Thorperesumed。\"Idon\'twantyoutosufferbythisunlooked-forchangeintheshapeofthings。Youholdtwothousandshares——onlybyaccidentthey\'rethewrongkindofshares。Verywell：I\'llmakethemtherightkindofshares。I\'llhaveatransfersenttoyoutomorrow，sothatyoucanreturnthosevendor\'ssharestome，andinexchangeforthemI\'llgiveyoutwothousandfully-paidordinaryshares。Youcanselltheseatonce，ifyoulike，oryoucanholdthemonoveronemoresettlement，whicheveryouplease。\"
\"Thisisverymunificent，\"remarkedLordChaldon，afteraninstant\'sself-communion。Histonewasextremelygracious，buthedisplayednoneoftheenthusiasticexcitementwhichThorpeperceivednowthathehadlookedfor。
TheequanimityofMarquises，whowerealsoex-Ambassadors，wasevidentlyadeeper-rootedaffairthanhehadsupposed。
Thiselderlyandurbanediplomattookagiftofthirtythousandpoundsashemighthaveacceptedasuperiorcigar。
Abriefpauseensued，andwasendedbyanotherremarkfromthenobleman：\"Ithoughtforthemomentofaskingyouradvice——onthisquestionofselling，\"hecontinued。
\"Butitwillbeputmoreappropriately，perhaps，inthisway：Letmeleaveitentirelyinyourhands。Whateveryoudowillberight。Iknowsolittleofthesethings——andyouknowsomuch。\"
Thorpeputouthislipsatrifle，andlookedawayforaninstantinfrowningabstraction。\"Ifitwereputinthatway——IthinkIshouldsell，\"hesaid。
\"It\'sallrightformetotakelongchances——it\'smygame——butthere\'snoreasonwhyyoushouldriskthings。
Butletmeputitinstillanotherway，\"headded，withthepassinggleamofanewthoughtoverthedullsurfaceofhiseye。\"Whatdoyousaytoourmakingthetransactionstrictlybetweenourselves？Herearesharestobearer，inthesafethere。Isaythattwothousandofthemareyours：thatmakesthemyours。
Igiveyoumychequeforthirtythousandpounds——here，now，ifyoulike——andthatmakesthemmineagain。
Thebusinessisfinishedanddonewith——insidethisroom。
Neitherofusistosayanythingaboutittoasoul。
Doesthatmeetyourviews？\"
Thediplomatponderedtheproposition——againwithalengthenedperturbationoftheeyelids。\"Itwouldbepossibletosuggestavarietyofobjections，ifonewereofasophisticalturnofmind，\"hesaidatlast，smilinglyreflective。
\"YetIseenoreallyinsuperableobstacleinthepath。\"
Hethoughtuponitfurther，andwentonwithanenquiringupwardglancedirectedsuddenlyatThorpe：\"Istherelikelytobeanyveryunpleasanthubbubinthepress——whenitisknownthattheannualmeetinghasbeenpostponed？\"
Thorpeshookhisheadwithconfidence。\"No——youneedhavenofearofthat。Thepressisallright。It\'sthetalkoftheCity，I\'mtold——thewayI\'vemanagedthepress。
Itisn\'toftenthatamanhasallthreeofthepaperswalkingthesamechalk-line。\"
TheMarquisconsideredtheseremarkswithapuzzledair。
Thenhesmiledfaintly。\"I\'mafraidwe\'respeakingofdifferentthings，\"hesuggested。\"Apparentlyyourefertothefinancialpapers。Ihadscarcelygiventhemathought。
ItdoesnotseemtomethatIshouldmindparticularlywhattheysaidaboutme——butIshouldcareagreatdealabouttheotherpress——thegreatpublicpress。\"
\"Oh，whatdotheyknowaboutthesethings？\"saidThorpe，lightly。
\"SofarasIcansee，theydon\'tknowaboutanything，unlessitgetsintothepolicecourt，orthedivorcecourt，oracourtofsomekind。They\'rethefunniestsortofpapersIeversaw。Seemsasiftheydidn\'tthinkanythingwassafetobeprinteduntilithadbeenswornto。
WhyanybodyshouldbeafraidofthemismorethanIcansee。\"
\"Nevertheless，\"persistedhisLordship，blandly，\"IshouldgreatlydislikeanypublicdiscussionofourCompany\'saffairs。
Ihopeitisquiteclearthatthatcanbeavoided。\"
\"Absolutely！\"Thorpetoldhim，withreassuringenergy。
\"Why，discussionsdon\'tmakethemselves。Somebodyhastokickbeforeanythinggetsdiscussed。Andwhoistokickhere？Thepublicwhoholdthesharesarenotlikelytocomplainbecausethey\'vegoneupfifteenhundredortwothousandpercent。AndwhoelsehasanyinterestinwhattheCompany，asaCompany，does？\"
\"Ah，thatisaquestionwhichhasoccurredtome，\"saidLordChaldon，\"andIshallbegladifitisalreadyanswered。
Theonlypeoplelikelyto\'kick，\'asyouputitsosimply，wouldbe，Itakeit，DirectorsandotherofficersoftheCompanywhofindthemselvesholdingaclassofshareswhichdoesnotparticipateinthepresentrise。Ispeakwithsomeconfidence——becauseIwasinthatpositionmyselfuntilafewminutesago——andIdon\'tmindconfessingthatIhadbroughtmyselftocontemplatethecontingencyofultimatelybeingcompelledto——to\'kick\'alittle。
Ofcourse，sofarasIamconcerned，eventshaveputmeinadiametricallydifferentframeofmind。IfIcameprepared——Iwon\'tsaytocurse，butto——tocriticize——I
certainlyremaintobless。Butyouseemypoint。
IofcoursedonotknowwhatyouhavedoneasregardstheothermembersoftheBoard。\"
\"Idon\'tcareaboutthem，\"saidThorpe，carelessly。\"YouaretheonethatIwishedtobringinontheground-floor。
Theothersdon\'tmatter。Ofcourse，Ishalldosomethingforthem；theyshan\'tbeallowedtomaketrouble——evensupposingthatitwouldbeintheirpowertomaketrouble，whichisn\'tthecase。Butitwon\'tbedonebyanymeansonthesamescalethat——\"hepausedabruptly，andthetwomentacitlycompletedhissentenceintheglancetheyexchanged。
TheMarquisofChaldonrose，andtookuphishatandstick。
\"Ifyouwillpostittome——inaregisteredletter——mytownhouse——please，\"heremarked，withacharminglydelicatehesitationoverthephrases。Thenheputouthishand：\"I
neednotsayhowfullyIappreciateyourgreatkindnesstomyoldfriendFromentin。Itwasanobleaction——oneIshallalwaysreflectuponwithadmiration。\"
\"Ihopeyouwon\'tmentionit，though，\"saidThorpe，astheyshookhands；\"eitherthator——oranythingelse。\"
\"Ishallpreservethemostguarded——themostdiplomaticsecrecy，\"
hisLordshipassuredhim，astheywalkedtowardthedoor。
Thorpeopenedthisdoor，andsteppedaside，withahalfbow，tofacilitatetheexitoftheMarquis，whobentgraciousacknowledgmentofthecourtesy。Then，withanabruptstartofsurprise，thetwomenstraightenedthemselves。
Directlyinfrontofthem，leaninglightlyagainstthebrass-railwhichguardedtheentrancetotheBoardRoom，stoodLordPlowden。
Acertainsenseofconfusion，unwelcomebutinevitable，visiblyenvelopedthischancemeeting。TheMarquisblinkedveryhardasheexchangedafleetinghand-shakewiththeyoungernobleman，andmurmuredsomeindistinguishablecommonplaces。Then，withagracefulcelerity，whichwasmorethandiplomatic，hedisappeared。Thorpe，withmoredifficulty，recoveredasortofstolidityofexpressionthatmightpassforcomposure。Heinturngavehishandtothenewcomer，andnoddedtohim，andachievedadoubtfulsmile。
\"Comein！\"hesaid，haltingly。\"Wheredidyoudropfrom？
Gladtoseeyou！Howareallyourpeople？\"
AmomentlatertheyoungViscountwasseatedinthechairwhichtheelderlyMarquishadvacated。Hepresentedthereinafigurewhich，initsway，wasperhapsascourtlyastheotherhadbeen——butthewaywaswidelydifferent。
