He was now a richer man than heretofore, standing on his own
bottom; and the definite position in which he had rooted himself
nullified old local distinctions. He had become illustrious, even
sanguine clarus, judging from the tone of the worthy Mayor of St.
Launce's.
Chapter XXXIX
'Each to the loved one's side.'
The friends and rivals breakfasted together the next morning. Not
a word was said on either side upon the matter discussed the
previous evening so glibly and so hollowly. Stephen was absorbed
the greater part of the time in wishing he were not forced to stay
in town yet another day.
'I don't intend to leave for St. Launce's till to-morrow, as you
know,' he said to Knight at the end of the meal. 'What are you
going to do with yourself to-day?'
'I have an engagement just before ten,' said Knight deliberately;
'and after that time I must call upon two or three people.'
'I'll look for you this evening,' said Stephen.
'Yes, do. You may as well come and dine with me; that is, if we
can meet. I may not sleep in London to-night; in fact, I am
absolutely unsettled as to my movements yet. However, the first
thing I am going to do is to get my baggage shifted from this
place to Bede's Inn. Good-bye for the present. I'll write, you
know, if I can't meet you.'
It now wanted a quarter to nine o'clock. When Knight was gone,
Stephen felt yet more impatient of the circumstance that another
day would have to drag itself away wearily before he could set out
for that spot of earth whereon a soft thought of him might perhaps
be nourished still.
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