Hehalted，withahandheldoutoverherarm，andshepausedaswell，inareluctant，tentativeway。\"Idon\'tunderstandyou，\"sheremarked，blankly。
\"Letmeputitinthisway，\"hebegan，knittinghisbrows，andmarshallingthethoughtsandphraseswithwhichhismindhadbeenbusy。\"Thisisthequestion。
Youweresayingthatyouweren\'taskedtojoinmyBoard。
YouexplainedinthatwayhowIcoulddothingsforPlowden，andcouldn\'tdothemforyou。Oh，Iknowitwasajoke——butithaditsmeaning——atleasttome。NowIwanttoaskyou——ifIdecidetoformanotherCompany，averysmallandparticularCompany——ifIshoulddecidetoformit，Isay——couldIcometoyouandaskyoutojoinTHATBoard？
OfcourseIcouldask——butwhatImeanis——well，IguessyouknowwhatImean。\"
Themetaphorhadseemedtohimamostingeniousandsatisfactoryvehicleforhispurpose，andithadbrokendownunderhimamidevidencesofconfusionwhichhecouldnotaccountfor。Allatoncehissenseofphysicalascendancyhadmeltedaway——disappeared。HelookedatLadyCressageforaninstant，andknewtherewassomethingshufflingandnervelessinthewayhisglancethenshiftedtothedimmountainchainbeyond。Hisheartflutteredsurprisinglyinsidehisbreast，duringthesilencewhichensued。
\"Surelyyoumusthavesaideverythingnowthatyouwishedtosay，\"sheobservedatlast。Shehadbeenstudyingintentlythetroddensnowatherfeet，anddidnotevennowlookup。Theconstraintofhermanner，andacertainpleadinghesitationinherwords，beganatoncetorestorehisself-command。\"Donottalkofitanyfurther，Ibegofyou，\"shewenton。
\"We——wehavebeenlaggingbehindunconscionably。
Ifyouwishtopleaseme，letushurryforwardnow。
Andplease！——nomoretalkatall！\"
\"Butjustaword——you\'renotangry？\"
Sheshookherheadveryslightly。
\"AndyoudoknowthatI\'myourfriend——yoursolid，twenty-four-caratfriend？\"
Afteramoment\'spause，shemadeanswer，almostinawhisper——\"Yes——bemyfriend——ifitamusesyou，\"——andledthewaywithprecipitatestepsdownthewindingroad。
CHAPTERXIII
TWOdayslater，ThorpeandhisyoungpeopletookanearlymorningtrainforGeneva——homewardbound。
Itwasentirelyeasytoaccepttheiruncle\'sdeclarationthaturgentbusinesssummonedhimtoLondon，yetJuliaandAlfred，whentheychancedtoexchangeglancesaftertheannouncement，readineachother\'seyestheformlessimpressionthattherewereotherthingsbesidebusiness。
Theiruncle，theyrealized，mustbeconcernedinlargeandprobablyventuresomeenterprises；butitdidnotfitwiththeirconceptionofhischaracterthatcommercialanxietiesshouldpossessthepowertoupsethim。
Andupsetheundeniablywas。
Theytracedhisdisturbance，inageneralway，tothemorningfollowingtheexcursionuptoGlionandCaux。
Hetoldthemthenthathehadsleptverybadly，andthattheymust\"counthimout\"oftheirplansfortheday。
HecontinuedtobecountedoutofwhatremainedoftheirstayatTerritet。Heprofessednottobeill，buthewasrestlessandpreoccupied。Heatelittle，butsmokedcontinuously，anddrankspiritsagooddeal，whichtheyhadnotseenhimdobefore。Nothingwouldinducehimtogoouteitherday。
Strangelyenough，thisdisturbanceoftheiruncle\'sequanimitysynchronizedwithanapparentchangeintheattitudeoftheirnewfriendsonthefloorbelow。
Thischangewas，indeed，moreapparentthandefinable。
Theladieswere，tothenicestscrutiny，askindlyandaffableasever，butthesenseofcomradeshiphadsomehowvanished。Insensibly，thetwopartieshadceasedtohaveimpulsesandtastesincommon。
Therewerenomoretripstogether——nomorefortuitousluncheonsorformaldinnersasagroup。
Theyoungpeoplelookedupatthefrontofthebighotelonthismorningofdeparture，aftertheyhadclamberedoverthedriftsintothesnow-bedeckedtrain，andopenedthewindowoftheircompartment。TheymadesurethattheycouldidentifythewindowsofMissMadden\'ssuite，andthatthecurtainsweredrawnaside——buttherewasnoothertokenofoccupancydiscernible。Theyhadsaidgood-byetothetwoladiesthepreviousevening，ofcourse——itlingeredintheirmindsasaratherperfunctoryceremony——butthishadnotpreventedtheirhopingforanotherfarewellglimpseoftheirfriends。Noonecametowaveahandfromthebalcony，however，andtheyoungsterslookedsomewhatdubiouslyateachotherasthetrainmoved。
Thenintuitivelytheyglancedtowardtheiruncle——andperceivedthathehadhishatpulledoverhiseyes，andwasstaringwithakindofmoodyscowlatthelakeopposite。
\"Fortunately，itisaclearday，\"saidJulia。\"WeshallseeMontBlanc。\"
Hervoiceseemedtohaveahollowandunnaturalsoundinherownears。Neitherherunclenorherbrotheransweredher。
Atbreakfast，meanwhile，intheapartmenttowardwhichtheyoungpeoplehadturnedtheirfarewellgazeinvain，MissMaddensippedhercoffeethoughtfullywhileshereadaletterspreaduponthetablebesideher。
\"It\'sastheysaid，\"sheobserved。\"Youarenotallowedtodriveinthemountainswithyourownhorsesandcarriage。
ThatseemsratherquaintforamodelRepublic——doesn\'tit？\"
\"Idaresaythey\'requiteright，\"LadyCressagereplied，listlessly。\"It\'sintheinterestofsafety。
Peoplewhodonotknowthemountainswouldsimplygoandgetkilledinavalanchesandhurricanes——andallthat。
IsupposethatiswhattheGovernmentwishestoprevent。\"
\"Andyou\'reonthesideoftheGovernment，\"saidtheother，withatwinkleinherbrowneyes。\"Trulynow——youhatedthewholeideaofdrivingovertheSimplon。\"
LadyCressageliftedherbrowsinwhimsicalassentasshenodded。
\"ButdoyoulikethisRussianplananybetter？\"
demandedCelia。\"Iwishforonceyouwouldbeabsolutelycandidandopenwithme——andletmeknowtotheuttermostjustwhatyouthink。\"\"\'Foronce\'？\"queriedtheother。
Hertonewasplacidenough，butsheallowedthesignificanceofthequotationtobemarked。
\"Oh，Ineverwhollyknowwhatyou\'rethinking，\"
MissMaddendeclared。Sheputonasmiletoalleviatetheforceofherremarks。\"Itisnotyoualone——Edith。Don\'tthinkthat！Butitisingrainedinyourcountry-women。
Youcan\'thelpit。It\'sinyourbloodtokeepthingsback。
I\'vemetnumbersofEnglishladieswho，I\'mreadytobelieve，wouldbeincapableoftellinganuntruth。
ButI\'venevermetoneofwhomIcouldbesurethatshewouldtellmethewholetruth。Don\'tyouseethiscaseinpoint，\"shepursued，withalittlelaugh，\"IcouldnotdragitoutofyouthatyoudislikedtheSimplonidea，solongastherewasachanceofourgoing。Immediatelywefindthatwecan\'tgo，youadmitthatyouhatedit。\"
\"Butyouwantedtogo，\"objectedLadyCressage，quietly。
\"Thatwastheimportantthing。WhatIwantedordidnotwanthadnothingtodowiththematter。\"
