第5章

“Order，order，MissSchlegel！“saidthereaderofthepaper。“Youarehere，Iunderstand，toadvisemeintheinterestsoftheSocietyforthePreservationofPlacesofHistoricInterestorNaturalBeauty。Icannothaveyouspeakingoutofyourrole。Itmakesmypoorheadgoround，andIthinkyouforgetthatIamveryill。“

“Yourheadwon\'tgoroundifonlyyou\'lllistentomyargument，“saidMargaret。“Whynotgivehimthemoneyitself。

You\'resupposedtohaveaboutthirtythousandayear。“

“HaveI？IthoughtIhadamillion。“

“Wasn\'tamillionyourcapital？Dearme！

weoughttohavesettledthat。Still，itdoesn\'tmatter。Whateveryou\'vegot，Iorderyoutogiveasmanypoormenasyoucanthreehundredayeareach。“

“Butthatwouldbepauperizingthem，“saidanearnestgirl，wholikedtheSchlegels，butthoughtthemalittleunspiritualattimes。

“Notifyougavethemsomuch。Abigwindfallwouldnotpauperizeaman。Itistheselittledriblets，distributedamongtoomany，thatdotheharm。Money\'seducational。It\'sfarmoreeducationalthanthethingsitbuys。“Therewasaprotest。

“Inasense，“addedMargaret，buttheprotestcontinued。“Well，isn\'tthemostcivilizedthinggoing，themanwhohaslearnttowearhisincomeproperly？“

“ExactlywhatyourMr。Bastswon\'tdo。“

“Givethemachance。Givethemmoney。

Don\'tdolethemoutpoetry-booksandrailway-ticketslikebabies。

Givethemthewherewithaltobuythesethings。WhenyourSocialismcomesitmaybedifferent，andwemaythinkintermsofcommoditiesinsteadofcash。Tillitcomesgivepeoplecash，foritisthewarpofcivilization，whateverthewoofmaybe。Theimaginationoughttoplayuponmoneyandrealizeitvividly，forit\'sthe——thesecondmostimportantthingintheworld。Itissosluffedoverandhushedup，thereissolittleclearthinking——oh，politicaleconomy，ofcourse，butsofewofusthinkclearlyaboutourownprivateincomes，andadmitthatindependentthoughtsareinninecasesoutoftentheresultofindependentmeans。Money:

giveMr。Bastmoney，anddon\'tbotherabouthisideals。He\'llpickupthoseforhimself。“

Sheleantbackwhilethemoreearnestmembersoftheclubbegantomisconstrueher。Thefemalemind，thoughcruellypracticalindailylife，cannotbeartohearidealsbelittledinconversation，andMissSchlegelwasaskedhowevershecouldsaysuchdreadfulthings，andwhatitwouldprofitMr。Bastifhegainedthewholeworldandlosthisownsoul。Sheanswered，“Nothing，buthewouldnotgainhissouluntilhehadgainedalittleoftheworld。“Thentheysaid，“Notheydidnotbelieveit，“andsheadmittedthatanoverworkedclerkmaysavehissoulinthesuperterrestrialsense，wheretheeffortwillbetakenforthedeed，butshedeniedthathewilleverexplorethespiritualresourcesofthisworld，willeverknowtherarerjoysofthebody，orattaintoclearandpassionateintercoursewithhisfellows。OthershadattackedthefabricofSociety-Property，Interest，etc。；sheonlyfixedhereyesonafewhumanbeings，toseehow，underpresentconditions，theycouldbemadehappier。Doinggoodtohumanitywasuseless:themany-colouredeffortstheretospreadingoverthevastarealikefilmsandresultinginanuniversalgrey。Todogoodtoone，or，asinthiscase，toafew，wastheutmostshedarehopefor。

Betweentheidealists，andthepoliticaleconomists，Margarethadabadtime。Disagreeingelsewhere，theyagreedindisowningher，andinkeepingtheadministrationofthemillionaire\'smoneyintheirownhands。Theearnestgirlbroughtforwardaschemeof“personalsupervisionandmutualhelp，“theeffectofwhichwastoalterpoorpeopleuntiltheybecameexactlylikepeoplewhowerenotsopoor。Thehostesspertinentlyremarkedthatshe，aseldestson，mightsurelyrankamongthemillionaire\'slegatees。Margaretweaklyadmittedtheclaim，andanotherclaimwasatoncesetupbyHelen，whodeclaredthatshehadbeenthemillionaire\'shousemaidforoverfortyyears，overfedandunderpaid；wasnothingtobedoneforher，socorpulentandpoor？Themillionairethenreadoutherlastwillandtestament，inwhichsheleftthewholeofherfortunetotheChancelloroftheExchequer。Thenshedied。Theseriouspartsofthediscussionhadbeenofhighermeritthantheplayful——inamen\'sdebateisthereversemoregeneral？——butthemeetingbrokeuphilariouslyenough，andadozenhappyladiesdispersedtotheirhomes。

HelenandMargaretwalkedtheearnestgirlasfarasBatterseaBridgeStation，arguingcopiouslyalltheway。Whenshehadgonetheywereconsciousofanalleviation，andofthegreatbeautyoftheevening。TheyturnedbacktowardsOakleyStreet。Thelampsandtheplane-trees，followingthelineoftheembankment，struckanoteofdignitythatisrareinEnglishcities。Theseats，almostdeserted，werehereandthereoccupiedbygentlefolkineveningdress，whohadstrolledoutfromthehousesbehindtoenjoyfreshairandthewhisperoftherisingtide。ThereissomethingcontinentalaboutChelseaEmbankment。Itisanopenspaceusedrightly，ablessingmorefrequentinGermanythanhere。AsMargaretandHelensatdown，thecitybehindthemseemedtobeavasttheatre，anopera-houseinwhichsomeendlesstrilogywasperforming，andtheythemselvesapairofsatisfiedsubscribers，whodidnotmindlosingalittleofthesecondact。

“Cold？“

“No。“

“Tired？“

“Doesn\'tmatter。“

Theearnestgirl\'strainrumbledawayoverthebridge。

“Isay，Helen——“

“Well？“

“ArewereallygoingtofollowupMr。Bast？“

“Idon\'tknow。“

“Ithinkwewon\'t。“

“Asyoulike。“

“It\'snogood，Ithink，unlessyoureallymeantoknowpeople。Thediscussionbroughtthathometome。Wegotonwellenoughwithhiminaspiritofexcitement，butthinkofrationalintercourse。Wemustn\'tplayatfriendship。No，it\'snogood。“

“There\'sMrs。Lanoline，too，“Helenyawned。

“Sodull。“

“Justso，andpossiblyworsethandull。“

“Ishouldliketoknowhowhegotholdofyourcard。“

“Buthesaid——somethingaboutaconcertandanumbrella——“

“Thendidthecardseethewife——“

“Helen，cometobed。“

“No，justalittlelonger，itissobeautiful。

Tellme；ohyes；didyousaymoneyisthewarpoftheworld？“

“Yes。“

“Thenwhat\'sthewoof？“

“Verymuchwhatonechooses，“saidMargaret。

“It\'ssomethingthatisn\'tmoney——onecan\'tsaymore。“

“Walkingatnight？“

“Probably。“

“ForTibby，Oxford？“

“Itseemsso。“

“Foryou？“

“NowthatwehavetoleaveWickhamPlace，Ibegintothinkit\'sthat。ForMrs。WilcoxitwascertainlyHowardsEnd。“

