第1章
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  ’Itisonlythroughdeepsympathythatamancanbecomeagreatartist。’——Lewes’sLifeofGoethe。

  ’Sympathyisfeelingrelatedtoanobject,whilstsentimentisthesamefeelingseekingitselfalone。’——ArnoldToynbee。

  ChapterI。

  ’Nothingfillsachild’smindlikealargeoldmansion;betterifun—orpartiallyoccupied;peopledwiththespiritsofdeceasedmembersofthecountyandJusticesoftheQuorum。WouldIwereburiedinthepeopledsolitudeofone,withmyfeelingsatsevenyearsold!’——FromLettersofCharlesLamb。

  ToattemptaformalbiographyofDerrickVaughanwouldbeoutofthequestion,eventhoughheandIhavebeenmoreorlessthrowntogethersincewewerebothinthenursery。ButIhaveanoddsortofwishtonotedownroughlyjustafewofmyrecollectionsofhim,andtoshowhowhisfortunesgraduallydeveloped,beingperhapsstimulatedtomaketheattemptbycertainirritatingremarkswhichoneoverhearsnowoftenenoughatclubsorindrawing—rooms,orindeedwhereveronegoes。\"DerrickVaughan,\"saytheseauthoritiesoftheworldofsmall—talk,withthatdelightfulairofomnisciencewhichinvariablycharacterisesthem,\"why,hesimplyleaptintofame。Heisoneofthefavouritesoffortune。LikeByron,hewokeonemorningandfoundhimselffamous。\"

  Nowthissoundswellenough,butitisalongwayfromthetruth,andI——SydneyWharncliffe,oftheInnerTemple,Barrister—at—law——

  desire,whilethepastfewyearsarefreshinmymind,towriteatrueversionofmyfriend’scareer。

  Everyoneknowshisface。Hasitnotappearedin’NotedMen,’and——

  graduallydeterioratingaccordingtothepriceofthepaperandthequalityoftheengraving——inmanyanotherillustratedjournal?Yetsomehowtheseworksofartdon’tsatisfyme,and,asIwrite,IseebeforemesomethingverydifferentfromthelatestphotographbyMessrs。PaulandReynard。

  Iseealarge—featured,broad—browedEnglishface,atrifleheavy—

  lookingwheninrepose,yetathorough,honest,manlyface,withacomplexionneitherdarknorfair,withbrownhairandmoustache,andwithlighthazeleyesthatlookoutontheworldquietlyenough。

  Youmighttalktohimforlonginanordinarywayandneversuspectthathewasagenius;butwhenyouhavehimtoyourself,whensomeconsciousnessofsympathyrouseshim,heallatoncebecomesadifferentbeing。Hisquieteyeskindle,hisfacebecomesfulloflife——youwonderthatyoueverthoughtitheavyorcommonplace。

  Thentheworldinterruptsinsomeway,and,justasahermit—crabdrawsdownitsshellwithacomicallyrapidmovement,soDerricksuddenlyretiresintohimself。

  Thusmuchforhisouterman。

  Fortherest,thereareofcoursetheneatlittleaccountsofhisbirthplace,hisparentage,hiseducation,etc。,etc。,publishedwiththelistofhisworksindueorder,withtheengravingsintheillustratedpapers。Butthesetelluslittleofthereallifeoftheman。

  Carlyle,inoneofhisfinestpassages,saysthat’Atruedelineationofthesmallestmanandhissceneofpilgrimagethroughlifeiscapableofinterestingthegreatestmen;thatallmenaretoanunspeakabledegreebrothers,eachman’slifeastrangeemblemofeveryman’s;andthathumanportraitsfaithfullydrawnareofallpicturesthewelcomestonhumanwalls。’AndthoughIdon’tprofesstogiveaportrait,butmerelyasketch,Iwillendeavourtosketchfaithfully,andpossiblyinthefuturemyworkmayfallintothehandsofsomeofthoseworthypeoplewhoimaginethatmyfriendleaptintofameatabound,orofthosecomfortablemortalswhoseemtothinkthatanovelisturnedoutaseasilyaswaterfromatap。

  Thereis,however,onethingIcanneverdo:——Iamquiteunabletoputintowordsmyfriend’sintenselystrongfeelingwithregardtothesacrednessofhisprofession。ItseemedtomenotunlikethefeelingofIsaiahwhen,inthevision,hismouthhadbeentouchedwiththecelestialfire。AndIcanonlyhopethatsomethingofthismaybereadbetweenmyveryinadequatelines。

