第4章

Hewroteouttwoletters，acceptingthewordingwhichSemplesuggestedfromhisperchonthedesk，andthenthelatter，hoppingdown，tookthechairinturnandwroteacheque。

"Doyouwantitopen？"heaskedoverhisshoulder。

"Areyougoingtogetitcashedatonce？"

"No——crossit，"saidtheother。"Iwantittogothroughmybankers。It\'llwarmtheirheartstowardme。

Ishan\'tbegoingtilltheendoftheweek，inanyevent。

IsupposeyouknowtheContinentbyheart。"

"Onthecontrary，verylittleindeed。I\'vehadbusinessinFrankfortonce，andinRotterdamonce，andinParistwice。

Thatisall。"

"Butdon\'tyoueverdoanythingforpleasure？"

Thorpeaskedhim，ashefoldedthechequeinhispocket-book。

"Ohyes——manythings，"respondedthebroker，lightly。

"It\'sapleasure，forexample，tobuyRubberConsolsatpar。"

"Oh，ifyoucallitbuying，"saidThorpe，andthensoftenedhiswordswithanapologeticlaugh。"Ididn\'ttellyou，didI？I\'vebeenspendingSaturdayandSundaywithPlowden——youknow，theLordPlowdenonmyBoard。"

"Iknowofhimverywell，"observedtheScotchman。

"Hasheaplacethatheaskspeopledownto，then？Thatisn\'ttheusualformwithguinea-pigs。"

"Ah，but，heisn\'ttheguinea-pigvarietyatall，"

Thorpeasserted，warmly。"He\'sreallyasplendidfellow——withhislittleoddities，liketherestofus，ofcourse，butadecentchapallthrough。Place？IshouldthinkheHADgotaplace！It\'soneoftheswellestoldcountry-housesyoueversaw——olderthanhell，youknow——andit\'skeptupasiftheyhadfiftythousandayear。

Doyouhappentoknowwhathisrealincomeissupposedtobe？"

Sempleshookhishead。Hehadtakenhishat，andwassmoothingitdeftlywiththepalmofhishand。

"Iasked，"Thorpewenton，"becausehehadsomuchtosayabouthispoverty。Tohearhimtalk，you\'dthinkthebailiffsweresittingonhisdoorstep。Thatdoesn\'tpreventhishavingfasthorses，andservantsallovertheplace，andaboutthebestshootingI\'veseenintheSouthofEngland。Asluckwouldhaveit，Iwasinwonderfulform。

God！howIknockedthepheasants！"Aclerkshowedhisheadatthedoor，withameaninggesture。"Imustgonow，"

saidSemple，briskly，andledthewayouttoanotherroom。

Hehaltedhere，anddismissedhiscallerwiththebriefinjunction，"Don\'tgoawaywithoutseeingme。"

Itwasthenoon-hour，andtheleast-consideredgradesoftheCity\'sslaveswereinthestreetsonthequestforcheapluncheons。Thorpenotedthemannerinwhichsomeofthemstudiedthelargebilloffareplacardedbesidearestaurantdoor；thespectaclepromptedhimluxuriouslytorattlethegoldcoinsremaininginhispocket。

Hehadbeenasanxiousaboutpenceasthehungriestofthosepoordevils，onlyaweekbefore。Andnow！Hethrustupthedoorintheroofofthecab，andbadethedriverstopathisbank。Thence，aftersomebriefbutveryagreeablebusiness，andahurriedinspectionofthe"Court"sectionofaLondonDirectory，hedrovetoatelegraphstationanddespatchedtwomessages。

Theywereidenticalinterms。OnesoughtGeneralKervickathisresidence——hewasinlodgingssomewhereintheHanoverSquarecountry——andtheotherlookedforhimathisclub。

BothbeggedhimtolunchattheSavoyattwoo\'clock。

Therewastimeandtospare，now。Thorpedismissedthecabathishotel——anunpretentioushouseinCravenStreet，andsenthisluggagetohisrooms。Therewerenolettersforhimontheboardinthehallway，andhesauntereduptotheStrand。Asbyforceofhabit，heturnedpresentlyintoaside-street，andstoppedoppositetheancientbook-shopofhisfamily。

Inthebrightyetmellowlightofthesunnyautumnnoontide，theblacksandroansandsmokeddrabsofthelowoldbrickfrontlookedmoredingytohiseyethanever。

Itspokeofantiquity，nodoubt，butitwasadismalandgracelessantiquityofnarrowpurposesandnigglingthrift。

Itwassolittleliketheantiquity，forexample，ofHadlowHouse，thatthetwomighthavecomputedtheiragebythechronologicalsystemsofdifferentplanets。

Althoughhissister\'smarriednamewasDabney，andshehadbeensoleproprietorfornearlyadozenyears，thesignoverthedoorwayborestillitscentury-oldlegend，"Thorpe，Bookseller。"

Hecrossedthestreet，andpausedforamomenttorunaneyeoverthebooksandplacardsexposedoneithersideoftheentrance。Asmallboyguardedthesewares，andThorpeconsideredhimbriefly，withcuriousrecollectionsofhowmuchofhisownboyhoodhadbeenspentonthatveryspot。Theladunderobservationhadaloutishandsullenface；itsexpressioncouldnothavebeenmoredevoidofintellectualsuggestionsifhehadbeenpostedinaWiltshirefieldtofrightencrowswitharattle，insteadofbeingsethereinthehighwayoftheworld\'sbrain-movement，anagentofstudentsandphilosophers。

Thorpewonderedifinhistimehecouldhavelookedsuchavacantandsouryoungfool。No——no。Thatcouldnotbe。

Boysweredifferentinhisday——andespeciallyboysinbook-shops。Theyreadsomethingandknewsomethingofwhattheyhandled。Theyhadsomesortofaspirations，fitfulandvagueasthesemightbe，tobecomeintheirtimebookmenalso。Andinthosedaystherestillwerebookmen——widely-informed，observant，devotedoldbookmen——wholovedtheirtrade，andadornedit。

Thorpereflectedthat，ashegrewolder，hewasthebetterabletoapprehendtheadmirablequalitiesofthatdepartedraceofliterature\'sservants。Indeed，itseemedthathehadneveradequatelyrealizedbeforehowproudamanmightwellbeofdescendingfromalineofsuchmen。Thethoughtstruckhimthatverylikelyatthisidenticaldoorway，twogenerationsback，apoor，out-at-the-elbows，younglaw-studentnamedPlowdenhadstoodandturnedoverpagesofbookshecouldnotdreamofbuying。Perhaps，even，hehadventuredinside，anddeferentiallypickedacquaintancewiththeThorpeoftheperiod，andgotbookishadviceandfriendlycounselfornothing。Itwasofnorealsignificancethatthelaw-studentgrewtobeLordChancellor，andthebooksellerremainedabook-seller；intherealmofactualvalues，theThorpeswereasgoodasthePlowdens。

Acustomercameoutoftheshop，andThorpewentin，squeezinghiswayalongthenarrowpassagebetweenthetallrowsofbooks，tothesmallopenspaceattheend。

Hissisterstoodhere，momentarilyoccupiedatahighdesk。

Shedidnotlookup。

"Well——IvisitedhisLordshipallright。"Heannouncedhispresencethusgenially。

"Ihopeyou\'rethebetterforit，"sheremarked，turningtohim，afterapause，heremotionless，plainface。