One\'sownnamewillcarryimmensedistances。

Mr。Wilcox，whowassittingwithfriendsmanyseatsaway，heardhis，rosetohisfeet，andstrolledalongtowardsthespeakers。

“Itissadtosupposethatplacesmayeverbemoreimportantthanpeople，“continuedMargaret。

“Why，Meg？They\'resomuchnicergenerally。

I\'dratherthinkofthatforester\'shouseinPomeraniathanofthefatHerrFö；rstmeisterwholivedinit。“

“Ibelieveweshallcometocareaboutpeoplelessandless，Helen。Themorepeopleoneknowstheeasieritbecomestoreplacethem。It\'soneofthecursesofLondon。Iquiteexpecttoendmylifecaringmostforaplace。“

HereMr。Wilcoxreachedthem。Itwasseveralweekssincetheyhadmet。

“Howdoyoudo？“hecried。“IthoughtIrecognizedyourvoices。Whateverareyoubothdoingdownhere？“

Histoneswereprotective。HeimpliedthatoneoughtnottositoutonChelseaEmbankmentwithoutamaleescort。

Helenresentedthis，butMargaretaccepteditaspartofthegoodman\'sequipment。

“WhatanageitissinceI\'veseenyou，Mr。Wilcox。

ImetEvieintheTube，though，lately。Ihopeyouhavegoodnewsofyourson。“

“Paul？“saidMr。Wilcox，extinguishinghiscigarette，andsittingdownbetweenthem。“Oh，Paul\'sallright。WehadalinefromMadeira。He\'llbeatworkagainbynow。“

“Ugh——“saidHelen，shudderingfromcomplexcauses。

“Ibegyourpardon？“

“Isn\'ttheclimateofNigeriatoohorrible？“

“Someone\'sgottogo，“hesaidsimply。“Englandwillneverkeephertradeoverseasunlesssheispreparedtomakesacrifices。

UnlesswegetfirminWestAfrica，Ger——untoldcomplicationsmayfollow。

Nowtellmeallyournews。“

“Oh，we\'vehadasplendidevening，“criedHelen，whoalwayswokeupattheadventofavisitor。“Webelongtoakindofclubthatreadspapers，MargaretandI——allwomen，butthereisadiscussionafter。Thiseveningitwasonhowoneoughttoleaveone\'smoney——whethertoone\'sfamily，ortothepoor，andifsohow——oh，mostinteresting。“

Themanofbusinesssmiled。Sincehiswife\'sdeathhehadalmostdoubledhisincome。Hewasanimportantfigureatlast，areassuringnameoncompanyprospectuses，andlifehadtreatedhimverywell。TheworldseemedinhisgraspashelistenedtotheRiverThames，whichstillflowedinlandfromthesea。Sowonderfultothegirls，itheldnomysteriesforhim。HehadhelpedtoshortenitslongtidaltroughbytakingsharesinthelockatTeddington，andifheandothercapitaliststhoughtgood，somedayitcouldbeshortenedagain。

Withagooddinnerinsidehimandanamiablebutacademicwomanoneitherflank，hefeltthathishandswereonalltheropesoflife，andthatwhathedidnotknowcouldnotbeworthknowing。

“Soundsamostoriginalentertainment！“heexclaimed，andlaughedinhispleasantway。“IwishEviewouldgotothatsortofthing。Butshehasn\'tthetime。She\'stakentobreedAberdeenterriers——jollylittledogs。

“Iexpectwe\'dbetterbedoingthesame，really。“

“Wepretendwe\'reimprovingourselves，yousee，“

saidHelenalittlesharply，fortheWilcoxglamourisnotofthekindthatreturns，andshehadbittermemoriesofthedayswhenaspeechsuchashehadjustmadewouldhaveimpressedherfavourably。“Wesupposeitisagoodthingtowasteaneveningonceafortnightoveradebate，but，asmysistersays，itmaybebettertobreeddogs。“

“Notatall。Idon\'tagreewithyoursister。

There\'snothinglikeadebatetoteachonequickness。IoftenwishIhadgoneinforthemwhenIwasayoungster。Itwouldhavehelpedmenoend。“

“Quickness——？“

“Yes。Quicknessinargument。TimeaftertimeI\'vemissedscoringapointbecausetheothermanhashadthegiftofthegabandIhaven\'t。Oh，Ibelieveinthesediscussions。“

ThepatronizingtonethoughtMargaret，camewellenoughfromamanwhowasoldenoughtobetheirfather。ShehadalwaysmaintainedthatMr。Wilcoxhadacharm。Intimesofsorroworemotionhisinadequacyhadpainedher，butitwaspleasanttolistentohimnow，andtowatchhisthickbrownmoustacheandhighforeheadconfrontingthestars。ButHelenwasnettled。TheaimoftheirdebatessheimpliedwasTruth。

“Ohyes，itdoesn\'tmuchmatterwhatsubjectyoutake，“saidhe。

Margaretlaughedandsaid，“Butthisisgoingtobefarbetterthanthedebateitself。“Helenrecoveredherselfandlaughedtoo。“No，Iwon\'tgoon，“shedeclared。“I\'lljustputourspecialcasetoMr。Wilcox。“

“AboutMr。Bast？Yes，do。He\'llbemorelenienttoaspecialcase。

“But，Mr。Wilcox，dofirstlightanothercigarette。

It\'sthis。We\'vejustcomeacrossayoungfellow，who\'sevidentlyverypoor，andwhoseemsinterest——“

“What\'shisprofession？“

“Clerk。“

“Whatin？“

“Doyouremember，Margaret？“

“PorphyrionFireInsuranceCompany。“

“Ohyes；thenicepeoplewhogaveAuntJuleyanewhearth-rug。Heseemsinteresting，insomewaysvery，andonewishesonecouldhelphim。Heismarriedtoawifewhomhedoesn\'tseemtocareformuch。Helikesbooks，andwhatonemayroughlycalladventure，andifhehadachance——Butheissopoor。Helivesalifewhereallthemoneyisapttogoonnonsenseandclothes。Oneissoafraidthatcircumstanceswillbetoostrongforhimandthathewillsink。

Well，hegotmixedupinourdebate。Hewasn\'tthesubjectofit，butitseemedtobearonhispoint。Supposeamillionairedied，anddesiredtoleavemoneytohelpsuchaman。Howshouldhebehelped？

Shouldhebegiventhreehundredpoundsayeardirect，whichwasMargaret\'splan？Mostofthemthoughtthiswouldpauperizehim。Shouldheandthoselikehimbegivenfreelibraries？Isaid\'No！\'Hedoesn\'twantmorebookstoread，buttoreadbooksrightly。Mysuggestionwasheshouldbegivensomethingeveryyeartowardsasummerholiday，butthenthereishiswife，andtheysaidshewouldhavetogotoo。Nothingseemedquiteright！Nowwhatdoyouthink？Imaginethatyouwereamillionaire，andwantedtohelpthepoor。Whatwouldyoudo？“

