Next morning Heberdon lay in bed so long thinking over what had happened the night before that he was late for an appointment at the office. It came to the ears of Judge Palliser, who admonished his nephew sharply. Heberdon, stung, offered to resign his job.
“Go ahead,” said Judge Palliser with a steely look. “As far as I am aware your services are not indispensable to the firm.”
Heberdon wilted. He was not yet ready to take up the challenge. His prudent self was far from dead, only a little submerged. However delightful it was to indulge the wilder strain after so many years of repression, he had no intention of letting go his anchor to windward. He wanted it well understood with himself that it was only a temporary indulgence. He had to have his respectable job and his respectable rela
