’Oh!Youknow!’shereturned。’ThisflameofHenry’s。Thisunfortunatefancy。There!IfitisapointofhonourthatI
shouldoriginatethename——MissMickles——Miggles。’
’MissMeagles，’saidClennam，’isverybeautiful。’
’Menaresooftenmistakenonthosepoints，’returnedMrsGowan，shakingherhead，’thatIcandidlyconfesstoyouIfeelanythingbutsureofit，evennow；thoughitissomethingtohaveHenrycorroboratedwithsomuchgravityandemphasis。HepickedthepeopleupatRome，Ithink？’
Thephrasewouldhavegivennobodymortaloffence。Clennamreplied，’Excuseme，IdoubtifIunderstandyourexpression。’
’Pickedthepeopleup，’saidMrsGowan，tappingthesticksofherclosedfanalargegreenone，whichsheusedasahand-screenonherlittletable。’Cameuponthem。Foundthemout。StumbledUP
againstthem。’
’Thepeople？’
’Yes。TheMigglespeople。’
’Ireallycannotsay，’saidClennam，’wheremyfriendMrMeaglesfirstpresentedMrHenryGowantohisdaughter。’
’IamprettysurehepickedherupatRome；butnevermindwhere——
somewhere。Nowthisisentirelybetweenourselves，issheveryplebeian？’
’Really，ma’am，’returnedClennam，’Iamsoundoubtedlyplebeianmyself，thatIdonotfeelqualifiedtojudge。’
’Veryneat!’saidMrsGowan，coollyunfurlingherscreen。’Veryhappy!FromwhichIinferthatyousecretlythinkhermannerequaltoherlooks？’
Clennam，afteramoment’sstiffness，bowed。
’That’scomforting，andIhopeyoumayberight。DidHenrytellmeyouhadtravelledwiththem？’
’ItravelledwithmyfriendMrMeagles，andhiswifeanddaughter，duringsomemonths。’Nobody’sheartmighthavebeenwrungbytheremembrance。
’Reallycomforting，becauseyoumusthavehadalargeexperienceofthem。Yousee，MrClennam，thisthinghasbeengoingonforalongtime，andIfindnoimprovementinit。Thereforetohavetheopportunityofspeakingtoonesowellinformedaboutitasyourself，isanimmenserelieftome。Quiteaboon。Quiteablessing，Iamsure。’
’Pardonme，’returnedClennam，’butIamnotinMrHenryGowan’sconfidence。Iamfarfrombeingsowellinformedasyousupposemetobe。Yourmistakemakesmypositionaverydelicateone。NowordonthistopichaseverpassedbetweenMrHenryGowanandmyself。’
MrsGowanglancedattheotherendoftheroom，wherehersonwasplayingecarteonasofa，withtheoldladywhowasforachargeofcavalry。
’Notinhisconfidence？No，’saidMrsGowan。’Nowordhaspassedbetweenyou？No。ThatIcanimagine。Butthereareunexpressedconfidences，MrClennam；andasyouhavebeentogetherintimatelyamongthesepeople，Icannotdoubtthataconfidenceofthatsortexistsinthepresentcase。PerhapsyouhaveheardthatIhavesufferedthekeenestdistressofmindfromHenry’shavingtakentoapursuitwhich——well!’shrugginghershoulders，’averyrespectablepursuit，Idaresay，andsomeartistsare，asartists，quitesuperiorpersons；still，weneveryetinourfamilyhavegonebeyondanAmateur，anditisapardonableweaknesstofeelalittle——’
AsMrsGowanbrokeofftoheaveasigh，Clennam，howeverresolutetobemagnanimous，couldnotkeepdownthethoughtthattherewasmightylittledangerofthefamily’severgoingbeyondanAmateur，evenasitwas。
’Henry，’themotherresumed，’isself-willedandresolute；andasthesepeoplenaturallystraineverynervetocatchhim，Icanentertainverylittlehope，MrClennam，thatthethingwillbebrokenoff。Iapprehendthegirl’sfortunewillbeverysmall；
Henrymighthavedonemuchbetter；thereisscarcelyanythingtocompensatefortheconnection：still，heactsforhimself；andifIfindnoimprovementwithinashorttime，Iseenoothercoursethantoresignmyselfandmakethebestofthesepeople。Iaminfinitelyobligedtoyouforwhatyouhavetoldme。’
Assheshruggedhershoulders，Clennamstifflybowedagain。Withanuneasyflushuponhisface，andhesitationinhismanner，hethensaidinastilllowertonethanhehadadoptedyet：
’MrsGowan，IscarcelyknowhowtoacquitmyselfofwhatIfeeltobeaduty，andyetImustaskyouforyourkindconsiderationinattemptingtodischargeit。Amisconceptiononyourpart，averygreatmisconceptionifImayventuretocallitso，seemstorequiresettingright。YouhavesupposedMrMeaglesandhisfamilytostraineverynerve，Ithinkyousaid——’