"Oh，immensely，"heaffirmed，withrobustjocularity。

"Youshouldhaveseenthewaytheytooktome。

Itwas\'Mr。Thorpe\'hereand\'Mr。Thorpe\'there，allovertheplace。Ladiesoftitle，mindyou——alltomyselfatbreakfasttwodaysrunning。Andsuchladies——finerthansilk。Oh，it\'sclearasdaylight——Iwasintendedforafashionablecareer。"

Shesmiledinafaint，passiveway。"Well——theysay\'betterlatethannever，\'youknow。""Andafterall，ISitsoverylate？"hesaid，adoptingherphraseasanexpressionofhisthought。"I\'mjustturnedforty，andI

feellikeaboy。Iwaslookingatthat\'Peerage\'there，theotherday——anddoyouknow，I\'msixteenyearsyoungerthanthefirstLordPlowdenwaswhentheymadehimapeer？

Whyhedidn\'tevengetintotheHouseofCommonsuntilhewasseven-and-forty。"

"YouseemtohavethePlowdenfamilyonthebrain，"

shecommented。

"Imighthaveworsethings。You\'venoidea，Lou，howniceitallis。Themother，LadyPlowden——whyshemademefeelasifIwasattheveryleastanephewofhers。

Andsosimpleandnatural！Shesmiledatme，andlistenedtome，andsaidfriendlythingstome——why，justasanybodymighthavedone。You\'lljustloveher，whenyouknowher。"

Louisalaughedinhisface。"Don\'tbeafool，Joel，"

sheadjuredhim，withaflashofscornfulmirth。

Hemingledacertainfrowningimpatiencewiththebuoyancyofhissmile。"Why，ofcourse，you\'llknowher，"

heprotested。"Whatnonsenseyou\'rethinkingof！DoyousupposeI\'mgoingtoallowyoutomessaboutherewithsecond-handalmanacs，andasigninyourwindowof\'threepenceintheshillingdiscountforcash，\'

whileI\'mamillionaire？It\'stoofoolish，Lou。Youannoymebysupposingsuchathing！"

"There\'snogoodtalkingaboutitatall，"sheobserved，afteralittlepause。"Ithasn\'tcomeoffyet，foronething。AndasIsaidtheothernight，ifyouwanttodothingsforthechildren，that\'sanothermatter。

They\'reofanagewhentheycanlearnwhateveranybodychoosestoteachthem。"

"Wherearetheynow？"heasked。Upontheinstantanotherplanbegantounfolditselfinthebackgroundofhismind。

"They\'rebothatCheltenham，thoughthey\'reatdifferentplaces，ofcourse。IwasrecommendedtosendJuliathere——oneofouroldcustomersisaGovernor，orwhateverit\'scalled——andhegotspecialtermsforher。

Shewasratherold，youknow，togotoschool，buthearrangeditverynicelyforher——andthereissuchagoodboys\'

collegethere，itseemedthewisestthingtosendAlfredtoo。

JuliaistofinishatChristmas-time——andwhatI\'mgoingtodowithherafterwardismorethanIknow。"

"Isshepretty？"theuncleofJuliaenquired。

"She\'sverynice，"themotheranswered，withvagueextenuationinhertone。"Idon\'tknowaboutherlooks——shevariessomuch。SometimesIthinkshe\'spretty——andthenagainIcan\'tthinkit。She\'sgotgoodfeatures，andsheholdsherselfwell，andshe\'sverymuchthelady——rathertoomuch，Ithink，sometimes——butitalldependsuponwhatyoucallpretty。She\'snottall，youknow。Shetakesafterherfather\'sfamily。TheDabneysarealllittlepeople。"

ThorpeseemednottocareabouttheDabneys。"Andwhat\'sAlfredlike？"heasked。

"Hewantstobeanartist！"Therewasaperceptiblenoteofapprehensioninthemother\'sconfession。

"Well——whyshouldn\'the——ifhe\'sgotabentthatway？"

demandedThorpe，withreproofinhistone。"Didyouwanthimtobeashop-keeper？"

"Ishouldliketoseehimadoctor，"sherepliedwithdignity。

"Itwasalwaysmyideaforhim。"

"Well，it\'snogood——evenasanidea，"hetoldher。

"Doctorsarelikeparsons——theycan\'tkeepupwiththetimes。

Theageisoutgrowingthem。Onlythefakirsineitherprofessiongetanythingoutofit，nowadays。It\'sallmysteryandsleight-of-handandtheconfidencetrick——medicineis——andifyouhaven\'tgotjusttherighttwistofthewrist，you\'renotinit。Butanartiststandsonhismerits。

Thereishiswork——donebyhisownhands。Itspeaksforitself。There\'snodeception——it\'seasyenoughtotellwhetherit\'sgoodorbad。Ifthepicturesaregood，peoplebuythem。Ifthey\'rebad，peopledon\'tbuythem。

Ofcourse，itwon\'tmattertoAlfred，financiallyspeaking，whetherhispicturessellwellornot。Butprobablyhe\'dgiveitup，ifhedidn\'tmakeahitofit。

"Idon\'tknowthatthere\'sanycryingneedthatheshoulddoanything。Myownideaforhim，perhaps，wouldbetheArmy，butIwouldn\'tdreamofforcingitonhimagainsthiswill。

Ihadabitterenoughdoseofthat，myself，withfather。

I\'dtrytoguideayoungster，yes，andperhapsarguewithhim，ifIthoughthewasmakingajackofhimself——butIwouldn\'tdictate。IfAlfredthinkshewantstobeanartist，inGod\'snamelethimgoahead。

Itcanbemadeagentlemanlytrade——andthemainthingisthatheshouldbeagentleman。"

Louisahadlistenedtothisdiscoursewithapatheticpatience。"Ifyoudon\'tmind，Idon\'tknowthatIdo，"

shesaidwhenitwasfinished。"Perhapshewouldn\'thavemadeagooddoctor；he\'sgotaveryquicktemper。

Heremindsmeoffather——oh，eversomuchmorethanyoudo。

Hecontradictseverythingeverybodysays。Hequiteknowsitall。"

"Buthe\'sagoodfellow，isn\'the？"urgedThorpe。"Imean，he\'sgothislikablepoints？I\'mgoingtobeabletogetalongwithhim？"

"Ididn\'tgetalongwithhimverywell，"themotheradmitted，reluctantly，"butIdaresaywithamanitwouldbedifferent。Yousee，hisfatherwasillallthosefouryears，andAlfredhatedtheshopasbadasyoudid，andperhapsinmyworryIblamedhimmorethanwasfair。

Iwanttobefairtohim，youknow。"

"Butisheagentleman？Thatputsitinaword，"

Thorpeinsisted。

"Oh，mercyyes，"Louisamadereadyanswer。"Myonlyfearis——whetheryouwon\'tfindhimtoomuchofagentleman。"

Thorpeknittedhisbrows。"Ionlyhopewe\'retalkingaboutthesamething，"hesaid，inadoubtfultone。

Beforeshecouldspeak，heliftedhishand。

"Nevermind——Icanseeformyselfintenminutesmorethanyoucouldtellmeinalifetime。I\'vegotaplan。

I\'mgoingontheContinentinafewdays\'time，tostayforthreeorfourmonths。I\'vegotnothingspecialtodo——justtotravelaboutandseethingsandkilltime——IshallprobablygotoItalyandSwitzerlandandParisandtheRhineandallsortsofplaces——anditoccurredtomethatI\'dtakethetwoyoungsterswithme。

Icouldgetacquaintedwiththem，thatway，andthey\'dbecompanyforme。I\'vebeenlonesomesolong，itwouldfeelgoodtohavesomeofmyownfleshandbloodaboutme——andIsupposethey\'dbetickledtodeathtogo。"