Mr。Wilcox，whosefortunewasnotsoveryfarbelowthestandardindicated，laughedexuberantly。“MydearMissSchlegel，Iwillnotrushinwhereyoursexhasbeenunabletotread。Iwillnotaddanotherplantothenumerousexcellentonesthathavebeenalreadysuggested。Myonlycontributionisthis:letyouryoungfriendclearoutofthePorphyrionFireInsuranceCompanywithallpossiblespeed。“

“Why？“saidMargaret。

Heloweredhisvoice。“Thisisbetweenfriends。

It\'llbeintheReceiver\'shandsbeforeChristmas。It\'llsmash，“

headded，thinkingthatshehadnotunderstood。

“Dearme，Helen，listentothat。Andhe\'llhavetogetanotherplace！“

“Willhave？Lethimleavetheshipbeforeitsinks。Lethimgetonenow。“

“Ratherthanwait，tomakesure？“

“Decidedly。“

“Why\'sthat？“

AgaintheOlympianlaugh，andtheloweredvoice。

“Naturallythemanwho\'sinasituationwhenheappliesstandsabetterchance，isinastrongerposition，thanthemanwhoisn\'t。Itlooksasifhe\'sworthsomething。Iknowbymyself——(thisislettingyouintotheStatesecrets)——itaffectsanemployergreatly。Humannature，I\'mafraid。“

“Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat，“murmuredMargaret，whileHelensaid，“Ourhumannatureappearstobetheotherwayround。

Weemploypeoplebecausethey\'reunemployed。Thebootman，forinstance。“

“Andhowdoeshecleantheboots？“

“Notwell，“confessedMargaret。

“Thereyouare！“

“Thendoyoureallyadviseustotellthisyouth——“

“Iadvisenothing，“heinterrupted，glancingupanddowntheEmbankment，incasehisindiscretionhadbeenoverheard。

“Ioughtn\'ttohavespoken——butIhappentoknow，beingmoreorlessbehindthescenes。ThePorphyrion\'sabad，badconcern——Now，don\'tsayI

saidso。It\'soutsidetheTariffRing。“

“CertainlyIwon\'tsay。Infact，Idon\'tknowwhatthatmeans。“

“Ithoughtaninsurancecompanyneversmashed，“

wasHelen\'scontribution。“Don\'ttheothersalwaysruninandsavethem？“

“You\'rethinkingofreinsurance，“saidMr。Wilcoxmildly。“ItisexactlytherethatthePorphyrionisweak。Ithastriedtoundercut，hasbeenbadlyhitbyalongseriesofsmallfires，andithasn\'tbeenabletoreinsure。I\'mafraidthatpubliccompaniesdon\'tsaveoneanotherforlove。“

“\'Humannature，\'Isuppose，“quotedHelen，andhelaughedandagreedthatitwas。WhenMargaretsaidthatshesupposedthatclerks，likeeveryoneelse，founditextremelydifficulttogetsituationsinthesedays，hereplied，“Yes，extremely，“androsetorejoinhisfriends。

Heknewbyhisownoffice——seldomavacantpost，andhundredsofapplicantsforit；atpresentnovacantpost。

“Andhow\'sHowardsEndlooking？“saidMargaret，wishingtochangethesubjectbeforetheyparted。Mr。Wilcoxwasalittleapttothinkonewantedtogetsomethingoutofhim。

“It\'slet。“

“Really。Andyouwanderinghomelessinlong-hairedChelsea？HowstrangearethewaysofFate！“

“No；it\'sletunfurnished。We\'vemoved。“

“Why，Ithoughtofyoubothasanchoredthereforever。Evienevertoldme。“

“IdaresaywhenyoumetEviethethingwasn\'tsettled。

Weonlymovedaweekago。Paulhasratherafeelingfortheoldplace，andweheldonforhimtohavehisholidaythere；but，really，itisimpossiblysmall。Endlessdrawbacks。Iforgetwhetheryou\'vebeenuptoit？“

“Asfarasthehouse，never。“

“Well，HowardsEndisoneofthoseconvertedfarms。

Theydon\'treallydo，spendwhatyouwillonthem。Wemessedawaywithagarageallamongthewych-elmroots，andlastyearweenclosedabitofthemeadowandattemptedamockery。EviegotratherkeenonAlpineplants。Butitdidn\'tdo——no，itdidn\'tdo。Youremember，oryoursisterwillremember，thefarmwiththoseabominableguinea-fowls，andthehedgethattheoldwomanneverwouldcutproperly，sothatitallwentthinatthebottom。And，insidethehouse，thebeams——andthestaircasethroughadoor——picturesqueenough，butnotaplacetolivein。“

Heglancedovertheparapetcheerfully。“Fulltide。Andthepositionwasn\'trighteither。Theneighbourhood\'sgettingsuburban。

EitherbeinLondonoroutofit，Isay；sowe\'vetakenahouseinDucieStreet，closetoSloaneStreet，andaplacerightdowninShropshire——OnitonGrange。EverheardofOniton？Docomeandseeus——rightawayfromeverywhere，uptowardsWales。“

“Whatachange！“saidMargaret。Butthechangewasinherownvoice，whichhadbecomemostsad。“Ican\'timagineHowardsEndorHiltonwithoutyou。“

“Hiltonisn\'twithoutus，“hereplied。“Charlesistherestill。“

“Still？“saidMargaret，whohadnotkeptupwiththeCharles\'。“ButIthoughthewasstillatEpsom。TheywerefurnishingthatChristmas——oneChristmas。Howeverythingalters！

IusedtoadmireMrs。Charlesfromourwindowsveryoften。Wasn\'titEpsom？“

“Yes，buttheymovedeighteenmonthsago。

Charles，thegoodchap“——hisvoicedropped——“thoughtIshouldbelonely。

Ididn\'twanthimtomove，buthewould，andtookahouseattheotherendofHilton，downbytheSixHills。Hehadamotor，too。

Theretheyallare，averyjollyparty——heandsheandthetwograndchildren。“

“Imanageotherpeople\'saffairssomuchbetterthantheymanagethemthemselves，“saidMargaretastheyshookhands。

“WhenyoumovedoutofHowardsEnd，IshouldhavemovedMr。CharlesWilcoxintoit。Ishouldhavekeptsoremarkableaplaceinthefamily。“

“Soitis，“hereplied。“Ihaven\'tsoldit，anddon\'tmeanto。“

“No；butnoneofyouarethere。“

“Oh，we\'vegotasplendidtenant——HamarBryce，aninvalid。IfCharleseverwantedit——buthewon\'t。Dollyissodependentonmodernconveniences。No，wehavealldecidedagainstHowardsEnd。Welikeitinaway，butnowwefeelthatitisneitheronethingnortheother。Onemusthaveonethingortheother。“

“Andsomepeopleareluckyenoughtohaveboth。

You\'redoingyourselfproud，Mr。Wilcox。Mycongratulations。“

“Andmine，“saidHelen。

“DoremindEvietocomeandseeus——two，WickhamPlace。Weshan\'tbethereverylong，either。“

“You，too，onthemove？“

“NextSeptember，“Margaretsighed。

“Everyonemoving！Good-bye。“

Thetidehadbeguntoebb。Margaretleantovertheparapetandwatcheditsadly。Mr。Wilcoxhadforgottenhiswife，Helenherlover；sheherselfwasprobablyforgetting。Everyonemoving。Isitworthwhileattemptingthepastwhenthereisthiscontinualfluxevenintheheartsofmen？

