"Three o'clock! The race should be starting in a few moments now,
Clithero." David Isaacson bustled into the room where Mostyn lay
upon an improvised bed. Isaacson had not gone to the Derby. An
important piece of business had detained him in London, and when that
was concluded he had devoted his time to his young friend.
Mostyn had been moved very tenderly and with the utmost care from the
bed-chamber, which had at first been allotted him, to a room where
Isaacson, some months before, had set up a tape machine. In this
way, Mostyn would learn the result of the race with no delay at all.
His injury was a simple fracture of the upper arm, and when the bone
had been well set by a skilful surgeon, called in at once, Mostyn had
found himself fairly comfortable, though, of course, it was necessary
for him to remain absolutely at rest. A message had been sent to his
father, a letter written for Mostyn by Isaacson, with which the bill
was enclosed, and John Clithero had come round at once, even to the
house of the much-hated David Isaacson, and there, by Mostyn's
bedside, the reconciliation between father and son had been complete.
"I have fallen low, Mostyn," the old man had muttered, "and it is I
who have to crave your forgiveness."
He would have said much more, but Mostyn would not allow him to do
so, and presently, Cicely coming in, John Clithero was able to
realise that, though he had lost two of his sons, he had at least
regained the son and daughter whom he had so ruthlessly turned from
his door. These two had stood by him in his hour of need.
"I have learnt my lesson," he sighed. "And it is you, Mostyn, and
you, Cicely, who have taught it to me."
Upon the following day--Derby Day--he was, perhaps, as keenly excited
as anyone else in the result of the race, for he knew now all that
depended upon it. He superintended the carrying down of his son to
the room where they could watch the tape, and he would hardly consent
to leave Mostyn's side even for his meals. When Isaacson arrived to
announce the hour, it was as much as he could do to sit still.
He was sadly changed--there was no doubt as to that. All his
arrogance had fallen from him, to give place to a kind of apologetic
demeanour; it was as though he was asking pardon from one and all for
the mistakes of his life, mistakes which must have been borne in on
him by much solitary reflection, by a very agony of self-examination.
He had been his own judge, and he was as hard in the verdict
pronounced against himself as he had ever been against one whom, in
his pharisaical self-righteousness, he had condemned as a sinner.
All that John Clithero had endured was plainly writ on his face. He
was a broken-down man--one who had lost faith in himself. Even David
Isaacson had felt sorry for him and had treated him with rough
kindness--for Mostyn's sake.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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