Thensomeobjectionstotheplanroseupbeforehim:
theydealtalmostexclusivelywiththesocialnuisancethethingwouldentail。Therewastobeahouse-party,withthatDukeandDuchessinit,ofwhomhiswifetalkedsomuch,anditwouldbeamiserablekindofboretohaveasuffocatedgardenerforceduponthemasaprincipaltopicofconversation。Ofcourse,too,itwouldmoreorlessthrowthewholehouseholdintoconfusion。Anditseffectuponhiswife!——theprogressofhisthoughtswascheckedabruptlybythissuggestion。Avisionoftheshocksuchacatastrophemightinvolvetoher——oratthebest,ofthegrossunpleasantnessshewouldfindinit——flashedoverhismind,andthenyieldedtoasoftening,radiantconsciousnessofhowmuchthismeanttohim。
Itseemedtoeffaceeverythingelseupontheinstant。
Aprofoundlytenderdesireforherhappinesswasincompletepossession。Alreadythenotionofdoinganythingtowoundorgrieveherappearedincredibletohim。
\"Well,Gafferson,\"heheardhimselfsaying,inoneofthemorereservedtonesofhispatriarchalmanner。
Hehadhaltedclosetotheinattentiveman,andstoodlookingdownuponhim。Hisglancewasatoncetolerantandwatchful。
Gaffersonslowlyrosefromhisslouchingposture,surveyedtheotherwhilehisfacultiesinleisurelyfashionworkedouttheproblemofrecognition,audthenraisedhisfingertohiscap-brim。\"Good-evening,sir,\"
hesaid。
Thisgestureofdeferencewaseloquentlyconvincing。
Thorpe,afteraninstant\'salertscrutiny,smileduponhim。
\"Iwasgladtohearthatyouhadcometous,\"hesaidwithbenevolentaffability。\"Weshallexpectgreatthingsofamanofyourreputation。\"
\"It\'llbeafaircomfort,sir,\"theotherreplied,\"tobeinaplacewherewhatonedoesisappreciated。
WhatuseisittosucceedinhybridizingaHippeastrumprocerawithaPancratiumAmancaes,afteroversixhundredattemptsintenyears,andthenspendthreeyearsa-hand-nursingtheseedlings,andthenyourmasterwon\'ttakeenoughinterestinthethingtopayyourfareuptoLondontotheexhibitionwith\'em?That\'swhat\'udbreakanyman\'sheart。\"
\"Quitetrue,\"Thorpeassented,withpatriciankindliness。
\"Youneedfearnothingofthatsorthere,Gafferson。Wegiveyouafreehand。Whateveryouwant,youhaveonlytoletusknow。Andyoucan\'tdothingstoowelltopleaseus。\"
\"Thankyou,sir,\"saidGafferson,andreally,asThorpethoughtaboutit,theinterviewseemedatanend。
Themasterturneduponhisheel,withabrief,obliquenodoverhisshoulder,andmadehiswayoutintotheopenair。Here,ashewalked,hedrewasuccessionoflongconsolatorybreaths。Itwasalmostasifhehademergedfromthelethalpresenceofthefumigatoritself。
Hetookthelargestcigarfromhiscase,lightedit,andsighedsmoke-ladennewreliefashestrolledbacktowardtheterrace。
Butafewminutesbeforehehadbeenstrugglinghelplesslyinthecoilsofanevilnightmare。
Theseterrorsseemedinfinitelyfarbehindhimnow。
Hegaveanindifferentpartingglancebackwardatthem,asonemightoverhisafter-breakfastcigarattheconfusedalarmsofanearlyawakeninghoursbefore。
Therewasnothingworthremembering——onlytheshapelessandfoolishburdenofabaddream。
Theassurancerosewithinhimthathewasnottohaveanymoresuchtrouble。Withasingularclearnessofmentalvisionheperceivedthatthepartofhimwhichbroughtbaddreamshadbeensloughedoff,likeaserpent\'sskin。
TherehadbeentwoThorpes,andoneofthem——theThorpewhohadalwaysbeenwillingtoprofitbyknavery,andatlastinasplendidcoupasamasterthiefhadstolennearlyamillion,andwouldhaveshrunknotatallfromaddingmurdertotherest,toprotectthatplunder——thisviciousThorpehadgoneawayaltogether。Therewasnolongeraplaceforhiminlife;hewouldneverbeseenagainbymortaleye……ThereremainedonlythegoodThorpe,thepleasant,well-intentionedopulentgentleman;
theexcellentcitizen;thebeneficentmaster,towhom,evenGaffersonliketheothers,touchedarespectfulforelock。
ItpassedintheprocessionofhisreverieasakindoftriumphofvirtuethatthegoodThorperetainedthefortunewhichthebadThorpehadstolen。Itwasinallsensesafortunatefact,becausenowitwouldbeputtoworthyuses。
Consideringthathehadbutdimlydriftedaboutheretoforeontheoutskirtsofthealtruisticimpulse,itwassurprisinglyplaintohimnowthatheintendedtobeaphilanthropist。
Evenashementionedthewordtohimself,thepossibilitiessuggestedbyitexpandedinhisthoughts。Hisolddormant,formlesslustforpowerstirredagaininhispulses。
Whatotherphaseofpowercarriedwithitsuchrewards,suchgratitudes,suchhumblesubservienceonallsidesasfarastheeyecouldreach——asthatexercisedbytheintelligentlymunificentphilanthropist?