LordPlowden\'sfine，litheformexpressednodeferenceinitseasypostures。Hishandsomefacewasatnopainstoassumeconciliatoryoringratiatingaspects。
Hisbrilliantbrowneyessparkledaconfident，buoyantgazefullintotheheavy，lethargiccountenanceofthebigmanatthedesk。
\"Ihaven\'tbotheredyoubefore，\"hesaid，tossinghisglovesintohishat，andspreadinghisfrock-coatoutbyitssilklapels。Hecrossedhislegs，andsatbackwithacomfortablesmile。\"Iknewyouwereawfullybusy——andIkeptawayaslongasIcould。
Butnow——well，thetruthis——I\'minratherofahole。
Ihopeyoudon\'tmindmycoming。\"
\"Whynotatall，\"saidThorpe，laconically。Afteramomentarypauseheadded：\"TheMarquishasjustbeenconsultingmeaboutthepostponementoftheannualmeeting。Isupposeyouagreewithus——thatitwouldbebettertoputitoff。
There\'sreallynothingtoreport。Ofcourse，youknowmoreaboutthesituationthanhedoes——betweenourselves。
Theshareholdersdon\'twantameeting；it\'senoughforthemthattheirsharesareworthfifteenortwentytimeswhattheypaidforthem。AndcertainlyWEdon\'tneedameeting，asthingsstandnow。\"
\"Ahyes——howdothingsstandnow？\"askedLordPlowden，briskly。
\"Well，\"——Thorpeeyedhisvisitorwithamoodyblanknessofgaze，hischinoncemoreburiedinhiscollar——\"well，everythingisgoingallright，asfarasIcansee。
But，ofcourse，thesedealingsinoursharesintheCityhavetakenupallmytime——sothatIhaven\'tbeenabletogiveanyattentiontostartingupworkinMexico。
Thatbeingthecase，Ishallarrangetofootallthebillsforthisyear\'sexpenses——therent，theDirectors\'
feesandclerk-hireandsoon——outofmyownpocket。
Itcomes，alltold，toabout2，700pounds——withoutcountingmyextra1，000poundsasManagingDirector。
Idon\'tproposetoaskforapennyofthat，underthecircumstances——andI\'llevenpaytheotherexpenses。
SothattheCompanyisn\'tlosingapennybyournotgettingtoworkatthedevelopmentoftheproperty。
Noonecouldaskanythingfairerthanthat——Andareyourmotherandsisterquitewell？\"
\"Oh，verywellindeed，thanks，\"repliedtheother。Herelapsedabruptlyintoasilencewhichwasplainlypreoccupied。
Somethingoftheradiantcheerfulnesswithwhichhisfacehadbeamedseemedtohavefadedaway。
\"I\'mintreatyforahouseandamoorintheHighlands\"——Thorpewenton，inacasualtone——\"infact，I\'mhesitatingbetweenthreeorfourplacesthatallseemtobeprettygood——butI
don\'tknowwhetherIcangetawaymuchbeforethetwentieth。
IhopeyoucancontrivetocomewhileI\'mthere。
Ishouldlikeitverymuchifyouwouldbringyourmotherandsister——andyourbrothertoo。Ihaveanephewabouthisage——afineyoungfellow——who\'dbecompanyforhim。
Whycan\'tyousaynowthatyou\'llallcome？\"
LordPlowdenemergedfromhisbrownstudywiththegleamofsomenewideaonhisface。\"Imightbringmysister，\"
hesaid。\"MymotherhatesScotland。Shedoesn\'tgoabout，either，eveninEngland。ButIdaresayWinniewouldenjoyitimmensely。Shehasagreatopinionofyou，youknow。\"
\"Ionlysawherthatonce，\"Thorperemarked。
Somethoughtbehindhiswordslentamusingeffecttothetoneinwhichtheywereuttered。Thebrother\'scontemplativesmileseemedacommentuponthistone。
\"Womenarecuriouscreatures，\"hesaid。\"Theytakefanciesanddislikesasswiftlyandirresponsiblyascloud-shadowsshiftandchangeonamountain-sideinApril。ButI
happentoknowthatmysisterdoeslikeyouimmensely。
Sodoesmymother，\"headded，withanotherlittlesmile。
HecontinuedtoregardThorpe\'sface，buttherewasanincreasinguncertaintyinhisglance。\"You\'veputonflesh，haven\'tyou？\"heventured，afterabriefpause。
Therewastheimplicationinhisvoiceandmannerthatheobservedchangeswhichdisconcertedhim。
\"Notmuch，Iguess，\"repliedtheother，carelessly。
\"I\'vebeenstickingtotheCityprettyclosely。That\'sall。
There\'snothingthatafortnight\'srestwon\'tputright。
Ishouldlikeitfirst-ratetohaveyouandyoursistercome。
I\'llletyouknowwhichplaceIdecideupon。Verylikelyyoucanmanagetobringheratthesametimethatsomeotherladieswillbethere。IexpectLadyCressageandMissMadden，youknow。\"
LordPlowdenstaredathisfriend。\"Aretheyback？HavetheyreturnedtoEngland？\"heasked，confusedly。
\"Oh，didn\'tyouknow？\"Thorpepursued，withanaccessionofamiability。Hevisiblyhadpleasureinthedisclosureoftheother\'signorance。\"They\'vebeeninLondonfortwoorthreeweeks。Thatis，MissMaddenhasbeentakingflyingtripstoseecathedralsandsoon，butLadyCressagehasstayedintown。Theirlongjourneyingshaveratherdoneherup。\"HelookedPlowdenstraightintheeye，andaddedwithanairofdeliberation：\"I\'mratheranxiousaboutherhealth。\"
Thenoblemanfranklyabandonedhiseffortstomaintainanundisturbedfront。\"You——are——anxious，\"herepeated，frowningindispleasedwonderment。
\"Whyyes——whynot？\"demandedThorpe，withasuddengrowlinhisvoice。AshecoveredthehandsomeViscountwithhisheavy，intentgaze，impulsesofwrathstirredwithinhim。Whyshouldthisfopofalordlingputonthisairofcontemptuousincredulity？\"Whatistheresoamazingaboutthat？Whyshouldn\'tIbeanxious？\"
Theperemptoryharshnessofhismanner，andthescowlonhisbig，loweringface，broughtasortofself-
controlbacktotheother。Heshruggedhisshoulders，withanattemptatnonchalance。\"Whynotindeed！\"
hesaid，aslightlyashecould。Withhandsonknees，hebentforwardasiftorise。\"ButperhapsI\'dbettercomeinanotherday，\"hesuggested，tentatively。
\"I\'minterruptingyou。\"
\"No——sitstill，\"Thorpebadehim，andthen，withchinsettledmoredeterminedlythaneverinhiscravat，sateyeinghiminalong，doursilence。
LordPlowdenfounditimpossibletoobtainfromthismassive，apatheticvisageanycluetothethoughtsworkingbehindit。
HechancedtorecallthetimewhenhehaddiscussedwithThorpethemeaningandvaluesofthisinscrutableexpressionwhichthelatter\'scountenancecouldassume。
Ithadseemedinterestingandevenadmirabletohimthen——butthenhehadnotforeseenthepossibilitythathehimselfmightsomedayconfrontitsadamantinebarrierwithasinkingheart。Allatoncehecouldbearthisimplacablesphinx-gazenolonger。
\"I\'msuresomeotherdaywouldbebetter，\"heurged，withanopenoverturetopropitiationinhistone。
\"You\'renotinthemoodtobebotheredwithmyaffairstoday。\"
\"Asmuchtodayasanyother，\"Thorpeansweredhim，slowly。
Theothersatsuddenlyupright——andthenuponamoment\'sreflectionrosetohisfeet。\"Idon\'tintheleastknowwhattomakeofallthis，\"hesaid，withnervousprecipitancy。
\"IfI\'veoffendedyouinanyway，sayso，andIwillapologizeatonce。Buttreatmentofthissortpassesmycomprehension。\"
Thorpeintruthdidnothimselfcomprehenditmuchmoreclearly。Somestrangefreakofwilfulnessimpelledhimtopursuethisunintelligiblepersecution。
