Mark who had been growing bored in the guest-room of Malford Abbey
nearly said farewell to it for ever when he received the Rector's
letter. His old friend and guardian was evidently wounded by his
behaviour, and Mark considering what he owed him felt that he ought to
abandon his monastic ambitions if by doing so he could repay the Rector
some of his kindness. His hand was on the bell that should summon the
guest-brother (when the bell was working and the guest-brother was not)
in order to tell him that he had been called away urgently and to ask if
he might have the Abbey cart to take him to the station; but at that
moment Sir Charles Horner came in and began to chat affably to Mark.
"I've been intending to come up and see you for the last three days. But
I've been so confoundedly busy. They wonder what we country gentlemen do
with ourselves. By gad, they ought to try our life for a change."
Mark supposed that the third person plural referred to the whole body of
Radical critics.
"You're the son of Lidderdale, I hear," Sir Charles went on without
giving Mark time to comment on the hardship of his existence. "I visited
Lima Street twenty-five years ago, before you were born that was. Your
father was a great pioneer.
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