Intelligence!thatwasthenoteofitall。Manyrichpeopledabbledatthegivingofmoney,buttheydiditsostupidly,insuchaslip-shodfashion,thattheygotnocreditforit。Evenmillionairesmoreorlessinpubliclife,greatnewspaper-owners,greatbrewer-peers,andthelike,menwhoshouldknowhowtodothingswell,gavehugesumsinbulkforpubliccharities,suchasthehousingofthepoor,andyetcontrivedsomehowtoletthekudosthatshouldhavebeentheirsevaporate。Hewouldmakenosuchmistakeasthat。
Itwaseasyenoughtoseewhereintheyerred。
Theygavesuperciliously,handingdowntheiralmsfromatoploftyaltitudeofTorysuperiority,andtheRadicalsdownbelowsniffedorgrowledevenwhiletheygrudginglytookthesegifts——thatwasallnonsense。Thesearistocraticortuft-huntingphilanthropistsweretheveriestduffers。
Theylaidoutmillionsofpoundsinthevainattempttosecurewhatmighteasilybehadformerethousands,iftheywentsensiblytowork。Theirvastbenefactionsyieldedthematthemostbarethanks,ormoreoftennothanksatall,becausetheylackedthewittolayasidecertainlittletrivialbutannoyingpretensions,andwaiveafewemptyprejudices。Theywenton,yearafteryear,tossingtheirfortunesintoasinkofcontemptuousingratitude,wonderingfeeblywhytheywerenotbelovedinreturn。
Itwasbecausetheywerefools。Theycouldnot,ortheywouldnot,understandthepeopletheysoughttomanipulate。
Whatcouldnotamanofrealbrain,ofrealbreadthandenergyandforceofcharacter,doinLondonwithtwohundredthousandpounds?Why,hecouldmakehimselfmasterofthetown!Hecouldbreakintofragmentsthepoliticalascendencyofthesnob,\"semi-detached\"villaclasses,inhalftheParliamentarydivisionstheynowcontrolled。
HecouldreversethepartisancomplexionoftheMetropolitandelegation,andleadtoWestminsterapartyofhisown,asolidphalanxofdisciplinedmen,standingfortheimplacableDemocracyofreawakenedLondon。
Withsuchabacking,hecouldcoerceministriesatwill,andremakethepoliticsofEngland。TheroleofGreatOliverhimselfwasnottoohopelesslybeyondthescopeofsuchavision。
Thorpethrewhiscigar-endaside,andthennotedthatitwasalmostdark。Hestrodeuptotheterracetwostepsatatime,andswungalongitslengthwithavigourandexhilarationofmovementhehadnotknown,itseemedtohim,foryears。Hefelttheexcitementofanewincentivebubblinginhisveins。
\"HerLadyshipisinhersitting-room,sir,\"adomesticrepliedtohisenquiryinthehall。Thetitlearrestedhisattentionfromsomefreshpointofview,andheponderedit,ashemadehiswayalongthecorridor,andknockedatadoor。Atthesoundofavoicehepushedopenthedoor,andwentin。
LadyCressage,lookingup,noted,witharousedinterest,amarkedchangeinhiscarriage。Hestoodaggressivelyerect,hisbigshoulderssquared,andhisheadheldhigh。
Onhismassivefacetherewasthesmile,atoncebuoyantandcontained,ofastrongmansatisfiedwithhimself。
Somethingimpelledhertorise,andtoputacertainwistfulnessofenquiryintoheransweringsmile。
\"Yourheadacheisbetterthen?\"sheaskedhim。
Helookedpuzzledforamoment,thenlaughedlightly。
\"Oh——yes,\"heanswered。Advancing,hecaughthersuddenly,almostvehemently,inhisarms,audcoveredthefacethatwasperforceupturnedwithkisses。Whenshewasreleasedfromthisoverwhelmingembrace,andstoodpantingandflushed,regardinghimwithnarrowed,intenteyes,inwhichmystificationwasmellowedbythegleamofnot-displeasedcuriosity,hepreferredarequestwhichcompletedherbewilderment。
\"Mrs。Thorpe,\"hebegan,withsignificantdeliberation,butsmilingwithhiseyestoshowthetendernessunderlyinghiswords——\"wouldyoumindifwedidn\'tdressfordinnerthisevening,andifwedinedinthelittlebreakfast-room——orhere,forthatmatter——insteadofthebigplace?\"
\"Why,notatall,ifyouwishit,\"sheansweredreadilyenough,butviewinghimstillwithapuzzledglance。
\"I\'mfullofnewideas,\"heexplained,impulsivelyimpatientofthenecessitytoarrangeasequenceamonghisthoughts。
\"Iseegreatthingsahead。It\'sallcometomeinaminute,butIcouldn\'tseeitclearerifI\'dthoughtitoutforayear。PerhapsIwasthinkingofitallthetimeanddidn\'tknowit。Butanyhow,Iseemywaystraightahead。
