第8章

Thorperesumed。"Idon\'twantyoutosufferbythisunlooked-forchangeintheshapeofthings。Youholdtwothousandshares——onlybyaccidentthey\'rethewrongkindofshares。Verywell：I\'llmakethemtherightkindofshares。I\'llhaveatransfersenttoyoutomorrow，sothatyoucanreturnthosevendor\'ssharestome，andinexchangeforthemI\'llgiveyoutwothousandfully-paidordinaryshares。Youcanselltheseatonce，ifyoulike，oryoucanholdthemonoveronemoresettlement，whicheveryouplease。"

"Thisisverymunificent，"remarkedLordChaldon，afteraninstant\'sself-communion。Histonewasextremelygracious，buthedisplayednoneoftheenthusiasticexcitementwhichThorpeperceivednowthathehadlookedfor。

TheequanimityofMarquises，whowerealsoex-Ambassadors，wasevidentlyadeeper-rootedaffairthanhehadsupposed。

Thiselderlyandurbanediplomattookagiftofthirtythousandpoundsashemighthaveacceptedasuperiorcigar。

Abriefpauseensued，andwasendedbyanotherremarkfromthenobleman："Ithoughtforthemomentofaskingyouradvice——onthisquestionofselling，"hecontinued。

"Butitwillbeputmoreappropriately，perhaps，inthisway：Letmeleaveitentirelyinyourhands。Whateveryoudowillberight。Iknowsolittleofthesethings——andyouknowsomuch。"

Thorpeputouthislipsatrifle，andlookedawayforaninstantinfrowningabstraction。"Ifitwereputinthatway——IthinkIshouldsell，"hesaid。

"It\'sallrightformetotakelongchances——it\'smygame——butthere\'snoreasonwhyyoushouldriskthings。

Butletmeputitinstillanotherway，"headded，withthepassinggleamofanewthoughtoverthedullsurfaceofhiseye。"Whatdoyousaytoourmakingthetransactionstrictlybetweenourselves？Herearesharestobearer，inthesafethere。Isaythattwothousandofthemareyours：thatmakesthemyours。

Igiveyoumychequeforthirtythousandpounds——here，now，ifyoulike——andthatmakesthemmineagain。

Thebusinessisfinishedanddonewith——insidethisroom。

Neitherofusistosayanythingaboutittoasoul。

Doesthatmeetyourviews？"

Thediplomatponderedtheproposition——againwithalengthenedperturbationoftheeyelids。"Itwouldbepossibletosuggestavarietyofobjections，ifonewereofasophisticalturnofmind，"hesaidatlast，smilinglyreflective。

"YetIseenoreallyinsuperableobstacleinthepath。"

Hethoughtuponitfurther，andwentonwithanenquiringupwardglancedirectedsuddenlyatThorpe："Istherelikelytobeanyveryunpleasanthubbubinthepress——whenitisknownthattheannualmeetinghasbeenpostponed？"

Thorpeshookhisheadwithconfidence。"No——youneedhavenofearofthat。Thepressisallright。It\'sthetalkoftheCity，I\'mtold——thewayI\'vemanagedthepress。

Itisn\'toftenthatamanhasallthreeofthepaperswalkingthesamechalk-line。"

TheMarquisconsideredtheseremarkswithapuzzledair。

Thenhesmiledfaintly。"I\'mafraidwe\'respeakingofdifferentthings，"hesuggested。"Apparentlyyourefertothefinancialpapers。Ihadscarcelygiventhemathought。

ItdoesnotseemtomethatIshouldmindparticularlywhattheysaidaboutme——butIshouldcareagreatdealabouttheotherpress——thegreatpublicpress。"

"Oh，whatdotheyknowaboutthesethings？"saidThorpe，lightly。

"SofarasIcansee，theydon\'tknowaboutanything，unlessitgetsintothepolicecourt，orthedivorcecourt，oracourtofsomekind。They\'rethefunniestsortofpapersIeversaw。Seemsasiftheydidn\'tthinkanythingwassafetobeprinteduntilithadbeenswornto。

WhyanybodyshouldbeafraidofthemismorethanIcansee。"

"Nevertheless，"persistedhisLordship，blandly，"IshouldgreatlydislikeanypublicdiscussionofourCompany\'saffairs。

Ihopeitisquiteclearthatthatcanbeavoided。"

"Absolutely！"Thorpetoldhim，withreassuringenergy。

"Why，discussionsdon\'tmakethemselves。Somebodyhastokickbeforeanythinggetsdiscussed。Andwhoistokickhere？Thepublicwhoholdthesharesarenotlikelytocomplainbecausethey\'vegoneupfifteenhundredortwothousandpercent。AndwhoelsehasanyinterestinwhattheCompany，asaCompany，does？"

"Ah，thatisaquestionwhichhasoccurredtome，"saidLordChaldon，"andIshallbegladifitisalreadyanswered。

Theonlypeoplelikelyto\'kick，\'asyouputitsosimply，wouldbe，Itakeit，DirectorsandotherofficersoftheCompanywhofindthemselvesholdingaclassofshareswhichdoesnotparticipateinthepresentrise。Ispeakwithsomeconfidence——becauseIwasinthatpositionmyselfuntilafewminutesago——andIdon\'tmindconfessingthatIhadbroughtmyselftocontemplatethecontingencyofultimatelybeingcompelledto——to\'kick\'alittle。

Ofcourse，sofarasIamconcerned，eventshaveputmeinadiametricallydifferentframeofmind。IfIcameprepared——Iwon\'tsaytocurse，butto——tocriticize——I

certainlyremaintobless。Butyouseemypoint。

IofcoursedonotknowwhatyouhavedoneasregardstheothermembersoftheBoard。"

"Idon\'tcareaboutthem，"saidThorpe，carelessly。"YouaretheonethatIwishedtobringinontheground-floor。

Theothersdon\'tmatter。Ofcourse，Ishalldosomethingforthem；theyshan\'tbeallowedtomaketrouble——evensupposingthatitwouldbeintheirpowertomaketrouble，whichisn\'tthecase。Butitwon\'tbedonebyanymeansonthesamescalethat——"hepausedabruptly，andthetwomentacitlycompletedhissentenceintheglancetheyexchanged。

TheMarquisofChaldonrose，andtookuphishatandstick。

"Ifyouwillpostittome——inaregisteredletter——mytownhouse——please，"heremarked，withacharminglydelicatehesitationoverthephrases。Thenheputouthishand："I

neednotsayhowfullyIappreciateyourgreatkindnesstomyoldfriendFromentin。Itwasanobleaction——oneIshallalwaysreflectuponwithadmiration。"

"Ihopeyouwon\'tmentionit，though，"saidThorpe，astheyshookhands；"eitherthator——oranythingelse。"

"Ishallpreservethemostguarded——themostdiplomaticsecrecy，"

hisLordshipassuredhim，astheywalkedtowardthedoor。

Thorpeopenedthisdoor，andsteppedaside，withahalfbow，tofacilitatetheexitoftheMarquis，whobentgraciousacknowledgmentofthecourtesy。Then，withanabruptstartofsurprise，thetwomenstraightenedthemselves。

Directlyinfrontofthem，leaninglightlyagainstthebrass-railwhichguardedtheentrancetotheBoardRoom，stoodLordPlowden。

Acertainsenseofconfusion，unwelcomebutinevitable，visiblyenvelopedthischancemeeting。TheMarquisblinkedveryhardasheexchangedafleetinghand-shakewiththeyoungernobleman，andmurmuredsomeindistinguishablecommonplaces。Then，withagracefulcelerity，whichwasmorethandiplomatic，hedisappeared。Thorpe，withmoredifficulty，recoveredasortofstolidityofexpressionthatmightpassforcomposure。Heinturngavehishandtothenewcomer，andnoddedtohim，andachievedadoubtfulsmile。

"Comein！"hesaid，haltingly。"Wheredidyoudropfrom？

Gladtoseeyou！Howareallyourpeople？"