\"I\'vesaidnothingaboutanyoffense，\"hedeclared，inahard，deliberatevoice。\"Itisyourownword。
Allthesame——Imentionthenameofalady——alady，mindyou，whomImetunderyourownroof——andyoustrikeattitudesandputonairsasif——asifIwasn\'tgoodenough！\"
\"Oh，uponmyword，that\'sallrubbish！\"theotherbrokein。
\"Nothingcouldhavebeenfurtherfrommythoughts，Iassureyou。QuitenaturallyIwassurprisedforthemomentatabitofunexpectednews——butthatwasall。
Igiveyoumywordthatwasall。\"
\"Verywell，then，\"Thorpeconsentedgrudginglytomutter。
Hecontinuedhissullenscrutinyofthemanstandingbeforehim，notinghowthevivacityofhisbearinghaddeterioratedinthesefewminutes。Hehadcutsuchagallantfigurewhenheenteredtheroom，withhissparklingeyeandsmile，hisalmostjauntymanner，hissuperiortailor\'splumage——andnowhewassuchacrestfallenandwiltedthing！
Rememberingtheirlastconversationtogether——rememberingindeedhowfulloflikingforthisyoungnoblemanhehadbeenwhentheylastmet——Thorpepausedtowonderatthefactthathefeltnoatomofpityforhimnow。
Whatwashisgrievance？WhathadPlowdendonetoprovokethissavagehostility？Thorpecouldnottell。Heknewonlythatunnamedforcesdraggedhimforwardtohurtandhumiliatehisformerfriend。Obscurely，nodoubt，therewassomethingaboutawomaninit。PlowdenhadbeenanadmirerofLadyCressage。Therewasherfather\'swordforitthatiftherehadbeenmoneyenoughhewouldhavewishedtomarryher。Therehadbeen，aswell，theGeneral\'shintthatifthedifficultyofPlowden\'spovertywereremoved，hemightstillwishtomarryher——ahintwhichThorpediscoveredtoberanklingwithasuddennewsorenessinhismind。WasthatwhyhehatedPlowden？No——hesaidtohimselfthatitwasnot。
HewasgoingtomarryLadyCressagehimself。Herletter，signifyingdelicatelyherassenttohisproposal，hadcometohimthatverymorning——wasinhispocketnow。
Whatdidhecareaboutthebye-goneaspirationsofotherwould-besuitors？And，asforPlowden，hehadnotevenknownofherreturntoLondon。Clearlythereremainednocommunicationsofanysortbetweenthem。
Itwasnotatallonheraccount，heassuredhimself，thathehadturnedagainstPlowden。Butwhatotherreasoncouldtherebe？Heobservedhisvisitor\'sperturbedanddejectedmienwithagrimkindofsatisfaction——butstillhecouldnottellwhy。
\"Thisisallterriblyimportanttome，\"thenoblemansaid，breakingtheunpleasantsilence。Hisvoicewassurchargedwithearnestness。\"Apparentlyyouareannoyedwithsomething——whatitmaybeIcan\'tforthelifeofmemakeout。
AllIcansayis\"——andhebrokeoffwithahelplessgesturewhichseemedtoimplythathefearedtosayanything。
Thorpeputouthislips。\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean，\"
hesaid，brusquely。
\"WhatImean\"——theotherechoed，withbewilderedvaguenessofglance。\"I\'mallatsea。Idon\'tintheleastgraspthemeaningofanything。Youyourselfvolunteeredthedeclarationthatyouwoulddogreatthingsforme。
\'Wearerichmentogether\'——thosewereyourownwords。
Iurgedyouatthetimetogoslowly——toconsidercarefullywhetheryouweren\'tbeingtoogenerous。Imyselfsaidtoyouthatyouwereridiculouslyexaggeratingwhatyoucalledyourobligationtome。Itwasyouwhoinsisteduponpresentingmewith100，000shares。\"
\"Well，theyareherereadyforyou，\"saidThorpe，withcalculatedcoldness。\"Youcanhavethemwheneveryouplease。Ipromisedthemtoyou，andsetthemasideforyou。Youcantakethemawaywithyounow，ifyoulike。Whatareyoukickingupthisfussfor，then？Uponmyword！——youcomehereandsuggesttomethatImadepromisestoyouwhichI\'vebroken！\"
Plowdenlookedhardathim，asheturnedoverinhismindthepurportofthesewords。\"Iseewhatyouaredoing，\"
hesaidthen。\"Youturnovertome100，000vendor\'sdeferredshares。Thanks！Ihavealready1，000ofthem。
Ikeeptheminthesameboxwithmyfather\'sConfederatebonds。\"
\"Whatthehelldoyoumean？\"Thorpebrokeinwithexplosivewarmth，liftinghimselfinhischair。
\"Oh，comenow，Thorpe，\"Plowdenretorted，\"let\'sgetthistalkonanintelligent，common-sensefooting。\"
Hehadregainedsomethingofhisself-control，andkeenlyputforwardnowtohelphimallhispersuasivegracesofeyeandspeech。Heseatedhimselfoncemore。
\"I\'mconvincedthatyouwanttobegoodtome。
Ofcourseyoudo！IfI\'veseemedhereforaminuteortwotothinkotherwise，itwasbecauseImisunderstoodthings。
Don\'tlettherebeanyfurthermisunderstandings！Iapologizefordoingyouthemomentaryinjusticeofsuspectingthatyouweregoingtoplayoffthevendor\'ssharesonme。
Ofcourseyousaidit——butitwasajoke。\"
\"Thereseemstobeajokesomewhere，sureenough，\"
saidThorpe，indrylymetallictones——\"butitisn\'tmewho\'sthejoker。Itoldyouyoushouldhave100，000
ofmy400，000shares，didn\'tI？Itoldyouthatinsomanywords。Verywell，whatmoredoyouwant？Heretheyareforyou！Ikeepmypromisetotheletter。
Butyou——youseemtothinkyou\'reentitledtomakearow。
Whatdoyoumeanbyit？\"
\"Justalittleword\"——interposedPlowden，withstrenuouscalmnessofutterance——\"whatyousaymaybetrueenough——yes，Iadmititistrueasfarasitgoes。
Butwasthatwhateitherofushadinourmindsatthetime？
Youknowitwasn\'t！YouhadjustplannedacoupontheStockExchangewhichpromisedyouimmenserewards。IhelpedyoutopassabogusallotmentthroughourBoard——withoutwhichyourcoupwouldn\'thavebeenworthafarthing。
Youwereenthusiasticallygratefultomethen。Intheexcitementofthemomentyoupromisedmeaquarterofallyoushouldmake。\'WEAREBOTHRICHMEN！\'Irememberthoseverywordsofyours。Theyhaveneverbeenoutofmymind。
Wediscussedthethingsthatwewouldeachdo，whenwecameintothiswealth。Itwastakenforgrantedinallourtalkthatyourmakingmoneymeantalsomymakingmoney。
Thatwasthecompleteunderstanding——hereinLondon，andwhileyouwereatmyhouse。YouknowitaswellasIdo。
AndIrefusetosupposethatyouseriouslyintendtositthereandpretendthatyoumeanttogivemenothingbutanarmfulofwastepaper。Itwouldbetoomonstrous！\"
Thorperappedwithhisnailsonthedesk，topointtheforceofhisrejoinder：\"Howdoyouaccountforthefact，myLord\"——hegavehiswordsachillinglyscornfulprecisionofutterance——\"thatIdistinctlymentioned400，000vendor\'ssharesofmine，100，000ofwhichIpromisedtoturnovertoyou？Thosewerethespecificterms，weretheynot？Youdon\'tdenyit？Thenwhatareyoutalkingabout？\"
\"Iaccountforitinthisway\"——saidPlowden，afteramoment\'sbaffledreflection：\"atthattimeyouyourselfhadn\'tgraspedthedifferencebetweenthetwoclassesofshares。
Youthoughtthevendor\'sshareswouldplayapartinthegame。Ah！IseeI\'vehitthemark！Thatwasthewayofit！——Andnowhere，Thorpe！Letallthat\'sbeensaidbebye-gones！Idon\'twantanyverbaltriumphoveryou。
Youdon\'twanttowrongme——andyourselftoo——bystickingtothisquibbleaboutvendor\'sshares。Youintendedtobedeucedgoodtome——andwhathaveIdonethatyoushouldroundonmenow？Ihaven\'tbotheredyoubefore。
