\"It\'sthewaywe\'retaughtatschool，\"hehazarded，genially。
\"Inallthearithmeticssixbeatsfive，andsevenbeatssix。\"
\"They\'rewrong，\"Thorpedeclared，andthenconsentedtolaughinagrudging，doggedwayathisfriend\'sfacialconfessionofpuzzlement。\"WhatImeanis——what\'sthegoodofpilingupmoney，whileyoucan\'tpileuptheenjoymentsitwillbuy？Whatwillamilliongiveyou，thatthefifthofit，orthetenthofit，won\'tgiveyoujustaswell？\"
\"Aye，\"saidSemple，withagleamofcomprehensioninhisglance。
\"Soyou\'vecometothatframeofmind，haveyou？
Whydoesamangoonandshootfivehundredpheasants，whenhecaneatonlyone？\"
\"Oh，ifyoulikethemeremakingofmoney，I\'venothingmoretosay，\"Thorperesponded，withatouchofresentment。
\"I\'vealwaysthoughtofyouasamanlikemyself，whowantedtomakehispileandthenenjoyhimself。\"
TheScotchmanlaughedjoyously。\"Enjoymyself！Likeyou！\"
hecried。\"Man，you\'reasdolefulasamuteatalaird\'sfuneral！What\'scomeoveryou？Iknowwhatitis。
YougoandtakeacourseofGermanwaters——\"
\"Oh，thatbedamned！\"Thorpeobjected，gloomily。\"ItellyouI\'mallright。Only——only——God！I\'veagreatnotiontogoandgetdrunk。\"
ColinSempleviewedhiscompanionwithamoresympatheticexpression。\"I\'msorryyou\'resohipped，\"hesaid，ingentletones。\"Itcan\'tbemorethansomepassingwhimsy。
You\'reinnorealtrouble，areyou？——nofamilytrouble？\"
Thorpeshookhishead。\"Thewholethingisrot！\"
heaffirmed，enigmatically。
\"Whatwholething？\"Thebrokerperchedontheedgeofhisdesk，andwithpatientphilosophytookhimup。
\"Doyoumeaneightythousandayearisrot？Thatdependsuponthemanwhohasit。\"
\"Iknowthatwellenough，\"brokeintheother，heavily。
\"That\'swhatI\'mkickingabout。I\'mnogood！\"
Semple，lookingattentivelydownuponhim，pursedhislipsinreflection。\"That\'snotthecase，\"heobservedwithargumentativecalmness。\"You\'reagreatdealofgood。
I\'mnotsosurethatwhatyou\'vebeentryingtodoisanygood，though。Come！——Ireadyoulikelargeprint。
You\'vesetouttolivethelifeofarichcountrysquire——andithasn\'tcomeoff。Itcouldn\'tcomeoff！I
neverbelieveditwould。Youhaven\'tthetasteforitinbredinyourbones。Youhaven\'tthethousandlittlehabitsandintereststhattheytakeinwiththeirmother\'smilk，andthatmakesuchalifepossible。
Whenyoulookatahedge，youdon\'tthinkofitassomethingtoworryliveanimalsoutof。Whenyouseeoneofyourlabourers，youdon\'tcarewhohisfatherwas，orwhichdairymaidhisuncleoughttohavemarried，ifhehadwantedtogetacertaincottage。Youdon\'twanttoknowthenameofeverybodywhoseroofyoucansee；
muchlesscouldyourememberthem，andtalkaboutthem，andlistentogossipaboutthem，yearafteryear。
Itisn\'tapassioninyourbloodtoridetohounds，andtoshoot，andallthat。Itdoesn\'tcometoyoubytradition——andyouhaven\'tthevacancyofmindwhichmightbeasubstitutefortradition。Whatareyoudoinginthecountry，then？Justeatingtoomuch，andsittingabout，andgettingfatandstupid。Ifyouwantthetruth，thereitisforyou。\"
Thorpe，puttingouthislipsjudicially，inclineduponreflectiontotheviewthatthiswasthetruth。
\"That\'sallright，asfarasitgoes，\"heassented，withhesitation。\"Butwhatthehellelseisthere？\"
ThelittleScotchmanhadgrowntoointerestedinhisdiagnosistodropitinanincompletestate。\"Ayearago，\"hewenton，\"youhadwonyourvictorieslikeaveritableNapoleon。
Youhadeverythinginyourownhands；Napoleonhimselfwasnotmorethemasterofwhathesawabouthimthanyouwere。
Andthenwhatdidyoudo？YouvoluntarilyretiredyourselftoyourElba。Itwasn\'tthatyouwerebeatenanddriventherebyothers；youwentofyourownaccord。
Haveyoueverthought，Thorpe，ofthis？Napoleonwasthegreatestmanofhisage——oneofthegreatestmenofallages——notonlyinwarbutinahundredotherways。
HespentthelastsixyearsofhislifeatSt。Helena——inexcellenthealthandwithcompanionsthathetalkedfreelyto——andinalltheextraordinarilycopiousreportsofhisconversationsthere，wedon\'tgetasinglesentenceworthrepeating。Ifyoureadit，you\'llseehetalkedlikeadull，ordinarybody。Thegreatnesshadentirelyevaporatedfromhim，themomenthewasputonanislandwherehehadnothingtodo。\"
\"Yes-s，\"saidThorpe，thoughtfully。Heacceptedtheapplicationwithoutanyqualmsaboutthesplendourofthecomparisonitrestedupon。Hehaddonethegreatthings，justasSemplesaid，andtherewasnoroomforfalsemodestyabouttheminhismind。\"Thetroubleis，\"hebegan，\"thatIdidwhatIhadalwaysthoughtIwantedtodomost。
IwasquitecertaininmymindthatthatwaswhatIwanted。
AndifwesaynowthatIwaswrong——ifweadmitthatthatwasn\'twhatIreallywanted——whythen，GodknowswhatitisIDOwant。I\'llbehangedifIdo！\"
\"ComebacktotheCity，\"Sempletoldhim。\"That\'swhereyoubelong。\"
\"No——no！\"Thorpespokewithemphasis。\"That\'swhereyou\'realloff。Idon\'tbelongintheCityatall。
Ihatethewholeoutfit。Whatthedevilamusementwoulditbetometotakeothermen\'smoneyawayfromthem？
I\'dbewantingallthewhiletogiveitbacktothem。
AndcertainlyIwouldn\'tgetanyfunoutoftheirtakingmymoneyawayfromme。Besides，itdoesn\'tentertainme。
I\'venotasteatallforit。Ineverlookatafinancialpapernow。IcouldnomoreinterestmyselfinallthatstuffagainthanIcouldfly。That\'sthehellofit——tobeinterestedinanything。\"
\"Goinforpolitics，\"theothersuggested，withlesswarmth。
\"Yes，Iknow，\"Thorpecommented，withalingeringtone。
\"PerhapsIoughttothinkmoreaboutthat。Bytheway，what\'sPlowdendoing？I\'velostalltrackofhim。\"
\"Abroadsomewhere，Ifancy，\"Semplereplied。Hismannerexhibitedaprofoundindifference。\"Whenhismotherdiedhecameintosomething——Idon\'tknowhowmuch。
Idon\'tthinkI\'veseenhimsince——andthatmusthavebeensixmonthsandmoreago。\"
\"Yes。Iheardaboutitatthetime，\"theothersaid。
\"Itmustbeaboutthat。Hissisterandbrother——theyoungPlowdens——they\'recomingtousattheendoftheweek，Ibelieve。Youdidn\'thititoffparticularlywithPlowden，eh？\"
Sempleemittedacontemptuouslittlelaugh。\"Ididnotquarrelwithhim——ifyoumeanthat，\"hesaid，\"buteventopleaseyou，Thorpe，Icouldn\'tbringmyselftoputmybackintothejobofmakingmoneyforhim。
Hewastreatedfairly——evengenerously，d\'yemind。
Ishouldthink，alltold，hehadsomethirtythousandpoundsforhisshares，andthat\'sahundredtimesasmuchasIhadapleasureinseeinghimget。Eachmancanwearhisownparasites，butit\'sataskforhimtostandanotherman\'s。IshookyourLordPlowdenoff，whenthechancecame。\"
