第12章

Thensomeobjectionstotheplanroseupbeforehim：

theydealtalmostexclusivelywiththesocialnuisancethethingwouldentail。Therewastobeahouse-party，withthatDukeandDuchessinit，ofwhomhiswifetalkedsomuch，anditwouldbeamiserablekindofboretohaveasuffocatedgardenerforceduponthemasaprincipaltopicofconversation。Ofcourse，too，itwouldmoreorlessthrowthewholehouseholdintoconfusion。Anditseffectuponhiswife！——theprogressofhisthoughtswascheckedabruptlybythissuggestion。Avisionoftheshocksuchacatastrophemightinvolvetoher——oratthebest，ofthegrossunpleasantnessshewouldfindinit——flashedoverhismind，andthenyieldedtoasoftening，radiantconsciousnessofhowmuchthismeanttohim。

Itseemedtoeffaceeverythingelseupontheinstant。

Aprofoundlytenderdesireforherhappinesswasincompletepossession。Alreadythenotionofdoinganythingtowoundorgrieveherappearedincredibletohim。

"Well，Gafferson，"heheardhimselfsaying，inoneofthemorereservedtonesofhispatriarchalmanner。

Hehadhaltedclosetotheinattentiveman，andstoodlookingdownuponhim。Hisglancewasatoncetolerantandwatchful。

Gaffersonslowlyrosefromhisslouchingposture，surveyedtheotherwhilehisfacultiesinleisurelyfashionworkedouttheproblemofrecognition，audthenraisedhisfingertohiscap-brim。"Good-evening，sir，"

hesaid。

Thisgestureofdeferencewaseloquentlyconvincing。

Thorpe，afteraninstant\'salertscrutiny，smileduponhim。

"Iwasgladtohearthatyouhadcometous，"hesaidwithbenevolentaffability。"Weshallexpectgreatthingsofamanofyourreputation。"

"It\'llbeafaircomfort，sir，"theotherreplied，"tobeinaplacewherewhatonedoesisappreciated。

WhatuseisittosucceedinhybridizingaHippeastrumprocerawithaPancratiumAmancaes，afteroversixhundredattemptsintenyears，andthenspendthreeyearsa-hand-nursingtheseedlings，andthenyourmasterwon\'ttakeenoughinterestinthethingtopayyourfareuptoLondontotheexhibitionwith\'em？That\'swhat\'udbreakanyman\'sheart。"

"Quitetrue，"Thorpeassented，withpatriciankindliness。

"Youneedfearnothingofthatsorthere，Gafferson。Wegiveyouafreehand。Whateveryouwant，youhaveonlytoletusknow。Andyoucan\'tdothingstoowelltopleaseus。"

"Thankyou，sir，"saidGafferson，andreally，asThorpethoughtaboutit，theinterviewseemedatanend。

Themasterturneduponhisheel，withabrief，obliquenodoverhisshoulder，andmadehiswayoutintotheopenair。Here，ashewalked，hedrewasuccessionoflongconsolatorybreaths。Itwasalmostasifhehademergedfromthelethalpresenceofthefumigatoritself。

Hetookthelargestcigarfromhiscase，lightedit，andsighedsmoke-ladennewreliefashestrolledbacktowardtheterrace。

Butafewminutesbeforehehadbeenstrugglinghelplesslyinthecoilsofanevilnightmare。

Theseterrorsseemedinfinitelyfarbehindhimnow。

Hegaveanindifferentpartingglancebackwardatthem，asonemightoverhisafter-breakfastcigarattheconfusedalarmsofanearlyawakeninghoursbefore。

Therewasnothingworthremembering——onlytheshapelessandfoolishburdenofabaddream。

Theassurancerosewithinhimthathewasnottohaveanymoresuchtrouble。Withasingularclearnessofmentalvisionheperceivedthatthepartofhimwhichbroughtbaddreamshadbeensloughedoff，likeaserpent\'sskin。

TherehadbeentwoThorpes，andoneofthem——theThorpewhohadalwaysbeenwillingtoprofitbyknavery，andatlastinasplendidcoupasamasterthiefhadstolennearlyamillion，andwouldhaveshrunknotatallfromaddingmurdertotherest，toprotectthatplunder——thisviciousThorpehadgoneawayaltogether。Therewasnolongeraplaceforhiminlife；hewouldneverbeseenagainbymortaleye……ThereremainedonlythegoodThorpe，thepleasant，well-intentionedopulentgentleman；

theexcellentcitizen；thebeneficentmaster，towhom，evenGaffersonliketheothers，touchedarespectfulforelock。

ItpassedintheprocessionofhisreverieasakindoftriumphofvirtuethatthegoodThorperetainedthefortunewhichthebadThorpehadstolen。Itwasinallsensesafortunatefact，becausenowitwouldbeputtoworthyuses。

Consideringthathehadbutdimlydriftedaboutheretoforeontheoutskirtsofthealtruisticimpulse，itwassurprisinglyplaintohimnowthatheintendedtobeaphilanthropist。