Helenrousedherbysaying:“WhataprosperousvulgarianMr。Wilcoxhasgrown！Ihaveverylittleuseforhiminthesedays。

However，hedidtellusaboutthePorphyrion。LetuswritetoMr。

Bastassoonaseverwegethome，andtellhimtoclearoutofitatonce。“

“Do；yes，that\'sworthdoing。Letus。“

“Let\'saskhimtotea。“Chapter16LeonardacceptedtheinvitationtoteanextSaturday。Buthewasright；thevisitprovedaconspicuousfailure。

“Sugar？“saidMargaret。

“Cake？“saidHelen。“Thebigcakeorthelittledeadlies？I\'mafraidyouthoughtmyletterratherodd，butwe\'llexplain——wearen\'todd，really——notaffected，really。We\'reover-expressive:

that\'sall。“

Asalady\'slap-dogLeonarddidnotexcel。

HewasnotanItalian，stilllessaFrenchman，inwhosebloodthererunstheveryspiritofpersiflageandofgraciousrepartee。HiswitwastheCockney\'s；itopenednodoorsintoimagination，andHelenwasdrawnupshortby“Themorealadyhastosay，thebetter，“administeredwaggishly。

“Oh，yes，“shesaid。

“Ladiesbrighten——“

“Yes，Iknow。Thedarlingsareregularsunbeams。

Letmegiveyouaplate。“

“Howdoyoulikeyourwork？“interposedMargaret。

He，too，wasdrawnupshort。Hewouldnothavethesewomenpryingintohiswork。TheywereRomance，andsowastheroomtowhichhehadatlastpenetrated，withthequeersketchesofpeoplebathinguponitswalls，andsoweretheverytea-cups，withtheirdelicatebordersofwildstrawberries。ButhewouldnotletRomanceinterferewithhislife。Thereisthedeviltopaythen。

“Oh，wellenough，“heanswered。

“YourcompanyisthePorphyrion，isn\'tit？“

“Yes，that\'sso“——becomingratheroffended。

“It\'sfunnyhowthingsgetround。“

“Whyfunny？“askedHelen，whodidnotfollowtheworkingsofhismind。“Itwaswrittenaslargeaslifeonyourcard，andconsideringwewrotetoyouthere，andthatyourepliedonthestampedpaper——“

“WouldyoucallthePorphyriononeofthebigInsuranceCompanies？“pursuedMargaret。

“Itdependswhatyoucallbig。“

“Imeanbybig，asolid，well-establishedconcern，thatoffersareasonablygoodcareertoitsemployé；s。“

“Icouldn\'tsay——somewouldtellyouonethingandothersanother，“saidtheemployeuneasily。“Formyownpart“——heshookhishead——“IonlybelievehalfIhear。Notthateven；it\'ssafer。Thosecleveronescometotheworsegrief，I\'veoftennoticed。

Ah，youcan\'tbetoocareful。“

Hedrank，andwipedhismoustache，whichwasgoingtobeoneofthosemoustachesthatalwaysdroopintotea-cups——morebotherthanthey\'reworth，surely，andnotfashionableeither。

“Iquiteagree，andthat\'swhyIwascurioustoknow:isitasolid，well-establishedconcern？“

Leonardhadnoidea。Heunderstoodhisowncornerofthemachine，butnothingbeyondit。Hedesiredtoconfessneitherknowledgenorignorance，andunderthesecircumstances，anothermotionoftheheadseemedsafest。Tohim，astotheBritishpublic，thePorphyrionwasthePorphyrionoftheadvertisement——agiant，intheclassicalstyle，butdrapedsufficiently，whoheldinonehandaburningtorch，andpointedwiththeothertoSt。Paul\'sandWindsorCastle。

Alargesumofmoneywasinscribedbelow，andyoudrewyourownconclusions。

ThisgiantcausedLeonardtodoarithmeticandwriteletters，toexplaintheregulationstonewclients，andre-explainthemtooldones。

Agiantwasofanimpulsivemorality——oneknewthatmuch。HewouldpayforMrs。Munt\'shearth-rugwithostentatioushaste，alargeclaimhewouldrepudiatequietly，andfightcourtbycourt。Buthistruefightingweight，hisantecedents，hisamourswithothermembersofthecommercialPantheon——allthesewereasuncertaintoordinarymortalsasweretheescapadesofZeus。Whilethegodsarepowerful，welearnlittleaboutthem。

Itisonlyinthedaysoftheirdecadencethatastronglightbeatsintoheaven。

“WeweretoldthePorphyrion\'snogo，“blurtedHelen。

“Wewantedtotellyou；that\'swhywewrote。“

“Afriendofoursdidthinkthatitisunsufficientlyreinsured，“saidMargaret。

NowLeonardhadhisclue。HemustpraisethePorphyrion。“Youcantellyourfriend，“hesaid，“thathe\'squitewrong。“

“Oh，good！“

Theyoungmancolouredalittle。Inhiscircletobewrongwasfatal。TheMissSchlegelsdidnotmindbeingwrong。

Theyweregenuinelygladthattheyhadbeenmisinformed。Tothemnothingwasfatalbutevil。

“Wrong，sotospeak，“headded。

“How\'sotospeak\'？“

“ImeanIwouldn\'tsayhe\'srightaltogether。“

Butthiswasablunder。“Thenheisrightpartly，“saidtheelderwoman，quickaslightning。

Leonardrepliedthateveryonewasrightpartly，ifitcametothat。

“Mr。Bast，Idon\'tunderstandbusiness，andIdaresaymyquestionsarestupid，butcanyoutellmewhatmakesaconcern\'right\'

or\'wrong\'？“

Leonardsatbackwithasigh。

“Ourfriend，whoisalsoabusinessman，wassopositive。HesaidbeforeChristmas——“

“Andadvisedyoutoclearoutofit，“concludedHelen。“ButIdon\'tseewhyheshouldknowbetterthanyoudo。“

Leonardrubbedhishands。Hewastemptedtosaythatheknewnothingaboutthethingatall。Butacommercialtrainingwastoostrongforhim。Norcouldhesayitwasabadthing，forthiswouldbegivingitaway；noryetthatitwasgood，forthiswouldbegivingitawayequally。Heattemptedtosuggestthatitwassomethingbetweenthetwo，withvastpossibilitiesineitherdirection，butbrokedownunderthegazeoffoursincereeyes。Asyethescarcelydistinguishedbetweenthetwosisters。Onewasmorebeautifulandmorelively，but“theMissSchlegels“stillremainedacompositeIndiangod，whosewavingarmsandcontradictoryspeechesweretheproductofasinglemind。

“Onecanbutsee，“heremarked，adding，“asIbsensays，\'thingshappen。\'“Hewasitchingtotalkaboutbooksandmakethemostofhisromantichour。Minuteafterminuteslippedaway，whiletheladies，withimperfectskill，discussedthesubjectofreinsuranceorpraisedtheiranonymousfriend。Leonardgrewannoyed——perhapsrightly。Hemadevagueremarksaboutnotbeingoneofthosewhomindedtheiraffairsbeingtalkedoverbyothers，buttheydidnottakethehint。

