Grewgious answered somewhat sharply: 'The especial reason of
doing my duty, sir. Simply that.' Then he added: 'Come, Mr.
Jasper; I know your affection for your nephew, and that you are
quick to feel on his behalf. I assure you that this implies not
the least doubt of, or disrespect to, your nephew.'
'You could not,' returned Jasper, with a friendly pressure of his
arm, as they walked on side by side, 'speak more handsomely.'
Mr. Grewgious pulled off his hat to smooth his head, and, having
smoothed it, nodded it contentedly, and put his hat on again.
'I will wager,' said Jasper, smiling--his lips were still so white
that he was conscious of it, and bit and moistened them while
speaking: 'I will wager that she hinted no wish to be released
from Ned.'
'And you will win your wager, if you do,' retorted Mr. Grewgious.
'We should allow some margin for little maidenly delicacies in a
young motherless creature, under such circumstances, I suppose; it
is not in my line; what do you think?'
'There can be no doubt of it.'
'I am glad you say so. Because,' proceeded Mr. Grewgious, who had
all this time very knowingly felt his way round to action on his
remembrance of what she had said of Jasper himself: 'because she
seems to have some little delicate instinct that all preliminary
arrangements had best be made between Mr. Edwin Drood and herself,
don't you see? She don't want us, don't you know?'
Jasper touched himself on the breast, and said, somewhat
indistinctly: 'You mean me.
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