Youdon\'tknowwhatitmeanstometohavesomethingtodo。
Itmakesanothermanofme,justtothinkaboutit。
Anotherman?——yes,twentymen!It\'sathingthatcanbedone,andbyGod!I\'mgoingtodoit!\"
Shebeheldinhisface,asshescrutinizedit,astormyglowoftheman\'snative,coarse,imperiousvirility,reassertingitselfthroughthemaskoftorporwhichthisvacuousyearhadsuperimposed。Thelargefeaturesweresomehowgrownlargerstill;theydominatedthecountenanceasroughboldheadlandsdominateashore。
Itwasthevisageofaconqueror——ofamangatheringwithinhimself,toexpenduponhisfellows,theappetites,energies,insensibilities,audacitiesofabeastofprey。
Herglanceflutteredalittle,andalmostquailed,beforethefrankbarbarismofpowerinthelookhebentuponher。Thenitcametoherthatsomethingmorewastobereadinthislook;therewasinitareservationofmagnanimity,ofprotection,ofentreatinginvitation,forherspecialself。Hemightteardownwithhisclaws,andpulltopiecesanddevourothers;buthismatehewouldshelteranddefendandlovewithallhisstrength。
Aninvoluntarytremblingthrillranthroughher——andthenshesmiledupathim。
\"Whatisityou\'regoingtodo?\"sheaskedhim,mechanically。
Hermindrovedfarafield。
\"RuleEngland!\"hetoldherwithgravity。
Forthemomentthereseemedtohernothingpositivelyincongruousinthestatement。Tolookathim,asheloomedbeforeher,upliftedbyhisrefreshedandsoaringself-confidence,itappearednoteasytosaywhatwouldbeimpossibletohim。
Shelaughed,afterafleetingpause,withaplainernoteofgood-fellowshipthanhehadeverheardinhervoicebefore。
\"Delightful,\"shesaidgayly。\"ButI\'mnotsurethatIquiteunderstandthe——thepreciseconnectionofmorning-dressanddinnerinasmallroomwiththeproject。\"Henoddedpleasedcomprehensionofthespiritinwhichshetookhim。
\"Justawhim,\"heexplained。\"ThethingsI\'vegotinminddon\'tfitatallwithceremony,andthatbigbarnofaroom,andmenstandingabout。WhatIwantmorethananythingelseisaquietsnuglittleeveningwithyoualone,whereI
cantalktoyouand——andwecanbetogetherbyourselves。
You\'dlikeit,wouldn\'tyou?\"
Shehesitated,andtherewasanovelconfessionofembarrassmentinhermantlingcolouranddown-spreadlashes。
Ithadalwaystohiseyesbeen,fromthemomenthefirstbeheldit,themostbeautifulfaceintheworld——exquisitelymatchlessinitsformanddelicacyoflineandsereneyetsensitivegrace。Buthehadnotseeninitbefore,orguessedthattherecouldcometoit,thiscrowningaddedlovelinessoffeminineconfusion。
\"Youwouldlikeit,wouldn\'tyou?\"herepeatedinalower,morestrenuoustone。
Sheliftedhereyesslowly,andlooked,notintohis,butoverhisshoulder,asinareverie,halfmeditation,halflanguorousdreaming。Sheswayedratherthansteppedtowardhim。
\"Ithink,\"sheanswered,inamusingmurmur,——\"IthinkIshalllike——everything。\"
CHAPTERXXVII
THORPEfoundtheDukeofGlastonburyamuchmoreinterestingpersontowatchandtotalkwith,bothduringthedinnerSaturdayeveningandlater,thanhehadanticipated。
Hewasyoung,andslightofframe,andnotatallimposinginstature,butheborehimselfwithacertainshycourtlinessofcarriagewhichhadadistinctionofitsown。Hisface,withitslittleblackmoustacheandlargedarkeyes,wasfineuponexamination,butinsomeelusivelyforeignway。
Therelingeredaforeignnote,too,inthewayhetalked。
HisspeechwasEnglishenoughtotheear,itwastrue,butitwastheconsideredEnglishofabook,anditsphraseshadadeftnesswhichwashardlynative。Helooked,ifnotasadyoungman,thenoneconsciousalwaysofsufficientreasonsforsadness,butonecame,afteratime,toseethatthemoodbeneathwasnotmelancholy。Ithadevenitssprightlyside,whichshoneoutirregularlyinhisglanceandtalk,fromasobermeanofamiableweariness。
Thorpeknewhisextraordinarystory——thatofapoortutor,earninghislivinginignoranceofthefactthathehadabirthrightofanysort,whohadbeenmiraculouslytranslatedintotheheir,notonlytoanancienttitlebuttovastcollateralwealth。HehadbeenbornandrearedinFrance,anditwastherethattheheraldsofthisstupendouschangeinhisaffairshadfoundhimout。Therewasagooddealmoretothestory,includingnumerousunsavourylegendsaboutpeoplenowmanyyearsdead,anditwasimpossibletoobservetheyoungDukeandnotseemtoperceivesignsthathewasstillnervouslyconsciousoftheselegends。