Menmighthaveshownmoretact。Women，howevertactfulelsewhere，areheavy-handedhere。Theycannotseewhyweshouldshroudourincomesandourprospectsinaveil。“Howmuchexactlyhaveyou，andhowmuchdoyouexpecttohavenextJune？“Andthesewerewomenwithatheory，whoheldthatreticenceaboutmoneymattersisabsurd，andthatlifewouldbetruerifeachwouldstatetheexactsizeofthegoldenislanduponwhichhestands，theexactstretchofwarpoverwhichhethrowsthewoofthatisnotmoney。Howcanwedojusticetothepatternotherwise？

Andthepreciousminutesslippedaway，andJackyandsqualorcamenearer。Atlasthecouldbearitnolonger，andbrokein，recitingthenamesofbooksfeverishly。TherewasamomentofpiercingjoywhenMargaretsaid，“SoyoulikeCarlyle，“andthenthedooropened，and“Mr。Wilcox，MissWilcox“entered，precededbytwoprancingpuppies。

“Oh，thedears！Oh，Evie，howtooimpossiblysweet！“screamedHelen，fallingonherhandsandknees。

“Webroughtthelittlefellowsround，“saidMr。

Wilcox。

“Ibred\'emmyself。“

“Oh，really！Mr。Bast，comeandplaywithpuppies。“

“I\'vegottobegoingnow，“saidLeonardsourly。

“Butplaywithpuppiesalittlefirst。“

“ThisisAhab，that\'sJezebel，“saidEvie，whowasoneofthosewhonameanimalsafterthelesssuccessfulcharactersofOldTestamenthistory。

“I\'vegottobegoing。“

Helenwastoomuchoccupiedwithpuppiestonoticehim。

“Mr。Wilcox，Mr。Ba——Mustyoubereally？Good-bye！“

“Comeagain，“saidHelenfromthefloor。

ThenLeonard\'sgorgearose。Whyshouldhecomeagain？Whatwasthegoodofit？Hesaidroundly:“No，Ishan\'t；Iknewitwouldbeafailure。“

Mostpeoplewouldhavelethimgo。“Alittlemistake。Wetriedknowinganotherclass——impossible。“ButtheSchlegelshadneverplayedwithlife。Theyhadattemptedfriendship，andtheywouldtaketheconsequences。Helenretorted，“Icallthataveryruderemark。Whatdoyouwanttoturnonmelikethatfor？“

andsuddenlythedrawing-roomre-echoedtoavulgarrow。

“YouaskmewhyIturnonyou？“

“Yes。“

“Whatdoyouwanttohavemeherefor？“

“Tohelpyou，yousillyboy！“criedHelen。

“Anddon\'tshout。“

“Idon\'twantyourpatronage。Idon\'twantyourtea。Iwasquitehappy。Whatdoyouwanttounsettlemefor？“HeturnedtoMr。Wilcox。“Iputittothisgentleman。

Iaskyou，sir，amtohavemybrainpicked？“

Mr。WilcoxturnedtoMargaretwiththeairofhumorousstrengththathecouldsowellcommand。“Areweintruding，MissSchlegel？

Canwebeofanyuseorshallwego？“

ButMargaretignoredhim。

“I\'mconnectedwithaleadinginsurancecompany，sir。IreceivewhatItaketobeaninvitationfromthese——ladies“

(hedrawledtheword)。“Icome，andit\'stohavemybrainpicked。

Iaskyou，isitfair？“

“Highlyunfair，“saidMr。Wilcox，drawingagaspfromEvie，whoknewthatherfatherwasbecomingdangerous。

“There，youhearthat？Mostunfair，thegentlemansays。There！Notcontentwith“——pointingatMargaret——“youcan\'tdenyit。“Hisvoicerose:hewasfallingintotherhythmofascenewithJacky。“ButassoonasI\'musefulit\'saverydifferentthing。

\'Ohyes，sendforhim。Cross-questionhim。Pickhisbrains。\'

Ohyes。Now，takemeonthewhole，I\'maquietfellow:I\'mlaw-abiding，Idon\'twishanyunpleasantness；butI——I——“

“You，“saidMargaret——“you——you——“

LaughterfromEvie，asatarepartee。

“YouarethemanwhotriedtowalkbythePoleStar。“

Morelaughter。

“Yousawthesunrise。“

Laughter。

“Youtriedtogetawayfromthefogsthatarestiflingusall——awaypastbooksandhousestothetruth。Youwerelookingforarealhome。“

“Ifailtoseetheconnection，“saidLeonard，hotwithstupidanger。

“SodoI。“Therewasapause。“YouwerethatlastSunday——youarethistoday。Mr。Bast！Iandmysisterhavetalkedyouover。Wewantedtohelpyou；wealsosupposedyoumighthelpus。Wedidnothaveyouhereoutofcharity——whichboresus——butbecausewehopedtherewouldbeaconnectionbetweenlastSundayandotherdays。Whatisthegoodofyourstarsandtrees，yoursunriseandthewind，iftheydonotenterintoourdailylives？Theyhaveneverenteredintomine，butintoyours，wethought——Haven\'twealltostruggleagainstlife\'sdailygreyness，againstpettiness，againstmechanicalcheerfulness，againstsuspicion？Istrugglebyrememberingmyfriends；

othersIhaveknownbyrememberingsomeplace——somebelovedplaceortree——wethoughtyouoneofthese。“

“Ofcourse，ifthere\'sbeenanymisunderstanding，“

mumbledLeonard，“allIcandoistogo。ButIbegtostate——“Hepaused。AhabandJezebeldancedathisbootsandmadehimlookridiculous。

“Youwerepickingmybrainforofficialinformation——Icanproveit——I——Heblewhisnoseandleftthem。

“CanIhelpyounow？“saidMr。Wilcox，turningtoMargaret。“MayIhaveonequietwordwithhiminthehall？“

“Helen，goafterhim——doanything——anything——tomakethenoodleunderstand。“

Helenhesitated。

“Butreally——“saidtheirvisitor。“Oughtsheto？“

Atonceshewent。

Heresumed。“Iwouldhavechimedin，butI

feltthatyoucouldpolishhimoffforyourselves——Ididn\'tinterfere。

Youweresplendid，MissSchlegel——absolutelysplendid。Youcantakemywordforit，butthereareveryfewwomenwhocouldhavemanagedhim。“

“Ohyes，“saidMargaretdistractedly。

“Bowlinghimoverwiththoselongsentenceswaswhatfetchedme，“criedEvie。

“Yes，indeed，“chuckledherfather；“allthatpartabout\'mechanicalcheerfulness\'——oh，fine！“

“I\'mverysorry，“saidMargaret，collectingherself。

“He\'sanicecreaturereally。Icannotthinkwhatsethimoff。

Ithasbeenmostunpleasantforyou。“

“Oh，Ididn\'tmind。“Thenhechangedhismood。Heaskedifhemightspeakasanoldfriend，and，permissiongiven，said:“Oughtn\'tyoureallytobemorecareful？“