AmomentlatertheyoungViscountwasseatedinthechairwhichtheelderlyMarquishadvacated。Hepresentedthereinafigurewhich，initsway，wasperhapsascourtlyastheotherhadbeen——butthewaywaswidelydifferent。

LordPlowden\'sfine，litheformexpressednodeferenceinitseasypostures。Hishandsomefacewasatnopainstoassumeconciliatoryoringratiatingaspects。

Hisbrilliantbrowneyessparkledaconfident，buoyantgazefullintotheheavy，lethargiccountenanceofthebigmanatthedesk。

"Ihaven\'tbotheredyoubefore，"hesaid，tossinghisglovesintohishat，andspreadinghisfrock-coatoutbyitssilklapels。Hecrossedhislegs，andsatbackwithacomfortablesmile。"Iknewyouwereawfullybusy——andIkeptawayaslongasIcould。

Butnow——well，thetruthis——I\'minratherofahole。

Ihopeyoudon\'tmindmycoming。"

"Whynotatall，"saidThorpe，laconically。Afteramomentarypauseheadded："TheMarquishasjustbeenconsultingmeaboutthepostponementoftheannualmeeting。Isupposeyouagreewithus——thatitwouldbebettertoputitoff。

There\'sreallynothingtoreport。Ofcourse，youknowmoreaboutthesituationthanhedoes——betweenourselves。

Theshareholdersdon\'twantameeting；it\'senoughforthemthattheirsharesareworthfifteenortwentytimeswhattheypaidforthem。AndcertainlyWEdon\'tneedameeting，asthingsstandnow。"

"Ahyes——howdothingsstandnow？"askedLordPlowden，briskly。

"Well，"——Thorpeeyedhisvisitorwithamoodyblanknessofgaze，hischinoncemoreburiedinhiscollar——"well，everythingisgoingallright，asfarasIcansee。

But，ofcourse，thesedealingsinoursharesintheCityhavetakenupallmytime——sothatIhaven\'tbeenabletogiveanyattentiontostartingupworkinMexico。

Thatbeingthecase，Ishallarrangetofootallthebillsforthisyear\'sexpenses——therent，theDirectors\'

feesandclerk-hireandsoon——outofmyownpocket。

Itcomes，alltold，toabout2，700pounds——withoutcountingmyextra1，000poundsasManagingDirector。

Idon\'tproposetoaskforapennyofthat，underthecircumstances——andI\'llevenpaytheotherexpenses。

SothattheCompanyisn\'tlosingapennybyournotgettingtoworkatthedevelopmentoftheproperty。

Noonecouldaskanythingfairerthanthat——Andareyourmotherandsisterquitewell？"

"Oh，verywellindeed，thanks，"repliedtheother。Herelapsedabruptlyintoasilencewhichwasplainlypreoccupied。

Somethingoftheradiantcheerfulnesswithwhichhisfacehadbeamedseemedtohavefadedaway。

"I\'mintreatyforahouseandamoorintheHighlands"——Thorpewenton，inacasualtone——"infact，I\'mhesitatingbetweenthreeorfourplacesthatallseemtobeprettygood——butI

don\'tknowwhetherIcangetawaymuchbeforethetwentieth。

IhopeyoucancontrivetocomewhileI\'mthere。

Ishouldlikeitverymuchifyouwouldbringyourmotherandsister——andyourbrothertoo。Ihaveanephewabouthisage——afineyoungfellow——who\'dbecompanyforhim。

Whycan\'tyousaynowthatyou\'llallcome？"

LordPlowdenemergedfromhisbrownstudywiththegleamofsomenewideaonhisface。"Imightbringmysister，"

hesaid。"MymotherhatesScotland。Shedoesn\'tgoabout，either，eveninEngland。ButIdaresayWinniewouldenjoyitimmensely。Shehasagreatopinionofyou，youknow。"

"Ionlysawherthatonce，"Thorperemarked。

Somethoughtbehindhiswordslentamusingeffecttothetoneinwhichtheywereuttered。Thebrother\'scontemplativesmileseemedacommentuponthistone。

"Womenarecuriouscreatures，"hesaid。"Theytakefanciesanddislikesasswiftlyandirresponsiblyascloud-shadowsshiftandchangeonamountain-sideinApril。ButI

happentoknowthatmysisterdoeslikeyouimmensely。

Sodoesmymother，"headded，withanotherlittlesmile。

HecontinuedtoregardThorpe\'sface，buttherewasanincreasinguncertaintyinhisglance。"You\'veputonflesh，haven\'tyou？"heventured，afterabriefpause。

Therewastheimplicationinhisvoiceandmannerthatheobservedchangeswhichdisconcertedhim。

"Notmuch，Iguess，"repliedtheother，carelessly。

"I\'vebeenstickingtotheCityprettyclosely。That\'sall。

There\'snothingthatafortnight\'srestwon\'tputright。

Ishouldlikeitfirst-ratetohaveyouandyoursistercome。

I\'llletyouknowwhichplaceIdecideupon。Verylikelyyoucanmanagetobringheratthesametimethatsomeotherladieswillbethere。IexpectLadyCressageandMissMadden，youknow。"

LordPlowdenstaredathisfriend。"Aretheyback？HavetheyreturnedtoEngland？"heasked，confusedly。

"Oh，didn\'tyouknow？"Thorpepursued，withanaccessionofamiability。Hevisiblyhadpleasureinthedisclosureoftheother\'signorance。"They\'vebeeninLondonfortwoorthreeweeks。Thatis，MissMaddenhasbeentakingflyingtripstoseecathedralsandsoon，butLadyCressagehasstayedintown。Theirlongjourneyingshaveratherdoneherup。"HelookedPlowdenstraightintheeye，andaddedwithanairofdeliberation："I\'mratheranxiousaboutherhealth。"

Thenoblemanfranklyabandonedhiseffortstomaintainanundisturbedfront。"You——are——anxious，"herepeated，frowningindispleasedwonderment。

"Whyyes——whynot？"demandedThorpe，withasuddengrowlinhisvoice。AshecoveredthehandsomeViscountwithhisheavy，intentgaze，impulsesofwrathstirredwithinhim。Whyshouldthisfopofalordlingputonthisairofcontemptuousincredulity？"Whatistheresoamazingaboutthat？Whyshouldn\'tIbeanxious？"

Theperemptoryharshnessofhismanner，andthescowlonhisbig，loweringface，broughtasortofself-

controlbacktotheother。Heshruggedhisshoulders，withanattemptatnonchalance。"Whynotindeed！"

hesaid，aslightlyashecould。Withhandsonknees，hebentforwardasiftorise。"ButperhapsI\'dbettercomeinanotherday，"hesuggested，tentatively。

"I\'minterruptingyou。"

"No——sitstill，"Thorpebadehim，andthen，withchinsettledmoredeterminedlythaneverinhiscravat，sateyeinghiminalong，doursilence。

LordPlowdenfounditimpossibletoobtainfromthismassive，apatheticvisageanycluetothethoughtsworkingbehindit。

HechancedtorecallthetimewhenhehaddiscussedwithThorpethemeaningandvaluesofthisinscrutableexpressionwhichthelatter\'scountenancecouldassume。

Ithadseemedinterestingandevenadmirabletohimthen——butthenhehadnotforeseenthepossibilitythathehimselfmightsomedayconfrontitsadamantinebarrierwithasinkingheart。Allatoncehecouldbearthisimplacablesphinx-gazenolonger。

"I\'msuresomeotherdaywouldbebetter，"heurged，withanopenoverturetopropitiationinhistone。

"You\'renotinthemoodtobebotheredwithmyaffairstoday。"

"Asmuchtodayasanyother，"Thorpeansweredhim，slowly。

Theothersatsuddenlyupright——andthenuponamoment\'sreflectionrosetohisfeet。"Idon\'tintheleastknowwhattomakeofallthis，"hesaid，withnervousprecipitancy。

"IfI\'veoffendedyouinanyway，sayso，andIwillapologizeatonce。Buttreatmentofthissortpassesmycomprehension。"

Thorpeintruthdidnothimselfcomprehenditmuchmoreclearly。Somestrangefreakofwilfulnessimpelledhimtopursuethisunintelligiblepersecution。

