Then there was Theobald. If a boy or college friend had been invited
to Battersby, Theobald would lay himself out at first to be agreeable.
He could do this well enough when he liked, and as regards the outside
world he generally did like. His clerical neighbours, and indeed all
his neighbours, respected him yearly more and more, and would have
given Ernest sufficient cause to regret his imprudence if he had dared
to hint that he had anything, however little, to complain of.
Theobald's mind worked in this way: "Now, I know Ernest has told
this boy what a disagreeable person I am, and I will just show him
that I am not disagreeable at all, but a good old fellow, a jolly
old boy, in fact a regular old brick, and that it is Ernest who is
in fault all through."
So he would behave very nicely to the boy at first, and the boy
would be delighted with him, and side with him against Ernest. Of
course if Ernest had got the boy to come to Battersby he wanted him to
enjoy his visit, and was therefore pleased that Theobald should behave
so well, but at the same time he stood so much in need of moral
support that it was painful to him to see one of his own familiar
friends go over to the enemy's camp.
Pages:
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367