After three days' delay, during which the crown prosecution stood over
for the production of the witness from the prison-ship, the witness
came, and completed the easy case. He was committed to take his trial at
the next Sessions, which would come on in a month.
It was at this dark time of my life that Herbert returned home one
evening, a good deal cast down, and said,-"My dear Handel, I fear I shall soon have to leave you."
His partner having prepared me for that, I was less surprised than he
thought.
"We shall lose a fine opportunity if I put off going to Cairo, and I am
very much afraid I must go, Handel, when you most need me."
"Herbert, I shall always need you, because I shall always love you; but
my need is no greater now than at another time."
"You will be so lonely."
"I have not leisure to think of that," said I. "You know that I am
always with him to the full extent of the time allowed, and that I
should be with him all day long, if I could. And when I come away from
him, you know that my thoughts are with him."
The dreadful condition to which he was brought, was so appalling to both
of us, that we could not refer to it in plainer words.
"My dear fellow," said Herbert, "let the near prospect of our
separation--for, it is very near--be my justification for troubling you
about yourself. Have you thought of your future?"
"No, for I have been afraid to think of any future."
"But yours cannot be dismissed; indeed, my dear dear Handel, it must not
be dismissed. I wish you would enter on it now, as far as a few friendly
words go, with me."
"I will," said I.
"In this branch house of ours, Handel, we must have a--"
I saw that his delicacy was avoiding the right word, so I said, "A
clerk."
"A clerk. And I hope it is not at all unlikely that he may expand (as
a clerk of your acquaintance has expanded) into a partner. Now,
Handel,--in short, my dear boy, will you come to me?"
There was something charmingly cordial and engaging in the manner in
which after saying "Now, Handel," as if it were the grave beginning of
a portentous business exordium, he had suddenly given up that tone,
stretched out his honest hand, and spoken like a schoolboy.