Celia\'sfacecloudedmomentarily。\"ThosearenotthekindofthingsIliketohearyousay，\"sheexclaimed，withacertainvigour。\"Theyputeverythinginquiteafalselight。IameverywhitasanxiousthatyoushouldbepleasedasthatIshould。Youknowthatwellenough。
I\'vesaiditathousandtimes——andhaveIeverdoneanythingtodisproveit？ButInevercanfindoutwhatyoudowant——whatreallywillpleaseyou！Youneverwillproposeanything；youneverwillbeentirelyfrankaboutthethingsIpropose。It\'sonlybywatchingyououtofthecornerofmyeyethatIcaneverguesswhetheranythingisaltogethertoyourlikingornot。\"
Thediscussionseemedtobefollowinglinesfamiliartothemboth。\"Thatisonlyanotherwayofsayingwhatyoudiscoveredlongago，\"saidLadyCressage，passively——\"thatIamdeficientintheenthusiasms。
Butoriginallyyouwereoftheopinionthatyouhadenthusiasmsenoughfortwo，andthatmylackofthemwouldredressthebalance，sotospeak。Ithoughtitwasaverylogicalopinionthen，and，frommyownpointofview，Ithinksonow。Butifitdoesnotworkinpractice，atleasttheresponsibilityofdefendingitisnotmine。\"
\"Delightful！\"criedCelia，smilinggaylyassheputdownhercupagain。\"YouaretheonlywomanI\'veeverknownwhowaswortharguingwith。ThemereoperationmakesmefeelasifIweregoingthroughOxford——orpassingthefinalJesuitexaminations。Heavenknows，Iwouldgetupargumentswithyoueveryday，forthepureenjoymentofthething——ifIweren\'teternallyafraidofsayingsomethingthatwouldhurtyourfeelings，andthenyouwouldn\'ttellme，butwouldnursethewoundinsilenceinthedark，andIshouldknowthatsomethingwaswrong，andhavetowatchyouforweekstomakeoutwhatitwas——anditwouldallbetoounhappy。
Butitcomesback，yousee，towhatIsaidbefore。
Youdon\'ttellmethings！\"
Edithsmiledinturn，affectionatelyenough，butwithawistfulreserve。\"Itisaconstitutionaldefect——evennational，accordingtoyou。HowshallIhopetochange，atthislateday？Butwhatisityouwantmetotellyou？——Iforget。\"
\"TheRussianthing。TogotoVienna，wherewegetourpassports，andthentoCracow，andthroughtoKief，whichtheysayisawfullywellworthwhile——andnextMoscow——andsoontoSt。Petersburg，intimetoseetheicebreakup。ItisonlyinwinterthatyouseethecharacteristicRussia：thatonehasalwaysheard。
Withthefursandthesledges，andthethreehorsesgallopingoverthesnow——itseemstomeitmustbethebestthinginEurope——ifyoucancallRussiaEurope。
That\'sthewayitpresentsitselftome——butthenIwasbroughtupinahalf-Arcticclimate，andIlovethatsortofthing——initsproperseason。Itisdifferentwithyou。
InEnglandyoudon\'tknowwhatarealwinteris。
AndsoIhavetomakequitesurethatyouthinkyouwouldliketheRussianexperiment。\"
Theotherlaughedgently。\"ButifIdon\'tknowwhatarealwinteris，howcanItellwhetherIwilllikeitornot？AllIdoknowisthatIamperfectlywillingtogoandfindout。Ohyes——truly——Ishouldlikeverymuchtogo。\"
MissMaddensighedbriefly。\"Allright，\"shesaid，butwithanotableabsenceofconvictioninhertone。
Aspaceofsilenceensued，assheopenedandglancedthroughanothernote，theenvelopeofwhichhadbornenopostmark。
Shepoutedherlipsoverthecontentsofthismissive，andraisedhereyebrowsintokenofsurprise，butasshelaiditdownshelookedwithafranksmileathercompanion。
\"It\'sfromouryoungfriend，\"sheexplained，genially——
\"thepainter-boy——Mr。D\'Aubigny。ItistoremindmeofapromisehesaysImade——thatwhenIcametoLondonheshouldpaintmyportrait。Idon\'tthinkIpromisedanythingofthekind——butIsupposethatisadetail。
It\'sallmyunfortunatehair。Theymusthavegonebythistime——theyweretogoveryearly，weren\'tthey？\"
LadyCressageglancedattheclock。\"Itwas8：40，Ithink——fullyhalfanhourago，\"sheanswered，withapainstakingeffectofindifference。
\"Curiousconglomeration\"——musedtheother。\"Theboyandgirlaresocivilized，andtheiruncleissorudimentary。
I\'mafraidtheyarespoilinghimjustasthemissionariesspoilthenoblesavage。Theyoughttogoawayandleavehimalone。Asabarbarianhewasrathereffective——buttheywillwhitewashhimandgildhimandmakeatamemonstrosityofhim。ButIsupposeit\'sinevitable。
Havingmadehisfortune，itistherulethathemustsetupasagentleman。WedoitmoresimplyinAmerica。
Onegenerationmakesthefortune，andleavesittothenextgenerationtoputonthefrills。Myfather，forexample，neveralteredintheslightestdegreethehabitsheformedwhenhewasapoorworkman。Tothedayofhisdeath，blessedoldman，heremainedwhathehadalwaysbeen——simple，pious，modest，hard-working，kindly，andthrifty——amodelpeasant。Nothingevertemptedhimahair\'s-breadthoutofthepathhehadbeenbredtowalkin。
Butsuchnobilityofmindandtemperwithitall！HeneverdreamedofsuggestingthatIshouldwalkinthesamepath。
FrommyearliestchildhoodIcannotrememberhiseverputtingalimitationuponmethatwasn\'tentirelysensibleandgenerous。Imusthavebeenanextremelytryingdaughter，butheneversaidso；heneverlookedoractedasifhethoughtso——ButIneverstopwhenIbegintalkingofmyfather。\"
\"It\'salwaysverysweettometohearyoutalkofhim，\"
LadyCressageputin。\"Oneknowssofewpeoplewhofeelthatwayabouttheirfathers！\"
Celianoddedgravely，asifinbenevolentcommentuponsomethingthathadbeenleftunsaid。Thesightoftheyoungartist\'snoterecalledherearliersubject。
\"Ofcoursethereisacertaindifference，\"shewenton，carelessly，——\"thisMr。Thorpeisnotatallapeasant，asthephrasegoes。Hestrikesone，sometimes，ashavingbeeneducated。\"
\"Oh，hewasatapublicschool，LordPlowdentellsme，\"
saidtheother，withinterest。\"Andhispeoplewerebooksellers——somewhereinLondon——sothathegotagoodsmatteringofliteratureandallthat。Hecertainlyhasmorerighttosetupasagentlemanthannineoutoftenofthenouveauxrichesoneseesflauntingaboutnowadays。
Andhecantalkverywellindeed——inadirect，practicalsortofway。Idon\'tquitefollowyouabouthisnieceandnephewspoilinghim。Ofcourseonecanseethattheyhavehadagreateffectuponhim。Heseesithimself——andhe\'sveryproudofit。Hetoldmeso，quitefrankly。
Butwhyshouldn\'titbeaniceeffect？\"
\"Oh，Idon\'tknow，\"Celiareplied，idly。\"Itseemedtomethathewasthekindofpiraticalbuccaneerwhooughtn\'ttobeshavedandpolishedandtaughtdrawing-roomtricks——I
feelthatmerelyintheinterestofthefitnessofthings。
Haveyoulookedintohiseyes——Imeanwhenthey\'vegotthatlack-lustreexpression？Youcanseeahundredthousanddeadmeninthem。\"
\"Iknowthelookyoumean，\"saidLadyCressage，inalowvoice。
\"NotthatIassumeheisgoingtokillanybody，\"
