Page:Edgar Jepson--the four philanthropists.djvu/283

Rh unload his shares for him. We grew sorry for Gutermann, and were very kind and gentle to him. Even Angel relaxed from her bare civility and gave the poor unsuspicious fellow smiles to sun himself in. As the days passed and he still wore his untroubled air, we grew sorrier and sorrier for him. It spoiled the cruise for us.

We did not reach Yarmouth till the following Wednesday, having kept Gutermann out of touch with civilization for twelve days. We landed full of sorrow for the unhappy awakening which awaited him. We were just in time to catch a train, and had barely time to buy newspapers. We all had one, and were eager enough to learn the news of the world during the last twelve days. But when Gutermann unfolded The Financial Times and began to read it, all four of us watched him in an anxious breathlessness over the tops of our sheets. He ran his eye down the columns quickly, pausing here and there; then he laid it down, and took up The Standard with a contented smile.

"How's the city?" I said, in a not very assured voice.

"Oh, it's all right," said Gutermann cheerfully.

We looked at one another with questioning, unbelieving eyes.

All the way to town my purpose grew and grew. On the platform I told Chelubai what I wanted,