Icametodayonlybecausethingsareparticularlyrotten，financially，justnow。AndIdon\'tevenwanttoholdyoutoaquarter——Ileavethatentirelytoyou。
Butafterallthat\'sbeensaidanddone——Iputittoyouasonemantoanother——youaremorallyboundtohelpmeout。\"
\"Howdoyoumean？——\'allthat\'sbeensaidanddone\'？\"
Thorpeaskedthequestioninsomeconfusionofmoods。
PerhapsitwastheethicalforceofLordPlowden\'sappeal，perhapsonlyarecurringsenseofhisearlieraffectionfortheman——butforthemomenthewaveredinhispurpose。
Thepeerflushedalittle，ashelookedatthefloor，revolvingpossibleanswerstothisquery。HisearhadbeenquicktoseizethenoteofhesitationinThorpe\'stone。
Hestroveanxiouslytogettogetherconsiderationswhichshouldtiptheflutteringbalancedefinitelyhisway。
\"Well，\"hebeganslowly，\"Ihardlyknowhowtoputit。
Ofcoursetherewas，inthefirstplace，theimmenseexpectationoffortunewhichyougaveme，andwhichI\'mafraidI\'vemorethanlivedupto。Andthen，ofcourse，otherssharedmyexpectations。Itwasn\'tathingonecouldverywellkeeptooneself。Mymotherandmysister——especiallymysister——theywerewonderfullyexcitedaboutit。Youarequitetheherointheireyes。
Andthen——yourememberthattalkwehad，inwhichyousaidIcouldhelpyou——socially，youknow。Ididitalittle，justasastart，butofcoursethere\'snoendtowhatcouldbedone。You\'vebeentoobusyheretofore，butwecanbeginnowwheneveryoulike。Idon\'tmindtellingyou——I\'vehadsomethoughtsofapossiblemarriageforyou。
Inpointofbloodandconnectionsitwouldbesuchamatchasacommonerhasn\'tmadebeforeinmymemory——ahighly-
cultivatedandhighly-bredyoungladyofrank——andsettlementscouldbemadesothataconsiderablequantityoflandwouldeventuallycometoyourson。Ineedn\'ttellyouthatlandstandsformuchmorethanmoney，ifyouhappentosetyourmindonabaronetcyorapeerage。
Ofcourse——Ineedscarcelysay——Imentionthismarriageonlyassomethingwhichmayormaynotattractyou，——itisquiteopentoyoutopreferanother，——butthereishardlyanythingofthatsortinwhichIandmyconnectionscouldnotbeofusetoyou。\"
Evenmorebythetoneandinflectionofthesewordsthanbythephrasesthemselves，ThorpedivinedthathewasbeingofferedthehandoftheHon。WinifredPlowdeninmarriage。
Herecalledvividlythefactthatoncetheshadowofsomesuchthoughthadfloatedthroughhisownbrain；
therehadbeenamoment——itseemedcuriouslyremote，likeadream-phantomfromsomepreviousstateofexistence——whenhehaddweltwithpersonalinterestuponherinheritancefromlonglinesofnoblemen，andherrelationtohalfthepeerage。Then，swiftly，illogically，hedislikedthebrotherofthisladymorethanever。
\"Allthatistalkingintheair，\"hesaid，withabruptdecision。\"Iseenothinginit。Youshallhaveyourvendor\'sshares，preciselyasIpromisedyou。
Idon\'tseehowyoucanpossiblyaskforanythingmore。\"
Helookedattheother\'sdarklingfaceforamoment，andthenrosewithunwieldydeliberation。\"Ifyou\'resohardupthough，\"hecontinued，coldly，\"Idon\'tminddoingthismuchforyou。I\'llexchangethethousandvendor\'ssharesyoualreadyholdtheonesIgaveyoutoqualifyyouatthebeginning——forordinaryshares。
Youcansellthoseforfifteenthousandpoundscash。
Infact，I\'llbuythemofyounow。I\'llgiveyouachequefortheamount。Doyouwantit？\"
LordPlowden，red-facedandfrowning，hesitatedforafractionoftime。Theninconstrainedsilencehenodded，andThorpe，leaningponderouslyoverthedesk，wroteoutthecheque。HisLordshiptookit，foldeditup，andputitinhispocketwithoutimmediatecomment。
\"Thenthisistheendofthings，isit？\"heasked，afteranawkwardsilence，inavoicehestroveinvaintokeepfromshaking。
\"Whatthings？\"saidtheother。
Plowdenshruggedhisshoulders，framedhislipstouttersomethingwhichhedecidednottosay，andatlastturnedonhisheel。\"Goodday，\"hecalledoutoverhisshoulder，andlefttheroomwithaflagrantairofhostility。
Thorpe，wanderingabouttheapartment，stoppedafteratimeatthecabinet，andhelpedhimselftoadrink。
Thethingmostapparenttohimwasthatofsetpurposehehadconvertedafriendintoanenemy。Whyhadhedonethis？Heaskedhimselfthequestioninvaryingforms，overhisbrandyandsoda，butnoconvincinganswercame。
Hehaddoneitbecausehehadfeltlikedoingit。Itwasimpossibletotracemotivesfurtherthanthat。
CHAPTERXVIII
\"EDITHwillbedowninaveryfewmoments，\"MissMaddenassuredThorpethatevening，whenheenteredthedrawing-roomofthehouseshehadtakeninGraftonStreet。
Helookedintohereyesandsmiled，ashebowedoverthehandsheextendedtohim。Hisglanceexpressedwithforcefuldirectnesshisthought：\"Ah，thenshehastoldyou！\"
Thecomplacentconsciousnessofproducingafineeffectinevening-clotheshadgiventoMr。StormontThorpehabituallynowamildnessofmanner，afterthedressinghour，whichwaslackingtohisdeportmentintheday-time。
Theconventionalattireofceremony，juggledinthehandsofaninspiredtailor，hadbeenbroughttolendtohisponderousfigureadignity，andevensomethingofagrace，whichthemanwithinassimilatedandmadehisown。
ItwasanequableandratheramiableThorpewhompeopleencounteredafternightfall——agentlemanwholookedimpressiveenoughtohavepowerfulperformancesbelievedofhim，yetseemedwithalanapproachableandeasy-goingperson。
Menwhosawhimatmidnightorlaterspokeofhimtotheirwomenkindwithacertainsignificantreserve，inwhichtrainedwomankindreadthesuggestionthatthe\"RubberKing\"
drankagooddeal，andwasprobablynotwhollyniceinhiscups。
This，however，couldnotbesaidtorenderhimlessinterestinginanyeyes。Therewasindeedaboutittheimplicationofagenerousnature，orattheleastofablindside——anditisnotunpleasanttodiscovertheseattributesinanewmanwhohasmadehishalf-million，andhas，ormayhave，countlessfavourstobestow。
Itwasasifhistongueinsteadofhiseyeshadutteredtheexclamation——\"Ah，thenshehastoldyou！\"——forMissMaddentookitashavingbeenspoken。\"I\'mnotdisposedtopretendthatI\'moverjoyedaboutit，youknow，\"
shesaidtohimbluntly，astheirhandsdropped，andtheystoodfacingeachother。\"IfIsaidIcongratulatedyou，itwouldbeonlytheemptiestform。AndIhateemptyforms。\"
\"WhyshouldyouthinkthatIwon\'tmakeagoodhusband？\"
Thorpeaskedthequestionwithagood-naturedifperemptoryfranknesswhichcamemostreadilytohiminthepresenceofthisAmericanlady，herselfsooutspokenandmasterful。
\"Idon\'tknowthatIspeciallydoubtit，\"shereplied。
\"Isupposeanymanhasinhimthemakingsofwhatiscalledagoodhusband——iftheconditionsaresufficientlypropitious。\"
\"Wellthen——what\'sthematterwiththeconditions？\"
hedemanded，jocosely。
MissMaddenshruggedhershouldersslightly。Thorpenotedthesomewhatluxuriantcurvesofthesesplendidshoulders，andthecreamywhitenessoftheskin，uponwhich，roundthefullthroat，achainofdiamondslayasuponsatin——andrecalledthathehadnotseenherbeforeinwhathephrasedtohimselfassomuchlow-neckeddress。
