She
encouraged Dick to frequent Darrow, in whom she divined a persistency of
effort, an artistic self-confidence, in curious contrast to his social
hesitancies. The example of his obstinate capacity for work was just the
influence her son needed, and if Darrow would not come to them she insisted
that Dick must seek him out, must never let him think that any social
discrepancy could affect a friendship based on deeper things. Dick, who had
all the loyalties, and who took an honest pride in his friend's growing
success, needed no urging to maintain the intimacy; and his copious reports
of midnight colloquies in Darrow's lodgings showed Mrs. Peyton that she had
a strong ally in her invisible friend.
It had been, therefore, somewhat of a shock to learn in the course of time
that Darrow's influence was being shared, if not counteracted, by that of a
young lady in whose honour Dick was now giving his first professional tea.
Mrs. Peyton had heard a great deal about Miss Clemence Verney, first from
the usual purveyors of such information, and more recently from her son,
who, probably divining that rumour had been before him, adopted his usual
method of disarming his mother by taking her into his confidence.
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