\"THAT\'Sallright，\"Thorpeassuredhim，easily。\"Inevertoldyouthathewasanygood。Imerelyfeltlikegivinghimalegup——becausereallyatthestarthewasofusetome。Ididowehimsomething……ItwasathishousethatImetmywife。\"
\"Aye，\"saidSemple，withdispassionatebrevity。
CHAPTERXXIV
WHENhehadpartedwithSemple，atacornerwherethebusybroker，whohadwalkedoutwithhim，obviouslyfidgetedtogetaway，ThorpecouldthinkofnooneelseintheCitywhomhedesiredtosee。
Acalluponhisbankerswould，heknew，bemadeanoccasionofextremelypleasantcourtesybythoseaffablepeople，butuponreflectionitseemedscarcelyworththetrouble。
Hewasinamoodforindolentsauntering，andhemadethelongstretchoftheHolbornthoroughfareinaleisurelyfashion，turningoffwhenthewhimseizedhimintooddcourtsandalley-waystoseewhattheywerelike。Afterluncheon，hecontinuedhisramble，passingatlastfromSt。Giles，throughavenueswhichhadnotexistedintheLondonofhisboyhood，totheneighbourhoodoftheDials。
Herealsothelandmarksseemedallchanged，buttherewasstillenoughostentatioussqualoranddisordertoidentifythedistrict。Heobserveditanditsinhabitantswithacertainnewcuriosity。Anotablealterationforthebetterhadcomeoverhisspirits。
Itmightbethechampagneatluncheon，oritmightbethemereoperationofafranktalkwithSemple，thathaddissipatedhisgloom。Atalleventsitwasgone——andhestrolledalonginquiteplacidcontentment，takinginthepanoramaofLondon\'smoreintimatelifewiththeinterestofaLondonerwhohasobtainedafreshcountryeye。
Hewhohadseenmostoftheworld，andnotcaredmuchaboutthespectacle，foundhimselfnowconsciouslyenjoyingobservationashehadnotsupposeditpossibletodo。
Hesurrenderedhimselftotheexperiencewithanovelsenseofhavingfoundsomethingworthwhile——andfoundit，moreover，underhisverynose。Insomedull，meaninglessfashionhehadalwaysknownthispartofLondon，andbeenfamiliarwithitsexternalaspects。
Nowsuddenlyheperceivedthatthepowerhadcometohimofseeingitallinadifferentway。Theobjectshebeheld，inanimateandotherwise，hadspecificnewmeaningsforhim。
Hismindwasstirredpleasurablybythethingstheysaidtohim。
Helookedatallthecontentsofthewindowsashepassed；
atthebarrowsofthecostersandhawkerscrowdinguptheside-streets；atthecoarse-haired，bare-headedgirlsandwomenstandingaboutintheirshawlsandbigwhiteaprons；attheweaklingbabiesintheirarmsoraboutthethick，clumsyfoldsoftheirstainedskirts；
atthegrimy，shufflingfiguresoftheirmen-folk，againsttheaccustomedbackgroundofthepublic-housecorner，withitshalf-opendoor，anditsfly-blowntheatre-billsinthewindows；atthedriversofthevansandcarts，sleepilyoverlookingthehugehorses，gigantictothenearviewassomesurvivalfromtheageofmammoths，whichpushedgingerly，ploddingly，theirtuftedfeetoverthegreasystones；atfoulinteriorswherethroughtheblacknessonediscernedbentoldhagspickingoverrefuse；
atthefaceswhich，ashepassed，madesomespecialhumanappealtohim——facesblurredwithdrink，facespallidwithunder-feeding，faceswornintomasksbythetensionoftrouble，facessweetenedbyresignation，facesaglowwithdevil-may-careglee……helooked，asitwere，intothepulsingheartofsomethingwhichhadscarcelyseemedalivetohimbefore。
Eventually，hefoundhimselfhaltingatthedoorofhissister\'sbook-shop。Anewboystoodguardoverthestockexposedontheshelfandstandsoutside，andhelookedstonilyatthegreatman；itwasevidentthathewasasfarfromsuspectinghisgreatnessashisrelationship。ItpleasedThorpeforalittletotakeuponebookafteranother，andpretendtoreadfromit，andforcetheboytowatchhimhard。Hehadalmostthetemptationtocovertlyslipavolumeintohispocket，andseewhattheladwoulddo。
Itwasremarkable，hereflectedwithsatisfaction——thisnewcapacitywithinhimtofinddramaintrifles。
Therefloatedintohismindtherecollectionofsomeabsurdsquabblehehadhadwithhissisteraboutthesignoverhead。
Hesteppedbackafewpacesandlookedupatit。
Thereweretheoldwords——\"Thorpe，Bookseller\"——rightenough，buttheyseemedtostandforthwithanovelprominence。
Uponasecondglance，hesawthattheboardhadbeenrepainted。
Atthishelaughedaloud。Thedetailsoftheepisodecamebacktohimnow。Forsomereason，ornoreasonatall——hecouldnotnowimaginewhatonearthcouldhavepromptedhim——hehadlastspringcausedhissistertobeinformedofhiswishthatherownname，Dabney，shouldbesubstitutedforthatofThorpeonhersign。
ItwastoJuliathathehadconfidedthismission，anditwasJuliawho，inaround-aboutway，haddisclosedtohimpresentlyhermother\'sdeepresolutiontodonothingofthesort。Helaughedagainattheaddeddefiancethatthisrefurbishingoftheoldsignexpressed，andstillwasgrinningbroadlyasheenteredtheshopandpushedhiswayalongtotherear。
Shestoodbesideherdeskassheseemedtohavestoodeversincehecouldrememberher——tall，placid，dull-eyed，self-sufficient，exhalingasitwereakindofstubbornyetcompetentlistlessness。Herlong，mannishcountenanceexpressedanundoubtedinterestinhispresence，whensherecognizedhim，buthehadnoclearperceptionwhetheritwaspleasedorotherwise。Intheirinfrequentlatter-dayencountershehaddroppedthehabitofkissingher，andtherewascertainlynohintinhermannerofexpecting，muchlessinviting，itsrenewalnow——butuponasuddenimpulsehedrewhertohimwithanarmflungroundhergauntwaist，smackedhislipswitheffusionuponhercheek。
Hersurprise，asshewithdrewherselfsomewhatforcefullyfromhisembrace，wasplainenough。\"Well！\"sheexclaimedvaguely，andthenlookedathim。\"You\'regettingfatter。\"
\"NoI\'mnot，\"herejoined，withtheearnestnessbelongingtoanimportanttopic。\"PeoplethinkIam——butit\'smerelytheloosenessoftheseclothes。There\'sreallynodifferencesinceIwasherelast。\"
Theglancetheyexchangedwassofullofthetacitcommentthatthislastvisitwasalongtimeago，thatThorpeputitintowords。\"Let\'ssee——thatwasjustbeforeChristmas，wasn\'tit？\"hesaid。
\"Somethinglikethat，\"sheresponded。\"Youweregoingtogetmarriedinaweekortwo，Iremember，andTHAT
wasinJanuary，wasn\'tit？Iwastakingstock，Iknow。\"
Henoddedinturn。Thethoughtthathisonlysisterrecalledhismarriagemerelyasadate，likearoyalanniversaryorabank-holiday，andheldherselfimplacablyalooffromallcontactwithhisdomesticlife，annoyedhimafresh。