  Lookingback,IfancyDerrickmusthavebeenacleverchild。Buthewasnotprecocious,andinsomerespectswasevendecidedlybackward。Icanseehimnow——itismyfirstclearrecollectionofhim——leaningbackinthecornerofmyfather’scarriageaswedrovefromtheNewmarketstationtooursummerhomeatMondisfield。HeandIweresmallboysofeight,andDerrickhadbeeninvitedfortheholidays,whilehistwinbrother——ifIrememberright——indulgedintyphoidfeveratKensington。Hewasshyandsilent,andtheicewasnotbrokenuntilwepassedSilverySteeple。

  \"That,\"saidmyfather,\"isaruinedchurch;itwasdestroyedbyCromwellintheCivilWars。\"

  Inaninstantthesmallquietboysittingbesidemewastransformed。

  Hiseyesshone;hesprangforwardandthrusthisheadfaroutofthewindow,gazingattheoldivy—coveredtoweraslongasitremainedinsight。

  \"WasCromwellreallyoncethere?\"heaskedwithbreathlessinterest。

  \"Sotheysay,\"repliedmyfather,lookingwithanamusedsmileatthefaceofthequestioner,inwhicheagerness,delight,andreverenceweremingled。\"AreyouanadmireroftheLordProtector?\"

  \"Heismygreatestheroofall,\"saidDerrickfervently。\"Doyouthink——oh,doyouthinkhepossiblycaneverhavecometoMondisfield?\"

  Myfatherthoughtnot,butsaidtherewasanoldtraditionthattheHallhadbeenattackedbytheRoyalists,andthebridgeoverthemoatdefendedbytheownerofthehouse;buthehadnogreatbeliefinthestory,forwhich,indeed,thereseemednoevidence。

  Derrick’seyesduringthisconversationweresomethingwonderfultosee,andlongafter,whenwewerenotactuallyplayingatanything,Iusedoftentonoticethesameexpressionstealingoverhim,andwouldcryout,\"Thereisthemandefendingthebridgeagain;Icanseehiminyoureyes!Tellmewhathappenedtohimnext!\"

  Then,generallypacingtoandfrointheapplewalk,orsittingastridethebridgeitself,Derrickwouldtellmeoftheadventuresofmyancestor,PaulWharncliffe,whoperformedincrediblefeatsofvalour,andwhowastobothofusamostrealperson。Onwetdayshewrotehisstoryinacopy—book,andwouldhaveworkedatitforhourshadmymotherallowedhim,thoughofthemanualpartoftheworkhehad,andhasalwaysretained,thegreatestdislike。I

  rememberwellthecomicalendingofthisfirststoryofhis。Heskippedoveranintervaloftenyears,representedonthepagebytenlaboriouslymadestars,anddidforhisherointhefollowinglines:

  \"Andnow,reader,letuscomeintoMondisfieldchurchyard。Therearethreetombstones。Ononeiswritten,’Mr。PaulWharncliffe。’\"

  Thestorywasnobetterthantheproductionsofmosteight—year—oldchildren,thewrittenstoryatleast。But,curiouslyenough,itprovedtobethegermofthecelebratedromance,’AtStrife,’whichDerrickwroteinafteryears;andhehimselfmaintainsthathispictureoflifeduringtheCivilWarwouldhavebeenmuchlessgraphichadhenotlivedsomuchinthepastduringhisvariousvisitstoMondisfield。

  Itwasathissecondvisit,whenwewerenine,thatIrememberhisannouncinghisintentionofbeinganauthorwhenhewasgrownup。

  Mymotherstilldelightsintellingthestory。Shewassittingatworkinthesouthparlouroneday,whenIdashedintotheroomcallingout:

  \"Derrick’sheadisstuckbetweenthebanistersinthegallery;comequick,mother,comequick!\"

  Sheranupthelittlewindingstaircase,andthere,sureenough,inthemusician’sgallery,waspoorDerrick,hismanuscriptandpenonthefloorandhisheadindurancevile。

  \"Yousillyboy!\"saidmymother,alittlefrightenedwhenshefoundthattogettheheadbackwasnoeasymatter,\"Whatmadeyouputitthrough?\"

  \"YoulooklikeKingCharlesatCarisbrooke,\"Icried,forgettinghowmuchDerrickwouldresentthespeech。

  Andbeingreleasedatthatmomenthetookmebytheshouldersandgavemeanangryshakeortwo,ashesaidvehemently,\"I’mnotlikeKingCharles!KingCharleswasaliar。\"

  Isawmymothersmilealittleassheseparatedus。

  \"Come,boys,don’tquarrel,\"shesaid。\"AndDerrickwilltellmethetruth,forindeedIamcurioustoknowwhyhethrusthisheadinsuchaplace。\"

  \"Iwantedtomakesure,\"saidDerrick,\"whetherPaulWharncliffecouldseeLadyLettice,whenshetookthefalcononherwristbelowinthepassage。Imustn’tsayhesawherifit’simpossible,youknow。Authorshavetobequitetrueinlittlethings,andImeantobeanauthor。\"