Thestoryofhiswife——aserene,grey-eyed,rathersilentyoungperson,withapalefaceofsomebeauty,andwithmuchpurityandintellect——wasstrangeenoughtomatch。Shealsohadearnedherownliving,asaprivatesecretaryortype-writinggirl,orsomethingofthesort,andherhusbandhaddeliberatelychosenherafterhehadcomeintohistitle。Onemightstudyherveryclosely,however,andcatchnohintthatthesefactsinanydegreedisconcertedher。
Thorpestudiedheragooddeal,inafurtiveway,withacuriositybornofhisknowledgethattheDukehadpreferredher,whenhemighthavemarriedhiswidowedcousin,whowasnowThorpe\'sownwife。Howhehadcometoknowthis,hecouldneverhavetold。Hehadbreatheditin,somehow,withthegossip-ladenatmosphereofthatoneLondonseasonofhis。Itwaspatentenough,too,thathiswife——hisEdith——hadnotonlylikedthisducalyoungsterverymuch,butstillentertainedtowardhimaconsiderableaffection。
Shehadneverdissembledthisfeeling,anditvisiblyinformedherglanceandmannernow,atherowntable,whensheturnedtospeakwithhim,wherehesatatherrighthand。Thorpehadneverdreamedofthinkingillofhiswife\'sfriendship,evenwhenherindifferencetowhathethoughthadbeenmosttakenforgranted。
Nowthatthiswasallchanged,andtheamazingnewgloryofaloverhadenvelopedhim,hehadadistinctdelightinwatchingthemyriadcharmingphasesofherkindmanner,half-sisterly,half-motherly,towardthegrave-facedyoungman。Itwasallapartofthedeliciouschangewhichthesepastfewdayshadwroughtinher,thiswarmandsupplesoftnessofmien,ofeyeandsmileandvoice。
ButhowtheDuke,ifreallyhehadhadachancetomarryEdith,couldhavetakenthetype-writerinstead,baffledspeculation。
Thorpegavemoreattentiontothisproblem,duringdinner,thanhedidtotheconversationofthetable。
HisexchangeofsporadicremarkswiththeyoungDuchessbesidehimwasindeedanopenlyperfunctoryaffair,whichlefthimabundantleisuretocontemplateherprofileinsilence,whilesheturnedtolistentothegeneraltalk,ofwhichMissMaddenandtheHon。WinifredPlowdenborethechiefburden。Thetalkoftheseladiesinterestedhimbutindifferently,thoughthefrequentlaughtersuggestedthatitwasamusing。HelookedfromhiswifetotheDuchessandbackagain,inever-recurringsurprisethatthecoronethadbeencarriedpastEdith。
AndoncehelookedalongtimeathiswifeandtheDuke,andformulatedthetheorythatshemusthaverefusedhim。
Nodoubtthatwaswhyshebadbeensympatheticallyfondofhimeversince,andwasbeingsonicetohimnow。
Yes——clearlythatwasit。HefeltuponthisthathealsolikedtheDukeverymuch。
ItwasbynomeanssoapparentthattheDukelikedhim。
BothheandhisDuchess,indeed,werescrupulouslyandevendeferentiallypolite,buttherewasapainstakingeffectaboutit,which,seemingly,theylackedtheartaltogethertoconceal。ItseemedtoThorpethattheotherguestsunconsciouslytooktheircuefromthisaugustcouple,andallexposedsomewhattheefforttheircivilitytohiminvolved。Atanothertimethesuspicionofthiswouldhavestunghim。Hehadonlytoglanceacrossthetabletowherehiswifesatnow,anditwasallright。
Whatotherpeoplethoughtofhim——howotherpeoplelikedordislikedhim——wasofnoearthlyimportance。
Wheneverhechosetoexerthimself,hecouldcompelfromthemthebehaviourthathedesired。ItwastheirdullinabilitytoreadcharacterwhichpromptedthemtoregardhimasmerelyarichoutsiderwhohadmarriedEdithCressage。
Heviewedwithacomfortabletolerancethisinfirmityoftheirs。Whenthetimecame,ifhewantedtodoso,hecouldawakenthemtotheirdelusionasbyforkedlightningandtheburstofthunder。
Thewhimcametohim,andexpandedswiftlyintoadetermination,tocontrivesomeintimatetalkforthwithwiththeDuke。
Theyoungmanseemedbothcleverandsensible,andinawayimpressionableaswell。Thorpethoughtthathewouldprobablyhavesomeinterestingthingstosay,butstillmorehethoughtofhimasalikelylistener。
