What appeals
to me is the spectacle of the boy acting with conviction on his own
initiative. Whether or not he is making a mistake has nothing to do with
the main thing, and that is that Gerald, for the first time in his
rather colourless career, seems to have developed the rudiments of a
backbone out of the tail which I saw so frequently either flourishing
defiance at me or tucked sullenly between his hind legs. I had quite a
talk with him last night; he behaved very decently, and with a certain
modesty which may, one day, develop into something approaching dignity.
We spoke of his own affairs--in which, for the first time, he appeared
to take an intelligent interest. Besides that, he seemed willing enough
to ask my judgment in several matters--a radical departure from his cub
days."
"What are you going to do for him, dear?" asked his wife, rather
bewildered at the unexpected news. "Of course he must go into some sort
of business again--"
"Certainly. And, to my astonishment, he actually came and solicited my
advice.
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