"I\'vesaidnothingaboutanyoffense，"hedeclared，inahard，deliberatevoice。"Itisyourownword。

Allthesame——Imentionthenameofalady——alady，mindyou，whomImetunderyourownroof——andyoustrikeattitudesandputonairsasif——asifIwasn\'tgoodenough！"

"Oh，uponmyword，that\'sallrubbish！"theotherbrokein。

"Nothingcouldhavebeenfurtherfrommythoughts，Iassureyou。QuitenaturallyIwassurprisedforthemomentatabitofunexpectednews——butthatwasall。

Igiveyoumywordthatwasall。"

"Verywell，then，"Thorpeconsentedgrudginglytomutter。

Hecontinuedhissullenscrutinyofthemanstandingbeforehim，notinghowthevivacityofhisbearinghaddeterioratedinthesefewminutes。Hehadcutsuchagallantfigurewhenheenteredtheroom，withhissparklingeyeandsmile，hisalmostjauntymanner，hissuperiortailor\'splumage——andnowhewassuchacrestfallenandwiltedthing！

Rememberingtheirlastconversationtogether——rememberingindeedhowfulloflikingforthisyoungnoblemanhehadbeenwhentheylastmet——Thorpepausedtowonderatthefactthathefeltnoatomofpityforhimnow。

Whatwashisgrievance？WhathadPlowdendonetoprovokethissavagehostility？Thorpecouldnottell。Heknewonlythatunnamedforcesdraggedhimforwardtohurtandhumiliatehisformerfriend。Obscurely，nodoubt，therewassomethingaboutawomaninit。PlowdenhadbeenanadmirerofLadyCressage。Therewasherfather\'swordforitthatiftherehadbeenmoneyenoughhewouldhavewishedtomarryher。Therehadbeen，aswell，theGeneral\'shintthatifthedifficultyofPlowden\'spovertywereremoved，hemightstillwishtomarryher——ahintwhichThorpediscoveredtoberanklingwithasuddennewsorenessinhismind。WasthatwhyhehatedPlowden？No——hesaidtohimselfthatitwasnot。

HewasgoingtomarryLadyCressagehimself。Herletter，signifyingdelicatelyherassenttohisproposal，hadcometohimthatverymorning——wasinhispocketnow。

Whatdidhecareaboutthebye-goneaspirationsofotherwould-besuitors？And，asforPlowden，hehadnotevenknownofherreturntoLondon。Clearlythereremainednocommunicationsofanysortbetweenthem。

Itwasnotatallonheraccount，heassuredhimself，thathehadturnedagainstPlowden。Butwhatotherreasoncouldtherebe？Heobservedhisvisitor\'sperturbedanddejectedmienwithagrimkindofsatisfaction——butstillhecouldnottellwhy。

"Thisisallterriblyimportanttome，"thenoblemansaid，breakingtheunpleasantsilence。Hisvoicewassurchargedwithearnestness。"Apparentlyyouareannoyedwithsomething——whatitmaybeIcan\'tforthelifeofmemakeout。

AllIcansayis"——andhebrokeoffwithahelplessgesturewhichseemedtoimplythathefearedtosayanything。

Thorpeputouthislips。"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean，"

hesaid，brusquely。

"WhatImean"——theotherechoed，withbewilderedvaguenessofglance。"I\'mallatsea。Idon\'tintheleastgraspthemeaningofanything。Youyourselfvolunteeredthedeclarationthatyouwoulddogreatthingsforme。

\'Wearerichmentogether\'——thosewereyourownwords。

Iurgedyouatthetimetogoslowly——toconsidercarefullywhetheryouweren\'tbeingtoogenerous。Imyselfsaidtoyouthatyouwereridiculouslyexaggeratingwhatyoucalledyourobligationtome。Itwasyouwhoinsisteduponpresentingmewith100，000shares。"

"Well，theyareherereadyforyou，"saidThorpe，withcalculatedcoldness。"Youcanhavethemwheneveryouplease。Ipromisedthemtoyou，andsetthemasideforyou。Youcantakethemawaywithyounow，ifyoulike。Whatareyoukickingupthisfussfor，then？Uponmyword！——youcomehereandsuggesttomethatImadepromisestoyouwhichI\'vebroken！"

Plowdenlookedhardathim，asheturnedoverinhismindthepurportofthesewords。"Iseewhatyouaredoing，"

hesaidthen。"Youturnovertome100，000vendor\'sdeferredshares。Thanks！Ihavealready1，000ofthem。

Ikeeptheminthesameboxwithmyfather\'sConfederatebonds。"

"Whatthehelldoyoumean？"Thorpebrokeinwithexplosivewarmth，liftinghimselfinhischair。

"Oh，comenow，Thorpe，"Plowdenretorted，"let\'sgetthistalkonanintelligent，common-sensefooting。"

Hehadregainedsomethingofhisself-control，andkeenlyputforwardnowtohelphimallhispersuasivegracesofeyeandspeech。Heseatedhimselfoncemore。

"I\'mconvincedthatyouwanttobegoodtome。

Ofcourseyoudo！IfI\'veseemedhereforaminuteortwotothinkotherwise，itwasbecauseImisunderstoodthings。

Don\'tlettherebeanyfurthermisunderstandings！Iapologizefordoingyouthemomentaryinjusticeofsuspectingthatyouweregoingtoplayoffthevendor\'ssharesonme。

Ofcourseyousaidit——butitwasajoke。"

"Thereseemstobeajokesomewhere，sureenough，"

saidThorpe，indrylymetallictones——"butitisn\'tmewho\'sthejoker。Itoldyouyoushouldhave100，000

ofmy400，000shares，didn\'tI？Itoldyouthatinsomanywords。Verywell，whatmoredoyouwant？Heretheyareforyou！Ikeepmypromisetotheletter。

Butyou——youseemtothinkyou\'reentitledtomakearow。

Whatdoyoumeanbyit？"

"Justalittleword"——interposedPlowden，withstrenuouscalmnessofutterance——"whatyousaymaybetrueenough——yes，Iadmititistrueasfarasitgoes。

Butwasthatwhateitherofushadinourmindsatthetime？

Youknowitwasn\'t！YouhadjustplannedacoupontheStockExchangewhichpromisedyouimmenserewards。IhelpedyoutopassabogusallotmentthroughourBoard——withoutwhichyourcoupwouldn\'thavebeenworthafarthing。

Youwereenthusiasticallygratefultomethen。Intheexcitementofthemomentyoupromisedmeaquarterofallyoushouldmake。\'WEAREBOTHRICHMEN！\'Irememberthoseverywordsofyours。Theyhaveneverbeenoutofmymind。

Wediscussedthethingsthatwewouldeachdo，whenwecameintothiswealth。Itwastakenforgrantedinallourtalkthatyourmakingmoneymeantalsomymakingmoney。

Thatwasthecompleteunderstanding——hereinLondon，andwhileyouwereatmyhouse。YouknowitaswellasIdo。

AndIrefusetosupposethatyouseriouslyintendtositthereandpretendthatyoumeanttogivemenothingbutanarmfulofwastepaper。Itwouldbetoomonstrous！"

Thorperappedwithhisnailsonthedesk，topointtheforceofhisrejoinder："Howdoyouaccountforthefact，myLord"——hegavehiswordsachillinglyscornfulprecisionofutterance——"thatIdistinctlymentioned400，000vendor\'ssharesofmine，100，000ofwhichIpromisedtoturnovertoyou？Thosewerethespecificterms，weretheynot？Youdon\'tdenyit？Thenwhatareyoutalkingabout？"

"Iaccountforitinthisway"——saidPlowden，afteramoment\'sbaffledreflection："atthattimeyouyourselfhadn\'tgraspedthedifferencebetweenthetwoclassesofshares。

Youthoughtthevendor\'sshareswouldplayapartinthegame。Ah！IseeI\'vehitthemark！Thatwasthewayofit！——Andnowhere，Thorpe！Letallthat\'sbeensaidbebye-gones！Idon\'twantanyverbaltriumphoveryou。