Margaretlaughed，thoughherthoughtsstillstrayedafterHelen。“Doyourealizethatit\'sallyourfault？“shesaid。

“You\'reresponsible。“

“I？“

“ThisistheyoungmanwhomweweretowarnagainstthePorphyrion。Wewarnhim，and——look！“

Mr。Wilcoxwasannoyed。“Ihardlyconsiderthatafairdeduction，“hesaid。

“Obviouslyunfair，“saidMargaret。“Iwasonlythinkinghowtangledthingsare。It\'sourfaultmostly——neitheryoursnorhis。“

“Nothis？“

“No。“

“MissSchlegel，youaretookind。“

“Yes，indeed，“noddedEvie，alittlecontemptuously。

“Youbehavemuchtoowelltopeople，andthentheyimposeonyou。Iknowtheworldandthattypeofman，andassoonasIenteredtheroomIsawyouhadnotbeentreatinghimproperly。

Youmustkeepthattypeatadistance。Otherwisetheyforgetthemselves。

Sad，buttrue。Theyaren\'toursort，andonemustfacethefact。“

“Ye-es。“

“Doadmitthatweshouldneverhavehadtheoutburstifhewasagentleman。“

“Iadmititwillingly，“saidMargaret，whowaspacingupanddowntheroom。“Agentlemanwouldhavekepthissuspicionstohimself。“

Mr。Wilcoxwatchedherwithavagueuneasiness。

“Whatdidhesuspectyouof？“

“Ofwantingtomakemoneyoutofhim。“

“Intolerablebrute！Buthowwereyoutobenefit？“

“Exactly。Howindeed！Justhorrible，corrodingsuspicion。Onetouchofthoughtorofgoodwillwouldhavebrusheditaway。Justthesenselessfearthatdoesmakemenintolerablebrutes。“

“Icomebacktomyoriginalpoint。Yououghttobemorecareful，MissSchlegel。Yourservantsoughttohaveordersnottoletsuchpeoplein。“

Sheturnedtohimfrankly。“Letmeexplainexactlywhywelikethisman，andwanttoseehimagain。“

“That\'syourcleverwayofthinking。Ishallneverbelieveyoulikehim。“

“Ido。Firstly，becausehecaresforphysicaladventure，justasyoudo。Yes，yougomotoringandshooting；hewouldliketogocampingout。Secondly，hecaresforsomethingspecialinadventure。Itisquickesttocallthatspecialsomethingpoetry——“

“Oh，he\'soneofthatwritersort。“

“No——ohno！Imeanhemaybe，butitwouldbeloathsomestiff。Hisbrainisfilledwiththehusksofbooks，culture——horrible；wewanthimtowashouthisbrainandgototherealthing。Wewanttoshowhimhowhemaygetupsideswithlife。

AsIsaid，eitherfriendsorthecountry，some“——shehesitated——“eithersomeverydearpersonorsomeverydearplaceseemsnecessarytorelievelife\'sdailygrey，andtoshowthatitisgrey。Ifpossible，oneshouldhaveboth。“

SomeofherwordsranpastMr。Wilcox。Heletthemrunpast。Othershecaughtandcriticizedwithadmirablelucidity。

“Yourmistakeisthis，anditisaverycommonmistake。

Thisyoungbounderhasalifeofhisown。Whatrighthaveyoutoconcludeitisanunsuccessfullife，or，asyoucallit，\'grey\'？“

“Because——“

“Oneminute。Youknownothingabouthim。

Heprobablyhashisownjoysandinterests——wife，children，snuglittlehome。That\'swherewepracticalfellows“——hesmiled——“aremoretolerantthanyouintellectuals。Weliveandletlive，andassumethatthingsarejoggingonfairlywellelsewhere，andthattheordinaryplainmanmaybetrustedtolookafterhisownaffairs。Iquitegrant——Ilookatthefacesoftheclerksinmyownoffice，andobservethemtobedull，butIdon\'tknowwhat\'sgoingonbeneath。So，bytheway，withLondon。

IhaveheardyourailagainstLondon，MissSchlegel，anditseemsafunnythingtosaybutIwasveryangrywithyou。WhatdoyouknowaboutLondon？Youonlyseecivilizationfromtheoutside。Idon\'tsayinyourcase，butintoomanycasesthatattitudeleadstomorbidity，discontent，andSocialism。“

Sheadmittedthestrengthofhisposition，thoughitunderminedimagination。Ashespoke，someoutpostsofpoetryandperhapsofsympathyfellruining，andsheretreatedtowhatshecalledher“secondline“——tothespecialfactsofthecase。

“Hiswifeisanoldbore，“shesaidsimply。

“HenevercamehomelastSaturdaynightbecausehewantedtobealone，andshethoughthewaswithus。“

“Withyou？“

“Yes。“Evietittered。“Hehasn\'tgotthecosyhomethatyouassumed。Heneedsoutsideinterests。“

“Naughtyyoungman！“criedthegirl。

“Naughty？“saidMargaret，whohatednaughtinessmorethansin。“Whenyou\'remarried，MissWilcox，won\'tyouwantoutsideinterests？“

“Hehasapparentlygotthem，“putinMr。Wilcoxslyly。

“Yes，indeed，Father。“

“HewastrampinginSurrey，ifyoumeanthat，“saidMargaret，pacingawayrathercrossly。

“Oh，Idaresay！“

“MissWilcox，hewas！“

“M-m-m-m！“fromMr。Wilcox，whothoughttheepisodeamusing，ifrisqué；。Withmostladieshewouldnothavediscussedit，buthewastradingonMargaret\'sreputationasanemanicipatedwoman。

“Hesaidso，andaboutsuchathinghewouldn\'tlie。“

Theybothbegantolaugh。

“That\'swhereIdifferfromyou。Menlieabouttheirpositionsandprospects，butnotaboutathingofthatsort。“

Heshookhishead。“MissSchlegel，excuseme，butIknowthetype。“

“Isaidbefore——heisn\'tatype。Hecaresaboutadventuresrightly。He\'scertainthatoursmugexistenceisn\'tall。He\'svulgarandhystericalandbookish，butIdon\'tthinkthatsumshimup。There\'smanhoodinhimaswell。Yes，that\'swhatI\'mtryingtosay。He\'sarealman。“

Asshespoketheireyesmet，anditwasasifMr。

Wilcox\'sdefencesfell。Shesawbacktotherealmaninhim。

Unwittinglyshehadtouchedhisemotions。Awomanandtwomen——theyhadformedthemagictriangleofsex，andthemalewasthrilledtojealousy，incasethefemalewasattractedbyanothermale。Love，saytheascetics，revealsourshamefulkinshipwiththebeasts。Beitso:onecanbearthat；jealousyistherealshame。Itisjealousy，notlove，thatconnectsuswiththefarmyardintolerably，andcallsupvisionsoftwoangrycocksandacomplacenthen。Margaretcrushedcomplacencydownbecauseshewascivilized。Mr。Wilcox，uncivilized，continuedtofeelangerlongafterhehadrebuilthisdefences，andwasagainpresentingabastiontotheworld。

“MissSchlegel，you\'reapairofdearcreatures，butyoureallymustbecarefulinthisuncharitableworld。