pursuedMissMadden，withostensibleindifference，butfixingaglanceofarousedattentionuponhercompanion\'sface，\"orthathehasanycriminalintentionswhatever。Hebehavesverycivillyindeed，andapparentlyhisnieceandnephewidolizehim。Heseemstobethesoulofkindnesstothem。
ItmaybethatI\'maltogetherwrongabouthim——onlyI
knowIhadtheinstinctofalarmwhenIcaughtthatsortofdullglazeinhiseye。ImetanAfricanexplorerayearago，orso，aboutwhoseexpeditionsdarkstoriesweretold，andhehadpreciselythatkindofeye。
Perhapsitwasthisthatputitintomyhead——butIhaveafeelingthatthisThorpeisanexceptionalsortofman，whowouldhavethecapacityinhimforterriblethings，ifthenecessityaroseforthem。\"
\"Iseewhatyoumean，\"theotherrepeated。Shetoyedwiththebread-crumbsaboutherplate，andreflectivelywatchedtheirmanipulationintosquaresandtrianglesasshewenton。\"Butmaythatnotbemerelythevisiblesignofanexceptionallystrongandmasterfulcharacter？
Andisn\'tit，afterall，theresultofcircumstanceswhethersuchacharactermakes，asyouputit，ahundredthousanddeadmen，orenrichesahundredthousandlivesinstead？Weagree，letussay，thatthisMr。Thorpeimpressesusbothasapowerfulsortofpersonality。
Thequestionarises，Howwillheusehispower？Onthatpoint，welookforevidence。Youseeadullglazeinhiseye，andyoudrawhostileconclusionsfromit。Ireplythatitmaymeannomorethanthatheissleepy。But，ontheotherhand，Ibringproofsthatareactivelyinhisfavour。
Heis，asyousay，idolizedbytheonlytwomembersofhisfamilythatwehaveseen——persons，moreover，whohavebeenbroughtupinwaysdifferenttohisown，andwhowouldnotstart，therefore，withprejudicesinhisfavour。
Beyondthat，Iknowoftwocasesinwhichhehasbehaved，orratherundertakentobehave，withreallylavishgenerosity——andinneithercasewasthereanyclaimuponhimofasubstantialnature。Heseemstome，infact，quitetoomuchdisposedtosharehisfortunewithTom，Dick，andHarry——anybodywhoexciteshissympathyorgetsintohisaffections。\"Havingsaidthismuch，LadyCressagesweptthecrumbsasideandlookedup。\"Sonow，\"sheadded，withaflushedsmile，\"sinceyouloveargumentssomuch，howdoyouanswerthat？\"
Celiasmiledback。\"Oh，Idon\'tansweritatall，\"shesaid，andhervoicecarriedakindofquizzicalimplication。
\"Yourproofsoverwhelmme。Iknownothingofhim——andyouknowsomuch！\"
LadyCressageregardedhercompanionwithanovelearnestnessanddirectnessofgaze。\"Ihadalong，longtalkwithhim——theafternoonwecamedownfromGlion。\"
MissMaddenrose，andgoingtothemantellightedacigarette。
Shedidnotreturntothetable，butafterabriefpausecameandtookaneasy-chairbesideherfriend，whoturnedtofaceher。\"MydearEdith，\"shesaid，withgravity，\"Ithinkyouwanttotellmeaboutthattalk——andsoI
begyoutodoso。ButifI\'mmistaken——whythenIbegyoutodonothingofthekind。\"
Theotherthrewoutherhandswithagestureofweariedimpatience，andthenclaspedthemuponherknee。
\"IseemnottoknowwhatIwant！Whatisthegoodoftalkingaboutit？Whatisthegoodofanything？\"
\"Now——now！\"Celia\'sassumptionofamonitor\'stonehadreference，apparently，tosomethingunderstoodbetweenthetwo，forLadyCressagedeferredtoit，andevensummonedtheghostofasmile。
\"Thereisreallynothingtotell，\"shefaltered，hesitatingly——\"
thatis，nothinghappened。Idon\'tknowhowtosayit——thetalkleftmymindinawhirl。Icouldn\'ttellyouwhy。
Itwasnoparticularthingthatwassaid——itseemedtobemorethethingsthatIthoughtofwhilesomethingelsewasbeingtalkedabout——butthewholeexperiencemadeamosttremendousimpressionuponme。I\'vetriedtostraightenitoutinmyownmind，butIcanmakenothingofit。
Thatiswhatdisturbsme，Celia。Nomanhaseverconfusedmeinthissillyfashionbefore。Nothingcouldbemoreidiotic。
I\'msupposedtoholdmyowninconversationwithpeopleof——well，withpeopleofacertainintellectualrank，——butthisman，whoisofhardlyanyintellectualrankatall，andwhorambledonwithoutanyspecialaimthatonecouldsee——hereducedmybraintoasortofporridge。
Isaidthemostextraordinarythingstohim——babblingrubbishwhichaschool-girlwouldbeashamedof。
Howisthattobeaccountedfor？Itrytoreasonitout，butIcan\'t。Canyou？\"
\"Nerves，\"saidMissMadden，judicially。
\"Oh，thatismeaningless，\"theotherdeclared。
\"Anybodycansay\'nerves。\'Ofcourse，allhumanthoughtandactionis\'nerves。\'\"
\"Butyoursisaspecialcaseofnerves，\"Celiapursued，withgentleimperturbability。\"IthinkIcanmakemymeaningcleartoyou——thoughtheparallelisn\'tpreciselyanelegantone。
Thefinestthoroughbreddogintheworld，ifitisbeatenviciouslyandcowedinitsyouth，willalwayshavealatenttaintofnervousness，apprehension，timidity——callitwhatyoulike。Well，itseemstomethere\'ssomethinglikethatinyourcase，Edith。Theyhurtyoutoocruelly，poorgirl。Iwon\'tsayitbrokeyournerve——butitmadeaflawinit。Justasasoldier\'soldwoundacheswhenthere\'sastormintheair——soyouroldhurtdistractsandupsetsyouundercertainpsychologicalconditions。
It\'saratherclumsyexplanation，butIthinkitdoesexplain。\"
\"Perhaps——Idon\'tknow，\"Edithreplied，inatoneofmelancholyreverie。\"Itmakesaverypoorcreatureoutofme，whateveritis。\"
\"Iratherlosepatience，Edith，\"hercompanionadmonishedher，gravely。\"Nobodyhasarighttobesodeficientincourageasyouallowyourselftobe。\"
\"ButI\'mnotacoward，\"theotherprotested。
\"Icouldbeasbraveasanybody——asbraveasyouare——ifachanceweregivenme。Butofwhatuseisbraveryagainstawalltwentyfeethigh？Ican\'tgetoverit。
Ionlywoundandcripplemyselfbytryingtotearitdown，orbreakthroughit——Ohyes，Iknowwhatyousay！Yousaythereisnowall——thatitisallanillusionofmine。
ButunfortunatelyI\'munabletotakethatview。
I\'vebatteredmyselfagainstittoolong——toosorely，Celia！\"
Celiashruggedhershouldersincomment。\"Oh，wewomenallhaveourwalls——ourlimitations——ifitcomestothat，\"
shesaid，withakindofcompassionateimpatienceinhertone。
\"Weareallridiculoustogether——fromthepointofviewofhumanliberty。Thefreewomanisafraud——amyth。
Sheisasemptyanabstractionasthe\'Liberty，Equality，Fraternity\'thattheFrenchputontheirpublicbuildings。
Iusedtohavethemostwonderfulvisionsofwhatindependencewouldmean。IthoughtthatwhenIwasabsolutelymyownmaster，withmymoneyandmycourageandmyfreemind，Iwoulddothingstoastonishallmankind。ButreallythemostIachieveistheoccasionalmildsurpriseofaGermanwaiter。Eventhatpallsononeafteratime。
Andifyouwereindependent，Edith——ifyouhadanyamountofmoney——whatdifferencedoyouthinkitwouldmaketoyou？