Itwouldbetheeasiertodetachhimfromthecompany,sincetheoccasionwasoneofstudiedinformality。
TheDukedidnotgoaboutinsociety,intheordinarysenseoftheword,andhewouldnothavecometoHighThorpetomeetalargeparty。Hewashereasakinsmanandfriendofhishostessforaquietweek;andthefewotherguestsfittedreadilyenoughintothepictureofafamilygathering。
Thespiritofdomesticityhadindeedsoobviouslydescendeduponthelittlegroupinthedrawing-room,anhourorsoafterdinner,thatThorpefeltitquitethenaturalthingtoputhisarmthroughthatoftheDukeandleadhimofftohispersonalsmoking-room。HeevenpublishedhisintentionbyaudiblybiddingtheHon。BalderPlowdentoremainwiththeladies。
Whenthetwohadseatedthemselvesinsoft,loweasy-chairs,andthehosthadnotedwithpleasurethathisguesthadnoeffeminatequalmsinthematteroflargerichcigars,abriefsilenceensued。
\"Iamveryanxioustogetyourviewsonacertainsubject,\"
Thorpewasinspiredtobegin,bluntlypushingpreliminariesaside。\"Ifamanoffortunewishestodogenuinegoodwithhismoney,hereinEngland,howshouldhebestgoaboutit?\"
TheDukelookedupathisquestioner,withasuddenflashofsurpriseonhisdark,mobileface。Hehesitatedamoment,andsmiledalittle。\"Youaskofmethesumofhumanwisdom,\"hesaid。\"Itisthehardestofallproblems;
noonesolvesit。\"
Thorpenoddedhisbigheadcomprehendingly。\"That\'sallthemorereasonwhyitoughttobesolved,\"hedeclared,withslowemphasis。
Theotherexpressedbylookandtoneanaugmentedconsciousnessoftheunexpected。\"Ididnotknow,\"
heremarkedcautiously,\"thatthiswasamatterinwhichyouwerespeciallyconcerned。Itpleasesmeverymuchtohearit。
Evenifthesolutiondoesnotcome,itiswelltohaveasmanyaspossibleturningtheproblemoverintheirminds。\"
\"Oh,butI\'mgoingtosolveit!\"Thorpetoldhim,withroundconfidence。
TheDukepulledcontemplativelyathiscigarforalittle。
\"Donotthinkmeacynic,\"hebeganatlast。
\"Youareamanofaffairs;youhavemadeyourownway;
youshouldbeevenmorefreefromillusionsthanIam。
Ifyoutellmethatthesegoodthingscanbedone,Iamthelastonetodisputeyou。ButIhaveseennearathandexperimentsofexceptionalimportance,onaverygrandscale,andtheresultdoesnotencourageme。
Icometodoubtindeedifmoneyhasanysuchpowerintheseaffairsaswethinkithas——forthatmatter,ifithasanypoweratall。Theshiftingofmoneycanalwaysdisorganizewhatisgoingonatthemoment——
changeitaboutandalteritinmanyways——butitseffectisonlytemporary。Assoonasthepressureisreleased,thehumanatomsrearrangethemselvesastheywerebefore,andtheoldconditionsreturn。Ithinktheonlyforcewhichreallymakesanypermanentdifferenceischaracter——andyetabouteventhatIamnotsure。ThebestmanIhaveeverknown——andinmanyrespectstheablest——devoteduntoldenergyandlabour,andmuchmoney,too,totheserviceofafewthousandpeopleinSomerset,onlandofhisown,uponatheorywonderfullyelaboratedandworkedout。
PerhapsyouhaveheardofEmanuelTorrandhiscolony,hisSystem?\"
Thorpeshookhishead。
\"Hehadworkedtremendouslyforyearsatit。Hefellillandwentaway——andinadayalltheresultsofhislaboursandoutlaywereflatontheground。Thepropertyisminenow,anditisfarmedandmanagedagainintheordinaryway,andreallythepeoplethereseemalreadytohaveforgottenthattheyhadaprophetamongthem。
Themarvelouscharacteroftheman——youlookinvainforanysignofanimpressthatitleftuponthem。
Inevergothere。Icannotbearthosepeople。IhavesometimesthefeelingthatifitwerefeasibleIshouldliketooppresstheminsomeway——tohurtthem。\"
\"Oh!\'thepeople\'arehogs,rightenough,\"Thorpecommentedgenially,\"buttheyARE\'thepeople,\'andthey\'retheonlytoolswe\'vegottoworkwithtomaketheworldgoround。\"
\"Butifyouleavetheworldalone,\"objectedtheDuke,\"itgoesroundofitself。Andifyoudon\'tleaveitalone,itgoesroundjustthesame,withoutanyreferencewhatevertoyourexertions。Somefewmenarealwaysclevererornoisierormorerestlessthantheothers,andtheiractivityproducescertaindeviationsandpeculiaritiesintheirgeneration。Therecordofthese——generallyaveryfaultyandfoolishrecord——wecallhistory。