\"You\'reanawfulgoat，nottocomenearus，\"hefeltimpelled，inbrotherlyfrankness，totellher。
Sheputoutherlips，andwaggedherheadalittle，inagesturewhichitflashedacrosshimhisownmirrormightoftenhaverecorded。\"Ithoughtthatwasallsettledanddonewithlongago，\"shesaid，moodily。
\"Oh，Iwon\'tworryyouwithit，Lou，\"heobserved，withreassuringkindnessoftone。\"Ineverfeltsomuchlikebeingnicetoyouinmylife。\"
Sheseemedsurprisedatthis，too，andregardedhimwithaheavynewfixityofgaze。Noverbalcomment，apparently，occurredtoher。
\"JuliaandAlfredallright？\"hequeried，cheerfully。
\"Idaresay，\"shemadebriefanswer。
\"Buttheywritetoyou，don\'tthey？\"
\"SHEdoes——sometimes。Theyseemtobedoingthemselvesverywell，fromwhatshesays。\"
\"She\'dwriteoftener，ifyou\'danswerherletters，\"
hetoldher，intonesofconfidentialreproach。
\"Oh，Idon\'twritelettersunlessI\'vegotsomethingtosay，\"
sheanswered，asiftheexplanationwereample。
TheyoungpeopleweredomiciledforthetimebeingatDusseldorf，whereAlfredhadthoughthewouldmostliketobeginhisContinentalstudent-career，andwhereJulia，uponthemoreorlesscolourablepretextoflearningthelanguage，mightenjoythemingledfreedomandoccupationofahomeofherown。
Theyhadtakenahouseforthesummerandautumn，andwoulddothesameinDresdenorMunich，lateron，forthewinter。
\"WhatIwouldreallyhaveliked，\"Thorpeconfidedtohissisternow，\"wastohavehadthembothlivewithme。
Theywouldhavebeenaswelcomeasthedayislong。
Icouldsee，ofcourse，inAlfred\'scase，thatifhe\'ssetonbeinganartist，heoughttostudyabroad。
EventhebestEnglishartists，hesays，dothatatthebeginning。Soitwasallrightforhimtogo。
ButJulia——itwasdifferentwithher——Iwasratherkeenaboutherstaying。MywifewasjustaskeenasIwas。
ShetookthegreatestfancytoJuliafromtheverystart——andsofarasIcouldsee，Julialikedherallright。
Infact，IthoughtJuliawouldwanttostay——butsomehowshedidn\'t。\"
\"Shealwaysspokeveryhighlyofyourwife，\"Mrs。Dabneyaffirmedwithjudicialfairness。\"Ithinkshedoeslikeherverymuch。\"
\"WellthenwhatdidshewanttohykeofftoliveamongthoseDutchmenfor，whenoneofthebesthousesinEnglandwasopentoher？\"Thorpedemanded。
\"Youmustn\'taskme，\"hermotherresponded。Hertoneseemedtocarrythesuggestionthatbysilenceshecouldbestprotectherdaughter\'sinterests。
\"Idon\'tbelieveyouknowanymoreaboutitthanIdo，\"
washisimpulsivecomment。
\"Idaresaynot，\"shereplied，withindifference。
\"Probablyshedidn\'tfancylivinginsobigahouse——
althoughheavenknowsherideasarebigenoughaboutmostthings。\"
\"Didshesayso？\"Thorpeaskedabruptly。
Thewidowshookherheadwithdispassionatecandour。
\"Shedidn\'tsayanythingtomeaboutit，onewayortheother。
Iformedmyownimpressions——that\'sall。It\'safreecountry。
Everybodycanformtheirimpressions。\"
\"Iwishyou\'dtellmewhatyoureallythink，\"Thorpeurgedher，mildlypersuasive。\"YouknowhowfondIamofJulia，andhowlittleIwanttodoheraninjustice。\"
\"Oh，shewouldn\'tfeelTHATway，\"Louisaobserved，vaguely。
\"Ifyouaskmeplain，Ithinkitwasdullforher。\"
\"Well，\"saidThorpe，uponreflection，\"Ishouldn\'tbesurprisedifitwas。Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat。
Butstill——whysheandmywifecouldbecompanyforeachother。\"
\"Youtalkasiflifewasmerelyalongrailwayjourney，\"
shetoldhim，inanunexpectedflightofmetaphor。
\"Twowomencoopedupinalonesomecountryhousemaybealittlelesslonelythanoneofthembyherselfwouldbe——butnotmuch。It\'snoneofmybusiness——buthowyourwifemusthateit！\"
Helaughedeasily。\"Ah，that\'swhereyou\'rewrong，\"
hesaid。\"Shedoesn\'tcareaboutanythingbutgardening。
That\'sherhobby。She\'scrazyaboutit。We\'velaidoutmoreinnewgreenhousesalone，notcountingtheplants，thanwouldrebuildthisbuilding。I\'mnotsuretheheatingapparatuswouldn\'tcometothat，alone。Andthentheplants！
Whatdoyouthinkofsixandeightguineasforasingleroot？Thosearetheamaryllises——andifyoucometoorchids，youcanpayhundredsifyoulike。Well，that\'sherpassion。
That\'swhatshereallyloves。\"
\"That\'swhatsheseizesupontokeepherfromjustdyingofloneliness，\"Louisaretorted，obstinately，andatasignofdissentfromherbrothershewenton。\"Oh，IknowwhatI\'mtalkingabout。Ihavethreeorfourcustomers——ladiesinthecountry，andoneofthemisaladyoftitle，too——andtheyordergardeningbooksandotherbooksthroughme，andwhentheygetuptotown，onceayearorso，theycomehereandtheytalktomeaboutit。Andthereisn\'toneofthemthatatthebottomofherheartdoesn\'thateit。
They\'dratherdodgebussesatCharingCrosscorneralldaylong，thanraiseflowersasbigascheeses，iftheyhadtheirownway。Buttheydon\'thavetheirownway，andtheymusthavesomethingtooccupythemselveswith——andtheytaketogardening。IdaresayI\'devendoitmyselfifIhadtoliveinthecountry，whichthankGodIdon\'t！\"
\"That\'sbecauseyoudon\'tknowanythingaboutthecountry，\"
hetoldher，buttheretort，evenwhileitjustifieditself，hadahollowsoundinhisownears。\"AllyouknowoutsideofLondonisMargate。\"
\"IwenttoYarmouthandLowestoftthissummer，\"
sheinformedhim，crushingly。
Somehowhelackedthehearttolaugh。\"Iknowwhatyoumean，Lou，\"hesaid，withanaffectionateattemptatplacation。
\"Isupposethere\'sagooddealinwhatyousay。Itisdull，outthereatmyplace，ifyouhavetoomuchofit。
Perhapsthat\'sagoodhintaboutmywife。Itneveroccurredtome，butitmaybeso。Butthedeuceofitis，whatelseistheretodo？WetriedahouseinLondon，duringtheSeason——\"
\"Yes，Isawinthepapersyouwerehere，\"shesaidimpassively，incommentuponhisembarrassedpause。
\"Ididn\'tlookyouup，becauseIdidn\'tthinkyouwantedmuchtoseeme\"——heexplainedwithacertainawkwardness——\"butbye-gonesareallbye-gones。Wetookatownhouse，butwedidn\'tlikeit。Itwasoneendlessprocessionofstupidandtiresomecallsanddinnersandparties；
wegotawfullysickofit，andsworewewouldn\'ttryitagain。Wellthereyouare，don\'tyousee？It\'sstupidinHertfordshire，andit\'sstupidhere。Ofcourseonecantravelabroad，butthat\'snogoodformorethanafewmonths。
OfcourseitwouldbedifferentifIhadsomethingtodo。
ItellyouGod\'struth，Lou——sometimesIfeelasifI