Evenashementionedthewordtohimself，thepossibilitiessuggestedbyitexpandedinhisthoughts。Hisolddormant，formlesslustforpowerstirredagaininhispulses。

Whatotherphaseofpowercarriedwithitsuchrewards，suchgratitudes，suchhumblesubservienceonallsidesasfarastheeyecouldreach——asthatexercisedbytheintelligentlymunificentphilanthropist？

Intelligence！thatwasthenoteofitall。Manyrichpeopledabbledatthegivingofmoney，buttheydiditsostupidly，insuchaslip-shodfashion，thattheygotnocreditforit。Evenmillionairesmoreorlessinpubliclife，greatnewspaper-owners，greatbrewer-peers，andthelike，menwhoshouldknowhowtodothingswell，gavehugesumsinbulkforpubliccharities，suchasthehousingofthepoor，andyetcontrivedsomehowtoletthekudosthatshouldhavebeentheirsevaporate。Hewouldmakenosuchmistakeasthat。

Itwaseasyenoughtoseewhereintheyerred。

Theygavesuperciliously，handingdowntheiralmsfromatoploftyaltitudeofTorysuperiority，andtheRadicalsdownbelowsniffedorgrowledevenwhiletheygrudginglytookthesegifts——thatwasallnonsense。Thesearistocraticortuft-huntingphilanthropistsweretheveriestduffers。

Theylaidoutmillionsofpoundsinthevainattempttosecurewhatmighteasilybehadformerethousands，iftheywentsensiblytowork。Theirvastbenefactionsyieldedthematthemostbarethanks，ormoreoftennothanksatall，becausetheylackedthewittolayasidecertainlittletrivialbutannoyingpretensions，andwaiveafewemptyprejudices。Theywenton，yearafteryear，tossingtheirfortunesintoasinkofcontemptuousingratitude，wonderingfeeblywhytheywerenotbelovedinreturn。

Itwasbecausetheywerefools。Theycouldnot，ortheywouldnot，understandthepeopletheysoughttomanipulate。

Whatcouldnotamanofrealbrain，ofrealbreadthandenergyandforceofcharacter，doinLondonwithtwohundredthousandpounds？Why，hecouldmakehimselfmasterofthetown！Hecouldbreakintofragmentsthepoliticalascendencyofthesnob，"semi-detached"villaclasses，inhalftheParliamentarydivisionstheynowcontrolled。

HecouldreversethepartisancomplexionoftheMetropolitandelegation，andleadtoWestminsterapartyofhisown，asolidphalanxofdisciplinedmen，standingfortheimplacableDemocracyofreawakenedLondon。

Withsuchabacking，hecouldcoerceministriesatwill，andremakethepoliticsofEngland。TheroleofGreatOliverhimselfwasnottoohopelesslybeyondthescopeofsuchavision。

Thorpethrewhiscigar-endaside，andthennotedthatitwasalmostdark。Hestrodeuptotheterracetwostepsatatime，andswungalongitslengthwithavigourandexhilarationofmovementhehadnotknown，itseemedtohim，foryears。Hefelttheexcitementofanewincentivebubblinginhisveins。

"HerLadyshipisinhersitting-room，sir，"adomesticrepliedtohisenquiryinthehall。Thetitlearrestedhisattentionfromsomefreshpointofview，andheponderedit，ashemadehiswayalongthecorridor，andknockedatadoor。Atthesoundofavoicehepushedopenthedoor，andwentin。

LadyCressage，lookingup，noted，witharousedinterest，amarkedchangeinhiscarriage。Hestoodaggressivelyerect，hisbigshoulderssquared，andhisheadheldhigh。

Onhismassivefacetherewasthesmile，atoncebuoyantandcontained，ofastrongmansatisfiedwithhimself。

Somethingimpelledhertorise，andtoputacertainwistfulnessofenquiryintoheransweringsmile。

"Yourheadacheisbetterthen？"sheaskedhim。

Helookedpuzzledforamoment，thenlaughedlightly。

"Oh——yes，"heanswered。Advancing，hecaughthersuddenly，almostvehemently，inhisarms，audcoveredthefacethatwasperforceupturnedwithkisses。Whenshewasreleasedfromthisoverwhelmingembrace，andstoodpantingandflushed，regardinghimwithnarrowed，intenteyes，inwhichmystificationwasmellowedbythegleamofnot-displeasedcuriosity，hepreferredarequestwhichcompletedherbewilderment。

"Mrs。Thorpe，"hebegan，withsignificantdeliberation，butsmilingwithhiseyestoshowthetendernessunderlyinghiswords——"wouldyoumindifwedidn\'tdressfordinnerthisevening，andifwedinedinthelittlebreakfast-room——orhere，forthatmatter——insteadofthebigplace？"

"Why，notatall，ifyouwishit，"sheansweredreadilyenough，butviewinghimstillwithapuzzledglance。