Whatdoesyourbrothersay？“

“Iforget。“

“Surelyhehassomeopinion？“

“Helaughs，ifIremembercorrectly。“

“He\'sveryclever，isn\'the？“saidEvie，whohadmetanddetestedTibbyatOxford。

“Yes，prettywell——butIwonderwhatHelen\'sdoing。“

“Sheisveryyoungtoundertakethissortofthing，“

saidMr。Wilcox。

Margaretwentoutintothelanding。Sheheardnosound，andMr。Bast\'stopperwasmissingfromthehall。

“Helen！“shecalled。

“Yes！“repliedavoicefromthelibrary。

“Youinthere？“

“Yes——he\'sgonesometime。“

Margaretwenttoher。“Why，you\'reallalone，“

shesaid。

“Yes——it\'sallright，Meg——Poor，poorcreature——“

“ComebacktotheWilcoxesandtellmelater——Mr。

W。muchconcerned，andslightlytitillated。“

“Oh，I\'venopatiencewithhim。Ihatehim。

PoordearMr。Bast！hewantedtotalkliterature，andwewouldtalkbusiness。Suchamuddleofaman，andyetsoworthpullingthrough。

Ilikehimextraordinarily。“

“Welldone，“saidMargaret，kissingher，“butcomeintothedrawing-roomnow，anddon\'ttalkabouthimtotheWilcoxes。

Makelightofthewholething。“

Helencameandbehavedwithacheerfulnessthatreassuredtheirvisitor——thishenatalleventswasfancy-free。

“He\'sgonewithmyblessing，“shecried，“andnowforpuppies。“

Astheydroveaway，Mr。Wilcoxsaidtohisdaughter:

“Iamreallyconcernedatthewaythosegirlsgoon。Theyareascleverasyoumake\'em，butunpractical——Godblessme！Oneofthesedaysthey\'llgotoofar。Girlslikethatoughtn\'ttolivealoneinLondon。Untiltheymarry，theyoughttohavesomeonetolookafterthem。Wemustlookinmoreoften——we\'rebetterthannoone。Youlikethem，don\'tyou，Evie？“

Eviereplied:“Helen\'srightenough，butIcan\'tstandthetoothyone。AndIshouldn\'thavecalledeitherofthemgirls。“

Eviehadgrownuphandsome。Dark-eyed，withtheglowofyouthundersunburn，builtfirmlyandfirm-lipped，shewasthebesttheWilcoxescoulddointhewayoffemininebeauty。Forthepresent，puppiesandherfatherweretheonlythingssheloved，butthenetofmatrimonywasbeingpreparedforher，andafewdayslatershewasattractedtoaMr。PercyCahill，anuncleofMrs。Charles，andhewasattractedtoher。Chapter17TheAgeofPropertyholdsbittermomentsevenforaproprietor。Whenamoveisimminent，furniturebecomesridiculous，andMargaretnowlayawakeatnightswonderingwhere，whereonearththeyandalltheirbelongingswouldbedepositedinSeptembernext。Chairs，tables，pictures，books，thathadrumbleddowntothemthroughthegenerations，mustrumbleforwardagainlikeaslideofrubbishtowhichshelongedtogivethefinalpush，andsendtopplingintothesea。Buttherewerealltheirfather\'sbooks——theyneverreadthem，buttheyweretheirfather\'s，andmustbekept。Therewasthemarble-toppedchiffonier——theirmotherhadsetstorebyit，theycouldnotrememberwhy。Roundeveryknobandcushioninthehousesentimentgathered，asentimentthatwasattimespersonal，butmoreoftenafaintpietytothedead，aprolongationofritesthatmighthaveendedatthegrave。

Itwasabsurd，ifyoucametothinkofit；HelenandTibbycametothinkofit:Margaretwastoobusywiththehouse-agents。

Thefeudalownershipoflanddidbringdignity，whereasthemodernownershipofmovablesisreducingusagaintoanomadichorde。Wearerevertingtothecivilizationofluggage，andhistoriansofthefuturewillnotehowthemiddleclassesaccretedpossessionswithouttakingrootintheearth，andmayfindinthisthesecretoftheirimaginativepoverty。

TheSchlegelswerecertainlythepoorerforthelossofWickhamPlace。

Ithadhelpedtobalancetheirlives，andalmosttocounselthem。

Noristheirground-landlordspirituallythericher。Hehasbuiltflatsonitssite，hismotor-carsgrowswifter，hisexposuresofSocialismmoretrenchant。Buthehasspiltthepreciousdistillationoftheyears，andnochemistryofhiscangiveitbacktosocietyagain。

Margaretgrewdepressed；shewasanxioustosettleonahousebeforetheylefttowntopaytheirannualvisittoMrs。Munt。

Sheenjoyedthisvisit，andwantedtohavehermindateaseforit。

Swanage，thoughdull，wasstable，andthisyearshelongedmorethanusualforitsfreshairandforthemagnificentdownsthatguarditonthenorth。

ButLondonthwartedher；initsatmosphereshecouldnotconcentrate。

Londononlystimulates，itcannotsustain；andMargaret，hurryingoveritssurfaceforahousewithoutknowingwhatsortofahouseshewanted，waspayingformanyathrillingsensationinthepast。Shecouldnotevenbreakloosefromculture，andhertimewaswastedbyconcertswhichitwouldbeasintomiss，andinvitationswhichitwouldneverdotorefuse。Atlastshegrewdesperate；sheresolvedthatshewouldgonowhereandbeathometonooneuntilshefoundahouse，andbroketheresolutioninhalfanhour。

OnceshehadhumorouslylamentedthatshehadneverbeentoSimpson\'srestaurantintheStrand。NowanotearrivedfromMissWilcox，askinghertolunchthere。Mr。Cahillwascoming，andthethreewouldhavesuchajollychat，andperhapsendupattheHippodrome。

MargarethadnostrongregardforEvie，andnodesiretomeetherfiancé；，andshewassurprisedthatHelen，whohadbeenfarfunnieraboutSimpson\'s，hadnotbeenaskedinstead。Buttheinvitationtouchedherbyitsintimatetone。ShemustknowEvieWilcoxbetterthanshesupposed，anddeclaringthatshe“simplymust，“sheaccepted。

ButwhenshesawEvieattheentranceoftherestaurant，staringfiercelyatnothingafterthefashionofathleticwomen，herheartfailedheranew。MissWilcoxhadchangedperceptiblysinceherengagement。

Hervoicewasgruffer，hermannermoredownright，andshewasinclinedtopatronizethemorefoolishvirgin。Margaretwassillyenoughtobepainedatthis。Depressedatherisolation，shesawnotonlyhousesandfurniture，butthevesseloflifeitselfslippingpasther，withpeoplelikeEvieandMr。Cahillonboard。

Therearemomentswhenvirtueandwisdomfailus，andoneofthemcametoheratSimpson\'sintheStrand。Asshetrodthestaircase，narrow，butcarpetedthickly，assheenteredtheeating-room，wheresaddlesofmuttonwerebeingtrundleduptoexpectantclergymen，shehadastrong，iferroneous，convictionofherownfutility，andwishedshehadnevercomeoutofherbackwater，wherenothinghappenedexceptartandliterature，andwherenooneevergotmarriedorsucceededinremainingengaged。Thencamealittlesurprise。“Fathermightbeoftheparty——yes，Fatherwas。“Withasmileofpleasureshemovedforwardtogreethim，andherfeelingoflonelinessvanished。