Thedeepfire-gleaminherbroadplaitsofhairgaveawonderfulbrilliancytothiscolouringofbrowandthroatandbosom。Hemarvelledathimselffordiscoveringonlynowthatshealsowasbeautiful——andthenthrilledwithprideatthethoughtthathenceforthhislifemightbepassedaltogetheramongbeautifulwomen，radiantingemsandcostlyfabrics，whowouldsmileuponhimathiscommand。
\"Oh，Ihavenowishtobeakill-joy，\"sheprotested。
\"I\'msureIhopeallmannerofgoodresultsfromthe——
theexperiment。\"
\"Isupposethat\'swhatitcomesto，\"hesaid，meditatively。
\"It\'sallanexperiment。Everymarriageintheworldmustbethat——neithermorenorless。\"
\"Withalltheexperienceoftheagesagainstitscomingoutright。\"Shehadturnedtomovetowardachair，butlookednowoverhershoulderathim。\"Haveyoueverseenwhatseemedtoyouanabsolutelyhappymarriageinyourlife？\"
Uponreflectionheshookhishead。\"Idon\'trecalloneonthespuroftheminute，\"heconfessed。
\"Notthekind，Imean，thatyoureadaboutinbooks。
ButI\'veseenplentywherethecouplegotalongtogetherinagood，easy，comfortablesortofway，withoutanotionofanysortofunpleasantness。It\'speoplewhomarrytooyoungwhodomostofthefighting，Iimagine。
Afterpeoplehavegottoasensibleage，andknowwhattheywantandwhattheycangetalongwithout，whythenthere\'snoreasonforanytrouble。Wedon\'tstartoutwithanyschool-boyandschool-girlmoonshine\"
\"Oh，there\'sagooddealtobesaidforthemoonshine，\"
sheinterruptedhim，asshesankuponthesofa。
\"Whycertainly，\"heassented，amiably，ashestoodlookingdownather。\"Themorethereisofit，thebetter——ifitcomesnaturally，andpeopleknowenoughtounderstandthatitismoonshine，andisn\'tthebe-allandend-allofeverything。\"
\"There\'saloverforyou！\"MissMaddencried，withmirthandderisionmingledinherlaugh。
\"Don\'tyouworryaboutme，\"hetoldher。\"I\'magoodenoughlover，allright。Andwhenyoucometothat，ifEdithissatisfied，Idon\'tpreciselyseewhat——\"
\"Whatbusinessitisofmine？\"shefinishedthesentenceforhim。\"You\'reentirelyright。Asyousay，IFshe\'ssatisfied，nooneelsehasanythingtodowithit。\"
\"Buthaveyougotanyrighttoassumethatsheisn\'tsatisfied？\"heaskedherwithswiftdirectness——\"oranyreasonforsupposingit？\"
MissMaddenshookherhead，butthenegationseemedqualifiedbythewhimsicalsmileshegavehim。\"Nonewhatever，\"
shesaid——andontheinstantthetalkwasextinguishedbytheentranceofLadyCressage。
Thorpe\'svisionwasfloodedwiththeperceptionofhisrarefortuneashewenttomeether。Hetookthehandsheoffered，andlookedintothesmileofhergreeting，andcouldsaynothing。Herbeautyhadgatheredtoitnewforcesinhiseyes——forceswhichdazzledandtroubledhisglance。Thethoughtthatthisexquisitebeing——thisineffablecompoundoffeelingandfinenervesandsweetwisdomandwitandloveliness——belongedtohimseemedtoovastforthecapacityofhismind。
Hecouldnotkeephimselffromtremblingalittle，andfromdivertingtoascreenbeyondhershoulderagazewhichhefelttobeovertlydimmedandembarrassed。
\"Ihavekeptyouwaiting，\"shemurmured。
Thesoftsoundofhervoicecametohisearsasfromadistance。Itboreanunfamiliarnote，uponthestrangenessofwhichhedweltforadetachedinstant。Thenitsmeaningbrokeinuponhisconsciousnessfromallsides，andlighteduphisheavyfacewiththeglowofaconqueror\'sself-centredsmile。Hebenthiseyesuponher，andnotedwithacontrolledexaltationhowherglanceinturndeferredtohis，andflutteredbeneathit，andshrankaway。
Hesquaredhisbigshouldersandliftedhishead。
Stillholdingherjewelledhandinhis，heturnedandledhertowardthesofa。Halting，hebowedwithanexaggeratedgenuflectionandflourishofhisfreehandtoMissMadden，thewhileheflashedatheraglanceatonceofchallengeandofdeprecation。Throughthesensitizedcontactoftheotherhand，hefeltthatthewomanheheldbowedalso，andinhisownspiritofconfuseddefianceandentreaty。
Thelaughhegavethenseemedtodispeltheawkwardnesswhichhadmomentarilyhungoverthemockingsalutation。
MissMaddenlaughedtoo。\"Oh，Isurrender，\"shesaid。
\"Youdragcongratulationsfromme。\"
Somequalityinthetoneofthisungraciousspeechhadtheeffectofputtingthepartyatitsease。
LadyCressageseatedherselfbesideherfriendonthesofa，andgently，abstractedly，pattedoneofherhands。
Thorperemainedonhisfeet，lookingdownatthepairwithsatisfiedcheerfulness。Hetool，aslipofpaperfromhispocket，tosupportastatementhewasmaking。
\"I\'mforevertellingyouwhatastraintheCityisonamaninmyposition，\"hesaid——\"andtodayIhadthecuriositytokeepanaccountofwhathappened。Hereitis。
Ihadthirtycallers。Ofthose，howmanydoyousupposecametoseemeonmyownbusiness？Justeight。Thatistosay，theirerrandswereaboutinvestmentsofmine，butmostofthemmanagedtogetinsomewordaboutaxesoftheirowntogrind。Alltherestmadenopretenceatallofthinkingaboutanybodybutthemselves。
I\'veclassifiedthem，onebyone，here。
\"First，thereweresixmenwhowantedmetotakesharesofonesortoranother，andIhadtomoreorlesslistentowhattheytriedtomakeouttheircompanieswerelike。
Theywerenoneofthemanygood。Eightdifferentfellowscametomewithschemesthathaven\'treachedthecompanystage。OnehadaschemeforgettingpossessionofaniggerrepublicintheWestIndiesbyraisingaloan，andthenrepudiatingallthepreviousloans。
Anotherwantedmetobuyapaperforhim，inwhichhewastosupportallmyenterprises。Anotherwantedtostartabank——Iapparentlytofindthemoney，andhethebrains。
Onechapwantedmetofinanceatheatricalsyndicate——hehadabagfullofphotographsofanactressalleyesandteethandhair，——andanotherchaphadaschemeallworkedoutforgettingaconcessionfromSpainforoneoftheCarolineIslands，andputtingupafactorythereformakingporpoise-hideleather。
\"Thentherewerethreeinventors——let\'ssee，heretheyare——onewithacoiledwirespringforscissorsinsideapocket-knife，andonewithabottle，thewholetopofwhichunscrewsinsteadofhavingacorkorstopper，andonewithanelectricalfish-line，afinewireinsidethesilk，youknow，whichconnectswithsomebatterywhenafishbites，andringsabell，andthrowsouthooksinvariousdirections，anddoesallsortsofthings。
\"Wellthen，therewasamanwhowantedmetotakethechairmanshipofacompany，andonewhowantedmetoguaranteeanoverdraftathisbank，andtwowhowantedtoborrowmoneyonstock，andoneparson-fellowwhotriedtostickmeforasubscriptiontosomeHomeorotherhesaidhehadforchildreninthecountry。
Hewastheworstbounderofthelot。
\"Well，there\'stwenty-sevenpeople——andtwentyofthemstrangerstome，andnotworthapennytome，andalltryingtogetmoneyoutofme。Isn\'tthatadog\'slifeforone？\"
\"Idon\'tknow，\"saidMissMadden，contemplatively。