wasreallyhappierwhenIwasapoorman。Iknowit\'sallrot——Ireallywasn\'t——butsometimesitSEEMSasifIwas。\"
Shecontemplatedhimwithaleadenkindofgaze。
\"Didn\'titeveroccurtoyoutodosomegoodwithyourmoney？\"
shesaid，withslowbluntness。Then，asiffearingapossiblemisconception，sheaddedmorerapidly：\"Idon\'tmeanamongyourownfamily。We\'reaclannishpeople，weThorpes；we\'dalwayshelpourownfleshandblood，evenifwekickedthemwhileweweredoingit——butI
meanoutside，intheworldatlarge。\"
\"WhathaveIgottodowiththeworldatlarge？Ididn\'tmakeit；I\'mnotresponsibleforit。\"Hemutteredthephraseslightlyenough，butacertainfatuityinthemseemedtoattracthisattentionwhenheheardtheirsound。
\"I\'vegivenbetweenfiveandsixthousandpoundstoLondonhospitalswithinthepresentyear，\"headded，straighteninghimself。\"Iwonderyoudidn\'tseeit。
Itwasinallthepapers。\"
\"Hospitals！\"
Itwasimpossibletoexaggeratethescornwhichhervoiceimportedintotheword。Helookedatherwithunfeignedsurprise，andthentookintheimpressionthatshewasuponasubjectwhichexceptionallyinterestedher。
Certainlythedisplayofsomethingapproachinganimationinherglanceandmannerwasabnormal。
\"Isaid\'dosomeGOODwithyourmoney，\'\"sheremindedhim，stillwithavibrationoffeelinginhertone。\"Youmustliveinthecountry，ifyouthinkLondonhospitalsaredeservingobjects。Theycouldn\'tfoolLondonersonthatpoint，notiftheyhadgotthePrincetogoonhishandsandknees。
Andyougiveafewbigchequestothem，\"shewenton，meditatively，\"andyouneveraskhowthey\'remanaged，orwhatringsarerunningthemfortheirownbenefit，orhowyourmoneyisspent——andyouthinkyou\'vedoneanoble，philanthropicthing！Ohno——Iwasn\'ttalkingabouthumbugcharity。Iwastalkingaboutdoingsomegenuinegoodintheworld。\"
Heputhislegoverthehighstool，andpushedhishatbackwithasmile。\"Allright，\"hesaid，genially。
\"Whatdoyoupropose？\"
\"Idon\'tproposeanything，\"shetoldhim，afteramoment\'shesitation。\"Youmustworkthatoutforyourself。
Whatmightseemimportanttomemightnotinterestyouatall——andifyouweren\'tinterestedyouwouldn\'tdoanything。ButthisIdosaytoyou，Joel——andI\'vesaidittomyselfeverydayforthislastyearormore，andhadyouinmindallthetime，too——ifIhadmadeagreatfortune，andIsataboutinpurpleandfinelinendoingnothingbutamusemyselfinidlenessandselfishness，lettingmyrichesaccumulateandmultiplythemselveswithoutbeingofusetoanybody，IshouldbeASHAMEDtolookmyfellow-creaturesintheface！Youwerebornhere。
YouknowwhatLondonslumsarelike。YouknowwhatClareMarketwaslike——it\'sbadenoughstill——andwhattheSevenDialsandDruryLaneandadozenotherplacesroundhereareliketothisday。That\'sonlywithinastone\'sthrow。
HaveyouseenCharlesBooth\'sfiguresabouttheLondonpoor？Ofcourseyouhaven\'t——anditdoesn\'tmatter。
YouKNOWwhattheyarelike。Butyoudon\'tcare。
Themiseryandignoranceandfilthandhopelessnessoftwoorthreehundredthousandpeopledoesn\'tinterestyou。
Yousituponyourmoney-bagsandsmile。Ifyouwantthetruth，I\'mashamedtohaveyouforabrother！\"
\"Well，I\'mdamned！\"wasThorpe\'sdelayedandpuzzledcommentuponthisoutburst。Helookedlongathissister，inblankastonishment。\"Sincewhenhaveyoubeentakenthisway？\"heaskedatlast，mechanicallyjocular。
\"That\'sallright，\"shedeclaredwithdefensiveinconsequence。
\"It\'sthewayIfeel。It\'sthewayI\'vefeltfromthebeginning。\"
Hewasplainlysurprisedoutofhisequanimitybythisunlooked-fordemonstrationonhissister\'spart。
Hegotoffthestoolandwalkedaboutinthelittleclearedspaceroundthedesk。Whenhespoke，itwastouttersomethingwhichhecouldtracetonomentalprocessofwhichhehadbeenconscious。
\"Howdoyouknowthatthatisn\'twhatI\'vefelttoo——fromthebeginning？\"hedemandedofher，almostwithtruculence。
\"YousayIsitonmymoney-bagsandsmile——youabusemewithdoingnogoodwithmymoney——howdoyouknowIhaven\'tbeenstudyingthesubjectallthiswhile，andmakingmyplans，andgettingreadytoact？Youneverdidbelieveinme！\"
Shesniffedathim。\"Idon\'tbelieveinyounow，atallevents，\"shesaid，bluntly。
Heassumedtheexpressionofamisunderstoodman。
\"Why，thisveryday\"——hebegan，andagainwasawarethatthoughtswerecomingup，ready-shapedtohistongue，whichwerequitestrangerstohisbrain——\"thiswholedayI\'vebeengoinginchbyinchovertheverygroundyoumention；I\'vebeenonfootsincemorning，seeingallthecornersandalleysofthatwholedistrictformyself，watchingthepeopleandthethingstheybuyandthewaytheylive——andthinkingoutmyplansfordoingsomething。
Idon\'tclaimanycreditforit。Itseemstomenomorethanwhatamaninmypositionoughttodo。ButIownthattocomein，actuallytiredoutfromatramplikethat，andgetblown-upbyone\'sownsisterforselfishnessandheartlessnessandmiserlinessandalltherestofit——I
mustsay，that\'sabitrum。\"
Louisadidnotwinceunderthisreproachasshemighthavebeenexpectedtodo，norwasthereanyperceptibleameliorationintheheavyfrownwithwhichshecontinuedtoregardhim。
Butherwords，utteredaftersomeconsideration，cameinatoneofvoicewhichrevealedadesiretoavoidoffense。
\"Itwon\'tmattertoyou，yourgettingblown-upbyme，ifyou\'rereallyoccupyingyourmindwiththatsortofthing。
You\'retoousedtoitforthat。\"
Hewouldhavelikedalesscautiousacceptanceofhisassurancesthanthis——butafterall，onedidnotlooktoLouisaforenthusiasms。ThedepthoffeelingshehaddisclosedonthissubjectofLondon\'spoorstillastonishedhim，butprincipallynowbecauseofitsunlikelysource。
Ifshehadbeennotoriouslyofanaltruisticandfree-handeddisposition，hecouldhaveunderstoodit。
Butshehadbeenalwaysthehard，dry，unemotionalone；
bycomparisonwithher，hefelthimselftobeavolatileandevensentimentalperson。Ifshehadsuchviewsasthese，itbecamecleartohimthathisownviewswereevenmuchadvanced。
\"It\'satremendoussubject，\"hesaid，withlooselargenessofmanner。\"Onlyamanwhoworkshardatitcanrealizehowcomplicateditis。Theonlywayistostartwiththeunderstandingthatsomethingisgoingtobedone。
Nomatterhowmanydifficultiesthereareintheway，SOMETHING\'SGOINGTOBEDONE！Ifastrongmanstartsoutwiththat，whythenhecanfighthiswaythrough，andpushthedifficultiesasideorbendthemtosuithispurpose，andaccomplishsomething。\"
Mrs。Dabney，listeningtothis，foundnothinginittoquarrelwith——yetsomehowremained，ifnotskeptical，thenpassivelyunconvinced。\"Whatareyourplans？\"
