Page:Gissing - The Nether World, vol. II, 1889.djvu/297

 He paused. Sidney kept his eyes down, and said nothing.

“Well, there’s quite enough of that; too much. Still, I thought I’d tell you, you see. It’s well to know when we’ve got enemies behind our backs. But see, Sidney; to speak seriously, between ourselves.” He leaned forward in the confidential attitude. “You say you’ve gone just a bit further than friendship with our Janey. Well, I don’t know a better man, and that’s the truth,—but don’t you think we might put this off for a year or two? Look now, here’s this lady. Miss Lant, taking up the girl, and it’s an advantage to her; you won’t deny that. I sympathise with my good old dad; I do, honestly; but I can’t help thinking that Janey, in her position, ought to see a little of the world. There’s no secrets between us; you know what she’ll have as well as I do. I should be a brute if I grudged it her, after all she’s suffered from my neglect. But don’t you think we might leave her free for a year or two?”

“Yes, I agree with you.”