"TheirschoolingandboardarepaidforuptoChristmas，"

Mrs。Dabneyobjected，blankly。

"Bah！"Thorpeprolongedtheemphaticexclamationintosomethinggood-natured，andendeditwithanabruptlaugh。

"Whatonearthdifferencedoesthatmake？Icouldgoandbuytheirdamnedcolleges，andletthekidswearthemforbreastpinsifIwantedto。YousaidthegirlwasgoingtoquitatChristmasinanycase。Won\'tshelearnmoreinfourmonthstravellingaboutontheContinent，thanshewouldtrottingaroundinherowntracksthereatCheltenham？

"Andit\'sevenmoreimportantfortheboy。He\'sofanagewhenheoughttoseesomethingoftheworld，andIoughttoseesomethingofhim。Whateverhe\'sgoingtodo，it\'stimethathebegangettinghisspecialstartforit。"

Headded，uponaluminousafterthought："PerhapshisseeingtheoldItalianpicturegalleriesandsoonwillcurehimofwantingtobeanartist。"

Themother\'sairdisplayedresignedacquiescenceratherthanconviction。"Well——ifyoureallythinkit\'sbest，"

shebegan，"Idon\'tknowthatIoughttoobject。

Goodnessknows，Idon\'twanttostandintheirway。

Eversinceyousentthatfourhundredpounds，ithasn\'tseemedasiftheyweremychildrenatall。

They\'vescarcelylistenedtome。Andnowyoucome，andproposetotakethemoutofmyhandsaltogether——andallIcansayis——Ihopeyoufeelentirelyjustified。

Andso，shallIwritethemtocomehome？Whendoyouthinkofstarting？Juliaoughttohavesometravellingclothes。"

"Icanwaittillyougetherready——onlyyoumusthurryupaboutit。"

Rememberingsomething，hetookouthischeque-book，andspreaditonthedesk。"Iwillgiveyoubackthatthirty，"hesaid，ashewrote，"andhere\'sahundredtogettheyoungstersready。Youwon\'twasteanytime，willyou？andifyouwantmoretellme。"

Acustomerhadenteredtheshop，andThorpemadeittheoccasionforleaving。

Hissister，lookingafterherbrotherwiththechequeinherhand，wasconsciousofathoughtwhichseemedtospellitselfoutinvisiblelettersbeforehermentalvision。

"EvennowIdon\'tbelieveinhim，"theimpalpablelegendran。

CHAPTERIX

GENERALKERVICKwasbyhabitapunctualman，andThorpefoundhimhovering，carefullyglovedandfur-coated，intheneighbourhoodoftheluncheon-roomwhenhearrived。

Itindeedstilllackedafewminutesoftheappointedhourwhentheythusmetandwentintogether。Theywerefortunateenoughtofindasmalltableoutonthebalcony，sufficientlyremovedfromanyothertogiveprivacytotheirconversation。

Bytacitagreement，theGeneralorderedtheluncheon，speakingFrenchtothewaiterthroughout。Divestedofhisimposinggreat-coat，hewasseentobeagentlemanofmeagrefleshaswellasofsmallstature。HehadtheRomannose，narrowforehead，bushingbrows，andsharply-cutmouthandchinofasoldiergrownoldinthecontemplationofportraitsoftheDukeofWellington。Hisfaceandneckwereofadullreddishtint，whichseemedatfirstsightuniformlydistributed：onesawafterwardthatitapproachedpallorattheveinedtemples，andripenedintopurpleinminutepatchesonthecheeksandthetipofthepointednose。

Againstthisflushedskin，theclosely-croppedhairandsmall，neatly-waxedmoustachewereverywhiteindeed。

Itwasathin，lined，care-wornface，withal，whichinrepose，andparticularlyinprofile，producedaneffectofdignifiedandphilosophicalmelancholy。TheGeneral\'sover-prominentlightblueeyesuponoccasionmarredthiseffect，however，byglancesofabold，harshcharacter，whichseemedtodiscloseunpleasantdepthsbelowthecorrectsurface。

Hismannerwiththewaiterswasabruptandsharp，butundoubtedlytheyservedhimverywell——muchbetter，intruth，thanThorpehadeverseenthemserveanybodybefore。

Thorpeobservedhisguestagooddealduringtherepast，andformednumerousconclusionsabouthim。Heatewithpalpablerelishofeverydish，andheemptiedhisglassaspromptlyashishostcouldfillit。Therewashardlyawordofexplanationastothepurposeoftheirmeeting，untilthecoffeewasbrought，andtheypushedbacktheirchairs，crossedtheirlegs，andlightedcigars。

"Iwasluckytocatchyouwithmywire，atsuchshortnotice，"

Thorpesaidthen。"Isenttwo，youknow——toyourchambersandyourclub。Whichofthemfoundyou？"

"Chambers，"saidtheGeneral。"Irarelydresstillluncheontime。Ireadinbed。There\'sreallynothingelsetodo。Idlenessisthecurseofmylife。"

"I\'vebeenwonderingifyou\'dlikealittleoccupation——

ofawell-paidsort，"saidThorpeslowly。HerealizedthatitwashightimetoinventsomepretextforhishurriedsummonsoftheGeneral。

"Mydearsir，"respondedtheother，"Ishouldlikeanythingthathadmoneyinit。AndIshouldverymuchlikeoccupation，too——ifitwere，ofcourse，somethingthatwas——wassuitabletome。"

"Yes，"saidThorpe，meditatively。"I\'vesomethinginmymind——notatalldefiniteyet——infact，Idon\'tthinkI

canevenoutlineittoyouyet。ButI\'msureitwillsuityou——thatis，ifIdecidetogoonwithit——andthereoughttobesevenoreighthundredayearforyouinit——forlife，mindyou。"

TheGeneral\'sgaze，fastenedstrenuouslyuponThorpe，shookalittle。"Thatwillsuitmeverywell，"hedeclared，withfeeling。"WhateverIcandoforit"——heletthesentenceenditselfwithasignificantgesture。

"Ithoughtso，"commentedtheother，triflingwiththespooninhiscup。"ButIwantyoutobeopenwithme。

I\'minterestedinyou，andIwanttobeofusetoyou。

AllthatI\'vesaid，Icandoforyou。Butfirst，I\'mcurioustoknoweverythingthatyoucantellmeaboutyourcircumstances。I\'mrightinassuming，Isuppose，thatyou\'re——thatyou\'renotanytoowell-fixed。"

TheGeneralhelpedhimselftoanotherlittleglassofbrandy。

Hismoodseemedtoabsorbthespiritoftheliqueur。

"Fixed！"herepeatedwithapeevishsnapinhistone。

"I\'mnot\'fixed\'atall，asyoucallit。GoodGod，sir！Theynomorecarewhatbecomesofmethantheydoabouttheiroldgloves。Igavethemnameandbreedingandposition——andeverything——andtheyroundonmelike——likecuckoos。"

Hispale，bulgingeyesliftedtheirpassionlessveilforaninstantashespoke，andflashedwiththepredatoryfiercenessofahawk。

IntuitionhelpedThorpetoguesswhom"they"mightmean。

Thetempervisiblyrisingintheoldman\'smindwaswhathehadhopedfor。Heproceededwithaninformedcaution。

"Don\'tbeannoyedifItouchuponfamilymatters，"hesaid。

"It\'sapartofwhatImustknow，inordertohelpyou。

Ibelieveyou\'reawidower，aren\'tyou，General？"