“IthoughtI\'dgetroundifIcould，“saidhe。

“Evietoldmeofherlittleplan，soIjustslippedinandsecuredatable。

Alwayssecureatablefirst。Evie，don\'tpretendyouwanttositbyyouroldfather，becauseyoudon\'t。MissSchlegel，comeinmyside，outofpity。Mygoodness，butyoulooktired！Beenworryingroundafteryouryoungclerks？“

“No，afterhouses，“saidMargaret，edgingpasthimintothebox。“I\'mhungry，nottired；Iwanttoeatheaps。“

“That\'sgood。What\'llyouhave？“

“Fishpie，“saidshe，withaglanceatthemenu。

“Fishpie！FancycomingforfishpietoSimpson\'s。

It\'snotabitthethingtogoforhere。“

“Goforsomethingforme，then，“saidMargaret，pullingoffhergloves。Herspiritswererising，andhisreferencetoLeonardBasthadwarmedhercuriously。

“Saddleofmutton，“saidheafterprofoundreflection:

“andcidertodrink。That\'sthetypeofthing。Ilikethisplace，forajoke，onceinaway。ItissothoroughlyOldEnglish。

Don\'tyouagree？“

“Yes，“saidMargaret，whodidn\'t。Theorderwasgiven，thejointrolledup，andthecarver，underMr。Wilcox\'sdirection，cutthemeatwhereitwassucculent，andpiledtheirplateshigh。

Mr。Cahillinsistedonsirloin，butadmittedthathehadmadeamistakelateron。HeandEviesoonfellintoaconversationofthe“No，I

didn\'t；yes，youdid“type——conversationwhich，thoughfascinatingtothosewhoareengagedinit，neitherdesiresnordeservestheattentionofothers。

“It\'sagoldenruletotipthecarver。Tipeverywhere\'smymotto。“

“Perhapsitdoesmakelifemorehuman。“

“Thenthefellowsknowoneagain。EspeciallyintheEast，ifyoutip，theyrememberyoufromyear\'sendtoyear\'send。

“HaveyoubeenintheEast？“

“Oh，GreeceandtheLevant。IusedtogooutforsportandbusinesstoCyprus；somemilitarysocietyofasortthere。

Afewpiastres，properlydistributed，helptokeepone\'smemorygreen。

Butyou，ofcourse，thinkthisshockinglycynical。How\'syourdiscussionsocietygettingon？AnynewUtopiaslately？“

“No，I\'mhouse-hunting，Mr。Wilcox，asI\'vealreadytoldyouonce。Doyouknowofanyhouses？“

“AfraidIdon\'t。“

“Well，what\'sthepointofbeingpracticalifyoucan\'tfindtwodistressedfemalesahouse？Wemerelywantasmallhousewithlargerooms，andplentyofthem。“

“Evie，Ilikethat！MissSchlegelexpectsmetoturnhouseagentforher！“

“What\'sthat，Father？

“IwantanewhomeinSeptember，andsomeonemustfindit。Ican\'t。“

“Percy，doyouknowofanything？“

“Ican\'tsayIdo，“saidMr。Cahill。

“Howlikeyou！You\'reneveranygood。“

“Neveranygood。Justlistentoher！

Neveranygood。Oh，come！“

“Well，youaren\'t。MissSchlegel，ishe？“

Thetorrentoftheirlove，havingsplashedthesedropsatMargaret，sweptawayonitshabitualcourse。Shesympathizedwithitnow，foralittlecomforthadrestoredhergeniality。Speechandsilencepleasedherequally，andwhileMr。Wilcoxmadesomepreliminaryinquiriesaboutcheese，hereyessurveyedtherestaurant，andadmireditswell-calculatedtributestothesolidityofourpast。ThoughnomoreOldEnglishthantheworksofKipling，ithadselecteditsreminiscencessoadroitlythathercriticismwaslulled，andtheguestswhomitwasnourishingforimperialpurposesboretheoutersemblanceofParsonAdamsorTomJones。

Scrapsoftheirtalkjarredoddlyontheear。“Rightyouare！

I\'llcableouttoUgandathisevening，“camefromthetablebehind。

“TheirEmperorwantswar；well，lethimhaveit，“wastheopinionofaclergyman。Shesmiledatsuchincongruities。“Nexttime，“shesaidtoMr。Wilcox，“youshallcometolunchwithmeatMr。EustaceMiles\'s。“

“Withpleasure。“

“No，you\'dhateit，“shesaid，pushingherglasstowardshimforsomemorecider。“It\'sallproteidsandbody-buildings，andpeoplecomeuptoyouandbegyourpardon，butyouhavesuchabeautifulaura。“

“Awhat？“

“Neverheardofanaura？Oh，happy，happyman！Iscrubatmineforhours。Norofanastralplane？“

Hehadheardofastralplanes，andcensuredthem。

“Justso。LuckilyitwasHelen\'saura，notmine，andshehadtochaperoneitanddothepolitenesses。Ijustsatwithmyhandkerchiefinmymouthtillthemanwent。“

“Funnyexperiencesseemtocometoyoutwogirls。

Noone\'severaskedmeaboutmy——whatd\'yecallit？PerhapsI\'venotgotone。“

“You\'reboundtohaveone，butitmaybesuchaterriblecolourthatnoonedaresmentionit。“

“Tellme，though，MissSchlegel，doyoureallybelieveinthesupernaturalandallthat？“

“Toodifficultaquestion。“

“Why\'sthat？Gruyè；reorStilton？“

“Gruyè；re，please。“

“BetterhaveStilton。“

“Stilton。Because，thoughIdon\'tbelieveinauras，andthinkTheosophy\'sonlyahalfway-house——“

“——Yettheremaybesomethinginitallthesame，“

heconcluded，withafrown。

“Noteventhat。Itmaybehalfwayinthewrongdirection。Ican\'texplain。Idon\'tbelieveinallthesefads，andyetIdon\'tlikesayingthatIdon\'tbelieveinthem。“

Heseemedunsatisfied，andsaid:“Soyouwouldn\'tgivemeyourwordthatyoudon\'tholdwithastralbodiesandalltherestofit？“

“Icould，“saidMargaret，surprisedthatthepointwasofanyimportancetohim。“Indeed，Iwill。WhenItalkedaboutscrubbingmyaura，Iwasonlytryingtobefunny。Butwhydoyouwantthissettled？“

“Idon\'tknow。“

“Now，Mr。Wilcox，youdoknow。“

“Yes，Iam，““No，you\'renot，“burstfromtheloversopposite。Margaretwassilentforamoment，andthenchangedthesubject。

“How\'syourhouse？“

“Muchthesameaswhenyouhonoureditlastweek。“

“Idon\'tmeanDucieStreet。HowardsEnd，ofcourse。“

“Why\'ofcourse\'？“

“Can\'tyouturnoutyourtenantandletittous？

We\'renearlydemented。“

“Letmethink。IwishIcouldhelpyou。