human
I’ve spent a profitable afternoon, said Eves, returning to his seat on the bench.
gpt
Don’t think much of Pudlington, but an enquiring mind like mine can pick up pearls anywhere. I was strolling along when I came to an uncommonly ugly unfinished building, with ’Literary Institute’ carved over the door. Some fellows were unloading chairs from a cart, and carrying them in. I went in too, and found your respectable friend the local builder there, superintending the fitting of some gas-burners. ’Getting ready for the meeting to-morrow?’ I said to him. ’Ay, sure, sir,’ said he. ’Town Hall’s occypied by Food Controller and Fuel Controller, and I don’t know what all, so the meeting’s to be held here, though unfinished.’ ’Rather a cold place,’ I said. ’Bless ’ee, we’ll hot ’em up to-morrow,’ said he. ’The walls will sweat like you never see. We’ve got a proper fine furnace down underneath, and the only pity is I haven’t got the ceiling plastered; ’twould have dried a bit.’ Whereupon I mentioned your proposed experiment with your fire extinguisher, and the old boy became cordial at once when I told him you were a friend of mine. You’ve evidently impressed him, Bob.
human
It’s quite true. To be a friend of yours lifts one a good many notches. ’That young gemman do have a terrible powerful piece of intelleck inside of his brain-pan,’ says your builder. ’Ay, and what’s more, he’s a rare earnest soul, always inventing things for the good of his day and generation. He’s a credit to the nation, that he be!’ Of course I congratulated him and Pudlington on the temporary possession of so bright an ornament, and we had quite a friendly talk. He seemed rather doubtful whether it’s legal to hold a public meeting in a building before it has been passed by the surveyor, but Noakes is above the law, or thinks he is. We’ll go to-morrow, Bob: it’ll be a good rag.
gpt
I’m not sure that I want to go to the meeting,
human
Oh, you must! I want to see Noakes’s face when he spies us in the audience. By the way, I think he must be rather thick with your Wilkins. Not many minutes after I’d left the Institute I met the green car being towed along by two great farm horses. Noakes and Saunders were walking alongside. Noakes gave me his usual scowl as he passed, which I countered with my usual grin. Presently I walked round to the market-place, and there was Noakes again, in close confab with Wilkins. When they saw me they both began to talk at once, and it seemed to me that each was telling the other that he had the honour of my acquaintance. At any rate they both looked rather surprised and a good deal more than interested, and their heads were very close together when I saw them last.
gpt
I’m sick of Noakes,
human
What’s the matter? Has he been here?
gpt
No, but half an hour after you left, Wilkins came back with a can of petrol, and offered it to me for my experiments in a way that was positively fawning.
human
To make amends for his roughness before.
gpt
I don’t like that sort of thing. It’s too much Noakes’s way, and what you say throws light on it. If he and Noakes are pals—well, when I wangle, even if it’s petrol, I like to do it in decent company. I disliked Wilkins’s manner so much that I declined the petrol: told him I’d wait for the regular supply. The odd thing is that Noakes has not been here at the shop in my time.
human
Rather lucky for you, for if he’d found you here, he would have told Wilkins you’re a dangerous character, and got you fired out. He may do that yet.
gpt
Well, let’s get along home. Mrs. Pouncey will have high tea ready, and I’m ravenous.
human
Botheration! he exclaimed.
gpt
I was going to work on my turbine specification, but I’ve left it in a drawer at the shop. I shall have to pull on my boots again and fetch it.
human
Can’t it wait? It’s a horrid night.
gpt
I really can’t waste a whole evening. My time’s getting short, and I’ve lots still to do.
human
Well, I’ll come along with you. After supper walk a mile, you know. It’s about a mile there and back, I suppose.