Whatcouldyoudothatyoudon\'tdo，orcouldn\'tdo，now？\"
\"Ah，now\"——saidtheother，lookingupwithathinsmile——\"nowisaninterval——anoasis。\"
MissMadden\'slarge，handsome，clear-huedface，habituallysereneinitsexpression，lostsomethingincomposureassheregardedhercompanion。\"Idon\'tknowwhyyoushouldsaythat，\"sheobserved，gentlyenough，butwithaneffectofreproofinhertone。\"Ihaveneverputlimitstotheconnection，inmyownmind——andithadn\'toccurredtomethatyouweredoingsoinyours。\"
\"ButI\'mnot，\"interposedLadyCressage。
\"ThenIunderstandyoulessthanever。Whydoyoutalkaboutan\'interval\'？Whatwastheotherword？——
\'oasis\'——asifthiswereabriefhaltforrefreshmentsandabreathing-spell，andthatpresentlyyoumustwanderforthintothedesertagain。Thatsuggestionisnoneofmine。
Weagreedthatwewouldlivetogether——\'poolourissues，\'
astheysayinAmerica。Iwantedacompanion；sodidyou。
Ihaveneverforaninstantregrettedthearrangement。
SomeofmyownshortcomingsinthematterIhaveregretted。
YouwerethemostbeautifulyoungwomanIhadeverseen，andyouweretalented，andyouseemedtolikeme——andI
promisedmyselfthatIwouldaddcheerfulnessandagayspirittoyourothergifts——andinthatIhavefailedwofully。
You\'renothappy。Iseethatonlytooclearly。\"
\"Iknow——I\'mawearinessandaboretoyou，\"brokeintheother，despondingly。
\"Thatispreciselywhatyou\'renot，\"Celiawenton。
\"Wemustn\'tusewordsofthatsort。Theydon\'tdescribeanythinginourlifeatall。ButIshouldbebetterpleasedwithmyselfifIcouldreallyputmyfingeronwhatitisthatisworryingyou。Evenifwedecidedtobreakupourestablishment，Ihavetoldyouthatyoushouldnotgobacktowhatyouregardaspoverty。
Uponthatscore，Ihadhopedthatyourmindwaseasy。
AsIsay，Ithinkyouattachmoreimportancetomoneythanthosewhohavetesteditspowerswouldagreeto——butthat\'sneitherherenorthere。Youdidnotgetonwellon600poundsayear——andthatisenough。Youshallneverhavelessthantwicethatamount，whetherwekeeptogetherornot——andifitoughttobethreetimestheamount，thatdoesn\'tmatter。
\"Youdon\'tseemtorealize，Edith\"——shespokewithincreasedanimation——\"thatyouaremycaprice。YouarethepossessionthatIamproudestofandfondestof。
Thereisnothingelsethatappealstomeahundredthpartasmuchasyoudo。SinceIbecameindependent，theonerealsatisfactionIhavehadisinbeingabletodothingsforyou——tohaveyouwithme，andmakeyoushareinthebestthattheworldcanoffer。
Andifwithitallyouremainunhappy，whythenyouseeIdon\'tknowwhattodo。\"
\"Oh，Iknow——Ibehaveverybadly！\"LadyCressagehadrisen，andwithvisibleagitationbegannowtopacetheroom。
\"Ideservetobethrownintothelake——Iknowitwellenough！ButCelia——truly——I\'masincapableofunderstandingitasyouare。ItmustbethatIampossessedbydevils——likethepeopleintheNewTestament。
Perhapssomeonewillcomealongwhocancastthemout。
Idon\'tseemabletodoitmyself。Ican\'trulemyselfatall。ItneedsastrengthIhaven\'tgot！\"
\"Ah！\"saidCelia，thoughtfully。TheexcitedsentenceswhichEdiththrewoverhershoulderasshewalkedappeared，uponexamination，tocontainasuggestion。
\"Mydearchild，\"sheaskedabruptly，afteramoment\'ssilence，\"doyouwanttomarry？\"
LadyCressagepausedatthemantel，andexchangedalongsteadfastglancewithherfriend。Thenshecameslowlyforward。\"Ah，thatiswhatIdon\'tknow，\"
sheanswered。Apparentlythereplywascandid。
MissMaddenpursedherlips，andfrownedalittleinthought。Then，atsomepassingreflection，shesmiledinapuzzledfashion。Atlastshealsorose，andwenttothemantelforanothercigarette。\"NowI
amgoingtotalkplainly，\"shesaid，withdecision。
\"Sincethesubjectismentioned，lessharmwillbedonebyspeakingoutthanbykeepingstill。Thereisadebateinyourmindonthematter，isn\'tthere？\"
Theotherlady，tall，slender，gentlyruminativeoncemore，stoodatthewindowandwithbowedheadlookeddownatthelake。\"Yes——Isupposeitmightbecalledthat，\"
shereplied，inalowvoice。
\"Andyouhesitatetotellmeaboutit？Youwouldrathernot？\"Celia，afteraninstant\'spause，wentonwithoutwaitingforananswer。\"Ibegthatyouwon\'tassumemyhostilitytotheidea，Edith。Infact，I\'mnotsureIdon\'tthinkitwouldbethebestthingforyoutodo。Marriage，ahome，children——thesearegreatthingstoawoman。Wecansaythatshepaysthepriceofbondageforthem——buttoknowwhatthatsignifies，wemustaskwhatherfreedomhasbeenworthtoher。\"
\"Yes，\"interposedtheother，fromthewindow。\"WhathaveIdonewithmyfreedomthathasbeenworthwhile？\"
\"Notmuch，\"murmuredCelia，underherbreath。
Shemovedforward，andstoodbesideEdith，withanarmroundherwaist。Theylookedtogetheratthelake。
\"ItisLordPlowden，isitnot？\"askedtheAmerican，asthesilencegrewconstrained。
LadyCressagelookedupalertly，andthenhesitatedoverherreply。\"No，\"shesaidatlast。Uponreflection，andwithadimsmileflickeringinherside-longglanceatCelia，sheadded，\"Hewantstomarryyou，youknow。\"
\"Leavethatoutofconsideration，\"saidCelia，composedly。
\"Hehasneversaidso。Ithinkitwasmorehismother\'sideathanhis，ifitexistedatall。OfcourseIamnotmarryinghim，oranybodyelse。ButIsawatHadlowthatyouandhewere——whatshallIsay？——oldfriends。\"
\"Hemustmarrymoney，\"theotherreplied。Inanunexpectedburstofcandourshewenton：\"HewouldhaveaskedmetomarryhimifIhadhadmoney。Thereisnoharmintellingyouthat。Itwasquiteunderstood——oh，twoyearsago。
AndIthinkIwishedIhadthemoney——then。\"
\"Andyoudon\'twishitnow？\"
AslightshakeofEdith\'ssmall，shapelyheadservedforanswer。Afteralittle，shespokeinamusingtone：
\"Heisgoingtohavemoneyofhisown，verysoon，butI
don\'tthinkitwouldattractmenow。Ilikehimpersonally，ofcourse，but——thereisnocareer，noambition，nofuture。\"
\"AViscounthasfutureenoughbehindhim，\"observedCelia。
\"Itdoesn\'tattractme，\"theotherrepeated，vaguely。
\"Heishandsome，andclever，andkindandallthat——buthewouldneverappealtoanyofthegreatemotions——norbecapableofthemhimselfHeistoosmooth，toowell-balanced，toomuchthegentleman。Thatexpressesitbadly——butdoyouseewhatImean？\"
Celiaturned，andstudiedthebeautifulprofilebesideher，inasteady，comprehendinglook。
\"Yes，IthinkIseewhatyoumean，\"shesaid，withsignificanceinhertone。
LadyCressageflushed，andreleasedherselffromhercompanion\'sarm。\"ButIdon\'tknowmyselfwhatImean！\"
sheexclaimed，despairingly，asshemovedaway。\"Idon\'tknow！——Idon\'tknow！\"
CHAPTERXIV
ONthelastdayofFebruary，Mrs。Dabneywassurprisedifnotexhilaratedbyavisitfromhertwochildreninthelittlebook-shop。