"I\'mfullofnewideas，"heexplained，impulsivelyimpatientofthenecessitytoarrangeasequenceamonghisthoughts。

"Iseegreatthingsahead。It\'sallcometomeinaminute，butIcouldn\'tseeitclearerifI\'dthoughtitoutforayear。PerhapsIwasthinkingofitallthetimeanddidn\'tknowit。Butanyhow，Iseemywaystraightahead。

Youdon\'tknowwhatitmeanstometohavesomethingtodo。

Itmakesanothermanofme，justtothinkaboutit。

Anotherman？——yes，twentymen！It\'sathingthatcanbedone，andbyGod！I\'mgoingtodoit！"

Shebeheldinhisface，asshescrutinizedit，astormyglowoftheman\'snative，coarse，imperiousvirility，reassertingitselfthroughthemaskoftorporwhichthisvacuousyearhadsuperimposed。Thelargefeaturesweresomehowgrownlargerstill；theydominatedthecountenanceasroughboldheadlandsdominateashore。

Itwasthevisageofaconqueror——ofamangatheringwithinhimself，toexpenduponhisfellows，theappetites，energies，insensibilities，audacitiesofabeastofprey。

Herglanceflutteredalittle，andalmostquailed，beforethefrankbarbarismofpowerinthelookhebentuponher。Thenitcametoherthatsomethingmorewastobereadinthislook；therewasinitareservationofmagnanimity，ofprotection，ofentreatinginvitation，forherspecialself。Hemightteardownwithhisclaws，andpulltopiecesanddevourothers；buthismatehewouldshelteranddefendandlovewithallhisstrength。

Aninvoluntarytremblingthrillranthroughher——andthenshesmiledupathim。

"Whatisityou\'regoingtodo？"sheaskedhim，mechanically。

Hermindrovedfarafield。

"RuleEngland！"hetoldherwithgravity。

Forthemomentthereseemedtohernothingpositivelyincongruousinthestatement。Tolookathim，asheloomedbeforeher，upliftedbyhisrefreshedandsoaringself-confidence，itappearednoteasytosaywhatwouldbeimpossibletohim。

Shelaughed，afterafleetingpause，withaplainernoteofgood-fellowshipthanhehadeverheardinhervoicebefore。

"Delightful，"shesaidgayly。"ButI\'mnotsurethatIquiteunderstandthe——thepreciseconnectionofmorning-dressanddinnerinasmallroomwiththeproject。"Henoddedpleasedcomprehensionofthespiritinwhichshetookhim。

"Justawhim，"heexplained。"ThethingsI\'vegotinminddon\'tfitatallwithceremony，andthatbigbarnofaroom，andmenstandingabout。WhatIwantmorethananythingelseisaquietsnuglittleeveningwithyoualone，whereI

cantalktoyouand——andwecanbetogetherbyourselves。

You\'dlikeit，wouldn\'tyou？"

Shehesitated，andtherewasanovelconfessionofembarrassmentinhermantlingcolouranddown-spreadlashes。

Ithadalwaystohiseyesbeen，fromthemomenthefirstbeheldit，themostbeautifulfaceintheworld——exquisitelymatchlessinitsformanddelicacyoflineandsereneyetsensitivegrace。Buthehadnotseeninitbefore，orguessedthattherecouldcometoit，thiscrowningaddedlovelinessoffeminineconfusion。

"Youwouldlikeit，wouldn\'tyou？"herepeatedinalower，morestrenuoustone。

Sheliftedhereyesslowly，andlooked，notintohis，butoverhisshoulder，asinareverie，halfmeditation，halflanguorousdreaming。Sheswayedratherthansteppedtowardhim。

"Ithink，"sheanswered，inamusingmurmur，——"IthinkIshalllike——everything。"

CHAPTERXXVII

THORPEfoundtheDukeofGlastonburyamuchmoreinterestingpersontowatchandtotalkwith，bothduringthedinnerSaturdayeveningandlater，thanhehadanticipated。

Hewasyoung，andslightofframe，andnotatallimposinginstature，butheborehimselfwithacertainshycourtlinessofcarriagewhichhadadistinctionofitsown。Hisface，withitslittleblackmoustacheandlargedarkeyes，wasfineuponexamination，butinsomeelusivelyforeignway。

Therelingeredaforeignnote，too，inthewayhetalked。

HisspeechwasEnglishenoughtotheear，itwastrue，butitwastheconsideredEnglishofabook，anditsphraseshadadeftnesswhichwashardlynative。Helooked，ifnotasadyoungman，thenoneconsciousalwaysofsufficientreasonsforsadness，butonecame，afteratime，toseethatthemoodbeneathwasnotmelancholy。Ithadevenitssprightlyside，whichshoneoutirregularlyinhisglanceandtalk，fromasobermeanofamiableweariness。

