I am cultivating altruism.'
'What's that?'
'A highly rarefied form of happiness. The curious thing about it
is that it won't grow unless you have just twice as much faith in
it as is required for assent to the Athanasian Creed.'
'Oh!'
Carter went away more than puzzled. He told his wife that evening
that Reardon had been talking to him in the most extraordinary
fashion--no understanding a word he said.
All this time he was on the look-out for employment that would be
more suitable to his unfortunate clerk. Whether slightly demented
or not, Reardon gave no sign of inability to discharge his
duties; he was conscientious as ever, and might, unless he
changed greatly, be relied upon in positions of more
responsibility than his present one. And at length, early in
October, there came to the secretary's knowledge an opportunity
with which he lost no time in acquainting Reardon. The latter
repaired that evening to Clipstone Street, and climbed to
Biffen's chamber. He entered with a cheerful look, and exclaimed:
'I have just invented a riddle; see if you can guess it.
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