  \"But,\"saidmymother,laughingatthegreatearnestnessofthehazeleyes,\"couldnotyourherolookoverthetopoftherail?\"

  \"Well,yes,\"saidDerrick。\"Hewouldhavedonethat,butyouseeit’ssodreadfullyhighandIcouldn’tgetup。ButItellyouwhat,Mrs。Wharncliffe,ifitwouldn’tbegivingyouagreatdealoftrouble——I’msorryyouweretroubledtogetmyheadbackagain——butifyouwouldjustlookover,sinceyouaresotall,andI’llrundownandactLadyLettice。\"

  \"Whycouldn’tPaulgodownstairsandlookattheladyincomfort?\"

  askedmymother。

  Derrickmusedalittle。

  \"Hemightlookatherthroughacrackinthedooratthefootofthestairs,perhaps,butthatwouldseemmean,somehow。Itwouldbeapity,too,nottousethegallery;galleriesareuncommon,yousee,andyoucangetcrackeddoorsanywhere。And,youknow,hewasobligedtolookatherwhenshecouldn’tseehim,becausetheirfatherswereondifferentsidesinthewar,anddreadfulenemies。\"

  Whenschool—dayscame,matterswentonmuchinthesameway;therewasalwaysanabominablyscribbledtalestowedawayinDerrick’sdesk,andheworkedinfinitelyharderthanIdid,becausetherewasalwaysbeforehimthisdeterminationtobeanauthorandtopreparehimselfforthelife。Buthewrotemerelyfromloveofit,andwithnoideaofpublicationuntilthebeginningofourlastyearatOxford,when,havingreachedtheripeageofone—and—twenty,hedeterminedtodelaynolonger,buttoplungeboldlyintohisfirstnovel。

  Hewasseldomabletogetmorethansixoreighthoursaweekforit,becausehewasreadingratherhard,sothatthenovelprogressedbutslowly。Finally,tomyastonishment,itcametoadeadstand—

  still。

  IhavenevermadeoutexactlywhatwaswrongwithDerrickthen,thoughIknowthathepassedthroughaterribletimeofdoubtanddespair。IspentpartoftheLongwithhimdownatVentnor,wherehismotherhadbeenorderedforherhealth。ShewasdevotedtoDerrick,andasfarasIcanunderstand,hewasherchiefcomfortinlife。MajorVaughan,thehusband,hadbeenoutinIndiaforyears;

  theonlydaughterwasmarriedtoarichmanufactureratBirmingham,whohadaconstitutionaldisliketomothers—in—law,andasfaraspossibleeschewedtheircompany;whileLawrence,Derrick’stwinbrother,wasforevergettingintoscrapes,andwasintothebargainthemostunblushinglyselfishfellowIeverhadthepleasureofmeeting。

  \"Sydney,\"saidMrs。Vaughantomeoneafternoonwhenwewereinthegarden,\"Derrickseemstomeunlikehimself,thereisadivisionbetweenuswhichIneverfeltbefore。Canyoutellmewhatistroublinghim?\"

  Shewasnotatallagood—lookingwoman,butshehadaverysweet,wistfulface,andIneverlookedathersadeyeswithoutfeelingreadytogothroughfireandwaterforher。ItriednowtomakelightofDerrick’sdepression。

  \"Heisonlygoingthroughwhatweallofusgothrough,\"Isaid,assumingacheerfultone。\"Hehassuddenlydiscoveredthatlifeisagreatriddle,andthatthethingshehasacceptedinblindfaithare,afterall,notsosure。\"

  Shesighed。

  \"Doallgothroughit?\"shesaidthoughtfully。\"Andhowmany,I

  wonder,getbeyond?\"

  \"Fewenough,\"Irepliedmoodily。Then,rememberingmyrole,——\"ButDerrickwillgetthrough;hehasathousandthingstohelphimwhichothershavenot,——you,forinstance。AndthenIfancyhehasasortofinsightwhichmostofusarewithout。\"

  \"Possibly,\"shesaid。\"Asforme,itislittlethatIcandoforhim。Perhapsyouareright,anditistruethatonceinalifeatanyrateweallhavetogointothewildernessalone。\"

  ThatwasthelastsummerIeversawDerrick’smother;shetookachillthefollowingChristmasanddiedafterafewdays’illness。

  ButIhavealwaysthoughtherdeathhelpedDerrickinawaythatherlifemighthavefailedtodo。Foralthoughhenever,Ifancy,quiterecoveredfromtheblow,andtothisdaycannotspeakofherwithouttearsinhiseyes,yetwhenhecamebacktoOxfordheseemedtohavefoundtheanswertotheriddle,andthougholder,sadderandgraverthanbefore,hadquitelosttherestlessdissatisfactionthatforsometimehadcloudedhislife。Inafewmonths,moreover,I

  noticedafreshsignthathewasoutofthewood。ComingintohisroomsonedayIfoundhimsittinginthecushionedwindow—seat,readingoverandcorrectingsomesheetsofbluefoolscap。