Thorpeknewhisextraordinarystory——thatofapoortutor，earninghislivinginignoranceofthefactthathehadabirthrightofanysort，whohadbeenmiraculouslytranslatedintotheheir，notonlytoanancienttitlebuttovastcollateralwealth。HehadbeenbornandrearedinFrance，anditwastherethattheheraldsofthisstupendouschangeinhisaffairshadfoundhimout。Therewasagooddealmoretothestory，includingnumerousunsavourylegendsaboutpeoplenowmanyyearsdead，anditwasimpossibletoobservetheyoungDukeandnotseemtoperceivesignsthathewasstillnervouslyconsciousoftheselegends。

Thestoryofhiswife——aserene，grey-eyed，rathersilentyoungperson，withapalefaceofsomebeauty，andwithmuchpurityandintellect——wasstrangeenoughtomatch。Shealsohadearnedherownliving，asaprivatesecretaryortype-writinggirl，orsomethingofthesort，andherhusbandhaddeliberatelychosenherafterhehadcomeintohistitle。Onemightstudyherveryclosely，however，andcatchnohintthatthesefactsinanydegreedisconcertedher。

Thorpestudiedheragooddeal，inafurtiveway，withacuriositybornofhisknowledgethattheDukehadpreferredher，whenhemighthavemarriedhiswidowedcousin，whowasnowThorpe\'sownwife。Howhehadcometoknowthis，hecouldneverhavetold。Hehadbreatheditin，somehow，withthegossip-ladenatmosphereofthatoneLondonseasonofhis。Itwaspatentenough，too，thathiswife——hisEdith——hadnotonlylikedthisducalyoungsterverymuch，butstillentertainedtowardhimaconsiderableaffection。

Shehadneverdissembledthisfeeling，anditvisiblyinformedherglanceandmannernow，atherowntable，whensheturnedtospeakwithhim，wherehesatatherrighthand。Thorpehadneverdreamedofthinkingillofhiswife\'sfriendship，evenwhenherindifferencetowhathethoughthadbeenmosttakenforgranted。

Nowthatthiswasallchanged，andtheamazingnewgloryofaloverhadenvelopedhim，hehadadistinctdelightinwatchingthemyriadcharmingphasesofherkindmanner，half-sisterly，half-motherly，towardthegrave-facedyoungman。Itwasallapartofthedeliciouschangewhichthesepastfewdayshadwroughtinher，thiswarmandsupplesoftnessofmien，ofeyeandsmileandvoice。

ButhowtheDuke，ifreallyhehadhadachancetomarryEdith，couldhavetakenthetype-writerinstead，baffledspeculation。

Thorpegavemoreattentiontothisproblem，duringdinner，thanhedidtotheconversationofthetable。

HisexchangeofsporadicremarkswiththeyoungDuchessbesidehimwasindeedanopenlyperfunctoryaffair，whichlefthimabundantleisuretocontemplateherprofileinsilence，whilesheturnedtolistentothegeneraltalk，ofwhichMissMaddenandtheHon。WinifredPlowdenborethechiefburden。Thetalkoftheseladiesinterestedhimbutindifferently，thoughthefrequentlaughtersuggestedthatitwasamusing。HelookedfromhiswifetotheDuchessandbackagain，inever-recurringsurprisethatthecoronethadbeencarriedpastEdith。

AndoncehelookedalongtimeathiswifeandtheDuke，andformulatedthetheorythatshemusthaverefusedhim。

Nodoubtthatwaswhyshebadbeensympatheticallyfondofhimeversince，andwasbeingsonicetohimnow。

Yes——clearlythatwasit。HefeltuponthisthathealsolikedtheDukeverymuch。

ItwasbynomeanssoapparentthattheDukelikedhim。

BothheandhisDuchess，indeed，werescrupulouslyandevendeferentiallypolite，buttherewasapainstakingeffectaboutit，which，seemingly，theylackedtheartaltogethertoconceal。ItseemedtoThorpethattheotherguestsunconsciouslytooktheircuefromthisaugustcouple，andallexposedsomewhattheefforttheircivilitytohiminvolved。Atanothertimethesuspicionofthiswouldhavestunghim。Hehadonlytoglanceacrossthetabletowherehiswifesatnow，anditwasallright。

Whatotherpeoplethoughtofhim——howotherpeoplelikedordislikedhim——wasofnoearthlyimportance。

Wheneverhechosetoexerthimself，hecouldcompelfromthemthebehaviourthathedesired。ItwastheirdullinabilitytoreadcharacterwhichpromptedthemtoregardhimasmerelyarichoutsiderwhohadmarriedEdithCressage。

Heviewedwithacomfortabletolerancethisinfirmityoftheirs。Whenthetimecame，ifhewantedtodoso，hecouldawakenthemtotheirdelusionasbyforkedlightningandtheburstofthunder。

Thewhimcametohim，andexpandedswiftlyintoadetermination，tocontrivesomeintimatetalkforthwithwiththeDuke。