Theother，afteraquickupwardglance，shookhisheadresentfully。"Mrs。KervicklivesinItalywithHER

son-in-law——andherdaughter。Heisamanofproperty——

andalso，apparently，amanofremarkablecredulityandpatience。"Hepaused，toscanhiscompanion\'sface。

"Theydividehimbetweenthem，"hesaidthen，fromclenchedteeth——"andI——mindyou——Imadethematch！HewasayoungfellowthatIfound——andIbroughthimhomeandintroducedhim——andIhaven\'tsomuchasanItalianpostage-stamptoshowforit。Butwhatinterestcanyoupossiblytakeinallthis？"Theunamiableglanceofhiseyeswasontheinstantsurchargedwithsuspicion。

"Howmanydaughtershaveyou？"Thorpeventuredtheenquirywithinwarddoubtsastoitssagacity。

"Three，"answeredtheGeneral，briefly。Itwasevidentthathewasalsobusythinking。

"IaskbecauseImetoneoftheminthecountryoverSunday，"

Thorpedecidedtoexplain。

Theoldsoldier\'seyesaskedmanyquestionsinthemomentofsilence。"Whichone——Edith？——thatis，LadyCressage？"

heenquired。"Ofcourse——itwouldhavebeenher。"

Thorpenodded。"Shemadeatremendousimpressionuponme，"

heobserved，watchingthefatherwithintentnessashelettheslowwordsfall。

"Wellshemight，"theotherreplied，simply。"She\'ssupposedtobethemostbeautifulwomaninEngland。"

"Well——Iguesssheis，"Thorpeassented，whilethetwomeneyedeachother。

"Isthethirdsisterunmarried？"itoccurredtohimtoask。

Thetoneofthequestionrevealeditsperfunctorycharacter。

"Oh——Beatrice——she\'sofnoimportance，"thefatherreplied。

"Shegoesinforwriting，andallthat——she\'snotabeauty，youknow——sheliveswithanoldladyinScotland。

Theoldestdaughter——Blanche——shehassomegoodlooksofherown，butshe\'sacat。AndsoyoumetEdith！MayIaskwhereitwas？"

"AtHadlowHouse——LordPlowden\'splace，youknow。"

TheGeneral\'ssurpriseattheannouncementwasundoubted。

"AtPlowden\'s！"herepeated，andadded，asifhalftohimself，"Ithoughtthatwasalloverwith，longago。"

"Iwishyou\'dtellmeaboutit，"saidThorpe，daringly。

"I\'vemadeitplaintoyou，haven\'tI？I\'mgoingtolookoutforyou。AndIwantyoutopostmeup，here，onsomeofthethingsthatIdon\'tunderstand。

YourememberthatitwasPlowdenwhointroducedyoutome，don\'tyou？ItwasthroughhimthatyougotontheBoard。

Well，certainthingsthatI\'veseenleadmetosupposethathedidthatinordertopleaseyourdaughter。

Didyouunderstanditthatway？"

"It\'squitelikely，inonesense，"returnedtheGeneral。

Hespokewithmuchdeliberationnow，weighingallhiswords。

"Hemayhavethoughtitwouldpleaseher；hemaynothaveknownhowlittlemypooraffairsconcernedher。"

"Well，then，"pursuedThorpe，argumentatively，"hehadanobjectinpleasingher。Letmeaskthequestion——

didhewanttomarryher？"

"Mostmenwanttomarryher，"wasthefather\'snon-

committalresponse。Hismoustachelifteditselfinthesemblanceofasmile，buttheblueeyesaboveremainedcoldlyvigilant。

"Well——Iguessthat\'ssotoo，"Thorperemarked。

HemadeafleetingmentalnotethattherewassomethingabouttheGeneralwhichimpelledhimtothinkandtalkmorelikeanAmericanthanever。"ButwasHEspeciallyaffectedthatway？"

"Ithink，"saidKervick，judicially，"Ithinkitwasunderstoodthatifhehadbeenfreetomarryapennilesswife，hewouldhavewishedtomarryher。"

"Doyouknow，"Thorpebeganagain，withakindofdiffidenthesitation——"doyouhappentohaveformedanidea——supposingthathadbeenthecase——wouldshehaveacceptedhim？"

"Ah，thereyouhaveme，"repliedtheother。"Whocantellwhatwomenwillaccept，andwhattheywillrefuse？MydaughterrefusedLordLingfield——andheisanUnder-Secretary，andwillbeEarlChobham，andaCabinetMinister，andarichman。Afterthat，whatareyoutosay？"

"Youspeakofheraspenniless，"Thorperemarked，withacasualair。

"Sixhundredayear，"thefatheranswered。

"Wecouldhaverubbedalongafterafashiononit，ifshehadhadanynotionsatalloftakingmyadvice。

I\'mamanoftheworld，andIcouldhavemanagedheraffairsforhertoheradvantage，butsheinsistedupongoingoffbyherself。Sheshowednottheslightestconsiderationforme——butthenIamaccustomedtothat。"

Thorpesmiledreflectively，andtheoldgentlemanreadinthisanencouragementtoexpandhisgrievances。

"Inmyposition，"hecontinued，helpinghimselftostillanothertinyglass，"Inaturallysayverylittle。

Itisnotmyformtomakecomplaintsandadvertisemymisfortunes。Idaresayit\'safault。IknowitkeptmebackinIndia——whileeversomanywhipper-snapperswerepromotedovermyhead——becauseIwasoftheproudandsilentsort。Itwasamistake，butitwasmynature。

Imighthaveputbyacomfortableprovisionformyoldage，inthosedays，ifIhadbeenwillingtopushmyclaims，andworrytheStaffintogivingmewhatwasmydue。

ButthatIdeclinedtodo——andwhenIwasretired，therewasnothingformebuttherationofbreadandsaltwhichtheyserveouttotheoldsoldierwhohasbeentoomodest。

IservedmyQueen，sir，forfortyyears——andIshouldbeashamedtotellyoutheallowanceshemakesmeinmyoldage。ButIdonotcomplain。Mymouthisclosed。

IamanEnglishgentlemanandoneofHerMajesty\'ssoldiers。

That\'senoughsaid，eh？Doyoufollowme？Andaboutmyfamilyaffairs，I\'mnotlikelytotalktothefirstcomer，eh？ButtoyouIsayitfrankly——they\'vebehavedbadly，damnedbadly，sir。

"Mrs。KervicklivesinItaly，atthecostofHER

son-in-law。Hehaslargeestatesinoneofthehealthiestandmostbeautifulparts；hehasapalace，andmoremoneythanheknowswhattodowith——butitseemsthathe\'snotmyson-in-law。IcoulddowithItalyverywell——butthatdoesn\'tenterintoanyone\'scalculations。No！lettheworn-outoldsoldiersellboot-lacesonthekerb！

That\'sthespiritofwoman-kind。AndmydaughterEdith——doesshecarewhatbecomesofme？Listentome——I

securedforhertheverygreatestmarriageinEngland。

ShewouldhavebeenDuchessofGlastonburytodayifherhusbandhadnotplayedthefoolanddrownedhimself。"

"What\'sthatyousay？"putinThorpe，swiftly。

"Itwasasgoodassuicide，"insistedtheGeneral，withdoggedness。Hisfacehadbecomeadeeperred。

"Theydidn\'thititofftogether，andheleftinahuff，andwentyachtingwithhisfather，whowashisownsailing-

master——and，asmightbeexpected，theywerebothdrowned。

Thetitlewouldhavegonetoherson——butno，ofcourse，shehadnoson——andsoitpassedtoastranger——anoutsiderthathadbeenanusherinaschool，orsomethingofthatsort。Youcanfancywhatablowthiswastome。