\"It\'sthelastdayintheworldthatIshouldhavethoughtyou\'d\'a\'comeouton，\"shetoldthem，insalutation——andforcommenttheyallglancedalongthedarknarrowalleyofshelvestothestreetwindow。
Agloomyspectacleitwasindeed，withacoldrainslantingthroughthediscreditedremnantsofafog，whichtheeastwindhadbrokenup，butcouldnotdriveaway，andwithonlynowandagainapasser-bymovingacrossthedimvista，maskedbeneathanumbrella，orbentforwardwithchinburiedinturned-upcollar。Inthedoorwayoutsidethesulkyboystampedhisfeetandslappedhissideswithhisarmsinpantomimicmutinyagainstthetaskofguardingthebook-stalls\'drippingcovers，whichnobodywouldbemadenoughtopauseover，muchlesstolift。
\"Idon\'tknowbutI\'doughttolettheboybringinthebooksandgohome，\"shesaid，astheirvaguegazewasattractedbyhisgestures。\"Butitisn\'tthreeyet——itseemsridiculoustocloseup。Still，ifyou\'dbemorecomfortableupstairs\"
\"Why，mamma！Theideaofmakingstrangersofus，\"protestedJulia。Shestrovetomakehertonecheerful，butitseffectofrebukewasunmistakable。
Themother，leaningagainstthetalldesk，lookedblanklyatherdaughter。Thepallidflickerofthegas-jetoverheadmadeherlong，listlessfaceseemmoredevoidofcolourthanever。
\"Butyouareasgoodasstrangers，aren\'tyou？\"
sheobserved，coldly。\"You\'vebeenbackintowntendaysandmore，andI\'vescarcelylaideyesuponeitherofyou。
Butdon\'tyouwanttositdown？Youcanputthoseparcelsontheflooranywhere。OrshallIdoitforyou？\"
Alfredhadbeenloungingintheshadowedcorneragainstaheapofoldmagazinestiedinbundles。Hesprangupnowandclearedthechair，buthissisterdeclineditwithagesture。Hersmallfigurehadstraighteneditselfintoakindofhaughtyrigidity。
\"Therehasbeensomuchtodo，mamma，\"sheexplained，inaclear，coolvoice。\"Wehavehadhundredsofthingstobuyandtoarrangeabout。Alltheresponsibilityforthehousekeepingrestsuponme——andAlfredhashisstudiotodo。
Butofcourseweshouldhavelookedinuponyousooner——andmuchoftener——ifwehadthoughtyouwantedus。Butreally，whenwecametoyou，theverydayafterourreturn，itwasimpossibleforustopretendthatyouweregladtoseeus。\"
\"Oh，Iwasgladenough，\"Mrs。Dabneymadeanswer，mechanically。\"Whyshouldn\'tIbeglad？AndwhyshouldyouthinkIwasn\'tglad？Didyouexpectmetoshoutanddance？\"
\"Butyousaidyouwouldn\'tcometoseeusinOvingtonSquare，\"
Alfredremindedher。
\"That\'sdifferent，\"shedeclared。\"WhatwouldIbedoinginOvingtonSquare？It\'sallrightforyoutobethere。
Ihopeyou\'llbehappythere。Butitwouldn\'taddanythingtoyourhappinesstohavemethere；itwouldbequitetheotherwayabout。Iknowthat，ifyouDON\'T。Thisismyplace，here，andIintendtosticktoit！\"
Julia\'sbrighteyes，scanningtheapathetic，stubbornmaternalcountenance，hardenedbeyondtheirwont。
\"Youtalkasiftherehadbeensomeclasswardeclared，\"shesaid，withobviousannoyance。\"YouknowthatUncleStormontwouldlikenothingbetterthantobeasnicetoyouasheistous。\"
\"UncleStormont！\"Mrs。Dabney\'srepetitionofthewordswassurchargedwithhostilesarcasm。\"ButhisnamewasStormontasmuchasitwasJoel，\"brokeinAlfred，fromhisdarkcorner。\"Hehasaperfectrighttousetheonehelikesbest。\"
\"Oh，Idon\'tdisputehisright，\"shereplied，oncemoreinherpassionlessmonotone。\"Everybodycancallthemselveswhatevertheyplease。It\'snoaffairofmine。Youandyoursisterspellyourfather\'snameinawaytosuityourselves：Ineverinterfered，didI？Youhaveyourownideasandyourowntastes。
Theyarequitebeyondme——butthey\'reallrightforyou。
Idon\'tcriticizethematall。WhatIsayisthatitisagreatmercyyourunclecamealong，withhispocketsfullofmoneytoenableyoutomakethemostofthem。
IfIwerereligiousIshouldcallthatprovidential。\"
\"Andthat\'swhatweDOcallit，\"putinJulia，withvivacity。
\"AndwhyshouldyoushutyourdoorsagainstthisProvidence，mamma？Justthinkofit！Wedon\'tinsistuponyourcomingtoliveatOvingtonSquareatall。Probably，asyousay，youwouldbehappierbyyourself——atleastforthepresent。
ButwhenUncleSt——whenunclesaysthere\'smorethanenoughmoneyforusall，andisonlytooanxiousforyoutolethimdothingsforyou——why，he\'syourownbrother！
It\'sasifIshouldrefusetoallowAlfredtodothingsforme。\"
\"Thatyouneverdid，\"interposedtheyoungman，gayly。
\"I\'llsaythatforyou，Jule。\"
\"Andneverwill，\"sheassuredhim，withcheerfuldecision。
\"Butno——mamma——can\'tyouseewhatwemean？Wehavedonewhatyouwantedustodo。Yousentusbothtomuchbetterschoolsthanyoucouldafford，fromthetimewewereofnoageatall——andwhenuncle\'smoneycameyousentustoCheltenham。Wedidyounodiscredit。
Weworkedverywell；webehavedourselvesproperly。
Wecamebacktoyouatlastwithfairreasontosupposethatyouwouldbe——Iwon\'tsayproud，butatleastwellsatisfiedwithus——andthenitturnedoutthatyoudidn\'tlikeusatall。\"
\"Ineversaidanythingofthesort，\"themotherdeclared，withatouchofanimation。
\"Ohno——youneversaidit，\"Juliaadmitted，\"butwhatelsecanwethinkyoumean？Ourunclesendsforustogoabroadwithhim，andyoubusyyourselfgettingmeready，andhavingnewfrocksmadeandallthat——andIneverhearasuggestionthatyoudon\'twantmetogo——\"
\"ButIdidwantyoutogo，\"Mrs。Dabneyaffirmed。
\"Well，then，whenIcomeback——whenwecomeback，andtellyouwhatsplendidandgenerousplansunclehasmadeforus，andhowhehastakenabeautifulfurnishedhouseandmadeitourhome，andsoon，——why，youwon\'tevencomeandlookatthehouse！\"
\"ButIdon\'twanttoseeit，\"themotherretorted；obstinately。
\"Well，then，youneedn\'t！\"saidAlfred，rising。
\"Nobodywillaskyouagain。\"\"Ohyestheywill，\"
urgedJulia，glancingmeaninglyfromonetotheother。
Allherlife，asitseemed，shehadbeenaccustomedtomediatebetweenthesetwounpliableandstubborntemperaments。
Fromherearliestchildhoodshehadunderstood，somehow，thattherewasaDabneyhabitofmind，whichwasbycomparisonsoftandifnotyielding，thenpolitic：
andsetoveragainstittherewasaThorpetemperfullofgnarledandtwistedhardnesses，andtenaciousasdeath。
InthedaysofhergrandfatherThorpe，whomsherememberedwithanalarmeddistinctness，therehadexistedakindoftacitideathathisnamealoneaccountedforandjustifiedthemostpersistentandstormybadtemper。
Thatoldmanwiththescowlingbrowsbulliedeverybody，suspectedeverybody，apparentlydislikedeverybody，vehementlydemandedhisownwillofeverybody——anditwasalltobeexplained，seemingly，bythefactthathewasaThorpe。