sheaskedhim。
\"Oh，it\'stoosoontoformulateanything，\"hetoldher，withpreparedreadiness。\"Itisn\'tathingtorushintoinahurry，withhalfbakedtheoriesandlimitedinformation。
Greatresults，permanentresults，areneverobtainedthatway。\"
\"Ihopeitisn\'tanyPeabodymodel-dwellingthing。\"
\"Oh，nothinglikeitintheleast，\"heassuredher，andmadeamentalnotetofindoutwhatitwasshehadreferredto。
\"TheLord-Rowtonhousesarebetter，theysay，\"
shewenton，\"butitseemstomethattherealthingisthatthereshouldn\'tbeallthisimmensenumberofpeoplewithonlyfourpenceorfivepenceintheirpocket。
That\'swheretherealmischieflies。\"
Henoddedcomprehendingly，buthesitatedoverfurtherwords。
Thensomethingoccurredtohim。\"Lookhere！\"hesaid。
\"Ifyou\'reaskeenaboutallthis，areyougametogiveupthisfootlingoldshop，anddevoteyourtimetocarryingoutmyplans，whenI\'velicked\'emintoshape？\"
Shebeganshakingherhead，butthensomethingseemedalsotooccurtoher。\"It\'llbetimeenoughtosettlethatwhenwegettoit，won\'tit？\"sheobserved。
\"No——you\'vegottopromisemenow，\"hetoldher。
\"WellthatIwon\'t！\"sheanswered，roundly。
\"You\'dseethewhole——thewholeschemecometonothing，wouldyou？\"——hescoldedather——\"ratherthanabateajotofyourconfoundedmulishness。\"
\"Aha！\"shecommented，withacertainalertnessofperceptionshiningthroughthestolidityofhermien。
\"Iknewyouwerehumbugging！Ifyou\'dmeantwhatyousaid，youwouldn\'ttalkaboutitscomingtonothingbecauseI
won\'tdothisorthat。Ioughttohaveknownbetter。
I\'malwaysagoosewhenIbelievewhatyoutellme。\"
Acertainabstractjusticeinherreproachimpressedhim。
\"Noyou\'renot，Lou，\"hereplied，coaxingly。\"Ireallymeanitall——everywordofit——andmore。Itonlyoccurredtomethatitwouldallgobetter，ifyouhelped。
Can\'tyouunderstandhowIshouldfeelthat？\"
Sheseemedinagrudgingwaytoacceptanewhisprofessionsofsincerity，butsheresistedallattemptstoextractanypromise。\"Idon\'tbelieveincrossingabridgetillIgettoit，\"shedeclared，when，onthepointofhisdeparture，helastraisedthequestion，andithadtobeleftatthat。
Hetookwithhimsomesmallbooksshehadtiedinaparcel，andtoldhimtoread。Shehadspokensoconfidentlyoftheirilluminatingvalue，thathefoundhimselfquitecommittedtotheirperusal——andalmosttotheirendorsement。
HehadthoughtduringthedayofrunningdowntoNewmarket，fortheCesarewitchwastoberunonthemorrow，andsomeonehadtoldhimthatthatwasworthseeing。
Bythetimehereachedhishotel，however，anentirelynewprojecthadpossessedhismind。Hepackedhisbag，andtookthenexttrainforhome。
CHAPTERXXV
\"IDIDN\'Taskyourfather，afterall，\"wasoneofthethingsthatThorpesaidtohiswifenextday。Hehadthemannerofoneannouncingaconcession，albeitinanaffablespirit，andshereceivedtheremarkwithascant，silentnod。
Twodayslaterherecurredtothesubject。Theywereagainupontheterrace，wherehehadbeenlounginginaneasy-chairmostoftheday，withthebookshissisterhadbidhimreadonatablebesidehim。Hehadglancedthroughsomeoftheminadesultoryfashion，cuttingpagesatrandomhereandthere，butforthemostparthehadlookedstraightbeforehimatthebroadlandscape，mellowingnowintosoftbrownsandyellowsunderthemild，vagueOctobersun。Hehadnotthoughtmuchofthebooks，buthehadacertainnewsenseofenjoymentinthefruitsofthisplacid，abstractedruminationwhichperhapstheyhadhelpedtoinduce。
\"Aboutyourfather，\"hesaidnow，ashiswife，whohadcomeouttospeakwithhimonsomeothermatter，wasturningtogoawayagain：\"I\'mafraidIannoyedyoutheotherdaybywhatIsaid。\"
\"Ihavenorecollectionofit，\"shetoldhim，withtranquilpoliteness，overhershoulder。
Hefoundhimselfallatoncekeenlydesirousofaconversationonthistopic。\"ButIwantyoutorecollect，\"
hesaid，asherosetohisfeet。Therewasasuggestionofurgencyinhistonewhicharrestedherattention。
Shemovedslowlytowardthechair，andafteralittleperchedherselfupononeofitsbigarms，andlookedupathimwhereheleantagainsttheparapet。
\"I\'vethoughtofitagooddeal，\"hewenton，inhaltingexplanation。Hispurposeseemedclearertohimthanweretherightphrasesinwhichtodefineit。
\"IpersistedinsayingthatI\'ddosomethingyoudidn\'twantmetodo——somethingthatwasagooddealmoreyouraffairthanmine——andI\'veblamedmyselfforit。
Thatisn\'tatallwhatIwanttodo。\"
Herfaceaswellashersilenceshowedhertobeatalossforanappropriatecomment。Shewasplainlysurprised，andseeminglyembarrassedaswell。\"I\'msureyoualwayswishtobenice，\"shesaidatlast。Thewordsandtonewerealikegracious，buthedetectedinthemsomewhereaperfunctorynote。
\"Oh——nice！\"heechoed，inasuddenstressofimpatiencewiththeword。\"Damnbeing\'nice\'！Anybodycanbe\'nice。\'I\'mthinkingofsomethingtenthousandtimesbiggerthanbeing\'nice。\'\"
\"Iwithdrawthewordimmediately——unreservedly，\"sheputin，withasmileinwhichhereadthatgenialmockeryheknewsowell。
\"Youlaughatme——wheneverItrytotalkseriously，\"
heobjected。
\"Ilaugh？\"shequeried，withanupwardglanceofdemurelysimulatedamazement。\"Impossible！IassureyouI\'veforgottenhow。\"
\"Ah，nowwegettoit！\"hebrokeout，withenergy。
\"You\'rereallyfeelingaboutitjustasIam。
You\'renotsatisfiedwithwhatwe\'redoing——withthelifewe\'releading——anymorethanIam。Iseethat，plainenough，now。Ididn\'tdreamofitbefore。SomehowI
gottheideathatyouwereenjoyingitimmensely——thegreenhousesandgardensandallthatsortofthing。
Anddoyouknowwhoitwasthatputmeright——thattoldmeyouhatedit？\"
\"Oh，don\'tletustalkofhim！\"Edithexclaimed，swiftly。
Thorpelaughed。\"You\'rewrong。Itwasn\'tyourfather。
Ididn\'tseehim。No——itwasmysister。She\'sneverseenyou，butallthesamesheknewenoughtogivemepoints。
ShetoldmeIwasafooltosupposeyouwerehappyhere。\"
\"Howcleverofher！\"Acertainbanteringsmileaccompaniedthewords，butontheinstantitfadedaway。Shewentonwithamusinggravity。\"I\'msorryIdon\'tgettoknowyoursister。Sheseemsanextremelyrealsortofperson。
Icanunderstandthatshemightbedifficulttolivewith——I
daresayallgenuinecharactersare——butshe\'sveryreal。
Although，apparently，conversationisn\'therstrongpoint，stillIenjoytalkingwithher。\"
\"Howdoyoumean？\"Thorpeasked，knittinghisbrowsinpuzzlement。
