e!”
“Ishouldbetoofarfromthemill.”
“Whatofthat?Itwoulddoyougoodtowalkthereandbacktwoorthreetimesadaybesides,areyousuchafossilthatyouneverwishtoseeafloweroragreenleaf?”
“Iamnofossil.”
“Whatareyouthen?YousitatthatdeskinCrimsworth’scounting-housedaybydayandweekbyweek,scrapingwithapenonpaper,justlikeanautomatonyounevergetupyouneversayyouaretiredyouneveraskforaholidayyounevertakechangeorrelaxationyougivewaytonoexcessofaneveningyouneitherkeepwildcompany,norindulgeinstrongdrink.”
“Doyou,Mr.Hunsden?”
“Don’tthinktoposemewithshortquestionsyourcaseandminearediametricallydifferent,anditisnonsenseattemptingtodrawaparallel.Isay,thatwhenamanendurespatientlywhatoughttobeunendurable,heisafossil.”
“Whencedoyouacquiretheknowledgeofmypatience?”
“Why,man,doyousupposeyouareamystery?Theothernightyouseemedsurprisedatmyknowingtowhatfamilyyoubelongednowyoufindsubjectforwondermentinmycallingyoupatient.WhatdoyouthinkIdowithmyeyesandears?I’vebeeninyourcounting-housemorethanoncewhenCrimsworthhastreatedyoulikeadogcalledforabook,forinstance,andwhenyougavehimthewrongone,orwhathechosetoconsiderthewrongone,flungitbackalmostinyourfacedesiredyoutoshutoropenthedoorasifyouhadbeenhisflunkeytosaynothingofyourpositionatthepartyaboutamonthago,whereyouhadneitherplacenorpartner,buthoveredaboutlikeapoor,shabbyhanger-onandhowpatientyouwereundereachandallofthesecircumstances!”
“Well,Mr.Hunsden,whatthen?”
“IcanhardlytellyouwhatthentheconclusiontobedrawnastoyourcharacterdependsuponthenatureofthemotiveswhichguideyourconductifyouarepatientbecauseyouexpecttomakesomethingeventuallyoutofCrimsworth,notwithstandinghistyranny,orperhapsbymeansofit,youarewhattheworldcallsaninterestedandmercenary,butmaybeaverywisefellowifyouarepatientbecauseyouthinkitadutytomeetinsultwithsubmission,youareanessentialsap,andinnoshapethemanformymoneyifyouarepatientbecauseyournatureisphlegmatic,flat,inexcitable,andt