InsteadofbeingthegrandfatherofaDuke，Ihaveachildlesswidowthrustbackuponmyhands！Fineluck，eh？Andthen，tocapall，shetakeshersixhundredayearandgoesoffbyherself，andgivesmethecoldshouldercompletely。

WhatisitShakespearesays？\'Howsharperthanaserpent\'steeth\'——"

Thorpebroughthisfistdownuponthetablewithanemphasiswhichabruptlybrokethequotationinhalf。

Hehadbeenfrowningmoodilyathisguestforsomeminutes，relightinghiscigarmorethanoncemeanwhile。Hehadmadeamentalcalculationofwhattheoldmanhadhadtodrink，andhadreassuredhimselfastohiscondition。

Hisgarrulitymighthaveanalcoholicbasis，buthiswitswereclearenough。Itwastimetotakeanewlinewithhim。

"Idon\'twanttohearyouabuseyourdaughter，"headmonishedhimnow，withapurposeglowingsteadilyinhisfirmglance。

"Damnitall，whyshouldn\'tshegooffbyherself，andtakecareofherownmoneyherownway？It\'slittleenough，Godknows，forsuchaladyassheis。Whyshouldyouexpecthertosupportyououtofit？No——sitstill！

Listentome！"——hestretchedouthishand，andlaiditwithrestrainingheavinessupontheGeneral\'sarm——"youdon\'twanttohaveanyrowwithme。Youcan\'taffordit。

Justthinkthatovertoyourself——you——can\'t——afford——it。"

Major-GeneralKervick\'sprominentblueeyeshadbulgedforthinragetilltheirappearancehaddisconcertedtheother\'sgaze。Theyremainedstilltoomuchintheforeground，asitwere，andtheangryscarletsandvioletsofthecheeksbeneaththemcarriedanunabatedthreatofapoplexy——buttheirowner，afteramoment\'ssilence，madeasignwithhisstiffwhitebrowsthatthecrisiswasover。

"Youmustrememberthat——thatIhaveafather\'sfeelings，"

hegaspedthen，huskily。

Thorpenodded，withanonchalancewhichwasnotwhollyaffected。

Hehadlearnedwhathewantedtoknowaboutthisveteran。

Ifhehadthefiercemeannessesofafamishedolddog，hehadalsoadog\'saweofastick。Itwasalmosttooeasytoterrorizehim。

"Oh，Imakeallowancesforallthat，"Thorpebegan，vaguely。

"Butit\'simportantthatyoushouldunderstandme。

I\'mthissortofaman：whateverIsetouttodo，andputmystrengthintoit，thatIdo！IkilleverypheasantI

fireat；Plowdenwilltellyouthat！It\'sawayIhave。

Tothosethathelpme，andareloyaltome，I\'mthebestfriendintheworld。Tothosethatgetinmyway，ortrytotripmeup，I\'mthedevil——justplaindevil。

Nowthen——you\'regettingthreehundredayearfrommyCompany，thatistosayfromme，simplytoobligemyfriendPlowden。Youdon\'tdoanythingtoearnthismoney；

you\'reofnoearthlyuseontheBoard。IfIchose，IcouldputyouoffattheendoftheyearaseasilyasI

canblowoutthismatch。ButIproposenotonlytokeepyouon，buttomakeyouindependent。WhydoIdothat？

Youshouldaskyourselfthatquestion。Itcan\'tbeonaccountofanythingyoucandofortheCompany。Whatelsethen？Why，firstandforemost，becauseyouarethefatherofyourdaughter。"

"LetmetellyouthekindofmanIam，"saidtheGeneral，inflatinghischest，andspeakingwithsolemnity。

"Oh，Iknowthekindofmanyouare，"Thorpeinterruptedhim，coolly。"Iwanttotalknow。"

"Itwasmerely，"Kervickventured，inaninjuredtone，"thatIcanbeasloyalasanymanalivetoatruefriend。"

"Well，I\'llbethetruefriend，then，"saidThorpe，withimpatientfinality。"AndnowthisiswhatIwanttosay。

I\'mgoingtobeaveryrichman。You\'renottosaysotoanybody，mindyou，untilthethingspeaksforitself。

We\'rekeepingdarkforafewmonths，d\'yesee？——lyinglow。

Then，asIsay，Ishallbeaveryrichman。Wellnow，Iwouldn\'tgiveadamntoberich，unlessIdidwithmymoneythethingsthatIwantedtodo，andgotthethingswithitthatIwantedtoget。Whatevertakesmyfancy，that\'swhatI\'lldo。"

Hepausedforamoment，mentallytoscrutinizeabrand-

newprojectwhichseemed，bysomesurreptitiousagency，tohavealreadytakenhisfancy。Itwasacuriousproject；

therewereattractivethingsaboutit，andobjectionstoitsuggestedthemselvesaswell。

"Imaydecide，"hebeganspeakingagain，stillrevolvingthishypotheticalschemeinhisthoughts——"Imaywantto——well，here\'swhatoccurstomeasanoff-chance。

Itakeaninterestinyourdaughter，d\'yesee？anditseemsalow-downsortofthingtomethatsheshouldbesopoor。Well，then——Imightsaytoyou，here\'stwothousandayear，say，madeovertoyouinyourname，ontheunderstandingthatyouturnoverhalfofit，say，toher。

Shecouldtakeitfromyou，ofcourse，asherfather。

YoucouldsayyoumadeitoutoftheCompany。Ofcourseitmighthappen，lateron，thatImightliketohaveagentlehintdroppedtoher，d\'yesee，astowhereitreallycamefrom。Mind，Idon\'tsaythisiswhatisgoingtobedone。Itmerelyoccurredtome。"

Afterwaitingforamomentforsomecomment，headdedasecondthought："You\'dhavetosetaboutmakingfriendswithher，youknow。Inanycase，you\'dbetterbeginatthatatonce。"

TheGeneralremainedburiedinreflection。Helightedacigarette，andpouredoutforhimselfstillanotherpetitverre。Hispursedlipsandknittedbrowswereeloquentofintensementalactivity。

"Well，doyouseeanyobjectionstoit？"demandedThorpe，atlast。

"Idonotquiteseethereasonsforit，"

answeredtheother，slowly。"Whatwouldyougainbyit？"

"Howdoyoumean——gain？"putintheother，withperemptoryintoleranceoftone。

GeneralKervickspreadhishandsinaquicklittlegesture。

Thesehandswerewithered，butremarkablywell-kept。"I

supposeonedoesn\'tdosomethingfornothing，"hesaid。

"IseewhatIwouldgain，andwhatshewouldgain，butIconfessIdon\'tseewhatadvantageyouwouldgetoutofit。"

"No-o，Idaresayyoudon\'t，"assentedThorpe，withsneeringserenity。"Butwhatdoesthatmatter？Youadmitthatyouseewhatyouwouldgain。That\'senough，isn\'tit？"

Theolderman\'sveinedtemplestwitchedforaninstant。

Hestraightenedhimselfinhischair，andlookedhardathiscompanion。Therewasaglisteningofmoistureabouthisstaringeyes。

"Itsurelyisn\'tnecessary——amonggentlemen"——hebegan，cautiouslypickinghisphrases——"tohavequitesomuchthat\'sunpleasant，isit？"

"No——you\'reright——Ididn\'tmeantobesorough，"