\"Oh，Ioftengotohershop——ordidwhenIwasintown。
Iwentalmostimmediatelyafterour——ourreturntoEngland。
Iwashalfafraidshewouldrecognizeme——theportraitsinthepapers，youknow——butapparentlyshedidn\'t。Andit\'ssplendid——thewayshesaysabsolutelynothingmorethanit\'snecessarytosay。Andhercandour！Ifshethinksbooksarebadshesaysso。Fancythat！\"
Hestillfrowneduneasilyashelookeddownather。
\"Younevermentionedtomethatyouhadgonethere，\"
hetoldher，asifinreproach。
\"Ah，itwascomplicated，\"Edithexplained。\"Sheobjectstoknowingme——IthinksecretlyIrespectheragreatdealforthat——andthereforethereissomethingclandestineaboutmygettingtoknowher——andIcouldnotbesurehowitwouldimpressyou，andreallyitseemedsimplestnottomentionit。\"
\"Itisn\'tthatalone，\"hedeclared，grave-facedstill，butwithasoftervoice。\"DoyourememberwhatIsaidtheotherday？Itwouldmakeallthedifferenceintheworldtome，if——ifyouwerereally——actuallymyotherhalf！\"
Thephrasewhichhehadcaughtatseemed，asitfellupontheair，toimpregnateitwithsomebenumbingquality。
Thehusbandandwifelookeddumbly，almostvacantlyatoneanother，forwhatappearedalongtime。
\"Imean\"——allatonceThorpefoundtongue，andevenasortoffluencyasheprogressed——\"Imean，ifyousharedthingsreallywithme！Oh，I\'mnotcomplaining；youmustn\'tthinkthat。Theagreementwemadeatthestart——you\'vekeptyourpartofitperfectly。You\'vedonebetterthanthat：
you\'vekeptstillaboutthefactthatitmadeyouunhappy。\"
\"Ohno，\"sheinterposed，gently。\"Itisnotthefactthatithasmademeunhappy。\"
\"Well——discontented，then，\"heresumed，withoutpause。
\"Hereweare。Wedothethingwewanttodo——wemakethekindofhomeforourselvesthatwe\'veagreedwewouldlike——andthenitturnsoutthatsomehowitdoesn\'tcomeuptoexpectations。Yougettiredofit。
Isuppose，ifthetruthwereknown，I\'mbywayofbeingtiredofittoo。Well，ifyoulookatit，thatfactisthemostimportantthingintheworldforbothofus。
It\'stheonethingthatweoughttobemostanxioustodiscuss，andexaminefranklyinallitsbearings——inordertoseeifwecan\'tbetterit——butthat\'spreciselythethingthatdoesn\'tgettalkedaboutbetweenus。
Youwouldneverhavetoldmethatyouwereunhappy——\"
\"Youusethewordagain，\"sheremindedhim，awansmilesofteningherprotest。
Thorpestoodup，andtookaslowsteptowardthechair。
Heheldherglancewithhisown，ashestoodthen，hisheadbent，gravelyregardingher。
\"Doyoutellmethatyouarehappy？\"heasked，withsoberdirectness。
Sheflutteredherhandsinalittlerestrainedgestureofcomment。\"Youconsideronlytheextremes，\"shetoldhim。
\"Betweenblackandwhitetherearesomanycoloursandshadesandhalf-tones！Thewholespectrum，infact。Hardlyanybody，Ishouldthink，getsovertheedgeintothetrueblackorthetruewhite。Therearealwaystints，modifications。
Peoplearealwaysinsidethecolour-scheme，sotospeak。
TheworstthatcanbesaidofmeisthatImaybeintheblues——inthelight-blues——butitisfairtorememberthattheyphotographwhite。\"
Thoughtherewasanimpulsewithinhimtoresentthisastrifling，heresistedit，andjudiciallyconsideredherallegory。\"Thatistosay\"——hebeganhesitatingly。
\"TotheobserverIamhappy。TomyselfIamnotunhappy。\"
\"Whywon\'tyoutellme，Edith，justwhereyouare？\"
Thesoundofhernamewassomewhatunfamiliartotheirdiscourse。Theintonationwhichhisvoicegavetoitnowcausedhertolookupquickly。
\"IfIcouldtellmyself，\"sheansweredhim，afteraninstant\'sthought，\"praybelievethatIwouldtellyou。\"
Thewayseemedforthemomentblockedbeforehim，andhesighedheavily。\"Iwanttogetnearertoyou，\"hesaid，withgloom，\"andIdon\'t！\"
Itoccurredtohertoremark：\"YoutakeexceptiontomyphraseologywhenIsayyoualwaystrytobe\'nice，\'butI\'msureyouknowwhatImean。\"Sheofferedhimthisassurancewithatentativesmile，intowhichhegazedmoodily。
\"Youdidn\'tthinkIwas\'nice\'whenyouconsentedtomarryme，\"hewassuddenlyinspiredtosay。\"Ican\'timagineyourapplyingthatwordtometheninyourmind。
Godknowswhatitwasyoudidsaytoyourselfaboutme，butyouneversaidIwas\'nice。\'Thatwasthelastwordthatwouldhavefittedmethen——andnowit\'stheonlyoneyoucanthinkof。\"Thehintthatsomehowhehadstumbleduponacluetothemysteriesenvelopinghimrosetoprominenceinhismindashespoke。
Theyearhadwroughtabafflingdifferenceinhim。
Helackedsomethingnowthatthenhehadpossessed，buthewaspowerlesstodefineit。
Heseatedhimselfagaininthechair，andputhishandthroughherarmtokeepherwhereshelightlyrestedbesidehim。\"Willyoutellme，\"hesaid，withakindofsombregentleness，\"whatthewordisthatyouwouldhaveusedthen？Iknowyouwouldn\'t——couldn\'t——havecalledme\'nice。\'Whatwouldyouhavecalledme？\"
Shepausedinsilenceforalittle，thenslippedfromthechairandstooderect，stillleavingherwristwithintherestrainingcurveofhisfingers。\"Isuppose，\"
shesaid，musingly——\"IsupposeIshouldhavesaid\'powerful\'or\'strong。\'\"Thenshereleasedherarm，andinturnmovedtotheparapet。
\"AndIamweaknow——Iam\'nice，\'\"hereflected，mechanically。
Intheprofilehesaw，asshelookedawayatthevastdistanthorizon，therewassomethingpensive，evensad。
Shedidnotspeakatonce，andashegazedathermorenarrowlyitseemedasifherlipswerequivering。
Anewsenseofhergreatbeautycametohim——andwithitahintthatfortheinstantatleastherguardwasdown。
Hesprangtohisfeet，andstoodbesideher。
\"YouAREgoingtobeopenwithme——Edith！\"hepleaded，softly。
Sheturnedfromhimalittle，asiftohidethesignsofheragitation。\"Oh，whatistheretosay？\"shedemanded，inatonewhichwasalmostawail。\"Itisnotyourfault。
I\'mnotblamingyou。\"
\"WHATisnotmyfault？\"hepersistedwithpatientgentleness。
Suddenlysheconfrontedhim。Therewerethetracesoftearsuponherlashes，andserenityhadfledfromherface。
\"Itisamistake——ablunder，\"shebegan，hurriedly。\"Itakeitalluponmyownshoulders。Iwastheonewhodidit。
Ishouldhavehadmorejudgment——moregoodsense！\"
\"Youarenottellingme，areyou，\"heaskedwithgravity，\"thatyouaresorryyoumarriedme？\"
\"Iseitherofusglad？\"sheretorted，breathlessly。
\"Whatistheretobegladabout？Youareboredtodeath——youconfessit。AndI——well，itisnotwhatIthoughtitwouldbe。Ideceivedmyself。Idonotreproachyou。\"
\"No，youkeepsayingthat，\"heobserved，withgloomyslownessofutterance。\"Butwhatisityoureproachyourselfwith，then？Wemightaswellhaveitout。\"
