"I hope, sir, that you slept well," he said.
"I did not, Richard," and still the back was turned to him. "I lay awake considering with some care what you told me last night about--about Stella Ballantyne."
Of late she had been simply Stella to Harold Hazlewood. The addition of Ballantyne was significant. It replaced friendliness with formality.
"Yes, we agreed to champion her cause, didn't we?" said Dick cheerily. "You took one good step forward last night, I took another."
"You took a long stride, Richard, and I think you might have consulted me first."
Dick walked over to the table at which his father sat.
"Do you know, that's just what Stella said," he remarked, and he seemed to find the suggestion rather unintelligible. Mr. Hazlewood snatched at any support which was offered to him.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, and for the first time that morning he looked his son in the face. "There now, Richard, you see!"
"Yes," Richard returned imperturbably. "But I was able to remove all her fears. I was able to tell her that you would welcome our marriage with all your heart, for you would look upon it as a triumph for your principles and a sure sign that my better nature was at last thoroughly awake."
Dick walked away from the table. The old man's face lengthened. If he was a philosopher at all, he was a philosopher in a piteous position, for he was having his theories tested upon himself, he was to be the experiment by which they should be proved or disproved.
"No doubt," he said in a lamentable voice. "Quite so, Richard. Yes," and he caught at vague hopes of delay. "There's no hurry of course. For one thing I don't want to lose you... And then you have your career to think of, haven't you?" Mr. Hazlewood found himself here upon ground more solid and leaned his weight on it. "Yes, there's your career."
Dick returned to his father, amazement upon his face. He spoke as one who cannot believe the evidence of his ears.
"But it's in the army, father! Do you realise what you are saying? You want me to think of my career in the British Army?"
Consistency however had no charms for Mr. Hazlewood at this moment.
"Exactly," he cried. "We don't want to prejudice that--do we? No, no, Richard! Oh, I hear the finest things about you. And they push the young men along nowadays. You don't have to wait for grey hairs before you're made a General, Richard, so we must keep an eye on our prospects, eh? And for that reason it would be advisable perhaps"--and the old man's eyes fell from Dick's face to his papers--"yes, it would certainly be advisable to let your engagement remain for a while just a private matter between the three of us."