Afterhisdisappearancefromthescene——unlamented，tothebestofJulia\'sjuvenileperceptions——therehadbeenrelativelypeacefultimesinthebook-shopandthehomeoverhead，yettherehadexistedalwaysarecognizedlineofdemarcationrunningthroughthehousehold。Juliaandherfather——asmall，hollow-chested，round-shoulderedyoungman，withapale，anxiousfaceandingratiatingmanner，whohadenteredtheshopasanassistant，andremainedasason-in-law，andwasnowthethinnestofunsubstantialmemories——JuliaandthisfatherhadstoodupononesideofthisimpalpablelineasDabneys，otherwiseasmeekandtractablepersons，whowouldnotexpecttohavetheirownway。
AlfredandhismotherwereThorpes——thatistosay，peoplewhonecessarilyhadtheirownway。Theirdominationwasstainedbynoneoftheexcesseswhichhadrenderedthegrandfatherintolerable。Theirsurfacetemperwasintruthalmostsluggishlypacific。Underneath，however，uglycurrentsandsharprockswerewellknowntohaveapotentialexistence——anditwasthemissionoftheDabneystoseethatnowindofprovocationundulystirredthesedepths。
Worseeventhanthesepossibilitiesofviolence，however，sofarasevery-daylifewasconcerned，wasthestrainofobstinacywhichbelongedtotheThorpetemper。
Asortofpassivemulishnessitwas，impervioustoargument，immovableunderthemostsympatheticpressure，whichparticularlytriedtheDabneypatience。
ItseemedtoJulianow，assheinterposedhersoothinginfluencebetweenthesejarringforces，thatshehadspentwholeyearsofherlifeinpersonalinterventionsofthissort。
\"Ohyestheywill，\"sherepeated，andwarnedherbrotherintothebackgroundwithagesturehalf-pleadinghalf-peremptory。\"Weareyourchildren，andwe\'renotbadorundutifulchildrenatall，andI\'msurethatwhenyouthinkitallover，mamma，you\'llseethatitwouldbeabsurdtoletanythingcomebetweenyouandus。\"
\"HowcouldIhelplettingitcome？\"demandedthemother，listlesslyargumentative。\"Youhadoutgrownmeandmywaysaltogether。Itwasnonsensetosupposethatyouwouldhavebeensatisfiedtocomebackandlivehereagain，overtheshop。Icouldn\'tthinkforthelifeofmewhatI
wasgoingtodowithyou。Butnowyourunclehastakenallthatintohisownhands。Hecangiveyouthekindofhomethatgoeswithyoureducationandyourideas——andwhatmoredoyouwant？Whyshouldyoucomebotheringme？\"
\"Howunjustyouare，mamma！\"criedJulia，withaglazeoftearsuponherbrightglance。
Thewidowtookherelbowfromthedesk，and，slowlystraighteningherself，lookeddownuponherdaughter。
Herlongplainface，habituallygraveinexpression，conveyednohintofexceptionalemotion，butthefingersofthelarge，capablehandssheclaspedbeforeherwrithedrestlesslyagainstoneanother，andtherewasahusky-threatofcollapseinhervoiceasshespoke：
\"Ifyoueverhavechildrenofyourown，\"shesaid，\"andyouslaveyourlifeouttobringthemupsothatthey\'llthinkthemselvesyourbetters，andtheyactaccordingly——thenyou\'llunderstand。Butyoudon\'tunderstandnow——andthere\'snogoodourtalkinganymoreaboutit。
Comeinwheneverit\'sconvenient——andyoufeellikeit。
Imustgobacktomybooksnow。\"
Shetookupapenatthis，andopenedthecash-bookupontheblotter。Herchildren，surveyingherblankly，foundspeechdifficult。Withsomemurmuredwords，afteralittlepause，theybestowedaperfunctorykissuponherunresponsivecheek，andfiledoutintotherain。
Mrs。Dabneywatchedthemputuptheirumbrella，andmoveoffStrandwardbeneathit。Shecontinuedtolookforalongtime，inanaimless，ruminatingway，atthedismalprospectrevealedbythewindowandtheglassofthedoor。Theprematurenightwasclosinginmiserably，withincreasingrain，andadolefulwhistleofrisingwindroundthecorner。
Atlastsheshutuptheunconsideredcash-book，lightedanothergas-jet，andstridingtothedoor，rappedsharplyontheglass。
\"Bringeverythingin！\"shecalledtotheboy，andhelpedouthisapprehensionbyacomprehensivegesture。
Later，whenhehadcompletedhistask，andoneofthetwonarrowoutletsfromtheshopinfrontwassatisfactorilyblockedwiththewaresfromwithout，andalltheflooraboutreekedwiththegrimydrippingsoftheoilskins，Mrs。Dabneysummonedhimtothedeskintherear。
\"Ithinkyoumaygohomenow，\"shesaidtohim，withthelaconicabruptnesstowhichhewassowellaccustomed。
\"Youhaveahome，haven\'tyou？\"
RememberingtheexhaustiveenquirieswhichtheMissionpeoplehadmadeabouthimandhisbelongings，asapreliminarytohisgettingthisjob，hecouldnotbutbesurprisedatthemistress\'squestion。Inconfusionhenoddedassent，andjerkedhisfingertowardhiscap。
\"Gotamother？\"shepursued。Againhenodded，withaugmentedconfidence。
\"Anddoyouthinkyourselfbetterthansheis？\"
Theurchin\'sdirtyandunpleasantfacescreweditselfupinanxiousperplexityoverthisstrangequery。Thenitclearedashethoughthegraspedtheidea，andtherat-eyesheliftedtohergleamedwiththefellacutenessoftheDials。
\"Ish\'dbesorryifIwasn\'t，\"heanswered，inswift，raspingaccents。\"She\'sarareoldboozer，sheis！It\'safaircursetoanhonestboylikeme，to\'ave——\"\"Gohome！\"
shebadehim，peremptorily——andfrownedafterhimasheduckedandscuttledfromtheshop。
Lefttoherself，Mrs。Dabneydidnotreopenthecash-
book——thewretchedday，indeed，hadbeenpracticallyablankinitshistory——butloiteredaboutinthewaninglightamongtheshelvesnearthedesk，alteringthepositionofbookshereandthere，andglancingcursorilythroughothers。
Onceortwiceshewenttothedoorandlookedoutupontherain-soakedstreet。Atradesman\'sassistant，opposite，wasrollingtheironshuttersdownforthenight。
Ifbusinessinhatswasoverfortheday，howmuchmoresoinbooks！Hershophadneverbeenfittedwithshutters——forwhatreasonshecouldnotguess。
Theopenedpagesofnumerousvolumesweredisplayedcloseagainstthewindow，butnoonehadeverbrokenapanetogetatthem。Apparentlyliteratureraisednodesiresinthecriminalbreast。Toclosetheshoptherewasnothingtodobutlockandboltthedoorandturnoutthelights。
Atlast，astheconvictionofnightfallforceditselfuponherfromthedrencheddarknessoutside，shebenttoputherhandtothekey。Then，withalittlestartofsurprise，shestooderect。Someonewasshuttinganumbrellainthedoorway，preparatorytoenteringtheshop。
Itwasherbrother，splashedandwettotheknees，butwithaglowingface，whopushedhiswayin，andconfrontedherwithabroadgrin。Therewassuchamasterfulairabouthim，thatwhenhejoviallythrewanarmroundhergauntwaist，andgatheredherupagainsthismoistshoulder，shesurprisedherselfbyahalf-laughingsubmission。
