Hardie senior, having relieved his mind of this vague misgiving, never returned to it—probably never felt it again.

At this blunt declaration, so new and so offensive to him, Mr. Hardie winced, and stopped bewildered.

Mr. Hardie assented adroitly; for he was thinking whether he could not sift some grain out of all this chaff.

Hardie junior sent back all the proposals with a polite negative.