  \"Atitagain?\"Iasked。

  Henodded。

  \"Imeantofinishthefirstvolumehere。FortherestImustbeinLondon。\"

  \"Why?\"Iasked,alittlecuriousastothisunknownartofnovel—

  making。

  \"Because,\"hereplied,\"onemustbeintheheartofthingstounderstandhowLynwoodwasaffectedbythem。\"

  \"Lynwood!Ibelieveyouarealwaysthinkingofhim!\"(Lynwoodwastheheroofhisnovel。)

  \"Well,soIamnearly——soImustbe,ifthebookistobeanygood。\"

  \"Readmewhatyouhavewritten,\"Isaid,throwingmyselfbackinaricketybuttolerablycomfortablearm—chairwhichDerrickhadinheritedwiththerooms。

  Hehesitatedamoment,beingalwaysverydiffidentabouthisownwork;butpresently,havingprovidedmewithacigarandmadeagooddealofunnecessaryworkinarrangingthesheetsofthemanuscript,hebegantoreadaloud,rathernervously,theopeningchaptersofthebooknowsowellknownunderthetitleof’Lynwood’sHeritage。’

  Ihadheardnothingofhisforthelastfouryears,andwasamazedatthegiganticstridehehadmadeintheinterval。For,spiteofacertaincrudeness,itseemedtomeamostpowerfulstory;itrushedstraighttothepointwithnowavering,nobeatingaboutthebush;

  itflungitselfintotheproblemsofthedaywithasortofsublimeaudacity;ittookholdofone;itwhirledonealongwithitsowninherentforce,anddrewforthbothlaughterandtears,forDerrick’spowerofpathoshadalwaysbeenhisstrongestpoint。

  Allatoncehestoppedreading。

  \"Goon!\"Icriedimpatiently。

  \"Thatisall,\"hesaid,gatheringthesheetstogether。

  \"Youstoppedinthemiddleofasentence!\"Icriedinexasperation。

  \"Yes,\"hesaidquietly,\"forsixmonths。\"

  \"Youprovokingfellow!why,Iwonder?\"

  \"BecauseIdidn’tknowtheend。\"

  \"Goodheavens!Anddoyouknowitnow?\"

  Helookedmefullintheface,andtherewasanexpressioninhiseyeswhichpuzzledme。

  \"IbelieveIdo,\"hesaid;and,gettingup,hecrossedtheroom,putthemanuscriptawayinadrawer,andreturning,satdowninthewindow—seatagain,lookingoutonthenarrow,pavedstreetbelow,andatthegreybuildingsopposite。

  IknewverywellthathewouldneveraskmewhatIthoughtofthestory——thatwasnothisway。

  \"Derrick!\"Iexclaimed,watchinghisimpassiveface,\"Ibelieveafterallyouareagenius。\"

  IhardlyknowwhyIsaid\"afterall,\"buttillthatmomentithadneverstruckmethatDerrickwasparticularlygifted。HehadsofargotthroughhisOxfordcareercreditably,butthenhehadworkedhard;histalentswerenotofashowyorder。IhadneverexpectedthathewouldsettheThamesonfire。Evennowitseemedtomethathewastoodreamy,tooquiet,toodevoidofthepushingfacultytosucceedintheworld。

  Myremarkmadehimlaughincredulously。

  \"Defineagenius,\"hesaid。

  ForanswerIpulleddownhisbelovedImperialDictionaryandreadhimthefollowingquotationfromDeQuincey:’Geniusisthatmodeofintellectualpowerwhichmovesinalliancewiththegenialnature,i。e。,withthecapacitiesofpleasureandpain;whereastalenthasnovestigeofsuchanalliance,andisperfectlyindependentofallhumansensibilities。’

  \"Letmethink!YoucancertainlyenjoythingsahundredtimesmorethanIcan——andasforsuffering,whyyouwerealwaysagreathandatthat。NowlistentothegreatDr。Johnsonandseeifthecapfits,’Thetruegeniusisamindoflargegeneralpowersaccidentallydeterminedinsomeparticulardirection。’

  \"’Largegeneralpowers’!——yes,Ibelieveafterallyouhavethemwith,alas,poorDerrick!onenotableexception——themathematicalfaculty。Youwerealwaysbadatfigures。WewillsticktoDeQuincey’sdefinition,andforheaven’ssake,mydearfellow,dogetLynwoodoutofthatawfulplight!Nowonderyouweredepressedwhenyoulivedallthisagewithsuchasentenceunfinished!\"

