gory rose from the table, and rang for his hat and gloves. The
dog-cart was already at the door, and presently Bertie was beside his
uncle driving City-wards.

Mr. Gregory looked very stern and angry, and once or twice seemed on
the point of asking Bertie some questions, but always checked
himself. The fact was, Mr. Gregory felt very curious as to what Mr.
Murray had said to Bertie, whether he had made him any fine promises,
or, in short, shown the lad himself the keen interest that he took in
him, and how resolved he was to do something to alter his condition.
Mr. Gregory had very confidently hoped that one of his own sons would
have been the old gentleman's favourite, and but for the unfortunate
encounter with the Rivers' lads, he felt quite confident that such
would have been the case. Then the finding of the papers and the
immediate return of them annoyed Mr. Gregory very much. If he could
have kept them back for one day it would have been considerably to
his interest; and though he liked and fully appreciated a boy who was
quick to think and prompt to act, he liked the quickness and
promptitude to be for, not against, himself. In fact, though he would
not acknowledge it, even to himself, Mr. Gregory's business affairs
just then were in a very critical condition: during the summer many
of his ventures had failed; many large firms with which he did
business had also failed; and though the credit of his house was as
yet above suspicion, trade was very dull, and matters generally
looked threatening. It was that that caused Mr. Gregory to court an
alliance in any shape with the firm of Murray and Co., that enjoyed a
reputation second only to the Bank of England. With one of his sons
in the office, and treated as the adopted child of the head of the
firm, Mr. Gregory felt as if he could face a financial earthquake;
therefore he did not care to see Bertie rendering important services,
did not care to hear him praised for exceptional business capacity,
least of all did he like to hear his old friend Mr. Murray almost
reproach himself for the lad's dependent position, and say sadly that
in a great measure he was the cause of their father's ruin. Such a
statement from an enormously wealthy, Quixotically generous man meant
possible reparation; there was really no telling what he might not do
for Bertie and Eddie Rivers; so Mr. Gregory determined very
prudently, as he thought, to keep the boys as much as possible out of
the o