Theyoungmanseemedbothcleverandsensible，andinawayimpressionableaswell。Thorpethoughtthathewouldprobablyhavesomeinterestingthingstosay，butstillmorehethoughtofhimasalikelylistener。

Itwouldbetheeasiertodetachhimfromthecompany，sincetheoccasionwasoneofstudiedinformality。

TheDukedidnotgoaboutinsociety，intheordinarysenseoftheword，andhewouldnothavecometoHighThorpetomeetalargeparty。Hewashereasakinsmanandfriendofhishostessforaquietweek；andthefewotherguestsfittedreadilyenoughintothepictureofafamilygathering。

Thespiritofdomesticityhadindeedsoobviouslydescendeduponthelittlegroupinthedrawing-room，anhourorsoafterdinner，thatThorpefeltitquitethenaturalthingtoputhisarmthroughthatoftheDukeandleadhimofftohispersonalsmoking-room。HeevenpublishedhisintentionbyaudiblybiddingtheHon。BalderPlowdentoremainwiththeladies。

Whenthetwohadseatedthemselvesinsoft，loweasy-chairs，andthehosthadnotedwithpleasurethathisguesthadnoeffeminatequalmsinthematteroflargerichcigars，abriefsilenceensued。

"Iamveryanxioustogetyourviewsonacertainsubject，"

Thorpewasinspiredtobegin，bluntlypushingpreliminariesaside。"Ifamanoffortunewishestodogenuinegoodwithhismoney，hereinEngland，howshouldhebestgoaboutit？"

TheDukelookedupathisquestioner，withasuddenflashofsurpriseonhisdark，mobileface。Hehesitatedamoment，andsmiledalittle。"Youaskofmethesumofhumanwisdom，"hesaid。"Itisthehardestofallproblems；

noonesolvesit。"

Thorpenoddedhisbigheadcomprehendingly。"That\'sallthemorereasonwhyitoughttobesolved，"hedeclared，withslowemphasis。

Theotherexpressedbylookandtoneanaugmentedconsciousnessoftheunexpected。"Ididnotknow，"

heremarkedcautiously，"thatthiswasamatterinwhichyouwerespeciallyconcerned。Itpleasesmeverymuchtohearit。

Evenifthesolutiondoesnotcome，itiswelltohaveasmanyaspossibleturningtheproblemoverintheirminds。"

"Oh，butI\'mgoingtosolveit！"Thorpetoldhim，withroundconfidence。

TheDukepulledcontemplativelyathiscigarforalittle。

"Donotthinkmeacynic，"hebeganatlast。

"Youareamanofaffairs；youhavemadeyourownway；

youshouldbeevenmorefreefromillusionsthanIam。

Ifyoutellmethatthesegoodthingscanbedone，Iamthelastonetodisputeyou。ButIhaveseennearathandexperimentsofexceptionalimportance，onaverygrandscale，andtheresultdoesnotencourageme。

Icometodoubtindeedifmoneyhasanysuchpowerintheseaffairsaswethinkithas——forthatmatter，ifithasanypoweratall。Theshiftingofmoneycanalwaysdisorganizewhatisgoingonatthemoment——

changeitaboutandalteritinmanyways——butitseffectisonlytemporary。Assoonasthepressureisreleased，thehumanatomsrearrangethemselvesastheywerebefore，andtheoldconditionsreturn。Ithinktheonlyforcewhichreallymakesanypermanentdifferenceischaracter——andyetabouteventhatIamnotsure。ThebestmanIhaveeverknown——andinmanyrespectstheablest——devoteduntoldenergyandlabour，andmuchmoney，too，totheserviceofafewthousandpeopleinSomerset，onlandofhisown，uponatheorywonderfullyelaboratedandworkedout。

PerhapsyouhaveheardofEmanuelTorrandhiscolony，hisSystem？"

Thorpeshookhishead。

"Hehadworkedtremendouslyforyearsatit。Hefellillandwentaway——andinadayalltheresultsofhislaboursandoutlaywereflatontheground。Thepropertyisminenow，anditisfarmedandmanagedagainintheordinaryway，andreallythepeoplethereseemalreadytohaveforgottenthattheyhadaprophetamongthem。

Themarvelouscharacteroftheman——youlookinvainforanysignofanimpressthatitleftuponthem。

Inevergothere。Icannotbearthosepeople。IhavesometimesthefeelingthatifitwerefeasibleIshouldliketooppresstheminsomeway——tohurtthem。"

"Oh！\'thepeople\'arehogs，rightenough，"Thorpecommentedgenially，"buttheyARE\'thepeople，\'andthey\'retheonlytoolswe\'vegottoworkwithtomaketheworldgoround。"

"Butifyouleavetheworldalone，"objectedtheDuke，"itgoesroundofitself。Andifyoudon\'tleaveitalone，itgoesroundjustthesame，withoutanyreferencewhatevertoyourexertions。Somefewmenarealwaysclevererornoisierormorerestlessthantheothers，andtheiractivityproducescertaindeviationsandpeculiaritiesintheirgeneration。Therecordofthese——generallyaveryfaultyandfoolishrecord——wecallhistory。

