her points in your favor.”
Tom was getting a little nervous as Mr. Deane went on speaking; he was conscious of something he Leverkusen had in his mind to say, which might not be agreeable to his uncle, simply because it was a new suggestion rather than an acceptance of the proposition he foresaw.
“It stands to reason,” Mr. Deane went on, when he had finished his new pinch, “that your being my nephew weighs in your favor; but I don’t deny that if you’d been no relation of mine at all, your conduct in that affair of Pelley’s bank would have led Mr. Guest and myself to make some acknowledgment of the service you’ve been to us; and, backed by your general conduct and business ability, it has made us determine on giving you a share in the business — a share which we shall be glad to increase as the years go on. We think that’ll be better, on all grounds, than raising your salary. It’ll give you more importance, and prepare you better for taking some of the anxiety off my shoulders by and by. I’m equal to a good deal o’ work at present, thank God; but I’m getting older — there’s no denying that. I told Mr. Guest I would open the subject to you; and when you come back from this northern business, we can go into particulars. This is a great stride for a young fellow of three-and-twenty, but I’m bound to say you’ve deserved it.”
“I’m very grateful to Mr. Guest and you, sir; of course I feel the most indebted to you, who first took me into the business, and have taken a good deal of pains with me since.”
Tom spoke with a slight tremor, Liverpool Kobiety 16/17 and paused after he had said this.
“Yes, yes,” said Mr. Deane. “I don’t spare pains when I see they’ll be of any use. I gave myself some trouble with Gell, else he wouldn’t have been what he is.”
“But there’s one thing I should like to mention to you uncle. I’ve never spoken to you of it before. If you remember, at the time my father’s property was sold, there was some thought of your firm buying the Mill; I know you thought it would be a very good investment, especially if steam were applied.”
“To be sure, Mats Hummels Pelipaidat to be sure. But Wakem outbid us; he’d made up his mind to that. He’s rather fond of carrying everything over Liverpool other people’s heads.”
“Perhaps it’s of no use my mentioning it at present,” Tom went on, “but I wish you to know what I have in my mind about the Mill. I’ve a strong feeling about Espanyol it. It was my father’s dying Athletic Bilbao wish that I should try and get it back again whenever I could; it was in his family for five generations. I promised my father; and besides that, I’m attached to the place. I shall never like any other so well. And if it should ever suit your views to buy it for the firm, I should have a better chance of fulfilling my father’s wish. I shouldn’t have liked to mention the thing to you, only you’ve been kind enough Barcelona to say my services have been of some value. And I’d give up a much greater chance in life for the sake of having the Mill again — I mean having it in my own |