Thorpedeclared，withspontaneouscontrition。

Upontheinstant，however，heperceivedthedangerthatadvantagemightbetakenofhissoftness。"I\'maplain-spokenman，"hewenton，withahardeningvoice，"andpeoplemusttakemeastheyfindme。AllIsaidwas，insubstance，thatIintendedtobeofservicetoyou——andthatthatoughttointerestyou。"

TheGeneralseemedtohavedigestedhispique。

"AndwhatIwastryingtosay，"hecommenteddeferentially，"wasthatIthoughtIsawwaysofbeingofservicetoyou。

Butthatdidnotseemtointerestyouatall。"

"How——service？"Thorpe，uponconsideration，consentedtoask。

"Iknowmydaughtersomuchbetterthanyoudo，"

explainedtheother；"IknowPlowdensomuchbetter；Iamsomuchmorefamiliarwiththewholesituationthanyoucanpossiblybe——Iwonderthatyouwon\'tlistentomyopinion。

Idon\'tsuggestthatyoushouldbeguidedbyit，butI

thinkyoushouldhearit。"

"Ithinkso，too，"Thorpedeclared，readilyenough。

"WhatISyouropinion？"

GeneralKervicksippeddaintilyathisglass，andthengaveanembarrassedlittlelaugh。"ButIcan\'tformwhatyoumightcallanopinion，"heprotested，apologetically，"tillIunderstandabitmoreclearlywhatitisyouproposetoyourself。Youmustn\'tbeannoyedifIreturntothat——\'stillharpingonmydaughter，\'youknow。

IfIMUSTaskthequestion——isityourwishtomarryher？"

Thorpelookedblanklyathiscompanion，asifhewerethinkingofsomethingelse。Whenhespoke，itwaswithnotraceofconsciousnessthatthequestionhadbeenundulyintimate。

"Ican\'tintheleastbesurethatIshallevermarry，"

hereplied，thoughtfully。"Imay，andImaynot。

But——startingwiththatproviso——IsupposeIhaven\'tseenanyotherwomanthatI\'dratherthinkaboutmarryingthan——thantheladywe\'respeakingof。However，youseeit\'sallintheair，sofarasmyplansgo。"

"Intheairbeit，"thesoldieracquiesced，plausibly。

"Letusconsideritasifitwereintheair——apossiblecontingency。ThisiswhatIwouldsay——My——

\'theladywearespeakingof\'isbywayofbeingadifficultlady——\'uncertain，coy，andhardtoplease\'

asScottsays，youknow——anditmustbeaveryskilfully-

dressedflyindeedwhichbringshertothesurface。

She\'sbeenhookedonce，mind，andshehasahorrorofit。

Herhusbandwasthemostfrightfulbruteandruffian，youknow。Iwasstronglyopposedtothemarriage，buthermothercarrieditthrough。But——yes——abouther——Ithinksheisafraidtomarryagain。Ifshedoeseverconsent，itwillbebecausepovertyhasbrokenhernerve。

Ifsheiskeptonsixhundredayear，shemaybestarved，sotospeak，intotakingahusband。Ifshehadsixteenhundred——eithershewouldnevermarryatall，orshewouldbefreetomarrysomehandsomeyoungpauperwhocaughtherfancy。Thatwouldbeparticularlylikeher。Youwouldbesimplyendowingsomeneedyfellow，besidelosingherforyourself。D\'yefollowme？Ifyou\'llleaveittome，Icanfindamuchbetterwaythanthat——betterforallofus。"

"Hm！"saidThorpe，andponderedthepaternalstatement。

"Iseewhatyoumean，"heremarkedatlast。"Yes——Isee。"

TheGeneralpreservedsilenceforwhatseemedalongtime，deferringtothereverieofhishost。Whenfinallyheofferedadiversion，intheformofaremarkaboutthehour，Thorpeshookhimself，andthenponderouslyrosetohisfeet。

Hetookhishatandcoatfromthewaiter，andmadehiswayoutwithoutaword。

Atthestreetdoor，confrontingthewaningfoliageoftheEmbankmentgarden，Kervickwasemboldenedtorecalltohimthefactofhispresence。"Whichwayareyougoing？"

heasked。

"Idon\'tknow，"Thorpeansweredabsently。"Ithink——I

thinkI\'lltakeawalkontheEmbankment——bymyself。"

TheGeneralcouldnotrepressallsymptomsofuneasiness。

"ButwhenamItoseeyouagain？"heenquired，withaneffectofsolicitudethatdefiedcontrol。

"Seeme？"Thorpespokeasifthesuggestiontookhimbysurprise。

"Therearethingstobesettled，aretherenot？"

theotherfaltered，indistresseddoubtastothejudicioustonetotake。"Youspoke，youknow，of——ofsomeemploymentthat——thatwouldsuitme。"

Thorpeshookhimselfagain，andseemedbyanefforttorecallhiswanderingattention。"Ohyes，"hesaid，withlethargicvagueness——"Ihaven\'tthoughtitoutyet。

I\'llletyouknow——withintheweek，probably。"

Withthebriefestofnods，heturnedandcrossedtheroad。

Walkingheavily，withroundedshouldersandhandsplungeddeepinhisovercoatpockets，hewentthroughthegateway，andchoseapathatrandom。Totheidlersonthegardenbencheswhotooknoteofhimashepassed，hegavetheimpressionofonestrugglingwithnausea。

Tohisownblurredconsciousness，hecouldnotsaywhichstirredmostvehementlywithinhim，hisloathingforthecreaturehehadfedandbought，orhisbitterself-disgust。

TheGeneral，standingwithexaggeratedexactnessuponthedoorstep，hadfollowedwithhisbulgingeyestherecedingfigure。

Hestoodstillregardingthegateway，mentallysummarizingtheeventsoftheday，aftertheotherhadvanished。

Atlast，nestlinghischincomfortablyintothefurofhiscollar，hesmiledwithself-satisfaction。"Afterall，"

hesaidtohimself，"therearealwayswaysofmakingacadfeelthatheisacad，inthepresenceofagentleman。"

CHAPTERX

ONaSundayafternoon，earlyinFebruary，ThorpejourneyedwithhisnieceandnephewfromBerntoMontreux。

Theyoungpeople，withmapsandaguide-bookopen，satclosetogetherattheleftsideofthecompartment。

Thegirlfromtimetotimerubbedthesteamfromthewindowwithanapkinoutofthelunch-basket。Theybothstaredagooddealthroughthiswindow，withfrequentexclamationsofpetulance。

"Isn\'tittooprovoking！"criedthegirl，turningtoheruncleatlast。"Thisiswherewearenow——accordingtoBaedeker：\'AsthetrainproceedsweenjoyaviewoftheSimmen-ThalandFreiburgmountainstotheleft，theMolesonbeingconspicuous。\'Andlookatit！Forallonecansee，wemightaswellbeatRedhill。"

"Itisprettyhardluck，"Thorpeassented，passivelyglancingpastheratthepale，neutral-tintedwallofmistwhichobscuredtheview。"Buthangitall——itmustclearupsometime。

Justyouhavepatience，andyou\'llseesomeAlpsyet。"

"Wherewe\'regoing，"theyoungmaninterposed，"thehead-portertoldmeitwasalwayscloudierthananywhereelse。"

"Idon\'tthinkthatcanbeso，"Thorpereasoned，languidly，fromhiscorner。"It\'sagreatwinterresort，I\'mtold，anditratherstandstoreason，doesn\'tit？thatpeoplewouldn\'tflockthereifitwassobadasallthat。"

"Thekindofpeoplewe\'veseentravellinginSwitzerland，"

saidthegirl——"theywoulddoanything。"

