Part 12 (1/2)
He unearthed two piles of ma.n.u.script, one typed, the other written, both scored with erasures, with almost illegible corrections and insertions.
”It's in a terrible mess,” he said.
She saw what her work would be: to cut a way through the jungle, to make clearings.
”If I were to type it all over again, you'd have a clean copy to work on when you were ready.”
”If you _would_ be so good. It's that young rascal Ralph. He'd no business to leave it in that state.”
Her scruple came again to Barbara.
”Mr. Waddington, you'd take him on again for your secretary if he'd come back?”
”He'd come back all right. Trust him.”
”And you'd take him?”
”My dear young lady, why should I? I don't want _him_; I want _you_.”
”And _I_ don't want to stand in his way.”
”You needn't worry about that.”
”I can't help worrying about it. You'd take him back if I wasn't here.”
”You _are_ here.”
”But if I weren't?”
”Come, come. You mustn't talk to me like that.”
She went away and talked to f.a.n.n.y.
”I can't bear doing him out of his job. If he'll come back--”
”My dear, you don't know Ralph. He'd die rather than come back. They've made it impossible between them.”
”Mr. Waddington says he'd take him back if I wasn't here.”
”He wouldn't. He only thinks he would, because it makes him feel magnanimous. He offered Ralph half a year's salary if he'd go at once.
And Ralph went at once and wouldn't touch the salary. That made him come out top dog, and Horatio didn't like it. Not that he supposed he could score off Ralph with money. He isn't vulgar.”
No. He wasn't vulgar. But she wondered how he would camouflage it to himself--that insult to his pride. And there was Ralph's pride that was so fiery and so clean. Yet--
”Yet Mr. Bevan comes and dines,” she said.
”Yes, he comes and dines. He'll always be my cousin, though he won't be Horatio's secretary. He's got a very sweet nature and he keeps the issues clear.”