Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. II, 1889.djvu/272

 But they won’t expect too much of me, at first? I mean, if they find me a little slow, they won’t be impatient?”

“You mustn’t think that hard things are going to be asked of you. You’ll never be required to say or do anything that you haven’t already said and done many a time, quite naturally. Why, it’s some time since you began the kind of work of which your grandfather has been speaking.”

“I have begun it? How?”

“Who has been such a good friend to Pennyloaf, and helped her as nobody else could have done?”

“Oh, but that’s nothing!”

Sidney was on the point of replying, but suddenly altered his intention. He raised himself from the leaning attitude, and took his hat.

“Well, we’ll talk about it another time,” he said carelessly. “I can’t stop long to-night, so I’ll go up and see your grandfather.”

Jane rose silently.

“I’ll just look in and say good-night before I go,” Sidney added, as he left the room.