Wesayofthesemovementsinthepastthatsomeofthemweregoodandsomewerebad。Oursonsverylikelywilldiffertotallyfromusaboutwhichweregoodandwhichwerebad;
quitepossibly,inturn,theirsonsmayagreewithus。
Idonotseethatitmatters。Wecannottreatanythingasfinal——exceptthattheworldgoesround。Weappearoutofthedarknessatoneedgeofit;wearecarriedacrossandpitchedoffintothedarknessattheotheredgeofit。
Wearecertainaboutnothingelse。\"
\"Exceptthatsomeofushavetopayforourride,andothersdon\'t,\"putinThorpe。ThetoneinwhichhespokemadehismeaningsoclearthathisGracesatup。
\"Ah,youthinkwedonotpay?\"hequeried,hiscountenancebrighteningwiththeanimationofdebate。\"Mydearsir,wepaymorethananyoneelse。Ourfaresaregraduated,justasourdeath-dutiesare。Nodoubttherearesomeidleandstupid,thick-skinnedrichfellows,whoescapetheticket-collector。Butforeachofthemthereareathousandidlepoorfellowswhodothesame。You,forexample,areamanoflargewealth。I,formysins,carryuponmybacktheburdenofaprodigiousfortune。Couldwenotgooutnow,andwalkdowntheroadtoyournearestvillage,andfindinthepub。thereadozenday-labourershappierthanweare?Why——itisSaturdaynight。ThenIwillnotsayadozen,butasmanyasthetapwillhold。Itisnotthebeeralonethatmakesthemhappy。Donotthinkthat。
Itistheabilitytorestuntroubled,thesensethattillMondaytheyhavenomoreresponsibilitythanatree-toad。
DoesthecomingofSundaymakethatdifferencetoyouortome?Whennightcomes,doesitmeantousthatwearetosleepoffintooblivionallwehavedonethatday,andbeginlifeafreshnextmorning?No-o!Wearethetiredpeople;theloadisneverliftedfromourbacks。
Ah,dowenotpayindeed!\"
\"Oh-ho!\"ejaculatedThorpe。Hehadbeenlisteningwithgrowingastonishmenttotheother\'sconfession。
Hewasstillsurprisedashespoke,butanoteofsatisfactionmountedintohisvoiceashewenton。\"Youareunhappy,too!Youareayoungman,inexcellenthealth;
youhavethewifeyouwant;youunderstandgoodtobacco;
youhaveason。Thatisagreatdeal——butmyGod!thinkwhatelseyou\'vegot。You\'retheDukeofGlastonbury——oneoftheoldesttitlesinEngland。You\'reoneoftherichestmeninthecountry——therichestintheoldpeerage,atanyrate,I\'mtold。AndYOU\'REnothappy!\"
Theothersmiled。\"Ah,thetermsandformssurvive,\"
hesaid,withakindofpedagogicaffability,\"afterthesubstancehasdisappeared。Thenobleman,theprince,wasagreatpersoninthetimeswhenhemonopolizedwealth。
Itenabledhimtomonopolizealmosteverythingelsethatwaspleasantorsuperb。Hehadtheartsandthebooksandthemusiciansandthesilksandvelvets,andthebath-tubs——everythingthatmadeexistencegorgeous——alltohimself。Hehadwartoamusehimselfwith,andthesevendeadlysins。Thebarriersaredownnow。
Everythingwhichusedtobeexclusivelythenobleman\'sisnowwithineverybody\'sreach,includingthesins。
Anditisnotonlythatothershavelevelleduptohim;
theyhavelevelledhimdown。Hecannotdressnowmoreexpensivelythanotherpeople。Gamblingusedtoberecognizedasoneofhisnormalrelaxations,butnow,thehigherhisrank,themoresharplyheisscoldedforit。
Naturallyhedoesnotknowwhattodowithhimself。
Asaninstitution,hedescendsfromaperiodwhentheonlyimaginableuseforwealthwastobemagnificentwithit。
Butnowinthisbusinessage,wheretherecognizeduseofwealthistomakemorewealth,heissomuchoutofplacethathehasevenforgottenhowtobemagnificent。
Therearesomeillustratedarticlesinoneofthemagazines,givingphotographsofthegreathistoriccountry-housesofEngland。Youshouldseethepicturesoftheinteriors。
ThefurnitureanddecorationsarepreciselywhataBrixtondressmakerwouldbuy,ifshesuddenlycameintosomemoney。\"
\"Allthesame,\"Thorpestucktohispoint,\"youarenothappy。\"
TheDukefrownedfaintly,asifattheother\'spersistency。
Thenheshruggedhisshouldersandansweredinalightertone。\"Ithardlyamountstothat,Ithink。
Iconfessthattherearealleviationstomylot。