Thorpesmiled，withtolerantgoodhumour。"Well，youcancomfortyourselfwiththenotionthatyou\'llbecomingagain。

Themountains\'llstayhere，allright，"heassuredher。

Theyoungpeoplesmiledbackathim，andwiththisherearrangedhisfeetinanewpostureontheoppositeseat，lightedanothercigar，andpillowedhisheadoncemoreagainstthehard，red-plushcushion。Personally，hedidnotintheleastresentthefailureofthescenery。

Forsomethingmorethanthreemonths，thispurposelesspleasure-tourhadbeendragginghimaboutfrompointtopoint，sleepinginstrangebeds，eatingextraordinarilystrangefood，transactingtheaffairsofasight-seeramongpeoplewhospokestrangelanguages，untilhewassurfeitedwiththeunusual。Ithadallbeenextremelyinteresting，ofcourse，anddeeplyimproving——buthewasgettingtiredoftalkingtonobodybutwaiters，andstillmoresoofhavingnothingtodowhichhecouldnotaswellleaveundoneifhechose。AfterafewdaysmoreofSwitzerland——fortheyhadalreadygazedwithblankfacesatthisuniversalcurtainofmistfromsuchdifferentpointsofviewasLucerne，Interlaken，andThun——itwascleartohimthattheywould，ashephrasedit，tohimself，makeabreakforhome。Unless，indeed，somethinghappenedatMontreux。Ah，wouldanythinghappenatMontreux？

Forfourdayshismindhadbeenautomaticallyrevertingtothatquestion；itlurkedcontinuallyinthebackgroundofhisthoughts，now，ashesmokedandidlyruminated，onhiswaysouthwardthroughthefog。

Alltherestoftheprolongedtriphadbeenwithoutanyspecificmotive，sofarashewasconcerned。

Theyoungstershadplannedallitsroutesandhaltsanddetailsoftimeandconnections，andhehadgonealong，withcheerfulplacidity，tolookatthethingstheybadehimobserve，andtopaythebills。Perhapsinallthingstheirtasteshadnotbeenhistastes。HewouldhavelikedmoreofParis，hefancied，andlessofthesmallDutchandNorthGermantownswhichtheyseemedtofancysomuch。

Still，thebeerwasgood——andreallytheirhappiness，asaspectacle，hadgivenhimmoresatisfactionthanathousandmilesofboulevardscouldhavedone。

Helikedthisnieceandnephewofhismorethanhecouldeverhaveimaginedhimselflikinganyyoungpeople。

Theyhadbeenshywithhimattheoutset——andforthefirstweekhisexperimenthadbeendarkenedbythebeliefthat，betweenthemselves，theydidnotdeemhimquitegoodenough。

Hehadbeenwiseenough，then，tohaveitoutwiththegirl——shewastheonetowhomhefeltiteasiesttotalkfrankly——andhaddiscovered，tohisimmenserelief，thattheyconceivedhimtoberegardingthemasencumbrances。

Atbreakfastnextmorning，withtactfulgeniality，heseteverythingright，andthereaftertheywereallextremelyhappytogether。

Sofarashecouldjudge，theywereverysuperioryoungpeople，bothintellectuallyandspiritually。

ThegirlspokeFrench，andherbrotherGerman，withwhatseemedtohimremarkableproficiency。

Theiryoungmindsweretherepositoriesofanastoundingamountofinformation：theyknewwhoCharlestheBoldwas；

theypointedouttotheirunclethedistinctionbetweenGothicandRomanesquearches；theyexplainedwhatwasthematterwiththeAnabaptists；theytoldhimthatthestoryoftheBishopandtheratsatBingenwasabaselessmyth，andthatprobablytherehadneverbeenanysuchmanasWilliamTell。Nordidtheygetallthisoutoftheguide-bookswhichtheyporedoverwithsuchzest。

Itwasimpossiblenottoseethattheywerefamiliarwithlargenumbersofthesubjectsthatthesebooksdiscussed，andthattheitinerarywhichtheymarkedouthadreferencetodesiresandintereststhattheyhadcultivatedforthemselves。

Julia，uponevenfirstsight，madeamuchpleasanterimpressionthanhermother\'shesitatingdescriptionhadpreparedhimfor。Ashecametoknowherwell，heceasedtorememberthattherewasaquestioninanymindastoherbeingaprettygirl。Therewaslesscolourinherfacethanhecouldhavewished。Hersmooth，pallidskin，almostwaxenintexture，hadasuggestionofdelicatehealthwhichsometimestroubledhimalittle，butwhichappealedtothetendernessinhisnatureallthetime。Thefacewasundulythin，perhaps，butthis，andthewistfulglanceofthelargegreyeyesinrepose，madeupaneffectthatThorpefoundtouchedhimagooddeal。

Evenwhenshewasinvisiblyhighspirits，thelookintheseeyesseemedtohimtobelayingclaimtohisprotection。

Shecouldbemerryuponoccasion，inagentleandtranquilway，andasherself-confidenceexpandedundertheshelteroftheirgrowingintimacy，shedisclosedtoheruncleplentyofinitiativeandindividuality——butwhathefeltinhermostwasapeculiarlysweetandgirlishtrustfulness，whichmadehimlikehimselfmorethanhehadeverdonebefore。Hecouldfeelthathewasathisverybest——ahithertounsuspectedbest——whenJuliawasabout。

Hewantedtobuyforhereverythinginthewindowsuponwhichshebestowedthemostcasualapprovingglance。

Itwasadelightmerelytolookather，andtomeditateuponthefelicityofbeingabletodothingsforsocharmingagirl。

Alfredmadealessdirectdemanduponhisuncle\'sadmiration，buthewasaverygoodfellowallround。Hewasbigandfairandmuscular，andnothingabouthimbuthisspectaclesseemedinThorpe\'smindtoberelatedtohischoiceofartasaprofession。Thatsorobustandheartyayoungfellowshouldwishtoputpaintonacanvaswithsmallbrushes，wastotheuncleanunaccountablething。Itwasalmostasifhehadwantedtoknit，ordoembroidery。Oftheidlenessandimpatienceofdisciplinewhichhismotherhadseemedtoallegeagainsthim，Thorpefailedtodetectanysigns。

Theyoungmanwasneververylateinthemorning，and，besidehistirelessdevotiontothetaskofhuntingupoldpicturesinout-of-the-wayplaces，didmostofthesteward\'sworkofthepartywithintelligenceandprecision。

Hestudiedthetime-tables，auditedthehotel-bills，lookedaftertheluggage，gotupthestreet-mapsoftownsandthelike，tosuchgoodpurposethattheyneverlostatrain，orabag，orthemselves。Truly，anexcellentyoungman。

Thorpenotedwithespecialsatisfactionhisfine，kindlybig-brotherattitudetowardhissisterJulia——anditwasimpossibleforhimtoavoidtheconvictionthatLouisawasasimpletonnottoappreciatesuchchildren。

Theydidnotoftenalludetotheirmother；whentheydid，itwasinlanguagethetermsofwhichseemedmoreaffectionatethanthetone——andThorpesaidoftentohimselfthathedidnotblamethem。Itwasnotsomuchthattheyhadoutgrowntheirmother\'spointofview。