Youdon\'twanttowrongme——andyourselftoo——bystickingtothisquibbleaboutvendor\'sshares。Youintendedtobedeucedgoodtome——andwhathaveIdonethatyoushouldroundonmenow？Ihaven\'tbotheredyoubefore。

Icametodayonlybecausethingsareparticularlyrotten，financially，justnow。AndIdon\'tevenwanttoholdyoutoaquarter——Ileavethatentirelytoyou。

Butafterallthat\'sbeensaidanddone——Iputittoyouasonemantoanother——youaremorallyboundtohelpmeout。"

"Howdoyoumean？——\'allthat\'sbeensaidanddone\'？"

Thorpeaskedthequestioninsomeconfusionofmoods。

PerhapsitwastheethicalforceofLordPlowden\'sappeal，perhapsonlyarecurringsenseofhisearlieraffectionfortheman——butforthemomenthewaveredinhispurpose。

Thepeerflushedalittle，ashelookedatthefloor，revolvingpossibleanswerstothisquery。HisearhadbeenquicktoseizethenoteofhesitationinThorpe\'stone。

Hestroveanxiouslytogettogetherconsiderationswhichshouldtiptheflutteringbalancedefinitelyhisway。

"Well，"hebeganslowly，"Ihardlyknowhowtoputit。

Ofcoursetherewas，inthefirstplace，theimmenseexpectationoffortunewhichyougaveme，andwhichI\'mafraidI\'vemorethanlivedupto。Andthen，ofcourse，otherssharedmyexpectations。Itwasn\'tathingonecouldverywellkeeptooneself。Mymotherandmysister——especiallymysister——theywerewonderfullyexcitedaboutit。Youarequitetheherointheireyes。

Andthen——yourememberthattalkwehad，inwhichyousaidIcouldhelpyou——socially，youknow。Ididitalittle，justasastart，butofcoursethere\'snoendtowhatcouldbedone。You\'vebeentoobusyheretofore，butwecanbeginnowwheneveryoulike。Idon\'tmindtellingyou——I\'vehadsomethoughtsofapossiblemarriageforyou。

Inpointofbloodandconnectionsitwouldbesuchamatchasacommonerhasn\'tmadebeforeinmymemory——ahighly-

cultivatedandhighly-bredyoungladyofrank——andsettlementscouldbemadesothataconsiderablequantityoflandwouldeventuallycometoyourson。Ineedn\'ttellyouthatlandstandsformuchmorethanmoney，ifyouhappentosetyourmindonabaronetcyorapeerage。

Ofcourse——Ineedscarcelysay——Imentionthismarriageonlyassomethingwhichmayormaynotattractyou，——itisquiteopentoyoutopreferanother，——butthereishardlyanythingofthatsortinwhichIandmyconnectionscouldnotbeofusetoyou。"

Evenmorebythetoneandinflectionofthesewordsthanbythephrasesthemselves，ThorpedivinedthathewasbeingofferedthehandoftheHon。WinifredPlowdeninmarriage。

Herecalledvividlythefactthatoncetheshadowofsomesuchthoughthadfloatedthroughhisownbrain；

therehadbeenamoment——itseemedcuriouslyremote，likeadream-phantomfromsomepreviousstateofexistence——whenhehaddweltwithpersonalinterestuponherinheritancefromlonglinesofnoblemen，andherrelationtohalfthepeerage。Then，swiftly，illogically，hedislikedthebrotherofthisladymorethanever。

"Allthatistalkingintheair，"hesaid，withabruptdecision。"Iseenothinginit。Youshallhaveyourvendor\'sshares，preciselyasIpromisedyou。

Idon\'tseehowyoucanpossiblyaskforanythingmore。"

Helookedattheother\'sdarklingfaceforamoment，andthenrosewithunwieldydeliberation。"Ifyou\'resohardupthough，"hecontinued，coldly，"Idon\'tminddoingthismuchforyou。I\'llexchangethethousandvendor\'ssharesyoualreadyholdtheonesIgaveyoutoqualifyyouatthebeginning——forordinaryshares。

Youcansellthoseforfifteenthousandpoundscash。

Infact，I\'llbuythemofyounow。I\'llgiveyouachequefortheamount。Doyouwantit？"

LordPlowden，red-facedandfrowning，hesitatedforafractionoftime。Theninconstrainedsilencehenodded，andThorpe，leaningponderouslyoverthedesk，wroteoutthecheque。HisLordshiptookit，foldeditup，andputitinhispocketwithoutimmediatecomment。

"Thenthisistheendofthings，isit？"heasked，afteranawkwardsilence，inavoicehestroveinvaintokeepfromshaking。

"Whatthings？"saidtheother。

Plowdenshruggedhisshoulders，framedhislipstouttersomethingwhichhedecidednottosay，andatlastturnedonhisheel。"Goodday，"hecalledoutoverhisshoulder，andlefttheroomwithaflagrantairofhostility。

Thorpe，wanderingabouttheapartment，stoppedafteratimeatthecabinet，andhelpedhimselftoadrink。

Thethingmostapparenttohimwasthatofsetpurposehehadconvertedafriendintoanenemy。Whyhadhedonethis？Heaskedhimselfthequestioninvaryingforms，overhisbrandyandsoda，butnoconvincinganswercame。

Hehaddoneitbecausehehadfeltlikedoingit。Itwasimpossibletotracemotivesfurtherthanthat。

CHAPTERXVIII

"EDITHwillbedowninaveryfewmoments，"MissMaddenassuredThorpethatevening，whenheenteredthedrawing-roomofthehouseshehadtakeninGraftonStreet。

Helookedintohereyesandsmiled，ashebowedoverthehandsheextendedtohim。Hisglanceexpressedwithforcefuldirectnesshisthought："Ah，thenshehastoldyou！"

Thecomplacentconsciousnessofproducingafineeffectinevening-clotheshadgiventoMr。StormontThorpehabituallynowamildnessofmanner，afterthedressinghour，whichwaslackingtohisdeportmentintheday-time。

Theconventionalattireofceremony，juggledinthehandsofaninspiredtailor，hadbeenbroughttolendtohisponderousfigureadignity，andevensomethingofagrace，whichthemanwithinassimilatedandmadehisown。

ItwasanequableandratheramiableThorpewhompeopleencounteredafternightfall——agentlemanwholookedimpressiveenoughtohavepowerfulperformancesbelievedofhim，yetseemedwithalanapproachableandeasy-goingperson。

Menwhosawhimatmidnightorlaterspokeofhimtotheirwomenkindwithacertainsignificantreserve，inwhichtrainedwomankindreadthesuggestionthatthe"RubberKing"

drankagooddeal，andwasprobablynotwhollyniceinhiscups。

This，however，couldnotbesaidtorenderhimlessinterestinginanyeyes。Therewasindeedaboutittheimplicationofagenerousnature，orattheleastofablindside——anditisnotunpleasanttodiscovertheseattributesinanewmanwhohasmadehishalf-million，andhas，ormayhave，countlessfavourstobestow。

Itwasasifhistongueinsteadofhiseyeshadutteredtheexclamation——"Ah，thenshehastoldyou！"——forMissMaddentookitashavingbeenspoken。"I\'mnotdisposedtopretendthatI\'moverjoyedaboutit，youknow，"

shesaidtohimbluntly，astheirhandsdropped，andtheystoodfacingeachother。"IfIsaidIcongratulatedyou，itwouldbeonlytheemptiestform。AndIhateemptyforms。"

"WhyshouldyouthinkthatIwon\'tmakeagoodhusband？"

Thorpeaskedthequestionwithagood-naturedifperemptoryfranknesswhichcamemostreadilytohiminthepresenceofthisAmericanlady，herselfsooutspokenandmasterful。

"Idon\'tknowthatIspeciallydoubtit，"shereplied。

"Isupposeanymanhasinhimthemakingsofwhatiscalledagoodhusband——iftheconditionsaresufficientlypropitious。"

