" This when Johnny
succeeded in grasping his drift. But at the least hint of unreadiness or
hesitation, he tut-tutted and drew his brows together. And as it went
on, it seemed to Mahony that Ocock was putting words into the boy's
mouth; while Johnny, intimidated, said yes and amen to things he could
not possibly know. Presently he interfered to this effect. Ocock brushed
his remark aside. But after a second interruption from Mahony: "I think,
sir, with your permission we will ask John not to depart from what he
actually heard," the lawyer shuffled his papers into a heap and said
that would do for to-day: they would meet at the court in the morning.
Prior to shaking hands, however, he threw out a hint that he would like
a word with his brother on family matters. And for half an hour Mahony
paced the street below.
The remainder of the day was spent in keeping Johnny out of temptation's
way, in trying to interest him in the life of the city, its monuments
and curiosities. But the lad was too apathetic to look about him, and
never opened his mouth. Once only in the course of the afternoon did he
offer a kind of handle. In their peregrinations they passed a Book
Arcade, where Mahony stopped to turn the leaves of a volume. Johnny also
took up a book, and began to read.
"What is it?" asked Mahony. "Would you like to have it, my boy?"
Johnny stonily accepted the gift--it was a tale of Red Indians, the
pages smudged with gaudy illustrations--and put it under his arm.
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