They exchanged "tips"--until at last Mr. Birch, lost in admiration of
his companion, pronounced her a "ripper"--he had never yet met a lady so
well up--"why, you know as much as a man!"
Dr. Roughsedge meanwhile observed the type. The father, an old-fashioned
steady-going solicitor, had sent the son to expensive schools, and
allowed him two years at Oxford, until the College had politely
requested the youth's withdrawal. The business was long established,
and had been sound. This young man had now been a partner in it for two
years, and the same period had seen the rise to eminence of another and
hitherto obscure firm in the county town. Mr. Fred Birch spoke
contemptuously of the rival firm as "smugs"; but the district was
beginning to intrust its wills and mortgages to the "smugs" with a sad
and increasing alacrity.
There were, indeed, some secret discomforts in the young man's soul; and
while he sported with Fanny he did not forget business. The tenant of
Beechcote was, _ipso facto_, of some social importance, and Diana was
reported to be rich; the Roughsedges also, though negligible
financially, were not without influence in high places; and the doctor
was governor of an important grammar-school recently revived and
reorganized, wherewith the Birches would have been glad to be officially
connected.
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