human
Oh, no, she didn't make any mistake, Wick broke out when he could again control his facial muscles.
gpt
She knew perfectly well when she accepted you; knew--that--well, sir --he proceeded boldly, yet with a very charming deference--
human
Surely she never told you this?
gpt
Oh, bless my soul, no never; in fact, the grin again quivered on his lips for a second,
human
I see. Then, to be brief, you have known all along that I was bound to be disappointed?
gpt
Yes, sir. Wick's brightly shining, smiling eyes met his fairly and squarely.
human
You see, she meant to marry you and did her best, but--well, I knew she would break down in the end.
gpt
Neither of you seem, the elder man said, but with a hint of dryness in his voice,
human
Oh, yes, we did--I mean to say _I_ did. I thought a lot about you at one time and another, sir.
gpt
And to what conclusions did these--reflections--lead you?
human
To this, he returned at last,
gpt
I see, youth must have its day.
human
Yes, or 'every dog' is better. What I mean is that really, you know, normally, your day for that particular form of happiness ought to have been, well--before we--Griselda and I, were even born.
gpt
You are not far out there, he answered unemotionally,
human
he added cheerfully,
gpt
I do. Do you want me to do it for you?
human
No. I want to hear your ideas about the matter. For example, what would you suggest as a good first step?
gpt
I don't quite see the first step, but the _end_ is perfectly clear.
human
Yes?
gpt
She must propose to me.
human
Grisel--Grisel to propose to you? Nonsense, Wick!
gpt
But she must. Look here, Sir John.
human
You know nothing about me, sir, so, if you don't mind, I'd better tell you a little. You see, they--the Walbridges--think that I am still the little Fleet Street reporter I was when they first knew me, but--I am not. For several months
gpt
So I am actually speaking to the editor of a London newspaper!
human
Yes. _Sparks_ is a rotten paper, but his making me editor of it is only a trick of the chiefs to find out what I am made of, so I don't mind. He's a sly old devil, long sighted and crafty, and he has, so to speak, laid me wide open and is now poking about in my in'ards to find out all about me. He laughed.
gpt
Lord, how the old man is sweating, trying to tire me out, and I get fresher and fresher! Oh, yes, he went on after another chuckle,
human
I am his latest YOUNG MAN and I have got better works than most of them and I am bound to succeed all right. So that's that. His mouth set, and he was silent for a moment, plainly looking into the future.
gpt
And by the time I am your age, Sir John, he said slowly,
human
I shall be what Fleet Street calls a 'Great Man.' I shall also be a multi-millionaire. Miss Minx will never starve.
gpt
Yes, but you forget that she is still engaged to me.
human
So she is, he admitted,
gpt
he went on with an air of conclusiveness,
human
Well, now that we understand each other, the older man began,