Wesayofthesemovementsinthepastthatsomeofthemweregoodandsomewerebad。Oursonsverylikelywilldiffertotallyfromusaboutwhichweregoodandwhichwerebad；

quitepossibly，inturn，theirsonsmayagreewithus。

Idonotseethatitmatters。Wecannottreatanythingasfinal——exceptthattheworldgoesround。Weappearoutofthedarknessatoneedgeofit；wearecarriedacrossandpitchedoffintothedarknessattheotheredgeofit。

Wearecertainaboutnothingelse。"

"Exceptthatsomeofushavetopayforourride，andothersdon\'t，"putinThorpe。ThetoneinwhichhespokemadehismeaningsoclearthathisGracesatup。

"Ah，youthinkwedonotpay？"hequeried，hiscountenancebrighteningwiththeanimationofdebate。"Mydearsir，wepaymorethananyoneelse。Ourfaresaregraduated，justasourdeath-dutiesare。Nodoubttherearesomeidleandstupid，thick-skinnedrichfellows，whoescapetheticket-collector。Butforeachofthemthereareathousandidlepoorfellowswhodothesame。You，forexample，areamanoflargewealth。I，formysins，carryuponmybacktheburdenofaprodigiousfortune。Couldwenotgooutnow，andwalkdowntheroadtoyournearestvillage，andfindinthepub。thereadozenday-labourershappierthanweare？Why——itisSaturdaynight。ThenIwillnotsayadozen，butasmanyasthetapwillhold。Itisnotthebeeralonethatmakesthemhappy。Donotthinkthat。

Itistheabilitytorestuntroubled，thesensethattillMondaytheyhavenomoreresponsibilitythanatree-toad。

DoesthecomingofSundaymakethatdifferencetoyouortome？Whennightcomes，doesitmeantousthatwearetosleepoffintooblivionallwehavedonethatday，andbeginlifeafreshnextmorning？No-o！Wearethetiredpeople；theloadisneverliftedfromourbacks。

Ah，dowenotpayindeed！"

"Oh-ho！"ejaculatedThorpe。Hehadbeenlisteningwithgrowingastonishmenttotheother\'sconfession。

Hewasstillsurprisedashespoke，butanoteofsatisfactionmountedintohisvoiceashewenton。"Youareunhappy，too！Youareayoungman，inexcellenthealth；

youhavethewifeyouwant；youunderstandgoodtobacco；

youhaveason。Thatisagreatdeal——butmyGod！thinkwhatelseyou\'vegot。You\'retheDukeofGlastonbury——oneoftheoldesttitlesinEngland。You\'reoneoftherichestmeninthecountry——therichestintheoldpeerage，atanyrate，I\'mtold。AndYOU\'REnothappy！"

Theothersmiled。"Ah，thetermsandformssurvive，"

hesaid，withakindofpedagogicaffability，"afterthesubstancehasdisappeared。Thenobleman，theprince，wasagreatpersoninthetimeswhenhemonopolizedwealth。

Itenabledhimtomonopolizealmosteverythingelsethatwaspleasantorsuperb。Hehadtheartsandthebooksandthemusiciansandthesilksandvelvets，andthebath-tubs——everythingthatmadeexistencegorgeous——alltohimself。Hehadwartoamusehimselfwith，andthesevendeadlysins。Thebarriersaredownnow。

Everythingwhichusedtobeexclusivelythenobleman\'sisnowwithineverybody\'sreach，includingthesins。

Anditisnotonlythatothershavelevelleduptohim；

theyhavelevelledhimdown。Hecannotdressnowmoreexpensivelythanotherpeople。Gamblingusedtoberecognizedasoneofhisnormalrelaxations，butnow，thehigherhisrank，themoresharplyheisscoldedforit。

Naturallyhedoesnotknowwhattodowithhimself。

Asaninstitution，hedescendsfromaperiodwhentheonlyimaginableuseforwealthwastobemagnificentwithit。

Butnowinthisbusinessage，wheretherecognizeduseofwealthistomakemorewealth，heissomuchoutofplacethathehasevenforgottenhowtobemagnificent。

Therearesomeillustratedarticlesinoneofthemagazines，givingphotographsofthegreathistoriccountry-housesofEngland。Youshouldseethepicturesoftheinteriors。

ThefurnitureanddecorationsarepreciselywhataBrixtondressmakerwouldbuy，ifshesuddenlycameintosomemoney。"

"Allthesame，"Thorpestucktohispoint，"youarenothappy。"

TheDukefrownedfaintly，asifattheother\'spersistency。

Thenheshruggedhisshouldersandansweredinalightertone。"Ithardlyamountstothat，Ithink。