"Wellthen——what\'sthematterwiththeconditions？"

hedemanded，jocosely。

MissMaddenshruggedhershouldersslightly。Thorpenotedthesomewhatluxuriantcurvesofthesesplendidshoulders，andthecreamywhitenessoftheskin，uponwhich，roundthefullthroat，achainofdiamondslayasuponsatin——andrecalledthathehadnotseenherbeforeinwhathephrasedtohimselfassomuchlow-neckeddress。

Thedeepfire-gleaminherbroadplaitsofhairgaveawonderfulbrilliancytothiscolouringofbrowandthroatandbosom。Hemarvelledathimselffordiscoveringonlynowthatshealsowasbeautiful——andthenthrilledwithprideatthethoughtthathenceforthhislifemightbepassedaltogetheramongbeautifulwomen，radiantingemsandcostlyfabrics，whowouldsmileuponhimathiscommand。

"Oh，Ihavenowishtobeakill-joy，"sheprotested。

"I\'msureIhopeallmannerofgoodresultsfromthe——

theexperiment。"

"Isupposethat\'swhatitcomesto，"hesaid，meditatively。

"It\'sallanexperiment。Everymarriageintheworldmustbethat——neithermorenorless。"

"Withalltheexperienceoftheagesagainstitscomingoutright。"Shehadturnedtomovetowardachair，butlookednowoverhershoulderathim。"Haveyoueverseenwhatseemedtoyouanabsolutelyhappymarriageinyourlife？"

Uponreflectionheshookhishead。"Idon\'trecalloneonthespuroftheminute，"heconfessed。

"Notthekind，Imean，thatyoureadaboutinbooks。

ButI\'veseenplentywherethecouplegotalongtogetherinagood，easy，comfortablesortofway，withoutanotionofanysortofunpleasantness。It\'speoplewhomarrytooyoungwhodomostofthefighting，Iimagine。

Afterpeoplehavegottoasensibleage，andknowwhattheywantandwhattheycangetalongwithout，whythenthere\'snoreasonforanytrouble。Wedon\'tstartoutwithanyschool-boyandschool-girlmoonshine"

"Oh，there\'sagooddealtobesaidforthemoonshine，"

sheinterruptedhim，asshesankuponthesofa。

"Whycertainly，"heassented，amiably，ashestoodlookingdownather。"Themorethereisofit，thebetter——ifitcomesnaturally，andpeopleknowenoughtounderstandthatitismoonshine，andisn\'tthebe-allandend-allofeverything。"

"There\'saloverforyou！"MissMaddencried，withmirthandderisionmingledinherlaugh。

"Don\'tyouworryaboutme，"hetoldher。"I\'magoodenoughlover，allright。Andwhenyoucometothat，ifEdithissatisfied，Idon\'tpreciselyseewhat——"

"Whatbusinessitisofmine？"shefinishedthesentenceforhim。"You\'reentirelyright。Asyousay，IFshe\'ssatisfied，nooneelsehasanythingtodowithit。"

"Buthaveyougotanyrighttoassumethatsheisn\'tsatisfied？"heaskedherwithswiftdirectness——"oranyreasonforsupposingit？"

MissMaddenshookherhead，butthenegationseemedqualifiedbythewhimsicalsmileshegavehim。"Nonewhatever，"

shesaid——andontheinstantthetalkwasextinguishedbytheentranceofLadyCressage。

Thorpe\'svisionwasfloodedwiththeperceptionofhisrarefortuneashewenttomeether。Hetookthehandsheoffered，andlookedintothesmileofhergreeting，andcouldsaynothing。Herbeautyhadgatheredtoitnewforcesinhiseyes——forceswhichdazzledandtroubledhisglance。Thethoughtthatthisexquisitebeing——thisineffablecompoundoffeelingandfinenervesandsweetwisdomandwitandloveliness——belongedtohimseemedtoovastforthecapacityofhismind。

Hecouldnotkeephimselffromtremblingalittle，andfromdivertingtoascreenbeyondhershoulderagazewhichhefelttobeovertlydimmedandembarrassed。

"Ihavekeptyouwaiting，"shemurmured。

Thesoftsoundofhervoicecametohisearsasfromadistance。Itboreanunfamiliarnote，uponthestrangenessofwhichhedweltforadetachedinstant。Thenitsmeaningbrokeinuponhisconsciousnessfromallsides，andlighteduphisheavyfacewiththeglowofaconqueror\'sself-centredsmile。Hebenthiseyesuponher，andnotedwithacontrolledexaltationhowherglanceinturndeferredtohis，andflutteredbeneathit，andshrankaway。

Hesquaredhisbigshouldersandliftedhishead。

Stillholdingherjewelledhandinhis，heturnedandledhertowardthesofa。Halting，hebowedwithanexaggeratedgenuflectionandflourishofhisfreehandtoMissMadden，thewhileheflashedatheraglanceatonceofchallengeandofdeprecation。Throughthesensitizedcontactoftheotherhand，hefeltthatthewomanheheldbowedalso，andinhisownspiritofconfuseddefianceandentreaty。

Thelaughhegavethenseemedtodispeltheawkwardnesswhichhadmomentarilyhungoverthemockingsalutation。

MissMaddenlaughedtoo。"Oh，Isurrender，"shesaid。

"Youdragcongratulationsfromme。"

Somequalityinthetoneofthisungraciousspeechhadtheeffectofputtingthepartyatitsease。

LadyCressageseatedherselfbesideherfriendonthesofa，andgently，abstractedly，pattedoneofherhands。

Thorperemainedonhisfeet，lookingdownatthepairwithsatisfiedcheerfulness。Hetool，aslipofpaperfromhispocket，tosupportastatementhewasmaking。

"I\'mforevertellingyouwhatastraintheCityisonamaninmyposition，"hesaid——"andtodayIhadthecuriositytokeepanaccountofwhathappened。Hereitis。

Ihadthirtycallers。Ofthose，howmanydoyousupposecametoseemeonmyownbusiness？Justeight。Thatistosay，theirerrandswereaboutinvestmentsofmine，butmostofthemmanagedtogetinsomewordaboutaxesoftheirowntogrind。Alltherestmadenopretenceatallofthinkingaboutanybodybutthemselves。

I\'veclassifiedthem，onebyone，here。

"First，thereweresixmenwhowantedmetotakesharesofonesortoranother，andIhadtomoreorlesslistentowhattheytriedtomakeouttheircompanieswerelike。

Theywerenoneofthemanygood。Eightdifferentfellowscametomewithschemesthathaven\'treachedthecompanystage。OnehadaschemeforgettingpossessionofaniggerrepublicintheWestIndiesbyraisingaloan，andthenrepudiatingallthepreviousloans。

Anotherwantedmetobuyapaperforhim，inwhichhewastosupportallmyenterprises。Anotherwantedtostartabank——Iapparentlytofindthemoney，andhethebrains。

Onechapwantedmetofinanceatheatricalsyndicate——hehadabagfullofphotographsofanactressalleyesandteethandhair，——andanotherchaphadaschemeallworkedoutforgettingaconcessionfromSpainforoneoftheCarolineIslands，andputtingupafactorythereformakingporpoise-hideleather。

"Thentherewerethreeinventors——let\'ssee，heretheyare——onewithacoiledwirespringforscissorsinsideapocket-knife，andonewithabottle，thewholetopofwhichunscrewsinsteadofhavingacorkorstopper，andonewithanelectricalfish-line，afinewireinsidethesilk，youknow，whichconnectswithsomebatterywhenafishbites，andringsabell，andthrowsouthooksinvariousdirections，anddoesallsortsofthings。

"Wellthen，therewasamanwhowantedmetotakethechairmanshipofacompany，andonewhowantedmetoguaranteeanoverdraftathisbank，andtwowhowantedtoborrowmoneyonstock，andoneparson-fellowwhotriedtostickmeforasubscriptiontosomeHomeorotherhesaidhehadforchildreninthecountry。

Hewastheworstbounderofthelot。

"Well，there\'stwenty-sevenpeople——andtwentyofthemstrangerstome，andnotworthapennytome，andalltryingtogetmoneyoutofme。Isn\'tthatadog\'slifeforone？"