’Everynerve，’repeatedMrsGowan，lookingathimincalmobstinacy，withhergreenfanbetweenherfaceandthefire。
’TosecureMrHenryGowan？’
Theladyplacidlyassented。
’Nowthatissofar，’saidArthur，’frombeingthecase，thatI
knowMrMeaglestobeunhappyinthismatter；andtohaveinterposedallreasonableobstacleswiththehopeofputtinganendtoit。’
MrsGowanshutuphergreatgreenfan，tappedhimonthearmwithit，andtappedhersmilinglips。’Why，ofcourse，’saidshe。
’JustwhatImean。’
Arthurwatchedherfaceforsomeexplanationofwhatshedidmean。
’Areyoureallyserious，MrClennam？Don’tyousee？’
Arthurdidnotsee；andsaidso。
’Why，don’tIknowmyson，anddon’tIknowthatthisisexactlythewaytoholdhim？’saidMrsGowan，contemptuously；’anddonottheseMigglespeopleknowit，atleastaswellasI？Oh，shrewdpeople，MrClennam：evidentlypeopleofbusiness!IbelieveMigglesbelongedtoaBank。ItoughttohavebeenaveryprofitableBank，ifhehadmuchtodowithitsmanagement。Thisisverywelldone，indeed。’
’Ibegandentreatyou，ma’am——’Arthurinterposed。
’Oh，MrClennam，canyoureallybesocredulous？’
Itmadesuchapainfulimpressionuponhimtohearhertalkinginthishaughtytone，andtoseeherpattinghercontemptuouslipswithherfan，thathesaidveryearnestly，’Believeme，ma’am，thisisunjust，aperfectlygroundlesssuspicion。’
’Suspicion？’repeatedMrsGowan。’Notsuspicion，MrClennam，Certainty。Itisveryknowinglydoneindeed，andseemstohavetakenYOUincompletely。’Shelaughed；andagainsattappingherlipswithherfan，andtossingherhead，asifsheadded，’Don’ttellme。Iknowsuchpeoplewilldoanythingforthehonourofsuchanalliance。’
Atthisopportunemoment，thecardswerethrownup，andMrHenryGowancameacrosstheroomsaying，’Mother，ifyoucanspareMrClennamforthistime，wehavealongwaytogo，andit’sgettinglate。’MrClennamthereuponrose，ashehadnochoicebuttodo；
andMrsGowanshowedhim，tothelast，thesamelookandthesametappedcontemptuouslips。
’Youhavehadaportentouslylongaudienceofmymother，’saidGowan，asthedoorcloseduponthem。’Iferventlyhopeshehasnotboredyou？’
’Notatall，’saidClennam。
Theyhadalittleopenphaetonforthejourney，andweresooninitontheroadhome。Gowan，driving，lightedacigar；Clennamdeclinedone。Dowhathewould，hefellintosuchamoodofabstractionthatGowansaidagain，’Iamverymuchafraidmymotherhasboredyou？’Towhichherousedhimselftoanswer，’Notatall!’andsoonrelapsedagain。
Inthatstateofmindwhichrenderednobodyuneasy，histhoughtfulnesswouldhaveturnedprincipallyonthemanathisside。Hewouldhavethoughtofthemorningwhenhefirstsawhimrootingoutthestoneswithhisheel，andwouldhaveaskedhimself，’Doeshejerkmeoutofthepathinthesamecareless，cruelway？’
Hewouldhavethought，hadthisintroductiontohismotherbeenbroughtaboutbyhimbecauseheknewwhatshewouldsay，andthathecouldthusplacehispositionbeforearivalandloftilywarnhimoff，withouthimselfreposingawordofconfidenceinhim？Hewouldhavethought，eveniftherewerenosuchdesignasthat，hadhebroughthimtheretoplaywithhisrepressedemotions，andtormenthim？Thecurrentofthesemeditationswouldhavebeenstayedsometimesbyarushofshame，bearingaremonstrancetohimselffromhisownopennature，representingthattosheltersuchsuspicions，evenforthepassingmoment，wasnottoholdthehigh，unenviouscoursehehadresolvedtokeep。Atthosetimes，thestrivingwithinhimwouldhavebeenhardest；andlookingupandcatchingGowan’seyes，hewouldhavestartedasifhehaddonehimaninjury。
Then，lookingatthedarkroadanditsuncertainobjects，hewouldhavegraduallytrailedoffagainintothinking，’Wherearewedriving，heandI，Iwonder，onthedarkerroadoflife？Howwillitbewithus，andwithher，intheobscuredistance？’Thinkingofher，hewouldhavebeentroubledanewwithareproachfulmisgivingthatitwasnotevenloyaltohertodislikehim，andthatinbeingsoeasilyprejudicedagainsthimhewaslessdeservingofherthanatfirst。
’Youareevidentlyoutofspirits，’saidGowan；’Iamverymuchafraidmymothermusthaveboredyoudreadfully。’
’Believeme，notatall，’saidClennam。’It’snothing——nothing!’