The Professor Chapter III

In which a diligent young clerk, steadfast in his sobriety and self-reliance, navigates the cold formalities of a millowner’s household and the biting sarcasm of his superior, all while observing with quiet disquiet the social distinctions that mark his place. His solitude is broken by a candid and somewhat provocative acquaintance who, with sharp tongue and easy confidence, lays bare the contradictions of class and character in their shared world.