  \"Forthematterofthat,\"saidDerrick,\"hecan’tgetouttilltheendofthebook;butIcanbegintogoonwithhimnow。\"

  \"AndwhenyouleaveOxford?\"

  \"ThenImeantosettledowninLondon——towriteleisurely——andpossiblytoreadfortheBar。\"

  \"Wemightbetogether,\"Isuggested。AndDerricktooktothisidea,beingamanwhodetestedsolitudeandcrowdsaboutequally。Sincehismother’sdeathhehadbeenverymuchaloneintheworld。ToLawrencehewasalwaysloyal,butthetwohadnothingincommon,andthoughfondofhissisterhecouldnotgetonatallwiththemanufacturer,hisbrother—in—law。ButthisprospectoflifetogetherinLondonpleasedhimamazingly;hebegantorecoverhisspiritstoagreatextentandtolookmuchmorelikehimself。

  ItmusthavebeenjustashehadtakenhisdegreethathereceivedatelegramtoannouncethatMajorVaughanhadbeeninvalidedhome,andwouldarriveatSouthamptoninthreeweeks’time。Derrickknewverylittleofhisfather,butapparentlyMrs。VaughanhaddoneherbesttokeepupasortofmemoryofhischildishdaysatAldershot,andinthesethepartthathisfatherplayedwasalwayspleasant。Sohelookedforwardtothemeetingnotalittle,whileI,fromthefirst,hadmydoubtsastothefelicityitwaslikelytobringhim。

  However,itwasordainedthatbeforetheMajor’sshiparrived,hisson’swholelifeshouldchange。EvenLynwoodwasthrustintothebackground。Asforme,Iwasnowhere。ForDerrick,thequiet,theself—contained,hadfallenpassionatelyinlovewithacertainFredaMerrifield。

  ChapterII。

  ’Infancy?Whatiftherose—streakofmorningPaleanddepartinapassionoftears?

  Oncetohavehopedisnomatterforscorning:

  Loveonce:e’enlove’sdisappointmentendears;

  Amoment’ssuccesspaysthefailureofyears。’

  R。Browning。

  Thewonderwouldhavebeenifhehadnotfalleninlovewithher,foramorefascinatinggirlIneversaw。ShehadonlyjustreturnedfromschoolatCompiegne,andwasnotyetout;hercharmingfreshnesswasunsullied;shehadallthesimplicityandstraightforwardnessofunspoilt,unsophisticatedgirlhood。Iwellrememberourfirstsightofher。Wehadbeeninvitedforafortnight’syachtingbyCalverleyofExeter。Hisfather,SirJohnCalverley,hadasailingyacht,andsomeguestshavingdisappointedhimatthelastminute,hegavehissoncarteblancheastowhoheshouldbringtofillthevacantberths。

  SowethreetravelleddowntoSouthamptontogetheronehotsummerday,andwererowedouttotheAurora,anuncommonlyneatlittleschoonerwhichlayinthatover—ratedandfrequentlyodoriferousroadstead,SouthamptonWater。However,Iadmitthatonthatevening——thetidebeinghigh——theplacelookedremarkablypretty;

  thelevelraysofthesettingsunturnedthewatertogold;asoftluminoushazehungoverthetownandtheshipping,andbyastretchofimaginationonemighthavethoughttheviewalmostVenetian。

  Derrick’sperfectcontentwasonlymarredbyhisshyness。IknewthathedreadedreachingtheAurora;andsureenough,aswesteppedontotheexquisitelywhitedeckandcaughtsightofthelittlegroupofguests,Isawhimretreatintohiscrab—shellofsilentreserve。SirJohn,whomadeaverypleasanthost,introducedustotheothervisitors——LordProbynandhiswifeandtheirniece,MissFredaMerrifield。LadyProbynwasSirJohn’ssister,andalsothesisterofMissMerrifield’smother;sothatitwasalmostafamilyparty,andbynomeansaformidablegathering。LadyProbynplayedthepartofhostessandchaperonedherprettyniece;butshewasnotintheleastliketheauntoffiction——onthecontrary,shewascomparativelyyounginyearsandalmostcomicallyyounginmind;herniecewasdevotedtoher,andthemomentIsawherIknewthatourcruisecouldnotpossiblybedull。

  AstoMissFreda,whenwefirstcaughtsightofhershewasstandingnearthecompanion,dressedinadaintilymadeyachtingcostumeofbluesergeandwhitebraid,androundherwhitesailorhatsheworethenameoftheyachtstampedonawhiteribbon;inherwaist—bandshehadfastenedtwodeepcrimsonroses,andshelookedatuswithfrank,girlishcuriosity,nodoubtwonderingwhetherweshouldaddtoordetractfromtheenjoymentoftheexpedition。Shewasrathertall,andtherewasanairofstrengthandenergyaboutherwhichwasmostrefreshing。Herskinwassingularlywhite,buttherewasahealthyglowofcolourinhercheeks;whileherlarge,greyeyes,shadedbylonglashes,werefulloflifeandbrightness。Astoherfeatures,theywereperhapsatrifleirregular,andhereldersistersweresupposedtoeclipseheraltogether;buttomymindshewasfarthemosttakingofthethree。