"Idon\'tknow，"saidMissMadden，contemplatively。

"Aladymayhavetwicethatnumberofcallersinanafternoon——quiteasgreatstrangerstoallintentsandpurposes——andnotevenhavethesatisfactionofdiscoveringthattheyhadanyobjectwhateverincalling。

Atleastyourpeoplehadsomemotive：thegreymatterintheirbrainwasworking。Andbesides，oneofthemmighthavehadsomethingtosaywhichyouwouldvalue。

Idon\'tthinkthateverhappensamongalady\'scallers；

doesit，Edith？"

Edithsmiled，pleasantlyandyetalittlewistfully，butsaidnothing。

"Atanyrate，"Thorpewenton，withakindofpurposegatheringinhiseyes，"noneofthosefellowscostmeanything，exceptintime。ButthenIhadthreecallers，almostinabunch，andoneofthemtookoutofmethirtythousandpounds，andanotherfifteenthousandpounds，andthethird——anutterstrangerhewas——hegotanabsolutegratuityoftenthousandpounds，besidesmyconsenttoasalewhich，ifIhadrefusedit，wouldhavestoodmeinperhapsfortyorfiftythousandpoundsmore。

Youladiesmaythankyourstarsyoudon\'thavethatkindofcallers！"

Thesoundofthesefiguresintheairbroughtaconstrainedlooktothefacesofthewomen。Seeminglytheyconfrontedasubjectwhichwasnottotheirliking。

TheAmerican，however，afteramoment\'spause，tookitupinanindifferentmanner。

"Youspeakofan\'absolutegratuity。\'IknownothingofLondonCitymethods——butisn\'ttenthousandpoundsagratuityonaratherlargescale？"

Thorpehesitatedbriefly，thensmiled，and，withslowdeliberation，drewupachairandseatedhimselfbeforethem。"PerhapsI

don\'tmindtellingyouaboutit，"hebegan，andpausedagain。

"Ihadaletterinmymailthismorning，"hewentonatlast，givingasentimentalsignificancetobothtoneandglance——"aletterwhichchangedeverythingintheworldforme，andmademetheproudestandhappiestmanaboveground。

AndIputthatletterinmypocket，righthereontheleftside——andit\'stherenow，forthatmatter"——heputhishandtohisbreast，asifundertheimpulsetoverifyhiswordsbytheproductionofthemissive，andthenstoppedandflushed。

Theladies，watchinghim，seemedbytheireyestocondonethemawkishnessofthedemonstrationwhichhadtemptedhim。

Therewasindeedakindofapprovinginterestintheirjointregard，whichhehadnotexperiencedbefore。

"Ihaditinmypocket，"heresumed，withanaccessionofmellowemotioninhisvoice，"andnoneofthecallersevergotmythoughtsveryfarfromthatletter。

Andoneofthesewasanoldman——aFrenchbankerwhomustbeseventyyearsold，butdyeshishairakindofpurpleblack——anditseemsthathisnephewhadgotthefirmintoaterriblekindofscrape，selling2，000ofmyshareswhenhehadn\'tgotthemtosellandcouldn\'tgetthem——andtheoldmancametobegmetolethimoutatpresentmarketfigures。HegotLordChaldon——he\'smyChairman，youknow——tobringhim，andintroducehimashisfriend，andpleadforhim——butIdon\'tthinkallthat，byitself，wouldhavebudgedmeanatom。Butthentheoldmantoldhowhewasjustabletoscrapetogethermoneyenoughtobuythesharesheneeded，attherulingprice，andhehappenedtomentionthathisniece\'smarriageportionwouldhavetobesacrificed。Well，then，doyouknow，thatletterinmypocketsaidsomethingtome……And——well，that\'sthestory。Thegirl\'sportion，Iwormeditoutofhim，wastenthousand……andIstruckthatmuchoffthefigurethatIallowedhimtobuyhisshares，andsavehisfirm，for……Itwasalltheletterthatdidit，mindyou！"

Heconcludedthehaltingnarrativeamidamarkedsilence。

Theladieslookedathimandateachother，buttheyseemedsurprisedoutoftheirfacilityofcomment。

Inthiskindofflusteredhush，thedoorwasopenedanddinnerwasannounced。

MissMaddenwelcomedthediversionbyrisingwithostentatiousvigour。"Iwilltakemyselfout，"

shedeclared，withcheerfulpromptnessleadingtheway。

LadyCressagetookthearmThorpeofferedher，andgavenotokenofcomprehendingthatherwristwasbeingcaressinglypressedagainsthissideastheymovedalong。

Atthelittletableshininginthecentreofthedark，cooldining-room，talkmovedidlyaboutamonggeneraltopics。

Athunderstormbrokeoverthetown，atanearlystageofthedinner，andthesoundoftherushingdownpourthroughtheopenwindows，andthebreathoffreshnesswhichstirredthejadedair，werepleasanterthananyspeech。

Thoughtsrovedintuitivelycountry-ward，wherethelong-neededrainwouldbedoweringthelandscapewithnewlife——wheretheearthatsunrisewouldbegreenagain，andbuoyantinreawakenedenergy，andredolentwiththeperfumesofsweetestsummer。Theyspokeofthefieldsandthemoorswiththelongingoftiredtown-folkinAugust。

"Oh，whenIgetaway"——saidThorpe，fervently，"itseemstomethatIdon\'twantevertocomeback。

Theselastfewweekshavegotterriblyonmynerve。

Andreally——whyshouldIcomeback？I\'vebeenaskingmyselfthequestion——moretodaythaneverbefore。

Ofcourseeverythinghasbeendifferenttoday。ButifI\'mtogetanygenuinegoodoutofmy——myfortune——ImustpullawayfromtheCityaltogethersometime——andwhynotnow？

Ofcourse，someimportantthingsarestillopen——andtheyhavetobewatchednightandday——butafterall，Semple——that\'smyBroker——hecoulddoitforme。

Atthemost，itwon\'tlastmorethananothersixweeks。

Thereisasettlement-daynextweek，the15th，andanotherafortnightafter，onthe29th，andanotheronSeptember12th。Well，thosethreedays，ifthey\'reworkedasIintendtheyshallbe，andnothingunforeseenhappens，willbringinoverfourhundredthousandpounds，andclosethe\'corner\'inRubberConsolsforgood。

ThenIneedneverseetheCityagain，thankGod！Andforthatmatter——why，whatissixweeks？It\'sliketomorrow。

I\'mgoingtoactasifIwerefreealready。Therainfillsmefullofthecountry。Willyoubothcomewithmetomorrowornextday，andseethePellesleyplaceinHertfordshire？

Bythephotographsit\'sthebestthinginthemarket。

ThenewestpartsofitareTudor——andthat\'swhatI\'vealwayswanted。"

"Howunexpectedyouare！"commentedMissMadden。

"YouarealmostthelastpersonIshouldhavelookedtoforasentimentaboutTudorfoundations。"

Thorpeputouthislipsatrifle。"Ah，youdon\'tknowme，"

hereplied，inavoicemilderthanhislookhadpromised。

"BecauseI\'mroughandpractical，youmustn\'tthinkIdon\'tknowgoodthingswhenIseethem。Why，alltheworldisgoingtohavelivingproofverysoon"——hepaused，andsentasmilesurchargedwithmeaningtowardthesilentmemberofthetrio——"livingproofthatI\'mthegreatestjudgeofperfectioninbeautyofmytime。"

Heliftedhisglassashespoke，andtheladiesacceptedwithaninclinationofthehead，andatouchofthewineattheirlips，histacittoast。"Oh，IthinkIdoknowyou，"

saidCeliaMadden，calmlydiscursive。"Uptoacertainpoint，youarenotsounlikeothermen。Ifpeopleappealtoyourimagination，anddonotcontradictyou，orboreyou，orgetinyourway，youarecapableofbeingveryniceindeedtothem。Butthatisn\'taveryuncommonquality。

