Sebastian had spoken just in time. Myles was assailed on the side of hospitality, politeness to a guest, and other similar feelings. He realised quickly that Sebastian had not acted as most masters would have done--sent for him to come and see him--but had come himself to seek him out, and now apologised for intruding in the most handsome and ample manner. There was nothing there that even his sore heart could construe into a slight. Moreover, the man was there, under his roof--had been invited there; and, if Molly might have been wiser, the thing was done, and he must act accordingly. He could not look cordial--the sense of the advantages which the other had over him was too heavily and oppressively present for that--but he could be civil, he could speak words something like welcome. He could even, under the circumstances, accept the hand which Mallory held out--or rather, circumstances did not allow him to refuse it. Accordingly, he took the hand, standing very erect, and looking very proud and solemn, while Mary knitted more quickly, as she observed, from her seat in the background, how each man looked straight and steadily into the other’s eyes. ‘Won’t you take a seat?’ said Myles, handing a chair to Sebastian, and taking one himself. ‘It’s a cold night, and you’ve had a longish walk.’ ‘Thank you. It was on a small matter of business that I called--about your having taken your name from my books.’ ‘Yes,’ said Myles, his eyebrows setting suddenly in a straight line across his brow, and his lips in one nearly as straight beneath his moustache. ‘It was this. I do hope you will not think that I come out of any officiousness or curiosity, because it is not so. Mr. Sutcliffe told me you had left my employment. I asked him if he thought you had any other occupation; and he said that, so far as he knew, you had not. I concluded, whether rightly or not, that your reason for leaving was that the factory was closed, and you would not accept assistance without working for it. Was I right?’ ‘Yes,’ said Myles, concisely. ‘I know that employment, especially remunerative employment, is not easy to find in these bad times, and that you might not soon find anything to do; so I merely called to say that I know of two situations, for either of which you would be suited, and if you would like me to use my influence to get you either of them, I shall be glad to do so. You must not think that I meant anything else.’ ‘You are very kind,’ said Myles, in the same constrained and colourless voice, which belied his contracted brows and the fiery flash of his eyes beneath them, ‘very kind; but I do not require any assistance, thank you!’