  IwasnotintheleastsurprisedthatDerrickshouldfallheadoverearsinlovewithher;shewasexactlythesortofgirlthatwouldinfalliblyattracthim。Herabsenceofshyness;herstraightforward,easywayoftalking;hergenuinegoodheartedness;

  herdevotiontoanimals——oneofhisownpethobbies——andfinallyherexquisiteplaying,madetheresultaforegoneconclusion。Andthen,moreover,theywereperpetuallytogether。Hewouldhangoverthepianointhesaloonforhourswhilesheplayed,therestofuslazilyenjoyingtheeasychairsandthefreshairondeck;andwheneverwelanded,thesetwoweresureintheendtobejustalittleapartfromtherestofus。

  Itwasaneminentlysuccessfulcruise。Wealllikedeachother;theseawascalm,thesunshineconstant,thewindasarulefavourable,andIthinkIneverinasinglefortnightheardsomanygoodstories,orhadsuchagoodtime。Weseemedtogetrightoutoftheworldanditsnarrowrestrictions,awayfromallthatwashollowandbaseanddepressing,onlylandingnowandthenatquaintlittlequietplacesforsomemerryexcursiononshore。Fredawasinthehighestspirits;andastoDerrick,hewasadifferentcreature。

  Sheseemedtohavethepowerofdrawinghimoutinamarvellousdegree,andshetookthegreatestinterestinhiswork——asurewaytoeveryauthor’sheart。

  Butitwasnottilloneday,whenwelandedatTresco,thatIfeltcertainshegenuinelylovedhim——thereinoneglancethetruthflasheduponme。Iwaswalkingwithoneofthegardenersdownoneofthelongshadypathsofthatlovelylittleisland,withitscuriouslyforeignlook,whenwesuddenlycamefacetofacewithDerrickandFreda。Theyweretalkingearnestly,andIcouldseehergreatgreyeyesastheywereliftedtohis——perhapstheyweremoreexpressivethansheknew——Icannotsay。Theybothstartedalittleasweconfrontedthem,andthecolourdeepenedinFreda’sface。Thegardener,withwhatphotographersusuallyaskfor——’justthefaintbeginningofasmile,’——turnedandgatheredabitofwhiteheathergrowingnear。

  \"Theysayitbringsgoodluck,miss,\"heremarked,handingittoFreda。

  \"Thankyou,\"shesaid,laughing,\"Ihopeitwillbringittome。Atanyrateitwillremindmeofthisbeautifulisland。Isn’titjustlikeParadise,Mr。Wharncliffe?\"

  \"FormeitislikeParadisebeforeEvewascreated,\"Ireplied,ratherwickedly。\"Bythebye,areyougoingtokeepallthegoodlucktoyourself?\"

  \"Idon’tknow,\"shesaidlaughing。\"PerhapsIshall;butyouhaveonlytoaskthegardener,hewillgatheryouanotherpiecedirectly。\"

  Itookgoodcaretodropbehind,havingnotasteforthethird—

  fiddlebusiness;butInoticedwhenwewereinthegigoncemore,rowingbacktotheyacht,thatthewhiteheatherhadbeenequallydivided——onehalfwasinthewaist—bandofthebluesergedress,theotherhalfinthebutton—holeofDerrick’sblazer。

  Sothefortnightslippedby,andatlengthoneafternoonwefoundourselvesoncemoreinSouthamptonWater;thencamethebustleofpackingandthehurryofdeparture,andthemerrypartydispersed。

  DerrickandIsawthemalloffatthestation,for,ashisfather’sshipdidnotarrivetillthefollowingday,ImadeupmymindtostayonwithhimatSouthampton。

  \"Youwillcomeandseeusintown,\"saidLadyProbyn,kindly。AndLordProbyninvitedusbothfortheshootingatBlachingtoninSeptember。\"Wewillhavethesamepartyonshore,andseeifwecan’tenjoyourselvesalmostaswell,\"hesaidinhisheartyway;

  \"thenovelwillgoallthebetterforit,eh,Vaughan?\"

  Derrickbrightenedvisiblyatthesuggestion。IheardhimtalkingtoFredaallthetimethatSirJohnstoodlaughingandjokingastothecomparativepleasuresofyachtingandshooting。