IntheopinionoftheworldIamoneofitsmostfortunatecitizens——anditisnotformetosaythattheworldisaltogetherwrong。Thechiefpointis——Idon\'tknowifyouwillquitefollowme——therearelimitstowhatpositionandfortunecangiveaman。Andsoeasilytheymaydeprivehimofpleasureswhichpoorermenenjoy!Imaybewrong,butitseemsimpossibletomethatanyrichmanwhohasacresofgardensandvineriesandglasscangetupthesameaffectionforitallthatthecottagerwillhaveforhislittleflower-plot,thathetendswithhisownhands。
Oneseemsoutsidetherealitiesoflife——amerespectatorattheshow。\"
\"Ah,butwhynotDOthings?\"Thorpedemandedofhim。
\"Whymerelystand,asyousay,andlookon?\"
Theotherleanthisheadbackagain。\"Praywhatdoyourecommend?\"heaskedalmostlistlessly。
\"Why——politics,forexample。\"
TheDukenodded,withanairofaccordingtothesuggestionacertainrespect。\"UnhappilyIamtoomuchofaforeigner,\"
hecommented。\"IknowEnglishmenandtheiraffairstooimperfectly。Sometime——perhaps。\"
\"Andphilanthropicwork——youdon\'tcareaboutthat,\"
pursuedtheother。
\"Oh——wegonotsofarasthat,\"saidhisGrace,withadeprecatorywaveofthehands。\"Mywifefindsmanyinterestsinit,onlyshewouldnotliketohaveyoucallitphilanthropical。SheisLondon-born,anditisagreatpleasuretohertobeofassistancetopooreryoungwomeninLondon,whohavesolittledoneforthembythecommunity,andcandosolittleforthemselves。
Iammuchlessskepticalaboutthatparticularwork,Imaytellyou,thanaboutphilanthropyingeneral。
Infact,Iamquiteclearthatitisdoinggood。Atleastitisdoingakindness,andthatisapleasantoccupation。
Wearereallynotsoidleasonemightthink。Weworkatitagooddeal,mywifeandI。\"
\"SoamILondon-born,\"Thorperemarked,withacertainirrelevancy。
Afteramoment\'spauseheturnedasharplyenquiringglanceuponhisguest。\"Thisthingthatyou\'redoinginLondon——doesitgiveyouany\'pull\'there?\"\"Pull?\"repeatedtheotherhelplessly。
\"IftherewassomethingyouwantedthepeopleofLondontodo,wouldtheydoitforyoubecauseofwhatyou\'vebeendoingforthem——orfortheirgirls?\"
TheDukelookedpuzzledforamoment。\"Butitisn\'tconceivablethatIshouldwantLondontodoanything——
unlessitmightbetoconsumeitsownsmoke,\"heobserved。
\"Quiteso!\"saidThorpe,risingbulkilytohisfeet,butsignifyingbyagesturethathiscompanionwastoremainseated。Hepuffedathiscigartillitstipgleamedangrilythroughthesmokeabouthim,andmovedafewstepswithhishandsinhispockets。\"ThatiswhatIwantedtogetat。NowI\'mLondon-born,I\'vegotthetowninmyblood。TheThorpeshavebeenbooksellersthereforgenerations。Theoldnameisovertheoldshopstill。IthinkIknowwhatLondonersarelike;
Ioughtto。It\'smybeliefthattheydon\'twantgifts。
They\'lltake\'em,butitisn\'twhattheywant。
They\'reatradingpeople——oneoftheoldestintheworld。
Commercialtraditions,themerchant\'spride——thesearebredintheirbones。Theydon\'twantsomethingfornothing。
Theylikeanhonestbargain——faironbothsides。\'YouhelpmeandI\'llhelpyou。\'Andit\'stheonlywayyoucandoanythingworthdoing。\"
\"Well,\"saidtheDuke,passively。
Thorpehalted,andstillwiththecigarbetweenhisteeth,lookeddownathim。
\"IcangointoLondon,andstudyoutthethingsthataretobedone——thatneedtobedone——anddividetheseintotwoparts,thosethatbelongtoprivateenterpriseandthosethatoughttobedonepublicly。
AndIcansaytoLondoners——notinsomanywords,mindyou,butinawaythesharperoneswillunderstand:\'Here,youfellows。I\'llbegindoingoutofmyownpocketonesetofthesethings,andyouinturnmustputyourselvesatmyback,andstandbyme,andputmeinapositionwhereI
canmaketheGovernmentdothisothersetofthings。\'
Thatwillappealtothem。Apoormancouldn\'tleadthemanydistance,becausehecouldalwaysbekilledbythecrythathewasfillinghispockets。Theywillbelieveinamanwhoseambitionistowinanearldomandfivethousandayearoutofpolitics,buttheywillstonetodeaththemanwhomerelytriestogetafewhundredsayearoutofitforhiswifeandchildren。Andamanlikeyoucan\'tdoanythinginLondon,becausetheycan\'tseethatthere\'sanythingyouwantinreturn——andbesides,intheirhearts,theydon\'tlikeyourclass。Don\'tforgetit!Thisisthecitythatchoppedofftheking\'shead!\"
