"I suppose I shall have to be looking round preparatory to getting married in two or three years' time," Brydone added. "Well, you see, after Christmas I shall be thinking about my finals, and then I'm going to come in as the old man's partner. Country people like it best if a doctor's married. No doubt about that, is there, Charlie?" The solicitor's son agreed it was indubitable. "Of course, if I had the cash to hang on in Harley Street for ten years as a specialist, it would be another matter. But I can't, so there it is." Even this fellow had his dreams, Guy thought; even he would make acquaintance with thwarted ambitions. "Been doing anything with a rod lately?" asked Willsher, whose pastime, when he could not be standing in action on the river's bank, was always to steer a conversation in the direction of anglers' gossip. "No, not lately," said Guy, "though I knocked down a lot of apples with one last month." "Ha-ha, that's good!" Brydone ejaculated. "That's very good, Hazlewood. That's good, isn't it, Charlie?" "Awfully good," agreed the angler. Their appreciation seemed perfectly genuine, and Guy was touched by the readiness of them to be entertained by his lame wit. "I mustn't forget to tell the old man that," Brydone chuckled. "He's always digging at me over the fish. Done anything with a rod lately? I knocked down a lot of apples last month. Your governor will like that, Charlie!" Guy heard the clink of a tray deposited cautiously on the floor of the passage outside. He allowed Miss Peasey time to retreat before he opened the door, because it was one of the clauses in her charter that she was never, as a lady housekeeper, to be asked to bring a tray into a room when any one but Guy was present. He hoped that after they had drunk his visitors would depart; but, alas! the unintended charm of his conversation seemed likely to prolong their stay. "Rabelais," Brydone read slowly, as he saw the volumes on the shelves. "That's a bit thick, isn't it?" "In quantity or quality, do you mean?" asked Guy. "I've heard that's the thickest book ever written," said Brydone. "Do you read old French easily?" asked Guy. "Oh, it's in old French, is it?" said Brydone, in a disappointed voice. "That would biff me."