"Travers was shocked. . . . I could see also that he was
suspicious. Rumour had been at him, too. Finding him less than
frank, I turned more than proud: and, his back being up and his
conscience uneasy, he did what I could have pardoned in a weaker
man; lost his temper, to excuse himself in his own eyes for
treating me unjustly. He had scarcely spoken six words before I
detected the slime of Farrell's trail. The man had managed to
sow rumours, somehow, within the gates of Silversmiths' College,
of all places!--rumours that had nothing to do with the island,
but suggested that, after all (there being no smoke without
fire), there _had_ been dubious and uncleanly experiments in the
laboratory during my professorship. I believe that this, when I
came to think it over, started my recovery: yes, my recovery.
For it showed me that Farrell was deteriorating, and, renewing a
little of my old contempt for the man, raised me by so much
above the abject fear of him into which I had sunk.
Pages:
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500