\"Aladymayhavetwicethatnumberofcallersinanafternoon——quiteasgreatstrangerstoallintentsandpurposes——andnotevenhavethesatisfactionofdiscoveringthattheyhadanyobjectwhateverincalling。
Atleastyourpeoplehadsomemotive：thegreymatterintheirbrainwasworking。Andbesides，oneofthemmighthavehadsomethingtosaywhichyouwouldvalue。
Idon\'tthinkthateverhappensamongalady\'scallers；
doesit，Edith？\"
Edithsmiled，pleasantlyandyetalittlewistfully，butsaidnothing。
\"Atanyrate，\"Thorpewenton，withakindofpurposegatheringinhiseyes，\"noneofthosefellowscostmeanything，exceptintime。ButthenIhadthreecallers，almostinabunch，andoneofthemtookoutofmethirtythousandpounds，andanotherfifteenthousandpounds，andthethird——anutterstrangerhewas——hegotanabsolutegratuityoftenthousandpounds，besidesmyconsenttoasalewhich，ifIhadrefusedit，wouldhavestoodmeinperhapsfortyorfiftythousandpoundsmore。
Youladiesmaythankyourstarsyoudon\'thavethatkindofcallers！\"
Thesoundofthesefiguresintheairbroughtaconstrainedlooktothefacesofthewomen。Seeminglytheyconfrontedasubjectwhichwasnottotheirliking。
TheAmerican，however，afteramoment\'spause，tookitupinanindifferentmanner。
\"Youspeakofan\'absolutegratuity。\'IknownothingofLondonCitymethods——butisn\'ttenthousandpoundsagratuityonaratherlargescale？\"
Thorpehesitatedbriefly，thensmiled，and，withslowdeliberation，drewupachairandseatedhimselfbeforethem。\"PerhapsI
don\'tmindtellingyouaboutit，\"hebegan，andpausedagain。
\"Ihadaletterinmymailthismorning，\"hewentonatlast，givingasentimentalsignificancetobothtoneandglance——\"aletterwhichchangedeverythingintheworldforme，andmademetheproudestandhappiestmanaboveground。
AndIputthatletterinmypocket，righthereontheleftside——andit\'stherenow，forthatmatter\"——heputhishandtohisbreast，asifundertheimpulsetoverifyhiswordsbytheproductionofthemissive，andthenstoppedandflushed。
Theladies，watchinghim，seemedbytheireyestocondonethemawkishnessofthedemonstrationwhichhadtemptedhim。
Therewasindeedakindofapprovinginterestintheirjointregard，whichhehadnotexperiencedbefore。
\"Ihaditinmypocket，\"heresumed，withanaccessionofmellowemotioninhisvoice，\"andnoneofthecallersevergotmythoughtsveryfarfromthatletter。
Andoneofthesewasanoldman——aFrenchbankerwhomustbeseventyyearsold，butdyeshishairakindofpurpleblack——anditseemsthathisnephewhadgotthefirmintoaterriblekindofscrape，selling2，000ofmyshareswhenhehadn\'tgotthemtosellandcouldn\'tgetthem——andtheoldmancametobegmetolethimoutatpresentmarketfigures。HegotLordChaldon——he\'smyChairman，youknow——tobringhim，andintroducehimashisfriend，andpleadforhim——butIdon\'tthinkallthat，byitself，wouldhavebudgedmeanatom。Butthentheoldmantoldhowhewasjustabletoscrapetogethermoneyenoughtobuythesharesheneeded，attherulingprice，andhehappenedtomentionthathisniece\'smarriageportionwouldhavetobesacrificed。Well，then，doyouknow，thatletterinmypocketsaidsomethingtome……And——well，that\'sthestory。Thegirl\'sportion，Iwormeditoutofhim，wastenthousand……andIstruckthatmuchoffthefigurethatIallowedhimtobuyhisshares，andsavehisfirm，for……Itwasalltheletterthatdidit，mindyou！\"
Heconcludedthehaltingnarrativeamidamarkedsilence。
Theladieslookedathimandateachother，buttheyseemedsurprisedoutoftheirfacilityofcomment。
Inthiskindofflusteredhush，thedoorwasopenedanddinnerwasannounced。
MissMaddenwelcomedthediversionbyrisingwithostentatiousvigour。\"Iwilltakemyselfout，\"
shedeclared，withcheerfulpromptnessleadingtheway。
LadyCressagetookthearmThorpeofferedher，andgavenotokenofcomprehendingthatherwristwasbeingcaressinglypressedagainsthissideastheymovedalong。
Atthelittletableshininginthecentreofthedark，cooldining-room，talkmovedidlyaboutamonggeneraltopics。
Athunderstormbrokeoverthetown，atanearlystageofthedinner，andthesoundoftherushingdownpourthroughtheopenwindows，andthebreathoffreshnesswhichstirredthejadedair，werepleasanterthananyspeech。
Thoughtsrovedintuitivelycountry-ward，wherethelong-neededrainwouldbedoweringthelandscapewithnewlife——wheretheearthatsunrisewouldbegreenagain，andbuoyantinreawakenedenergy，andredolentwiththeperfumesofsweetestsummer。Theyspokeofthefieldsandthemoorswiththelongingoftiredtown-folkinAugust。
\"Oh，whenIgetaway\"——saidThorpe，fervently，\"itseemstomethatIdon\'twantevertocomeback。
Theselastfewweekshavegotterriblyonmynerve。
Andreally——whyshouldIcomeback？I\'vebeenaskingmyselfthequestion——moretodaythaneverbefore。
Ofcourseeverythinghasbeendifferenttoday。ButifI\'mtogetanygenuinegoodoutofmy——myfortune——ImustpullawayfromtheCityaltogethersometime——andwhynotnow？
Ofcourse，someimportantthingsarestillopen——andtheyhavetobewatchednightandday——butafterall，Semple——that\'smyBroker——hecoulddoitforme。
Atthemost，itwon\'tlastmorethananothersixweeks。
Thereisasettlement-daynextweek，the15th，andanotherafortnightafter，onthe29th，andanotheronSeptember12th。Well，thosethreedays，ifthey\'reworkedasIintendtheyshallbe，andnothingunforeseenhappens，willbringinoverfourhundredthousandpounds，andclosethe\'corner\'inRubberConsolsforgood。
ThenIneedneverseetheCityagain，thankGod！Andforthatmatter——why，whatissixweeks？It\'sliketomorrow。
I\'mgoingtoactasifIwerefreealready。Therainfillsmefullofthecountry。Willyoubothcomewithmetomorrowornextday，andseethePellesleyplaceinHertfordshire？
Bythephotographsit\'sthebestthinginthemarket。
ThenewestpartsofitareTudor——andthat\'swhatI\'vealwayswanted。\"
\"Howunexpectedyouare！\"commentedMissMadden。
\"YouarealmostthelastpersonIshouldhavelookedtoforasentimentaboutTudorfoundations。\"
Thorpeputouthislipsatrifle。\"Ah，youdon\'tknowme，\"
hereplied，inavoicemilderthanhislookhadpromised。
\"BecauseI\'mroughandpractical，youmustn\'tthinkIdon\'tknowgoodthingswhenIseethem。Why，alltheworldisgoingtohavelivingproofverysoon\"——hepaused，andsentasmilesurchargedwithmeaningtowardthesilentmemberofthetrio——\"livingproofthatI\'mthegreatestjudgeofperfectioninbeautyofmytime。\"
Heliftedhisglassashespoke，andtheladiesacceptedwithaninclinationofthehead，andatouchofthewineattheirlips，histacittoast。\"Oh，IthinkIdoknowyou，\"
saidCeliaMadden，calmlydiscursive。\"Uptoacertainpoint，youarenotsounlikeothermen。Ifpeopleappealtoyourimagination，anddonotcontradictyou，orboreyou，orgetinyourway，youarecapableofbeingveryniceindeedtothem。Butthatisn\'taveryuncommonquality。
Whatisuncommoninyou——atleastthatismyreading——issomethingwhichaccordingtocircumstancesmaybenice，orverymuchtheotherwayabout。It\'ssomethingwhichstandsquiteapartfromstandardsofmoralsorethicsortheordinaryemotions。ButIdon\'tknow，whetheritisdesirableformetoenterintothisextremelypersonalanalysis。\"