  \"Youwillbetheretoo?\"Derrickasked。

  \"Ican’ttell,\"saidFreda,andtherewasashadeofsadnessinhertone。Hervoicewasdeeperthanmostwomen’svoices——arichcontraltowithsomethingstrikingandindividualaboutit。Icouldhearherquiteplainly;butDerrickspokelessdistinctly——healwayshadabadtrickofmumbling。

  \"YouseeIamtheyoungest,\"shesaid,\"andIamnotreally’out。’

  Perhapsmymotherwillwishoneoftheelderonestogo;butIhalfthinktheyarealreadyengagedforSeptember,soafterallImayhaveachance。\"

  Inaudibleremarkfrommyfriend。

  \"Yes,IcameherebecausemysistersdidnotcaretoleaveLondontilltheendoftheseason,\"repliedtheclearcontralto。\"Ithasbeenaperfectcruise。Ishallrememberitallmylife。\"

  Afterthat,nothingmorewasaudible;butIimagineDerrickmusthavehazardedamorepersonalquestion,andthatFredahadadmittedthatitwasnotonlytheactualsailingsheshouldremember。AtanyrateherfacewhenIcaughtsightofitagainmademethinkofthegirldescribedinthe’BiglowPapers’:

  \"’’Twaskin’o’kingdomcometolookOnsechablessedcreatur。

  Adogroseblushin’toabrookAin’tmodesternorsweeter。’\"

  Sothetrainwentoff,andDerrickandIwerelefttoidleaboutSouthamptonandkilltimeasbestwemight。Derrickseemedtowalkthestreetsinasortofdream——hewasperfectlywellawarethathehadmethisfate,andatthattimenothoughtofdifficultiesinthewayhadariseneitherinhismindorinmyown。Wewerebothofusyoungandinexperienced;wewerebothofusinlove,andwehadtheusuallover’snotionthateverythinginheavenandearthispreparedtofavourthecourseofhisparticularpassion。

  Irememberthatwesoonfoundthetownintolerable,and,crossingbytheferry,walkedovertoNetleyAbbey,andlaydownidlyintheshadeoftheoldgreywalls。Notabreathofwindstirredthegreatmassesofivywhichwerewreathedabouttheruinedchurch,andtheplacelookedsolovelyinitsdecay,thatwefeltdisposedtojudgethedissolutemonksverylenientlyforhavingbehavedsobadlythattheirchurchandmonasteryhadtobeopenedtothefourwindsofheaven。Afterall,whenisachurchsobeautifulaswhenithasthegreengrassforitsfloorandtheskyforitsroof?

  IcouldshowyoutheveryspotneartheEastwindowwhereDerricktoldmethewholetruth,andwherewetalkedoverFreda’sperfectionsandtheprobabilityoffrequentmeetingsinLondon。Hehadlistenedsooftenandsopatientlytomyaffairs,thatitseemedanoddreversaltohavetoplaytheconfidant;andifnowandthenmythoughtswanderedofftothecomingmonthatMondisfield,andpicturedvioleteyeswhilehetalkedofgrey,itwasnotfromanylackofsympathywithmyfriend。

  Derrickwasnotofaself—tormentingnature,andthoughIknewhewasamazedatthethoughtthatsuchagirlasFredacouldpossiblycareforhim,yethebelievedmostimplicitlythatthiswonderfulthinghadcometopass;and,rememberingherfaceaswehadlastseenit,andthelookinhereyesatTresco,I,too,hadnotashadowofadoubtthatshereallylovedhim。Shewasnottheleastbitofaflirt,andsocietyhadnothadachanceyetofmouldingherintotheordinarygirlofthenineteenthcentury。

  PerhapsitwasthesuddenandunexpectedchangeofthenextdaythatmakesmerememberDerrick’sfacesodistinctlyashelaybackonthesmoothturfthatafternooninNetleyAbbey。Asitlookedthen,fullofyouthandhope,fullofthatdreamofcloudlesslove,Ineversawitagain。

  ChapterIII。

  \"Religioninhimneverdied,butbecameahabit——ahabitofenduringhardness,andcleavingtothesteadfastperformanceofdutyinthefaceofthestrongestallurementstothepleasanterandeasiercourse。\"

  LifeofCharlesLamb,byA。Ainger。

  Derrickwasingoodspiritsthenextday。HetalkedmuchofMajorVaughan,wonderedwhetherthevoyagehomehadrestoredhishealth,discussedtheprobablelengthofhisleave,andspeculatedastothenatureofhisillness;thetelegramhadofcoursegivennodetails。

  \"Therehasnotbeenevenaphotographforthelastfiveyears,\"heremarked,aswewalkeddowntothequaytogether。\"YetIthinkI

  shouldknowhimanywhere,ifitisonlybyhisheight。Heusedtolooksowellonhorseback。IrememberasachildseeinghiminashamfightchargingupCaesar’sCamp。\"