Iconfessthattherearealleviationstomylot。

IntheopinionoftheworldIamoneofitsmostfortunatecitizens——anditisnotformetosaythattheworldisaltogetherwrong。Thechiefpointis——Idon\'tknowifyouwillquitefollowme——therearelimitstowhatpositionandfortunecangiveaman。Andsoeasilytheymaydeprivehimofpleasureswhichpoorermenenjoy！Imaybewrong，butitseemsimpossibletomethatanyrichmanwhohasacresofgardensandvineriesandglasscangetupthesameaffectionforitallthatthecottagerwillhaveforhislittleflower-plot，thathetendswithhisownhands。

Oneseemsoutsidetherealitiesoflife——amerespectatorattheshow。"

"Ah，butwhynotDOthings？"Thorpedemandedofhim。

"Whymerelystand，asyousay，andlookon？"

Theotherleanthisheadbackagain。"Praywhatdoyourecommend？"heaskedalmostlistlessly。

"Why——politics，forexample。"

TheDukenodded，withanairofaccordingtothesuggestionacertainrespect。"UnhappilyIamtoomuchofaforeigner，"

hecommented。"IknowEnglishmenandtheiraffairstooimperfectly。Sometime——perhaps。"

"Andphilanthropicwork——youdon\'tcareaboutthat，"

pursuedtheother。

"Oh——wegonotsofarasthat，"saidhisGrace，withadeprecatorywaveofthehands。"Mywifefindsmanyinterestsinit，onlyshewouldnotliketohaveyoucallitphilanthropical。SheisLondon-born，anditisagreatpleasuretohertobeofassistancetopooreryoungwomeninLondon，whohavesolittledoneforthembythecommunity，andcandosolittleforthemselves。

Iammuchlessskepticalaboutthatparticularwork，Imaytellyou，thanaboutphilanthropyingeneral。

Infact，Iamquiteclearthatitisdoinggood。Atleastitisdoingakindness，andthatisapleasantoccupation。

Wearereallynotsoidleasonemightthink。Weworkatitagooddeal，mywifeandI。"

"SoamILondon-born，"Thorperemarked，withacertainirrelevancy。

Afteramoment\'spauseheturnedasharplyenquiringglanceuponhisguest。"Thisthingthatyou\'redoinginLondon——doesitgiveyouany\'pull\'there？""Pull？"repeatedtheotherhelplessly。

"IftherewassomethingyouwantedthepeopleofLondontodo，wouldtheydoitforyoubecauseofwhatyou\'vebeendoingforthem——orfortheirgirls？"

TheDukelookedpuzzledforamoment。"Butitisn\'tconceivablethatIshouldwantLondontodoanything——

unlessitmightbetoconsumeitsownsmoke，"heobserved。

"Quiteso！"saidThorpe，risingbulkilytohisfeet，butsignifyingbyagesturethathiscompanionwastoremainseated。Hepuffedathiscigartillitstipgleamedangrilythroughthesmokeabouthim，andmovedafewstepswithhishandsinhispockets。"ThatiswhatIwantedtogetat。NowI\'mLondon-born，I\'vegotthetowninmyblood。TheThorpeshavebeenbooksellersthereforgenerations。Theoldnameisovertheoldshopstill。IthinkIknowwhatLondonersarelike；

Ioughtto。It\'smybeliefthattheydon\'twantgifts。

They\'lltake\'em，butitisn\'twhattheywant。

They\'reatradingpeople——oneoftheoldestintheworld。

Commercialtraditions，themerchant\'spride——thesearebredintheirbones。Theydon\'twantsomethingfornothing。

Theylikeanhonestbargain——faironbothsides。\'YouhelpmeandI\'llhelpyou。\'Andit\'stheonlywayyoucandoanythingworthdoing。"

"Well，"saidtheDuke，passively。

Thorpehalted，andstillwiththecigarbetweenhisteeth，lookeddownathim。

"IcangointoLondon，andstudyoutthethingsthataretobedone——thatneedtobedone——anddividetheseintotwoparts，thosethatbelongtoprivateenterpriseandthosethatoughttobedonepublicly。

AndIcansaytoLondoners——notinsomanywords，mindyou，butinawaythesharperoneswillunderstand：\'Here，youfellows。I\'llbegindoingoutofmyownpocketonesetofthesethings，andyouinturnmustputyourselvesatmyback，andstandbyme，andputmeinapositionwhereI

canmaketheGovernmentdothisothersetofthings。\'

Thatwillappealtothem。Apoormancouldn\'tleadthemanydistance，becausehecouldalwaysbekilledbythecrythathewasfillinghispockets。Theywillbelieveinamanwhoseambitionistowinanearldomandfivethousandayearoutofpolitics，buttheywillstonetodeaththemanwhomerelytriestogetafewhundredsayearoutofitforhiswifeandchildren。Andamanlikeyoucan\'tdoanythinginLondon，becausetheycan\'tseethatthere\'sanythingyouwantinreturn——andbesides，intheirhearts，theydon\'tlikeyourclass。Don\'tforgetit！Thisisthecitythatchoppedofftheking\'shead！"