Whatisuncommoninyou——atleastthatismyreading——issomethingwhichaccordingtocircumstancesmaybenice，orverymuchtheotherwayabout。It\'ssomethingwhichstandsquiteapartfromstandardsofmoralsorethicsortheordinaryemotions。ButIdon\'tknow，whetheritisdesirableformetoenterintothisextremelypersonalanalysis。"

"Ohyes，goon，"Thorpeurgedher。Hewatchedherfacewithanalmostexcitedinterest。

"Well——Ishouldsaythatyoupossessedacapacityforsuddenandcapriciousactioninlargematters，equallyimpatientofreasoningandindifferenttoconsequences，whichmightbeveryawkward，andeventragic，topeoplewhohappenedtoannoyyou，orstandinyourroad。

Youhavethekindoforganizationinwhich，withinasecond，withoutanywarningorreason，apassingwhimmayhaveworkeditselfupintoanimperativelaw——somethingyoumustobey。"

Themansmiledandnoddedapprovingly："You\'vegotmedownfine，"hesaid。

"Italkwithagooddealofconfidence，"shewenton，withacheerless，ruminativelittlelaugh，"becauseitismyownorganizationthatIamdescribing，too。

ThedifferenceisthatIwasallowedtoexploitmycapacityformischiefveryearly。Ihadmyownwayinmyteens——myownmoney，myownpower——ofcourseonlyofacertainsort，andinaverysmallplace。

ButIknowwhatIdidwiththatpower。Ispreadtroubleandmiseryaboutme——alwaysofcourseonasmallscale。

Thenagroupofthingshappenedinakindofclimax——averypainfulclimax——anditshookthenonsenseoutofme。

Mybrotherandmyfatherdied——someothersoberingthingshappened……andluckilyIwasstillyoungenoughtostopshort，andtakestockofmyself，andsaythattherewerecertainpathsIwouldneversetfootonagain——andsticktoit。

Butwithyou——doyousee？——poweronlycomestoyouwhenyouareamatureman。Experiences，nomatterhowunpleasanttheyare，willnotchangeyounow。Youwillnotbemovedbythisoccurrenceorthattodistrustyourself，orreconsideryourmethods，orformnewresolutions。

Ohno！Powerwillbeterribleinyourhands，ifpeoplewhomyoucaninjureprovokeyoutocruelcourses——"

"Oh，dear——dear！"brokeinLadyCressage。"WhatadistressingMrs。Gummidge-Cassandrayouare，Celia！Praystopit！"

"No——she\'srightenough，"saidThorpe，gravely。

"That\'sthekindofmanIam。"

Heseemedsoprofoundlyinterestedinthecontemplationofthisportraitwhichhadbeendrawnofhim，thattheothersrespectedhisreflectivesilence。Hesatforsomemoments，idlyfingeringaforkonthetable，andstaringatablotchofvividredprojectedthroughadecanteruponthecloth。

"Itseemstomethat\'stheonlykindofmanit\'sworthwhiletobe，"headdedatlast，stillspeakingwiththoughtfuldeliberation。"There\'snothingelseintheworldsobigaspower——strength。Ifyouhavethat，youcangeteverythingelse。Butifyouhaveit，anddon\'tuseit，thenitrustsanddecaysonyourhands。

It\'slikeathoroughbredhorse。Youcan\'tkeepitidleinthestable。Ifyoudon\'texerciseit，youloseit。"

Heappearedtobecommentinguponsomeillustrationwhichhadoccurredtohisownmind，butwasnotvisibletohisauditors。Whiletheyregardedhim，hewaspromptedtoadmitthemtohisconfidence。

"Therewasacaseofittoday，"hesaid，andthenpaused。

"Precisely，"putinMissMadden。"ThefactthatsomeFrenchwoman，ofwhomyouhadneverheardbefore，wasgoingtolosehermarriageportioncaughtyourattention，andontheinstantyoupresentedherwith$10，000，anexerciseofpowerwhichhappenstobeonthegenerousside——butstillentirelyunreasoning，andnotdeservingofanyintellectualrespect。Andhere\'sthepoint：ifithadhappenedthatsomebodyelsechancedtoproduceanoppositeimpressionuponyou，youwouldhavebeencapableoftaking$50，000awayfromhimwithjustaslightaheart。"

Thorpe\'sfacebeamedwithrepressedamusement。"AsamatteroffactitwasthatkindofcaseIwasgoingtomention。

Iwasn\'treferringtothegirlandhermarriageportion。

Ayoungmancametometoday——cameintomyroomallcock-a-whoop，smilingtohimselfwiththenotionthathehadonlytonamewhathewanted，andIwouldgiveittohim——and——"

Hestoppedabruptly，withaconfusedlittlelaugh。

HehadbeenuponthebrinkoftellingaboutLordPlowden\'sdiscomfiture，andevennowthestoryitcheduponhistongue。Itcosthimanefforttoputthenarrativeaside，thewhileheponderedtheargumentswhichhadsuddenlyrearedthemselvesagainstpublicity。

Whenatlasthespoke，itwaswithaglanceofconsciousmagnanimitytowardtheladywhohadconsentedtobehiswife。

"Nevermind，"hesaid，lightly。"Therewasn\'tmuchtoit。

Themanannoyedme，somehow——andhedidn\'tgetwhathecamefor——that\'sall。"

"Buthewasentitledtogetit？"askedCeliaMadden。

Thorpe\'slipspoutedoverareply。"Well——no，"hesaid，withakindofreluctance。"Hegotstrictlywhathewasentitledto——preciselywhatIhadpromisedhim——andhewrunguphisnoseatthat——andthenIactuallygavehim15，000poundshewasn\'tentitledtoatall。"

"Ihardlyseewhatitproves，then，"EdithCressageremarked，andthesubjectwasdropped。

Sometwohourslater，Thorpetookhisdeparture。

Itwasnotuntilhewasgettingintothehansomwhichhadbeensummoned，thatitallatonceoccurredtohimthathehadnotforamomentbeenalonewithhisbetrothed。

Uponreflection，asthecabspedsmoothlyforward，thisseemedoddtohim。Hedecidedfinallythattherewasprobablysomesocialruleaboutsuchthingswhichhedidn\'tunderstand。

*****************

Inthedrawing-roomofthehouseinGraftonStreetwhichhehadquitted，thetwoladiessatwithfacesavertedfromeachother，inconstrainedsilence。

EdithCressageroseatlast，andtookafewaimlesssteps，withherhandsatherhair。"Well——I\'membarked——fairlyunderway！"shesaid，inclear-cut，almostprovocativetones。

"Idon\'tatallknowwhattosay，"hercompanionreplied，slowly。"Ifancythatyouexaggeratemydisapproval。

Perhapsitoughtnoteventobecalleddisapprovalatall。

ItisonlythatIampuzzled——andalittlefrightened。"

"Oh，Iamfrightenedtoo，"saidtheother，butwitheagernessratherthantrepidationinhervoice。"ThatiswhyIdidnotgiveyouthesignaltoleaveusalone。

Icouldn\'tquitegetupthenerveforit。Butwouldyoubelieveit？——thatisoneofthecharmsofthething。

Thereisanexcitementaboutitthatexhilaratesme。

Togethappinessthroughterror——youcan\'tunderstandthat，canyou？"

"I\'mtrying。IthinkI\'mbeginningtounderstand，"

saidMissMadden，vaguely。

"DidyoueversetyourselftocomprehendingwhyMarieStuartmarriedBothwell？"askedEdith，lookingdownupontheotherwithilluminatingfixity。"Youhaveitall——allthere。Mariegottiredofthesmoothpeople，theusualpeople。Therewasthepromiseofadventure，andrisk，andperil，andthegrandemotionswiththebig，darkbrute。"