\"Ohyes，goon，\"Thorpeurgedher。Hewatchedherfacewithanalmostexcitedinterest。
\"Well——Ishouldsaythatyoupossessedacapacityforsuddenandcapriciousactioninlargematters，equallyimpatientofreasoningandindifferenttoconsequences，whichmightbeveryawkward，andeventragic，topeoplewhohappenedtoannoyyou，orstandinyourroad。
Youhavethekindoforganizationinwhich，withinasecond，withoutanywarningorreason，apassingwhimmayhaveworkeditselfupintoanimperativelaw——somethingyoumustobey。\"
Themansmiledandnoddedapprovingly：\"You\'vegotmedownfine，\"hesaid。
\"Italkwithagooddealofconfidence，\"shewenton，withacheerless，ruminativelittlelaugh，\"becauseitismyownorganizationthatIamdescribing，too。
ThedifferenceisthatIwasallowedtoexploitmycapacityformischiefveryearly。Ihadmyownwayinmyteens——myownmoney，myownpower——ofcourseonlyofacertainsort，andinaverysmallplace。
ButIknowwhatIdidwiththatpower。Ispreadtroubleandmiseryaboutme——alwaysofcourseonasmallscale。
Thenagroupofthingshappenedinakindofclimax——averypainfulclimax——anditshookthenonsenseoutofme。
Mybrotherandmyfatherdied——someothersoberingthingshappened……andluckilyIwasstillyoungenoughtostopshort，andtakestockofmyself，andsaythattherewerecertainpathsIwouldneversetfootonagain——andsticktoit。
Butwithyou——doyousee？——poweronlycomestoyouwhenyouareamatureman。Experiences，nomatterhowunpleasanttheyare，willnotchangeyounow。Youwillnotbemovedbythisoccurrenceorthattodistrustyourself，orreconsideryourmethods，orformnewresolutions。
Ohno！Powerwillbeterribleinyourhands，ifpeoplewhomyoucaninjureprovokeyoutocruelcourses——\"
\"Oh，dear——dear！\"brokeinLadyCressage。\"WhatadistressingMrs。Gummidge-Cassandrayouare，Celia！Praystopit！\"
\"No——she\'srightenough，\"saidThorpe，gravely。
\"That\'sthekindofmanIam。\"
Heseemedsoprofoundlyinterestedinthecontemplationofthisportraitwhichhadbeendrawnofhim，thattheothersrespectedhisreflectivesilence。Hesatforsomemoments，idlyfingeringaforkonthetable，andstaringatablotchofvividredprojectedthroughadecanteruponthecloth。
\"Itseemstomethat\'stheonlykindofmanit\'sworthwhiletobe，\"headdedatlast，stillspeakingwiththoughtfuldeliberation。\"There\'snothingelseintheworldsobigaspower——strength。Ifyouhavethat，youcangeteverythingelse。Butifyouhaveit，anddon\'tuseit，thenitrustsanddecaysonyourhands。
It\'slikeathoroughbredhorse。Youcan\'tkeepitidleinthestable。Ifyoudon\'texerciseit，youloseit。\"
Heappearedtobecommentinguponsomeillustrationwhichhadoccurredtohisownmind，butwasnotvisibletohisauditors。Whiletheyregardedhim，hewaspromptedtoadmitthemtohisconfidence。
\"Therewasacaseofittoday，\"hesaid，andthenpaused。
\"Precisely，\"putinMissMadden。\"ThefactthatsomeFrenchwoman，ofwhomyouhadneverheardbefore，wasgoingtolosehermarriageportioncaughtyourattention，andontheinstantyoupresentedherwith$10，000，anexerciseofpowerwhichhappenstobeonthegenerousside——butstillentirelyunreasoning，andnotdeservingofanyintellectualrespect。Andhere\'sthepoint：ifithadhappenedthatsomebodyelsechancedtoproduceanoppositeimpressionuponyou，youwouldhavebeencapableoftaking$50，000awayfromhimwithjustaslightaheart。\"
Thorpe\'sfacebeamedwithrepressedamusement。\"AsamatteroffactitwasthatkindofcaseIwasgoingtomention。
Iwasn\'treferringtothegirlandhermarriageportion。
Ayoungmancametometoday——cameintomyroomallcock-a-whoop，smilingtohimselfwiththenotionthathehadonlytonamewhathewanted，andIwouldgiveittohim——and——\"
Hestoppedabruptly，withaconfusedlittlelaugh。
HehadbeenuponthebrinkoftellingaboutLordPlowden\'sdiscomfiture，andevennowthestoryitcheduponhistongue。Itcosthimanefforttoputthenarrativeaside，thewhileheponderedtheargumentswhichhadsuddenlyrearedthemselvesagainstpublicity。
Whenatlasthespoke，itwaswithaglanceofconsciousmagnanimitytowardtheladywhohadconsentedtobehiswife。
\"Nevermind，\"hesaid，lightly。\"Therewasn\'tmuchtoit。
Themanannoyedme，somehow——andhedidn\'tgetwhathecamefor——that\'sall。\"
\"Buthewasentitledtogetit？\"askedCeliaMadden。
Thorpe\'slipspoutedoverareply。\"Well——no，\"hesaid，withakindofreluctance。\"Hegotstrictlywhathewasentitledto——preciselywhatIhadpromisedhim——andhewrunguphisnoseatthat——andthenIactuallygavehim15，000poundshewasn\'tentitledtoatall。\"
\"Ihardlyseewhatitproves，then，\"EdithCressageremarked，andthesubjectwasdropped。
Sometwohourslater，Thorpetookhisdeparture。
Itwasnotuntilhewasgettingintothehansomwhichhadbeensummoned，thatitallatonceoccurredtohimthathehadnotforamomentbeenalonewithhisbetrothed。
Uponreflection，asthecabspedsmoothlyforward，thisseemedoddtohim。Hedecidedfinallythattherewasprobablysomesocialruleaboutsuchthingswhichhedidn\'tunderstand。
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Inthedrawing-roomofthehouseinGraftonStreetwhichhehadquitted，thetwoladiessatwithfacesavertedfromeachother，inconstrainedsilence。
EdithCressageroseatlast，andtookafewaimlesssteps，withherhandsatherhair。\"Well——I\'membarked——fairlyunderway！\"shesaid，inclear-cut，almostprovocativetones。
\"Idon\'tatallknowwhattosay，\"hercompanionreplied，slowly。\"Ifancythatyouexaggeratemydisapproval。
Perhapsitoughtnoteventobecalleddisapprovalatall。
ItisonlythatIampuzzled——andalittlefrightened。\"
\"Oh，Iamfrightenedtoo，\"saidtheother，butwitheagernessratherthantrepidationinhervoice。\"ThatiswhyIdidnotgiveyouthesignaltoleaveusalone。
Icouldn\'tquitegetupthenerveforit。Butwouldyoubelieveit？——thatisoneofthecharmsofthething。
Thereisanexcitementaboutitthatexhilaratesme。
Togethappinessthroughterror——youcan\'tunderstandthat，canyou？\"
\"I\'mtrying。IthinkI\'mbeginningtounderstand，\"
saidMissMadden，vaguely。
\"DidyoueversetyourselftocomprehendingwhyMarieStuartmarriedBothwell？\"askedEdith，lookingdownupontheotherwithilluminatingfixity。\"Youhaveitall——allthere。Mariegottiredofthesmoothpeople，theusualpeople。Therewasthepromiseofadventure，andrisk，andperil，andthegrandemotionswiththebig，darkbrute。\"
\"Itisn\'tahappystory——thisparallelthatyoupickout，\"
commentedCelia，absently。
\"Happy！Pah！\"retortedEdith，withspirit。\"Whoknowsifitwasn\'ttheonlyreallyhappythinginherlife？Thesnobsandprigsallscoldherandpreachsermonsather——theydiditinherlifetime：theydoitnow——\"Ohcome，I\'mneitherasnobnoraprig，\"putinCelia，lookingupinherturn，andtemperingwithasmiletheenergyofhertone——\"I
don\'tblameherforherBothwell；Idon\'tcriticizeher。
