It seemed to efface everything else upon the instant.
A profoundly tender desire for her happiness was in
complete possession. Already the notion of doing anything
to wound or grieve her appeared incredible to him.
"Well, Gafferson," he heard himself saying, in one
of the more reserved tones of his patriarchal manner.
He had halted close to the inattentive man, and stood
looking down upon him. His glance was at once tolerant
and watchful.
Gafferson slowly rose from his slouching posture,
surveyed the other while his faculties in leisurely
fashion worked out the problem of recognition, aud then
raised his finger to his cap-brim. "Good-evening, sir,"
he said.
This gesture of deference was eloquently convincing.
Thorpe, after an instant's alert scrutiny, smiled upon him.
"I was glad to hear that you had come to us," he said
with benevolent affability. "We shall expect great things
of a man of your reputation."
"It'll be a fair comfort, sir," the other replied,
"to be in a place where what one does is appreciated.
What use is it to succeed in hybridizing a Hippeastrum
procera with a Pancratium Amancaes, after over six
hundred attempts in ten years, and then spend three years
a-hand-nursing the seedlings, and then your master won't
take enough interest in the thing to pay your fare up
to London to the exhibition with 'em? That's what 'ud
break any man's heart.
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