\"Yes，\"sheassented，withaswiftreversiontocalm。
Hereyesmethiswithaglancewhichhadinitanimplacablefrankness。\"ImarriedonemanbecausehewouldbeabletomakemeaDuchess。Imarriedanotherbecausehehadeightythousandayear。ThatisthekindofbeastIam。Thereisbadbloodinme。Youknowmyfather；thatisquiteenough。Iamhisdaughter；
thatexplainseverything。\"
Theexaggerationofhertoneandwordsproducedacuriouseffectuponhim。Hestaredatherforalittle，perceivingslowlythatanewpersonagewasbeingrevealedtohim。Themaskofdelicately-balancedcynicism，ofamiablypoliteindifference，hadbeenlifted；
therewasawomanoffleshandbloodbeneathit，afterall——awomantowhomhecouldtalkontermsofintimacy。
\"Rubbish！\"hesaid，andhisbigfacelightenedintoagenial，paternalsmile。\"Youdidn\'tmarrymeformymoneyatall！
Whatnonsense！Isimplycamealongandcarriedyouoff。
Youcouldn\'thelpyourself。ItwouldhavebeenthesameifIhadn\'thadsixpence。\"
Tohissharpscrutinythereseemedtoflickerinhereyesakindofansweringgleam。Thenshehastilyavertedherglance，andinthisactiontootherewasawarrantforhismountingconfidence。
\"Thetroublehasbeen，\"hedeclared，\"thatI\'vebeentoomuchafraidofyou。I\'vethoughtthatyouweremadeofsomuchfinerstuffthanIam，thatyoumustn\'tbetouched。
Thatwasallamistake。Iseeitrightenoughnow。
YouAREfinerthanIam——Godknowsthere\'snodisputeaboutthat——butthat\'snoreasonwhyIshouldhavehungupsignsof\'Handsoff！\'allaroundyou，andbeenfrightenedbythemmyself。Ihadthecheektocaptureyouandcarryyouoff——andIoughttohavehadtheplucktomakeyoulovemeafterward，andkeepitup。Andthat\'swhatI\'mgoingtodo！\"
Tothisdeclarationsheofferednoimmediatereply，butcontinuedtogazewithavaguelymeditativeairupontheexpanseoflandscapespreadbelowthem。
Hethrewahastyglanceoverthewindowsbehindhim，andthenwithassurancepassedhisarmroundherwaist。
Hecouldnotsaythattherewasanyresponsiveyieldingtohisembrace，buthedidaffirmtohimselfwithnewconviction，ashelookeddownuponthefairsmallheadathisshoulder，withitslovelypale-brownhairdrawnsoftlyoverthetemples，anditsglimpseofthematchlessprofileinclinedbeneath——thatitwasallright。
Hewaitedforalongtime，withajoyouspatience，forhertospeak。Themerefactthatshestoodbeneathhisengirdlingarm，andgavenothoughttothepotentialservants\'-eyesbehindthem，wasenoughforpresenthappiness。
Heregardedtheillimitablepicturecommandedfromhisterracewithrefreshedeyes；itwasonceagainthefinestviewinEngland——andsomethingmuchmorethanthatbeside。
Atlast，abruptly，shelaughedaloud——asilvery，amusedlittlelaughunderherbreath。\"Howcomedyandtragedytreadforeveroneachother\'sheels！\"sheremarked。
Hertonewasphilosophicallygay，butuponreflectionhedidnotwhollylikeherwords。
\"Therewasn\'tanytragedy，\"hesaid，\"andthereisn\'tanycomedy。\"
Shelaughedagain。\"Oh，don\'tsaythatthisdoesn\'tappealtoyoursenseofhumour！\"sheurged，withmockfervour。
Thorpesighedinsuchunaffecteddepressionatthis，thatsheseemedtouchedbyhismood。Withoutstirringfromhishold，sheliftedherface。\"Don\'tthinkI\'mhateful，\"
shebadehim，andhereyeswereverykind。\"There\'smoretruthinwhatyou\'vebeensayingthanevenyouimagine。
Itreallywasn\'tthemoney——orImeanitmighteasilyhavebeenthesameiftherehadbeennomoney。ButhowshallI
explainit？Iamattractedbyabig，bold，strongpirate，letussay，butassoonashehascarriedmeoff——thatisthephraseforit——thenhestraightwayrenouncescrimeandbecomesalaw-abiding，peacefulcitizen。
Mybuccaneertransformshimself，undermyveryeyes，intoanalderman！Doyousaythereisnocomedyinthat——andtragedytoo？\"
\"Oh，putitthatwayandit\'sallright，\"hedeclared，afteramoment\'sconsideration。\"I\'vegotasmuchfuninmeasanybodyelse，\"hewenton，\"onlyyourjokeshaveawayofraisingblistersonme，somehow。Butthat\'salldonewithnow。That\'sbecauseIdidn\'tknowyou——wasfrightenedofyou。ButIaintscaredanymore。
Everythingisdifferent！\"
Withacertaingraciousnessoflingeringmovement，shewithdrewherselffromhisclasp，andfacedhimwithadoubtfulsmile。\"Ah，don\'tbetoosure，\"shemurmured。
\"Everythingisdifferent！\"herepeated，withconfidentemphasis。
\"Don\'tyouseeyourselfitis？\"
\"Yousayitis，\"shereplied，hesitatingly，\"butthatalonedoesn\'tmakeitso。Theassertionthatlifeisn\'temptydoesn\'tfillit。\"
\"Ah，butNOWyouwilltalkwithmeaboutallthat，\"
hebrokeintriumphantly。\"We\'vebeenstandingoffwithoneanother。We\'vebeenofnohelptoeachother。Butwe\'llchangethat，now。We\'lltalkovereverythingtogether。
We\'llmakeupourmindsexactlywhatwewanttodo，andthenI\'lltuckyouundermyarmandwe\'llsetoutanddoit。\"
Shesmiledwithkindlytoleranceforhisnew-bornenthusiasm。
\"Don\'tcountonmefortoomuchwisdomorinvention，\"
shewarnedhim。\"Ifthingsaretobedone，youarestilltheonewhowillhavetodothem。Butundoubtedlyyouareatyourbestwhenyouaredoingthings。Thisreallyhasbeennosortoflifeforyou，here。\"
Hegatheredherarmintohis。\"Comeandshowmeyourgreenhouses，\"
hesaid，andbeganwalkingtowardtheendoftheterrace。
\"It\'llturnouttohavebeenallrightforme，thisyearthatI\'vespenthere，\"hecontinued，astheystrolledalong。
Therewasadelightfulconsciousnessofnewintimacyconveyedbytheverytouchofherarm，whichfilledhistonewithbuoyancy。\"I\'vebeenlearningallsortsoftrickshere，andgettingmyselfintoyourwaysoflife。It\'sallbeengoodtraining。IneverywayI\'mabettermanthanIwas。\"
Theyhaddescendedfromtheterracetoagardenpath，andapproachednowalongglassstructure，throughthepanesofwhichmassesofsoftcolour——whites，yellows，pinks，mauves，andstrangedullreds——weredimlyperceptible。
\"Thechrysanthemumsarenotuptomuchthisyear，\"
Edithobserved，astheydrewneartothedoorofthishouse。
\"Collinsdidthemverybadly——ashedidmostotherthings。
Butnextyearitwillbeverydifferent。GaffersonisthebestchrysanthemummaninEngland。Thatisheintherenow，Ithink。\"
Thorpestoppedshort，andstaredather，thewhilethesuggestionsstirredbythesoundofthisnameslowlyshapedthemselves。
\"Gafferson？\"heaskedher，withablankcountenance。
\"Mynewhead-gardener，\"sheexplained。\"HewasatHadlow，andafterpooroldLadyPlowdendied——why，surelyyourememberhimthere。Youspokeabouthim——you\'dknownhimsomewhere——intheWestIndies，wasn\'tit？\"