Hervocabularywasnotrichinphrasesforthiskindofemergency。\"Domindwhatyou\'reabout！\"shetoldhim，flushingnotunpleasurably。
\"Shutuptheplace！\"heanswered，withlordlygeniality。
\"I\'vewalkedallthewayfromtheCityintherain。
Iwantedtheexertion——Icouldn\'thavesatinacab。
Comebackandbuildupthefire，andlet\'shaveatalk。
God！WhatthingsI\'vegottotellyou！\"
\"Thereisn\'tanyfiredownhere，\"shesaid，apologetically，astheyedgedtheirwaythroughtherestrictedalleytotherear。\"Theoldfireplacetookuptoomuchroom。
Sometimes，inverysharpweather，Ihaveanoil-stovein。
Usuallythegaswarmsitenough。Youdon\'tfindittoocold——doyou？——withyourcoaton？Orwouldyourathercomeupstairs？\"
\"Nevermindthecold，\"hereplied，throwingalegoverthestoolbeforethedesk。\"Ican\'tstaymore\'naminuteortwo。Whatdoyouthinkwe\'vedonetoday？\"
Louisahadneverinherlifeseenherbrotherlooksowellashedidnow，sprawlingtriumphantlyuponthestoolundertheyellowgas-light。Hisstrong，heavily-featuredfacehadsomehowceasedtobecommonplace。
Ithadacquiredanindividualdistinctionofitsown。
Helookedupatherwithaclear，boldeye，inwhich，despiteitsglossofgood-humour，shediscernedanewauthority。
Thenervousandapprehensivelineshadsomehowvanishedfromthecountenance，andwiththem，oddlyenough，thatlethargic，heavyexpressionwhichhadbeentheircomplement。
Hewasallvigour，readiness，confidence，now。Shedeemedhimalmosthandsome，thiscurious，changeablebrotherofhers，ashebeatwithhisfistinameasuredwayuponthedesk-toptoemphasizehiswords，andfastenedhiscommandinggazeuponher。
\"Wetookverynearlytwentythousandpoundsto-day，\"
hewenton。\"Thisisthetwenty-eighthofFebruary。
Afortnightagotodaywasthefirstsettlement。
Iwasn\'there，butSemplewas——andtheworkingofitisallinhishands。Hekeptasstillasamousethatfirstday。Theyhadtodelivertous26，000shares，andtheyhadn\'tgotone，butwedidn\'tmakeanyfuss。
Thepointwas，yousee，nottoletthemdreamthattheywerecaughtinatrap。Wedidn\'tevenputthepriceuptopar。TheyhadtocometoSemple，andsaytheredidn\'tseemtobeanysharesobtainablejustatthemoment，andwhatwouldhecarrythemoverat？Thatmeans，toletthempostponedeliveryforanotherfortnight。
Hewasassmoothassweet-oilwiththem，andagreedtocarrythemovertilltodaywithoutanychargeatall。
Buttodayitwasalittledifferent。Thepricewasuptenshillingsabovepar。Thatistosay，Semplearrangedwithajobber，onthequiet，d\'yesee？toofferthirtyshillingsforourone-poundshares。Thatofferfixedthemaking-upprice。Sothen，whentheywerestillwithoutsharesto-day，andhadtobecarriedoveragain，theyhadtopaytenshillings\'differenceoneachoftwenty-sixthousandshares，plusthedifferencebetweenparandthepricesthey\'dsoldat。Thatmakeswithinafewhundredsof20，000poundsincash，foroneday\'shaul。
D\'yesee？\"
Shenoddedathim，expressively。Throughprevioustalksshehadreallyobtainedaninsightintotheoperation，anditinterestedhermorethanshewouldhavecaredtoconfess。
\"Well，then，weputthat20，000poundsinourpockets，\"
heproceededwithasteadyglowinhiseyes。\"Afortnighthence，thatisMarch14th，weringthebellonthemagain，andtheymarchuptothecaptain\'sofficeandsettleasecondtime。
Nowwhathappensonthe14th？AjobbermakesthepriceforSempleagain，andthatsettlesthenewsumtheyhavetopayusindifferences。Itisforustosaywhatthatpriceshallbe。We\'lldecideonthatwhenthetimecomes。
Wemostprobablywilljustputitupanothertenshillings，andsotakeinjustasimple13，000pounds。It\'sbestinthelongrun，Isuppose，togoslow，withsmallriseslikethat，inordernottofrightenanybody。
SoSemplesays，atanyrate。\"
\"Butwhynotfrightenthem？\"Louisaasked。\"Ithoughtyouwantedtofrightenthem。Youwerefullofthatideaawhileago。\"
Hesmiledgenially。\"I\'velearnedsomenewwrinklessincethen。We\'llfrighten\'emstiffenough，beforewe\'rethroughwiththem。Butatthestartwejustgoeasy。
Iftheygotwordthattherewasa\'corner，\'therewouldbeadeadscareamongthejobbers。They\'dbeafraidtosellornameapriceforRubberConsolsunlesstheyhadthesharesinhand。Andthereareotherwaysinwhichthatwouldbeanuisance。Presently，ofcourse，weshallliberatesomefewshares，sothattheremaybesomeactualdealings。
Probablyacertainnumberofthe5，000whichwenttothegeneralpublicwillcomeintothemarkettoo。
Butofcourseyouseethatallsuchshareswillsimplygothroughoneoperationbeforetheycomebacktous。
SomeoneofthefourteenmenwearesqueezingwillsnapthemupandbringthemstraighttoSemple，togetfreefromthefortnightlytaxwearelevyingonthem。Inthatwayweshalleventuallyletoutsayhalfofthesefourteen\'shorts，\'orperhapsmorethanhalf。\"
\"Whatdoyouwanttodothatfor？\"Thesister\'sgreyeyeshadcaughtametallicgleam，asiffromthetalkaboutgold。
\"Whyletanybodyout？Whycan\'tyougoontakingtheirmoneyforever？\"
Thorpenoddedcomplacently。\"Yes——that\'swhatIaskedtoo。
Itseemedtomethemostnaturalthing，whenyou\'dgot\'eminthevise，tokeepthemthere。Butwhenyoucometoreflect——youcan\'tgetmoreoutofamanthanthereisinhim。Ifyoupresshimtoohard，hecanalwaysgobankrupt——andthenhe\'soutofyourreachaltogether，andyouloseeverythingthatyoucountedonmakingoutofhim。So，afteracertainpoint，eachoneofthefourteenmenwhomwe\'resqueezingmustbedealtwithonadifferentfooting。Weshallhavetowatchthemall，andstudytheirresources，astipsterswatchhorsesinthepaddock。
\"Yousee，someofthemcanstandalossofahundredthousandpoundsbetterthanotherscouldlosetenthousand。
Allthatwehavetoknow。Wecantakeitasaprinciplethatnoneofthemwillgobankruptandlosehisplaceontheexchangeunlessheispressedtighttothewall。
Well，ourbusinessistolearnhowfareachfellowisfromthewalltostartwith。Thenwekeeptrackofhim，oneturnofthescrewafteranother，tillweseehe\'sgotjustenoughlefttobuyhimselfout。Thenwe\'lllethimout。See？\"
\"It\'scruel，isn\'tit？\"shecommented，calmlymeditative，afteralittlepause。
\"EverythingintheCityiscruel，\"heassuredherwithalighttone。\"Allspeculativebusinessiscruel。
Takeourcase，forexample。Iestimateinaroughwaythatthesefourteenmenwillhavetopayovertous，indifferencesandinfinalsales，saysevenhundredthousandpounds——maybeeighthundred。Well，now，notoneofthosefellowseverearnedasinglesovereignofthatmoney。
They\'vetakenthewholeofitfromothers，andtheseotherstookitfromothersstill，andsoonalmostindefinitely。
Thereisn\'tasovereignofitthathasn\'tbeenthroughtwentyhands，orfiftyforthatmatter，sincethelastmanwhohaddonesomehonestworkforitpartedcompanywithit。