"Itisn\'tahappystory——thisparallelthatyoupickout，"

commentedCelia，absently。

"Happy！Pah！"retortedEdith，withspirit。"Whoknowsifitwasn\'ttheonlyreallyhappythinginherlife？Thesnobsandprigsallscoldherandpreachsermonsather——theydiditinherlifetime：theydoitnow——"Ohcome，I\'mneitherasnobnoraprig，"putinCelia，lookingupinherturn，andtemperingwithasmiletheenergyofhertone——"I

don\'tblameherforherBothwell；Idon\'tcriticizeher。

IneverwasevenabletomindaboutherkillingDarnley。

YouseeItakeanextremelyliberalview。Onemightalmostcallitbroad。ButifIhadbeenoneofherladies——herbosomfriends——sayCatherineSeton——andshehadtalkedwithmeaboutit——IthinkIshouldhaveconfessedtosomeforebodings——somelittlemisgivings。"

"Anddoyouknowwhatshewouldhavesaid？"

Edith\'sswiftquestion，putwithaglowingfaceandaconfidentvoice，hadinittheringofassuredtriumph。

"Shewouldhaveansweredyou：\'Mydearestgirl，allmylifeIhavedonewhatotherpeopletoldmetodo。InmychildhoodIwasgiveninmarriagetoacriminalidiot。

InmyprematurewidowhoodIwasgovernedbyacommitteeofscoundrelsofbothsexesuntilanothercriminalidiotwasimposeduponmeasasecondhusband。

Myownpersonalityhasneverhadthegleamofachance。

IhaveneveryetdoneanysinglethingbecauseIwantedtodoit。Betweenfirstmypolitician-motherandherbandoftonsuredswindlers，andthenmycantankerousbrotherandhiscrewofsnarlingandsour-mindedpreachers，andallthecourtliarsandparasitesandspiesthatbothsidessurroundedmewith，Ihavelivedanexistencethatisn\'tlifeatall。Ipurporttobeawoman，butIhaveneverbeensufferedtoseeagenuineman。

Andnowhereisone——orwhatIthinktobeone——andI\'mgiventounderstandthatheisapirateandamurdererandanunspeakableruffiangenerally——buthetakesmyfancy，andhehasbeckonedtometocometohim，andsoyouwillkindlygetmemyhatandjacketandgloves。\'

That\'swhatshewouldhavesaidtoyou，mydear。"

"AndI"——saidCelia，risingafteramoment\'spause，andputtingherhanduponEdith\'sarm——"Iwouldhaveanswered，\'Dearestlady，inwhateverbefalls，IprayyounevertoforgetthatIamtotheendyourfondanddevotedandloyalservant。\'"

CHAPTERXIX

AUGUSTworeitselfoutinparchedtedium，andaSeptemberbeganwhichseemedevenmoreunbearableintown，——andstillThorpedidnotgetawayfromLondon。

Sofarasthepaymentofanexorbitantrentinadvance，andthereceiptofinnumerablelettersfromarestlessandfussystewardwhomhehadnotyetseen，wentasevidence，heknewhimselftobethetenantinpossessionofagreatshootinginMorayshire。Hehadseveralphotographsofwhatwascalledthelodge，butlookedlikesomethingbetweenamansionandabaronialcastle，onthemanteloftheBoardRoom。

Thereflectionthatthissumptuousresidencehadbeenhisforamonth，andthatitdailystoodwaitingforhim，furnishedandsweptandprovisionedforhiscoming，didnothingtohelpthepassingoftimeinthehot，faggedCity。Morethanoncehehadsaidresolutelythat，onthemorrow，orattheworstthenextday，hewouldgo——butintheeventhehadnotgone。InthelastweekofAugusthehadproceededtothelengthofsendinghisnieceandnephewNorthward，andshuttingupthehouseinOvingtonSquare，andbetakinghimselftotheSavoyHotel。

Thishadappearedatthetimetobealmostequivalenttohisgettingawayhimself，——tobeatleastafirststageintheprogressofhisownjourney。Butatthehotelhehadstuckfast，——andnow，onthetenthofSeptember，wasnonearerthemoorsandthedeer-forestthanhehadbeenamonthbefore。

Anovelsenseofloneliness，——ofthefatuityofpresentexistence，——weighedgrievouslyuponhim。TheladiesofGraftonStreethadlefttownuponacomprehensiveitineraryofvisitswhichincludedtheMalverncountry，andaducalcastleinShropshire，andaplaceinWestmoreland。

TherewasnothingverydefiniteaboutthedateoftheircomingtohiminScotland。Theladywhohadconsentedtomarryhimhad，somehow，omittedtopromisethatshewouldwritetohim。Anarrangementexisted，instead，bywhichsheandhisnieceJuliaweretocorrespond，andtofixbetweenthemselvesthedetailsofthevisittoMorayshire。

Thorpehardlywenttothepointofannoyancewiththisarrangement。Hewasconsciousofnodeepimpulsetowritelove-lettershimself，andtherewasnothinginthesituationwhichmadehisfailuretoreceivelove-

lettersseemunnatural。Theabsenceofmoonshine，atleastduringthispreliminaryseason，hadbeenquitetakenforgrantedbetweenthem，andhedidnotcomplaineventohimself。Therewasevenakindofproudsatisfactionforhiminthethoughtthat，thoughhehadallbutcompletedthepurchaseofthenoblePellesleyestateforEdithCressage，hehadneveryetkissedher。

Thereserveheimposeduponhimselfgavehimacertainaristocraticfinenessinhisowneyes。Itwasthemeansbywhichhecouldfeelhimselftobemostnearlyherequal。

ButheremainedverylonelyinLondon，nonetheless。

Itistruethatagreatdealofsocietywascontinuallyofferedtohim，andeventhrustuponhim。Inthepopularphrase，Londonwasempty，butthereseemedtobemorepeoplethaneverwhodesiredMr。StormontThorpe\'

spresenceattheirdinner-tables，ortheirlittletheatreorcardorriverparties。Heclungsullenlytohisruleofgoingnowhere，butitwasnotsosimpleamattertoevadethecivilitiesandimportunitiesofthosewhowerestoppingatthehotel，orwhocametheretowaylayhimattheentrance，ortoencounterhimintherestaurant。

Hecouldnotalwaysrefusetositdownattableswhenattractively-dressedandvivaciouswomenmaderoomforhim，ortolingerovercigarsandwinewiththeirhusbandsandescortslateron。

Anincessantandspiritedcourtwaspaidtohimbymanydifferentgroupsofinterestedpeoplewhowererarelyatthepainstodissembletheiraims。

Heformedamannerforthereceptionoftheseadvances，compoundedofjoviality，cynicism，andfrankbrutality，whichnobody，tohisfaceatleast，resented。Ifwomenwincedunderhismockingrudenessesofspeechandsmile，ifmenlongedtokillhimforthecoldinsolenceofhisrefusaltolettheminsidehisguard，theysedulouslykeptitfromhim。Theconsciousnessthateverybodywasafraidofhim，——thateverybodywouldkneeltohim，andmeeklytakeinsultandignominyfromhim，ifonlyhoperemainedtothemofgettingsomethingoutofhim，——hardenedlikeacrustuponhismind。

Itwasimpossibletogetasenseofcompanionshipfrompeoplewhocringedtohim，andswallowedhisaffrontsandcackledathisjokeswithequaldocility。Sometimeshehadapassingamusementintheroughpleasantriesandcrueltieswhichtheydrewfromhim。ThereweretwoorthreebrightJewishwomen，moregaylycleverandimpudent，perhaps，thanbeautiful，withwhomhefounditgenuinefuntotalk，andconcerningwhomhewasperpetuallyconceivingprojectswhichcouldnothavebeendiscussedwiththeirhusbands，andasperpetuallydoingnothingtotesttheirfeasibility。

Butthesediversionswereintheiressenceunsubstantial。

Therewasnoteventhesemblanceofarealfriendshipamongthem，——andlonelinessbecameanincreasingburden。

Hissisterattheoldbook-shopexasperatedhimnowadaystoadegreewhichoftenprovokedwithinhimtheresolutiontohavedonewithher。Hehadascoreofprojectsforherbetterment，eachcapableofasmanyvariationsandeageradaptationstosuitherfancy，buttothemallandsundrysheopposedabarrierofstupidlypassivenegation。Therewasnothingshewanteddoneforher。Shewouldnotexchangetheworkshehadbeenbroughtupinforalifeofidleness。