the people.'
Eldon rose; he could not trust himself to continue the dialogue. He
had expected to meet a man of coarser grain; Mutimer's intelligence
made impossible the civil condescension which would have served with
a boor, and Hubert found the temptation to pointed utterance all the
stronger for the dangers it involved.
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