Well——moneylikethatbelongstothosewhoareinpossessionofit，onlysolongastheyarestrongenoughtoholdontoit。Whensomeonestrongerstillcomesalong，hetakesitawayfromthem。Theydon\'tcomplain：theydon\'tcryandsayit\'scruel。Theyknowit\'stheruleofthegame。
Theyacceptit——andbeginatoncelookingoutforanewsetoffoolsandweaklingstorecoupthemselveson。
That\'sthewaytheCitygoes。\"
Thorpehadconcludedhisphilosophicalremarkswithruminativeslowness。Ashelapsedintosilencenow，hefelltostudyinghisownhandsonthedesk-topbeforehim。
Hestretchedoutthefingers，curvedthemindifferentdegrees，thenclosedthemtightandturnedthebulkyhard-lookingfistsroundforinspectioninvaryingaspects。
\"That\'sthekindofhand，\"hebeganagain，thoughtfully，\"thatbreakstheJewinthelongrun，ifthere\'sonlygritenoughbehindit。IusedtowatchthoseJews\'
hands，ayearago，whenIwasdiningandwiningthem。
They\'reallthinandwiryandfullofveins。Theirfingersareneverstill；theytwistroundandkeepstirringlikealobster\'sfeelers。Butthereaintanyrealstrengthin\'em。Theygetholdofmostofthethingsthataregoing，becausethey\'reeternallyonthemove。
It\'stheirhellishindustryandactivitythatgivesthemsuchapull，andmakesmostpeopleafraidofthem。
Butwhenahandlikethattakesthembythethroat\"——hehelduphisrighthandashespoke，withthethickuncouthfingersandmassivethumbarchedmenacinglyinapowerfulmusculartension——\"whenTHATtightensroundtheirneck，andtheyfeelthatthegripmeansbusiness——myGod！
whatgoodarethey？\"
Helaughedcontemptuously，andslappedtherelaxedpalmonthedeskwithanoisewhichmadehissisterstart。
Apparentlythediversionrecalledsomethingtohermind。
\"Therewasamaninhereaskingaboutyoutoday，\"
sheremarked，inacasualfashion。\"Saidhewasanoldfriendofyours。\"
\"Oh，yes，everybody\'smy\'oldfriend\'now，\"heobservedwithbeamingindifference。\"I\'malreadygettingheapsofinvitationstodinnersanddancesandallthat。
OnefellowinsistedonbookingmeforEasterforsomesalmonfishinghe\'sgotwaydowninCumberland。
ItoldhimIcouldn\'tcome，butheputmynamedownallthesame。Sayshiswifewillwritetoremindme。
Damnhiswife！Sempletellsmethatwhenoursqueezereallybeginsandtheyrealizethedesperatekindoftrapthey\'rein，they\'llsimplyshowerattentionsofthatsortonme。Hesaysthesocialpressuretheycancommand，foragameofthiskind，issomethingtremendous。
ButI\'mnottobetakeninbyitforasinglepennyworth，d\'yesee？Idinewithnobody！Ifishandshootandgoyachtingwithnobody！JuliaandAlfredandourownhomeinOvingtonSquare——that\'llbegoodenoughforme。
Bytheway——youhaven\'tbeenouttoseeusyet。
We\'reallsettlednow。Youmustcomeatonce——whynotwithme，now？\"
Louisapaidnoheedtothissuggestion。Shehadbeenrummagingamongsomeloosepapersonthetopofthedesk，andshesteppedroundnowtoliftthelidandsearchaboutforsomethinginside。
\"Heleftacardforyou，\"shesaid，asshegropedamongthedesk\'scontents。\"Idon\'tknowwhatIdidwithit。
Hewrotesomethingonit。\"
\"Oh，damnhim，andhiscardtoo，\"Thorpeprotestedeasily。
\"Idon\'twanttoseeeitherofthem。\"
\"HesaidheknewyouinMexico。Hesaidyou\'dhaddealingstogether。Heseemedtoactasifyou\'dwanttoseehim——butIdidn\'tknow。Ididn\'ttellhimyouraddress。\"
Thorpehadlistenedtotheseapatheticsentenceswithoutmuchinterest，butthesumoftheirmessageappearedsuddenlytocatchhisattention。Hesatupright，andafteramoment\'sfrowningbrownstudy，lookedsharplyupathissister。
\"Whatwashisname？\"heaskedwithabruptness。
\"Idon\'tintheleastremember，\"shemadeanswer，holdingthedesk-topup，buttemporarilysuspendinghersearch。
\"Hewasalittleman，five-and-fifty，Ishouldthink。
Hehadlonggreyhair——akindofQuaker-lookingman。
Hesaidhesawthenameoverthedoor，andherememberedyourtellinghimyourpeoplewerebooksellers。HeonlygotbackhereinEnglandyesterdayorthedaybefore。
Hesaidhedidn\'tknowwhatyou\'dbeendoingsinceyouleftMexico。Hedidn\'tevenknowwhetheryouwereinEnglandornot！\"
Thorpehadbeenlookingwithabstractedintentnessatasetofgreen-boundcheapBritishpoetsjustatonesideofhissister\'shead。\"Youmustfindthatcard！\"
hetoldhernow，withavagueseverityinhisvoice。
\"Iknowthenamewellenough，butIwanttoseewhathe\'swritten。Wasithisaddress，doyouremember？ThenameitselfwasTavender，wasn\'tit？GoodGod！Whyisitawomanneverknowswhereshe\'sputanything？EvenJuliaspendshourslookingforbutton-hooksorcorkscrewsorsomethingofthatsort，everydayofherlife！They\'vegotnothingintheworldtodoexceptknowwherethingsare，rightundertheirnose，andyetthat\'sjustwhattheydon\'tknowatall！\"
\"Oh，Ihaveagoodfewotherthingstodo，\"sheremindedhim，asshefumbledagaininsidetheobscurityofthedesk。
\"Icanputmyhandonanyoneoffourthousandbooksinstock，\"shemildlyboastedoverhershoulder，\"andthat\'ssomethingyouneverlearnedtodo。AndIcantellifasinglebookismissing——andIwouldn\'ttrustanyshopmanIeverknewtodothat。\"
\"Ohofcourse，you\'reanexception，\"headmitted，underasenseofjustice。\"ButIwishyou\'dfindthecard。\"
\"Iknowwhereitis，\"shesuddenlyannounced，andforthwithclosedthedesk。Movingoffintotheremoterrecessesofthecrowdedinterior，shereturnedtothelightwiththebitofpasteboardinherhand。
\"I\'dstuckitinthelittlemirroroverthewashstand，\"
sheexplained。
Healmostsnatcheditfromher，andstoodupthebettertoexamineitunderthegas-light。\"WhereisMontagueStreet？\"
heasked，withroughdirectness。
\"InBloomsbury——alongsidetheMuseum。That\'soneMontagueStreet——Idon\'tknowhowmanyotherstheremaybe。\"
Thorpehadalreadytakenuphisumbrellaandwasbuttoninghiscoat。\"Yes——Bloomsbury，\"hesaidhurriedly。
\"Thatwouldbehisform。Andyousayheknewnothingaboutmymovementsorwhereabouts——nothingabouttheCompany，eh？\"Helookedathiswatchashespoke。
Evidentlythepresenceofthisstrangerhadexcitedhimagooddeal。
\"No，\"sheassuredhim，reflectively；\"no，I\'msurehedidn\'t。Fromwhathesaid，hedoesn\'tknowhiswayaboutLondonverywell，oranywhereelse，forthatmatter，Ishouldsay。\"
Thorpenodded，andputhisfingertohisforeheadwithameaninglook。\"No——he\'sashadeoffintheupperstory，\"
hetoldherinaconfidentialtone。\"Still，it\'simportantthatIshouldseehim，\"——andwithonlyahastyhand-shakehebustledoutoftheshop。
Bythelightofthestreetlampopposite，shecouldseehimonthepavement，inthepeltingrain，vehementlysignallingwithhisumbrellaforacab。