Helookedintovacancywiththeaspectofonestupefied。
\"DidI？\"hemumbledautomatically。
Then，withsuddendecision，heswungroundonthegravel。
\"I\'vegotakindofheadachecomingon，\"hesaid。\"Ifyoudon\'tmind，wewon\'tgoinsideamongtheflowers。\"
CHAPTERXXVI
THORPEwalkedalong，intheremoterout-of-the-waypartsofthegreatgardens，asthefirstshadowsofeveningbegantodullthedaylight。Foralongtimehemovedaimlesslyabout，sickatheartandbenumbedofmind，inthestupidoppressionofabaddream。
Thereranthroughallhisconfusedthoughtstheexasperatingconsciousnessthatitwasnonsensetobefrightened，orevendisturbed；that，intruth，nothingwhateverhadhappened。Buthecouldnotlayholdofittoanycomfortingpurpose。Someperverseforcewithinhiminsistedonraisingnewphantomsinhispath，anddirectinghisreluctantgazetotheirunpleasantshapes。
Forgottenterrorspushedthemselvesuponhisrecollection。
ItwasasifhestoodagainintheBoardRoom，withthetelegramtellingofoldTavender\'sdeathinhishands，waitingtoheartheknockofScotlandYarduponthedoor。
ThecomingofGaffersontookonakindofsupernaturalaspect，whenThorperecalleditscircumstances。Hisowncuriousmentalferment，whichhadmadethispresentweekaperiodapartinhislife，hadbegunintheveryhourofthisman\'sapproachtothehouse。Hismemoryreconstructedavividpictureofthatapproach——oftheoldramshacklevillagetrap，andtheboyandthebagsandtheyellowtintrunk，andthatdecent，red-bearded，plebeianfigure，socommonplaceandyetsoelusivelysuggestiveofsomethingoutoftheordinary。Itseemedtohimnowthathehadatthetimediscernedacertainfatefulqualityintheapparition。
AndheandhiswifehadactuallybeentalkingofoldKervickatthemoment！Itwastheirdisagreementoverhimwhichhadpreventedherexplainingaboutthenewhead-gardener。Therewasaneffectoftheuncannyinallthis。
AndwhatdidGaffersonwant？Howmuchdidheknow？TheideathatperhapsoldKervickhadfoundhimout，andpatchedupwithhimaschemeofblackmail，occurredtohim，andintheunrealatmosphereofhismood，becameathingofsubstance。
Withblackmail，however，onecouldalwaysdeal；itwasalmostarelieftoseethecomplicationassumethatguise。
ButifGaffersonwasintentuponrevengeandexposureinstead？Withsuchaslug-like，patient，tenaciousfool，wasthatnotmorelikely？
Reasonableargumentspresentedthemselvestohismindeverandagain：hiswifehadknownofGafferson\'swork，andthoughthighlyofit，andhadbeeninapositiontolearnofhisleavingHadlow。Whatmorenaturalthanthatsheshouldhastentoemployhim？Andwhatwasit，afterall，thatGaffersoncouldpossiblyknoworprove？Hisbrother-in-lawhadgoneoff，andgottoodrunktolive，andhaddied。WhatinthenameofallthatwassensiblehadthistodowithThorpe？WhyshoulditevenbesupposedthatGaffersonassociatedThorpewithanyphaseofthebusiness？Andifhehadanynotionofahostilemovement，whyshouldhehavedelayedactionsolong？Whyindeed！
Reassurancedidnotcometohim，butatlastanimpulsetodefiniteactionturnedhisfootstepstowardtheclusterofgreenhousesinthedeepeningshadowofthemansion。
HewouldfindGafferson，andprobethisbusinesstotheuttermost。Iftherewasdiscoverableintheman\'smannerorglancetheleastevidenceofamalevolentintention——hewouldknowwhattodo。Ah，whatwasitthathewoulddo？Hecouldnotsay，beyondthatitwouldbebadforGafferson。Heinstinctivelyclenchedthefistsinthepocketsofhisjacketashequickenedhispace。
Insidethecongeriesofglazedhouseshewassomewhatatsea。
Itwasstilllightenoughtomakeone\'swayaboutinthepassagesbetweenthestagings，buthehadnoideaofthegeneralplanofthebuildings，anditseemedtohimthathefrequentlygotbacktoplaceshehadtraversedbefore。
Thereweretwoorthreesubordinategardenersinoraboutthehouses，butuponreflectionheforboretoquestionthem。
Hetriedtoassumeanidlyindifferentairashesaunteredpast，noddingalmostimperceptibleacknowledgmentoftheforefingerstheyjerkedupwardinsalutation。
Hecameatlastuponalockeddoor，thekeyofwhichhadbeenremoved。Thefactvaguelysurprisedhim，andhelookedwithawakenedinterestthroughthepanesofthisdoor。
Theairinsideseemedslightlythickened——andthenhiseyecaughttheflickerofaflame，straightahead。
Itwasnothingbutthefumigationofahouse；theburningspiritsinthelampunderneaththebrazierwerefillingthestructurewithvapoursfataltoallinsectlife。
Intwoorthreehoursthemenwouldcomeandopenthedoorsandwindowsandventilatetheplace。Theoperationwasquitefamiliartohim；ithadindeedinterestedhimmorewhenhefirstsawitdonethanhadanythingelseconnectedwiththegreenhouses。
Hisabstractedgazehappenedtotakenoteofthefactthatthedoor-keywashangingonanailoverhead，andthensuddenlythisseemedtoberelatedtosomethingelseinhisthoughts——someobscureimpressionormemorywhichevadedhim。
Continuingtolookatthekey，acertainrecollectionallatonceassumedgreatdefinitenessinhismind：itcametohimthatthelabelsonthispatentfumigatortheywereusingwarnedpeopleagainstexposingthemselvestoitsfumesmorethanwasabsolutelynecessary。Thatmeant，ofcourse，thattheirfullforcewouldkillahumanbeing。
Itwasveryinteresting。Helookedthroughtheglassagain，butcouldnotseethattheairwasanythicker。
Thelampstillburnedbrightly。
Heturnedaway，andbeheldaman，inanoldcapandapron，atthefurtherendofthepalm-househewasin，doingsomethingtoaplant。ThorpenotedthefactthathefeltnosurpriseinseeingthatitwasGafferson。
Somehowthesightofthekey，andofthepoison-spreadingflameinsidethelockeddoor，seemedtohavepreparedhimforthespectacleofGaffersoncloseathand。
Hemovedforwardslowlytowardthehead-gardener，andluminousplansroseinhismind，ready-madeateachstep。Hecouldstranglethisannoyingfool，orsmotherhim，intonon-resistinginsensibility，andthenputhiminsidethatdeath-house，andletitbesupposedthathehadbeenasphyxiatedbyaccident。
Themenwhentheycamebackwouldfindhimthere。
Butah！theywouldknowthattheyhadnotlefthimthere；
theywouldhaveseenhimoutside，nodoubt，afterthefirehadbeenlighted。Well，thekeycouldbeleftintheunlockeddoor。Thenitcouldbesupposedthathehadrashlyentered，andbeenovercomebythevapours。
Heapproachedthemansilently，hisbrainarrangingthedetailsofthedeedwithcalmcelerity。