Frith the senior partner, and was so clever and experienced that it
would be almost impossible to establish anything against him.
Indeed he had browbeaten Clarence, and convinced him at the moment
that his suspicions and perplexities were only due to the ignorance
of a foolish, scrupulous youth, who did not understand the customs
and perquisites of an agency. It was only when Clarence was alone,
and reflected on the matter by the light of experience gained on a
similar expedition to Liverpool, that he had perceived that Mr.
Tooke had been throwing dust in his eyes.
'I shall only get into a scrape myself,' said Clarence despondently.
'I have felt it coming ever since I have been at Bristol;' and he
pushed his hair back with a weary hopeless gesture.
'But you don't mean to let it alone?' I cried indignantly.
He hesitated in a manner that painfully recalled his failing, and
said at last, 'I don't know; I suppose I ought not.'
'Suppose?' I cried.
'It is not so easy as you think,' he answered, 'especially for one
who has forfeited the right to be believed. I must wait till I have
an opportunity of speaking to Mr. Castleford, and then I can hardly
do more than privately give him a hint to be watchful. You don't
know how things are in such houses as ours. One may only ruin
oneself without doing any good.'
'You cannot write to him?'
'Certainly not.
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