Theyhadneveroccupiedit。

Thejourney，sofarasThorpecomprehendeditscharacter，hadbeenshapedwithaboutequalregardforJulia\'sinterestintheromanceofhistory，andAlfred\'smoretechnicalandpracticalinterestinart。Eachhadsufficientsympathywiththetastesoftheother，however，topreventanytendencytoseparation。TheytooktheiruncleonedaytoseewhereWilliamtheSilentwasassassinated，andthenexttoobservehowRembrandt\'stheoryofguildportrait-paintingdifferedfromVanderHelst\'s，withacommonenthusiasm。Hescrutinizedwithpatientloyaltyeverythingthattheyindicatedtohim，andnotinfrequentlytheyappearedtolikeverymuchthecommentsheoffered。

Thesewerechieflyofasprightlynature，andwhenJulialaughedoverthemhefeltthatshewasveryneartohimindeed。

ThustheysawParistogether——whereThorpedidrelinquishsomeofthemultipliedgloriesoftheLouvretositinfrontofacafebytheOperaHouseandseethefunnypeoplegopast——andthence，byBrugesandAntwerp，toHolland，wherenobodycouldhaveimaginedtherewereasmanypicturesasThorpesawwithhisownwearyeyes。

TherewerewonderfuloldbuildingsatLubeckforJulia\'seyestoglistenover，andpicturesatBerlin，Dresden，andDusseldorfforAlfred。

TheassumptionexistedthattheexcursionintotheThuringenwaldtoseethememorialsofLutherwasespeciallyfortheuncle\'sbenefit，andhetriedsolicitouslytosayorlooknothingwhichmightinvalidateit。

TherewereotherplacesinGermany，fromMainztoMunich，whichherememberedbestbytheirdifferentbeers。

TheyspentChristmasatVienna，whereJuliahadheardthatitsobservancewaspeculiarlyinsistedupon，andthentheysawtheTyrolinitsheaviestvestureofwintersnows，andbeautifuloldBasle，whereAlfredwascrazieraboutHolbeinthanhehadbeenatMunichoverBrouwer。

Thorpelookedverycarefullyatthepaintingsofbothmen，andfeltstrengthenedinhishopesthatwhenAlfredgotalittleolderhewouldseethatthispicturebusinesswasnotthethingforayounggentlemanwithprospectstogointo。

ItwasatBaslethatThorpereceivedaletterfromLondonwhichdirectlyalteredtheplansoftheparty。HehadhadseveralotherlettersfromLondonwhichhadproducednosucheffect。ThroughSemple，hehadfollowedinoutlinetheunobtrusivecampaigntosecureaSpecialSettlement，andhadlearnedthattheStockExchangeCommittee，apparentlywithoutopposition，hadgrantedoneforthefirstweekinFebruary。

Eventhisnews，tremendouslyimportantasitwas，didnotpromptThorpetointerferewiththechildren\'sprojects。

TherewasnolongeranypointinremainingawayfromLondon；

therewere，indeed，numerousreasonsforapromptreturn。

Buthewaslothtodeprivetheyoungstersofthatdescentintosmiling，sunlitItalyuponwhichtheyhadsofondlydweltinfancy，andafterallSemplecoulddoallthatwasneedfultobedoneforanothermonth。

SotheywenttoBasle，andhereitwasthatanotherkindoflettercame。Itwasinastrangehand，atoncecrampedandfluttering，whichpuzzledtherecipientagooddeal；

itwasalongtimebeforeeventhesignatureunravelleditself。

Thenheforcedhimselftodecipherit，sentencebysentence，withafierceavidity。ItwasfromGeneralKervick。

ThenextmorningThorpeastonishedhisyoungcompanionsbysuggestinganalterationintheirroute。Inaroundaboutandtentativefashion——inwhichmoresuspiciousobserversmusthavedetectedsomethingshamefaced——hementionedthathehadalwaysheardagreatdealaboutMontreuxasawinter-resort。ThefactthathecalleditMontrooxraisedinJulia\'smindafleetingwonderfromwhomitcouldbethathehadheardsomuchaboutit，butitoccurredtoneitherhernorherbrothertoquestionhisentiregoodfaith。

Theirunclehaddisplayed，hitherto，amostcomfortingfreedomfromdiscriminationamongEuropeantowns；

hehad，indeed，assuredthemmanytimesthattheywereallonetohim。Thatheshouldsuddenlyturnupnowwithafavouritewinter-resortofhisownselectionsurprisedthemconsiderably，but，uponreflection，italsopleasedthem。

Hehadhumouredalltheirwisheswithsuchunfailingandbountifulkindness，thatitwasadelighttolearnthattherewassomethinghewantedtodo。Theycouldnotfinishtheirbreakfasttilltheguide-bookhadbeenbroughttothetable。

"Oh！Howsplendid！"Juliahadcriedthen。"TheCastleofChillonisthere！"

"Whyofcourse！"saidThorpe，complacently。

Theylaughedgaylyathimforpretendingthathehadknownthis，andheasgood-humouredlyacceptedtheirbanter。Hedrewaseriouslongbreathofrelief，however，whentheirbackswereturned。Ithadgoneoffmuchbetterthanhehadfeared。

Now，onthisSundayafternoon，asthetrainmadeitssure-footedwayacrossthemountains，thethoughtthathewasactuallytoalightatMontreuxatoncefascinatedanddepressedhim。

Hewasannoyedwithhimselfforsufferingittogetsuchaholduponhismind。Whatwasthereinit，anyway？Therewasabighotelthere，andheandhisyoungstersweretostopatit，andifheaccidentallyencounteredacertainladywhowasalsostoppingthere——andofcoursethemeetingwouldbearuponitsfacethestampofpurechance——whatofit？

Andifhedidmeether，thusfortuitously——whatwouldhappenthen？Nodoubtaladyofhersocialpositionmetabroadgreatnumbersofpeoplethatshehadmetathome。

Itwouldnotinanywaysurpriseher——thischanceencounterofwhichhethoughtsomuch。Weretheresufficientgroundsforimaginingthatitwouldeveninteresther？Heforcedhisminduptothisquestion，asitwere，manytimes，andinvariablyitshiedandevadedtheleap。

Therehadbeentimes，atHadlowHouse，whenLadyCressagehadseemedsupremelyindifferenttothefactofhisexistence，andtherehadbeenothertimeswhenithadappearedmanifestthathepleasedher——orbetter，perhaps，thatshewaswillingtotakenoteofhowmuchshepleasedhim。

Itmusthavebeenapparenttoher——thisfactthatsheproducedsuchanimpressionuponhim。Hereasonedthisoutsatisfactorilytohimself。Thesebeautifulwomen，trainedfromchildhoodfortheconquestofarichhusband，musthavecultivatedanextraordinarydelicacyofconsciousness，insuchmatters。Theymusthavedevelopedforthemselveswhatmightbecalledasixthsense——apoweroffeelingintheairwhatthemenaboutwerethinkingofthem。

Morethanoncehehadcaughtaglimmerofwhathefelttobetheoperationofthissense，inthecompanyofLadyCressage。

Hecouldnotsaythatithadbeendiscernibleinherglance，orhervoice，orhermanner，precisely，buthewassurethathehadseenit，somehow。

Butevenassumingallthis——admittingthatinOctober，onawetSunday，inthetediumofasmallcountry-houseparty，shehadshownsomemomentarysatisfactionintheideathathewasprofoundlyimpressedbyher——diditatallfollowthatinFebruary，amidthedistractionsofafashionablewinter-resort，andprobablysurroundedbyhostsoffriends，shewouldpayanyattentiontohimwhatever？Theabjectfearthatshemightnotevenrememberhim——mightnotknowhimfromAdamwhenhestoodbeforeher——skulkedaboutinthelabyrinthsofhismind，buthedroveitbackwheneveritshoweditself。Thatwouldbetooignominious。