‘You have them there? Then what do Spender and Diggs mean by spreading it abroad that they have had such a scheme sent to them by one of the pupils in our office, but which we had not enterprise to take up?’ ‘Spender and Diggs!’ John was so well acquainted with the name of the rival firm that it raised no sense of humour in his mind: but something quite different, that sense of rivalry which is so strong between the pupils and partisans of different schools. He made a little pause, staring at his younger employer. And then he said, ‘I don’t know the least in the world what you mean.’ ‘There is no ambiguity at all about my meaning. I say that Spender and Diggs are putting it about everywhere that a great scheme, worked out by one of our pupils, for the draining of the Thames valley, has been offered to them.’ John’s countenance grew pale with horror and dismay. He cried out, sharply, ‘Good heavens! Why, it cannot be Horrocks or Green?’ ‘Don’t add slander to your other sins,’ said Mr. Barrett, severely, ‘or endeavour to take away the character of young men who are quite incapable----’ ‘So they are,’ said John, in all good faith, ‘quite incapable. That is true, sir; but I could not help thinking for a moment that I might have left some of my papers about, and that they might have picked them up--but you’re right, sir; they couldn’t do it--that is a great relief to my mind.’ The young man was so undisguisedly relieved and so perfectly straightforward in the whole matter, that William Barrett began to doubt. He cast a glance at his father, who, however, sat rigid and showed no relenting. ‘Sandford,’ said the younger man, ‘you seem to speak very fair; but there’s this fact against you--no one supposed it was anyone’s scheme but yours; you are the only man in our office capable of anything of the sort; we all know that. And it’s no crime; but it is a horrid thing all the same--a caddish, currish sort of thing--to abandon the people who have trained you and done you every justice, and carry what I have no doubt you believe would be profitable work to another house.’ ‘I--carry work to another house! It is quite impossible that you should believe that of me. I might have thought it if you had said I had killed somebody,’ said John, with a faint smile of ridicule, ‘for that’s a thing that might be done in a moment’s passion--but carry work to another house! You cannot believe that of me.’ ‘What has believing to do with it,’ said Mr. Barrett, ‘when there are the facts that can be proved? Don’t lose time bandying words, Will. Sandford must see that after this there can be no further connection between us. He knows, of course, that his place at Spender and Diggs’ is safe enough. Let him have what is owing to him and let him go. I took him without a premium for his mother’s sake, and for the same reason--for Mrs. Sandford is a very worthy woman--I’ve given him every advantage, although I expected something of this sort all along.’