"
This letter would reach Tottenham on Monday morning. Waymark went to
the office at the hour he had mentioned, and waited till ten
o'clock. But Mr. Woodstock had not been in St. John Street Road that
day, and the waiting was in vain.
The garden-party had not been without its effect upon Mr. Woodstock.
On the following day, when he was sitting again with Ida in the
garden, he recurred to the conversation of a week ago, and seemed
desirous of leading the girl to speak freely on the subjects which
had such power to stir her. Ida had been waiting for this; she
rejoiced at the promise it held out, and unburdened her heart. Would
he not do yet more for the poor people in his houses I could not
their homes in some way be made more fit for human beings? With
careful observation of his mood, she led him on to entertain
thoughts he had never dreamt of, and before they parted she had all
but obtained a promise that he would go over the whole of his
property and really see what could be done. Ida's influence over him
had by this time become very great; the old man was ready to do much
for the sake of pleasing her.
On the following Tuesday he went down into Litany Lane in company
with a builder, and proceeded to investigate each of the houses.
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