\"Ah,butthisisalsothecity,\"retortedtheother,withplacidpleasureinhisargument,\"whichdeckeditselfinbannersandribbonstowelcomebackthesonofthatsameking。Andifyouthinkofit,hewasratheraquaintthinginsons,too。\"
\"Itwasthewomendidthat,\"Thorpeaffirmedwithreadiness。
\"Theygettheirownwayonceinawhile,whenthemenaretiredout,andtheyhavetheirlittlespellofnonsenseandmonkey-shines,butitneverlastslong。CharlesII。
doesn\'tmatteratall——buttakemywordforit,hisfathermattersagreatdeal。TherewasaThorpeamongthejudgeswhovotedtobeheadhim。Iamdescendedinastraightlinefromhim。\"
HisGraceshruggedhisslightshouldersagain。
\"Ithappensthatmyancestorshadextremelylargefacilitiesfordoingunpleasantthings,and,Godknows,theydidthem——butIdon\'tquiteseewhatthatgoestoprove,now。\"
\"No,youdon\'tgrasptheidea,\"saidThorpe,resignedly。
Afteramoment\'spausehetookthecigarfromhislips,andstraightenedhimself\"Allthesame,\"hedeclaredroundly,\"Iamgoingtodothetrick。Londonhasbeenwaitingforanorganizer——aleader——forahundredyears。Therightkindofaman,goingtherightwaytowork,canstandLondononitshead,assurelyasIcanburnthiscigar。
AndI\'mgoingtohaveatryatit。\"
\"Itisveryinteresting,\"remarkedtheDuke,withvagueness。
\"But——aretheladieswaitingforus?Andifso,aren\'twekeepingthemupunconscionably?\"
Asifincommentuponhiswords,therewasthesoundofafaintrapatthedoor。Thenitopened,andthroughthedensebluehazeoftheroomtheysawsomeshadowedformssoftlyindistinctsavewherethelightfromtheceilingoutsideshonedownuponagroupofcoiffuredheads。
Anoiseofmingledcoughingandlaughterspecificallycompletedtheintroduction。
\"Oh,I\'m——it\'sunendurableinthere,\"spokethevoiceofthehostess。\"WeWEREcomingintosmokewithyou,\"
shecalledoutthroughthecloud,\"sinceyouwouldn\'tstopwithus。\"
\"Comealong!\"answeredThorpe,cheerily。Hestrodetotheendoftheroomandraisedawindow。Fromthesamecornerheturnedonsomeaddedlights。
Underthismoreeffectiveillumination,theladyofthehouseadvanced,withMissMaddenandtheHon。Winifredclosebehindher。\"Frankhasgonetobed,\"sheexplainedtotheDuke,whohadrisen。Thensheturnedtoherhusbandabright-eyedglance:\"Youdon\'tmind——ourcoming?\"
sheasked。
\"Mind!\"hecalledout,withrobustimpressiveness。
\"Mind!\"Asiftocompletetheexpressionofhismeaning,hethrewhisarmlooselyabouther,whereshestood,andbroughthertohisside。Theyremainedstandingthus,beforethefireplace,aftertheotherswereallseated。
\"Mr。Thorpehasbeenoutliningtomethemostwonderfulplans,\"
saidtheDuke,lookingfromonefacetoanother,withareservedsmile。\"Itseemsthatphilanthropyfailsunlessitiscombinedwithveryadvancedpolitics。Itisanewideatome——buthecertainlystatesitwithvigour。
Doyouunderstandit,Edith?\"
\"Oh,perfectly,\"repliedthewife,smilingly。\"Iamhisfirstconvert。Beholdinmetheoriginaldisciple。\"
\"Theworstofthatis,\"commentedThorpe,withradiantjoviality,\"shewouldsubscribetoanyothernewdoctrineofminejustasreadily。\"Hetightenedthearmencirclingherbyaperceptibletrifle。\"Wouldn\'tyou,sweetheart?\"hedemanded。
Sheseemedinnowiseembarrassedbytheseovertendearments。
Therewasindeedthedimmestsuggestioninherfaceandvoiceofaresponsivemood。\"Really,\"shebegan,withasoftglance,half-deprecation,half-pride,bentupontheothers,andwiththoughtfuldeliberation,——\"reallytheimportantthingisthatheshouldpursuesomeobject——haveinviewsomethingthatheisdeterminedtomaster。Withoutthat,heisnotcontented——notathisbest。Heshouldhavebeenasoldier。Hehasapassionforbattleinhisblood。
Andnowthatheseessomethingheiseagertodo——Iamveryglad。Itmakesitnonethelessacceptablethatgoodistocomefromit。\"
\"Istillmaintain,\"saidMissMadden,interpolatingherwordsthroughthetaskoflightingacigarette,andcontrivingforthemaneffectofdrollerywhichappealedtoThorpemostofall——\"Ishallalwaysinsist,justthesame,thatcrimewashistruevocation。\"
End