IneverwasevenabletomindaboutherkillingDarnley。
YouseeItakeanextremelyliberalview。Onemightalmostcallitbroad。ButifIhadbeenoneofherladies——herbosomfriends——sayCatherineSeton——andshehadtalkedwithmeaboutit——IthinkIshouldhaveconfessedtosomeforebodings——somelittlemisgivings。\"
\"Anddoyouknowwhatshewouldhavesaid？\"
Edith\'sswiftquestion，putwithaglowingfaceandaconfidentvoice，hadinittheringofassuredtriumph。
\"Shewouldhaveansweredyou：\'Mydearestgirl，allmylifeIhavedonewhatotherpeopletoldmetodo。InmychildhoodIwasgiveninmarriagetoacriminalidiot。
InmyprematurewidowhoodIwasgovernedbyacommitteeofscoundrelsofbothsexesuntilanothercriminalidiotwasimposeduponmeasasecondhusband。
Myownpersonalityhasneverhadthegleamofachance。
IhaveneveryetdoneanysinglethingbecauseIwantedtodoit。Betweenfirstmypolitician-motherandherbandoftonsuredswindlers，andthenmycantankerousbrotherandhiscrewofsnarlingandsour-mindedpreachers，andallthecourtliarsandparasitesandspiesthatbothsidessurroundedmewith，Ihavelivedanexistencethatisn\'tlifeatall。Ipurporttobeawoman，butIhaveneverbeensufferedtoseeagenuineman。
Andnowhereisone——orwhatIthinktobeone——andI\'mgiventounderstandthatheisapirateandamurdererandanunspeakableruffiangenerally——buthetakesmyfancy，andhehasbeckonedtometocometohim，andsoyouwillkindlygetmemyhatandjacketandgloves。\'
That\'swhatshewouldhavesaidtoyou，mydear。\"
\"AndI\"——saidCelia，risingafteramoment\'spause，andputtingherhanduponEdith\'sarm——\"Iwouldhaveanswered，\'Dearestlady，inwhateverbefalls，IprayyounevertoforgetthatIamtotheendyourfondanddevotedandloyalservant。\'\"
CHAPTERXIX
AUGUSTworeitselfoutinparchedtedium，andaSeptemberbeganwhichseemedevenmoreunbearableintown，——andstillThorpedidnotgetawayfromLondon。
Sofarasthepaymentofanexorbitantrentinadvance，andthereceiptofinnumerablelettersfromarestlessandfussystewardwhomhehadnotyetseen，wentasevidence，heknewhimselftobethetenantinpossessionofagreatshootinginMorayshire。Hehadseveralphotographsofwhatwascalledthelodge，butlookedlikesomethingbetweenamansionandabaronialcastle，onthemanteloftheBoardRoom。
Thereflectionthatthissumptuousresidencehadbeenhisforamonth，andthatitdailystoodwaitingforhim，furnishedandsweptandprovisionedforhiscoming，didnothingtohelpthepassingoftimeinthehot，faggedCity。Morethanoncehehadsaidresolutelythat，onthemorrow，orattheworstthenextday，hewouldgo——butintheeventhehadnotgone。InthelastweekofAugusthehadproceededtothelengthofsendinghisnieceandnephewNorthward，andshuttingupthehouseinOvingtonSquare，andbetakinghimselftotheSavoyHotel。
Thishadappearedatthetimetobealmostequivalenttohisgettingawayhimself，——tobeatleastafirststageintheprogressofhisownjourney。Butatthehotelhehadstuckfast，——andnow，onthetenthofSeptember，wasnonearerthemoorsandthedeer-forestthanhehadbeenamonthbefore。
Anovelsenseofloneliness，——ofthefatuityofpresentexistence，——weighedgrievouslyuponhim。TheladiesofGraftonStreethadlefttownuponacomprehensiveitineraryofvisitswhichincludedtheMalverncountry，andaducalcastleinShropshire，andaplaceinWestmoreland。
TherewasnothingverydefiniteaboutthedateoftheircomingtohiminScotland。Theladywhohadconsentedtomarryhimhad，somehow，omittedtopromisethatshewouldwritetohim。Anarrangementexisted，instead，bywhichsheandhisnieceJuliaweretocorrespond，andtofixbetweenthemselvesthedetailsofthevisittoMorayshire。
Thorpehardlywenttothepointofannoyancewiththisarrangement。Hewasconsciousofnodeepimpulsetowritelove-lettershimself，andtherewasnothinginthesituationwhichmadehisfailuretoreceivelove-
lettersseemunnatural。Theabsenceofmoonshine，atleastduringthispreliminaryseason，hadbeenquitetakenforgrantedbetweenthem，andhedidnotcomplaineventohimself。Therewasevenakindofproudsatisfactionforhiminthethoughtthat，thoughhehadallbutcompletedthepurchaseofthenoblePellesleyestateforEdithCressage，hehadneveryetkissedher。
Thereserveheimposeduponhimselfgavehimacertainaristocraticfinenessinhisowneyes。Itwasthemeansbywhichhecouldfeelhimselftobemostnearlyherequal。
ButheremainedverylonelyinLondon，nonetheless。
Itistruethatagreatdealofsocietywascontinuallyofferedtohim，andeventhrustuponhim。Inthepopularphrase，Londonwasempty，butthereseemedtobemorepeoplethaneverwhodesiredMr。StormontThorpe\'
spresenceattheirdinner-tables，ortheirlittletheatreorcardorriverparties。Heclungsullenlytohisruleofgoingnowhere，butitwasnotsosimpleamattertoevadethecivilitiesandimportunitiesofthosewhowerestoppingatthehotel，orwhocametheretowaylayhimattheentrance，ortoencounterhimintherestaurant。
Hecouldnotalwaysrefusetositdownattableswhenattractively-dressedandvivaciouswomenmaderoomforhim，ortolingerovercigarsandwinewiththeirhusbandsandescortslateron。
Anincessantandspiritedcourtwaspaidtohimbymanydifferentgroupsofinterestedpeoplewhowererarelyatthepainstodissembletheiraims。
Heformedamannerforthereceptionoftheseadvances，compoundedofjoviality，cynicism，andfrankbrutality，whichnobody，tohisfaceatleast，resented。Ifwomenwincedunderhismockingrudenessesofspeechandsmile，ifmenlongedtokillhimforthecoldinsolenceofhisrefusaltolettheminsidehisguard，theysedulouslykeptitfromhim。Theconsciousnessthateverybodywasafraidofhim，——thateverybodywouldkneeltohim，andmeeklytakeinsultandignominyfromhim，ifonlyhoperemainedtothemofgettingsomethingoutofhim，——hardenedlikeacrustuponhismind。
Itwasimpossibletogetasenseofcompanionshipfrompeoplewhocringedtohim，andswallowedhisaffrontsandcackledathisjokeswithequaldocility。Sometimeshehadapassingamusementintheroughpleasantriesandcrueltieswhichtheydrewfromhim。ThereweretwoorthreebrightJewishwomen，moregaylycleverandimpudent，perhaps，thanbeautiful，withwhomhefounditgenuinefuntotalk，andconcerningwhomhewasperpetuallyconceivingprojectswhichcouldnothavebeendiscussedwiththeirhusbands，andasperpetuallydoingnothingtotesttheirfeasibility。
Butthesediversionswereintheiressenceunsubstantial。
Therewasnoteventhesemblanceofarealfriendshipamongthem，——andlonelinessbecameanincreasingburden。
Hissisterattheoldbook-shopexasperatedhimnowadaystoadegreewhichoftenprovokedwithinhimtheresolutiontohavedonewithher。Hehadascoreofprojectsforherbetterment，eachcapableofasmanyvariationsandeageradaptationstosuitherfancy，buttothemallandsundrysheopposedabarrierofstupidlypassivenegation。Therewasnothingshewanteddoneforher。Shewouldnotexchangetheworkshehadbeenbroughtupinforalifeofidleness。