"Ah，butthisisalsothecity，"retortedtheother，withplacidpleasureinhisargument，"whichdeckeditselfinbannersandribbonstowelcomebackthesonofthatsameking。Andifyouthinkofit，hewasratheraquaintthinginsons，too。"

"Itwasthewomendidthat，"Thorpeaffirmedwithreadiness。

"Theygettheirownwayonceinawhile，whenthemenaretiredout，andtheyhavetheirlittlespellofnonsenseandmonkey-shines，butitneverlastslong。CharlesII。

doesn\'tmatteratall——buttakemywordforit，hisfathermattersagreatdeal。TherewasaThorpeamongthejudgeswhovotedtobeheadhim。Iamdescendedinastraightlinefromhim。"

HisGraceshruggedhisslightshouldersagain。

"Ithappensthatmyancestorshadextremelylargefacilitiesfordoingunpleasantthings，and，Godknows，theydidthem——butIdon\'tquiteseewhatthatgoestoprove，now。"

"No，youdon\'tgrasptheidea，"saidThorpe，resignedly。

Afteramoment\'spausehetookthecigarfromhislips，andstraightenedhimself"Allthesame，"hedeclaredroundly，"Iamgoingtodothetrick。Londonhasbeenwaitingforanorganizer——aleader——forahundredyears。Therightkindofaman，goingtherightwaytowork，canstandLondononitshead，assurelyasIcanburnthiscigar。

AndI\'mgoingtohaveatryatit。"

"Itisveryinteresting，"remarkedtheDuke，withvagueness。

"But——aretheladieswaitingforus？Andifso，aren\'twekeepingthemupunconscionably？"

Asifincommentuponhiswords，therewasthesoundofafaintrapatthedoor。Thenitopened，andthroughthedensebluehazeoftheroomtheysawsomeshadowedformssoftlyindistinctsavewherethelightfromtheceilingoutsideshonedownuponagroupofcoiffuredheads。

Anoiseofmingledcoughingandlaughterspecificallycompletedtheintroduction。

"Oh，I\'m——it\'sunendurableinthere，"spokethevoiceofthehostess。"WeWEREcomingintosmokewithyou，"

shecalledoutthroughthecloud，"sinceyouwouldn\'tstopwithus。"

"Comealong！"answeredThorpe，cheerily。Hestrodetotheendoftheroomandraisedawindow。Fromthesamecornerheturnedonsomeaddedlights。

Underthismoreeffectiveillumination，theladyofthehouseadvanced，withMissMaddenandtheHon。Winifredclosebehindher。"Frankhasgonetobed，"sheexplainedtotheDuke，whohadrisen。Thensheturnedtoherhusbandabright-eyedglance："Youdon\'tmind——ourcoming？"

sheasked。

"Mind！"hecalledout，withrobustimpressiveness。

"Mind！"Asiftocompletetheexpressionofhismeaning，hethrewhisarmlooselyabouther，whereshestood，andbroughthertohisside。Theyremainedstandingthus，beforethefireplace，aftertheotherswereallseated。

"Mr。Thorpehasbeenoutliningtomethemostwonderfulplans，"

saidtheDuke，lookingfromonefacetoanother，withareservedsmile。"Itseemsthatphilanthropyfailsunlessitiscombinedwithveryadvancedpolitics。Itisanewideatome——buthecertainlystatesitwithvigour。

Doyouunderstandit，Edith？"

"Oh，perfectly，"repliedthewife，smilingly。"Iamhisfirstconvert。Beholdinmetheoriginaldisciple。"

"Theworstofthatis，"commentedThorpe，withradiantjoviality，"shewouldsubscribetoanyothernewdoctrineofminejustasreadily。"Hetightenedthearmencirclingherbyaperceptibletrifle。"Wouldn\'tyou，sweetheart？"hedemanded。

Sheseemedinnowiseembarrassedbytheseovertendearments。

Therewasindeedthedimmestsuggestioninherfaceandvoiceofaresponsivemood。"Really，"shebegan，withasoftglance，half-deprecation，half-pride，bentupontheothers，andwiththoughtfuldeliberation，——"reallytheimportantthingisthatheshouldpursuesomeobject——haveinviewsomethingthatheisdeterminedtomaster。Withoutthat，heisnotcontented——notathisbest。Heshouldhavebeenasoldier。Hehasapassionforbattleinhisblood。

Andnowthatheseessomethingheiseagertodo——Iamveryglad。Itmakesitnonethelessacceptablethatgoodistocomefromit。"

"Istillmaintain，"saidMissMadden，interpolatingherwordsthroughthetaskoflightingacigarette，andcontrivingforthemaneffectofdrollerywhichappealedtoThorpemostofall——"Ishallalwaysinsist，justthesame，thatcrimewashistruevocation。"

End