‘No doubt whatever. I have taken pains to ascertain that. His account of himself, so far, is strictly true.’
Martin smiled, with satisfaction he did not care to disguise.
‘Have you met some acquaintance of his?’
‘Well,’ answered Buckland, changing his position, ‘I went to work in rather an underhand way, perhaps—but the results are satisfactory. No, I haven’t come across any of his friends, but I happened to hear not long ago that he was on intimate terms with some journalists.’
His father laughed.
‘Anything compromising in that association, Buckland?’
‘I don’t say that—though the fellows I speak of are hot Radicals.’
‘Though?’
‘I mean,’ replied the young man, with his shrewder smile, ‘that they are not exactly the companions a theological student would select.’
‘I understand. Pos