  \"Howoldwereyouwhenhewentout?\"

  \"Oh,quiteasmallboy,\"repliedDerrick。\"ItwasjustbeforeI

  firststayedwithyou。However,hehashadaregularsuccessionofphotographssentouttohim,andwillknowmeeasilyenough。\"

  PoorDerrick!Ican’tthinkofthatdayevennowwithoutakindofmentalshiver。Wewatchedthegreatsteamerasitglideduptothequay,andDerrickscannedthecrowdeddeckwitheagereyes,butcouldnowhereseethetall,soldierlyfigurethathadlingeredsolonginhismemory。Hestoodwithhishandrestingontherailofthegangway,andwhenpresentlyitwasraisedtothesideofthesteamer,hestillkepthisposition,sothathecouldinstantlycatchsightofhisfatherashepasseddown。Istoodclosebehindhim,andwatchedthemotleyprocessionofpassengers;mostofthemhadthedullcolourlessskinwhichbespeakslongresidenceinIndia,andaparticularlyyellowandpeevish—lookingoldmanwasgrumblingloudlyasheslowlymadehiswaydownthegangway。

  \"Themostdisgracefulscene!\"heremarked。\"Thefellowwasasdrunkashecouldbe。\"

  \"Whowasit?\"askedhiscompanion。

  \"Why,MajorVaughan,tobesure。Theonlywonderisthathehasn’tdrunkhimselftodeathbythistime——beenatityearsenough!\"

  Derrickturned,asthoughtoshelterhimselffromthecuriouseyesofthetravellers;buteverywherethequaywascrowded。Itseemedtomenotunlikethelifethatlaybeforehim,withthisnewshamewhichcouldnotbehid,andIshallneverforgetthelookofmiseryinhisface。

  \"Mostlikelyagreatexaggerationofthatspitefuloldfogey’s,\"I

  said。\"Neverbelieveanythingthatyouhear,isasoundaxiom。Hadyounotbettertrytogetonboard?\"

  \"Yes;andforheaven’ssakecomewithme,Wharncliffe!\"hesaid。

  \"Itcan’tbetrue!Itis,asyousay,thatman’sspite,orelsethereissomeoneelseofthenameonboard。Thatmustbeit——

  someoneelseofthename。\"

  Idon’tknowwhetherhemanagedtodeceivehimself。Wemadeourwayonboard,andhespoketooneofthestewards,whoconductedustothesaloon。Iknewfromtheexpressionoftheman’sfacethatthewordswehadoverheardwerebuttootrue;itwasamereglancethathegaveus,yetifhehadsaidaloud,\"Theybelongtothatolddrunkard!ThankheavenI’mnotintheirshoes!\"Icouldnothavebetterunderstoodwhatwasinhismind。

  Therewerethreepersonsonlyinthegreatsaloon:anofficer’sservant,whoseappearancedidnotpleaseme;afinelookingoldmanwithgreyhairandwhiskers,andarough—hewnhonestface,apparentlytheship’sdoctor;andatallgrizzledmaninwhomIatoncesawasortofhorriblelikenesstoDerrick——horriblebecausethisfacewaswickedanddegraded,andbecauseitsownerwasdrunk——

  noisilydrunk。Derrickpausedforaminute,lookingathisfather;

  then,deadlypale,heturnedtotheolddoctor。\"IamMajorVaughan’sson,\"hesaid。

  Thedoctorgraspedhishand,andtherewassomethingintheoldman’skindly,chivalrousmannerwhichbroughtasortoflightintothegloom。

  \"Iamverygladtoseeyou!\"heexclaimed。\"IstheMajor’sluggageready?\"heinquiredturningtotheservant。Then,asthemanrepliedintheaffirmative,\"Howwoulditbe,Mr。Vaughan,ifyourfather’smanjustsawthethingsintoacab?andthenI’llcomeonshorewithyouandseemypatientsafelysettledin。\"

  Derrickacquiesced,andthedoctorturnedtotheMajor,whowasleaningupagainstoneofthepillarsofthesaloonandshoutingout\"’TwasinTrafalgarBay,\"inawaywhich,underothercircumstances,wouldhavebeenhighlycomic。Thedoctorinterruptedhim,aswithmuchfeelinghesanghow:

  \"EnglanddeclaredthateverymanThatdayhaddonehisduty。\"

  \"Look,Major,\"hesaid;\"hereisyoursoncometomeetyou。\"

  \"Gladtoseeyou,myboy,\"saidtheMajor,reelingforwardandrunningallhiswordstogether。\"How’syourmother?IsthisLawrence?Gladtoseebothofyou!Why,you’r’slike’stwopeas!

  NotLawrence,doyousay?Confoundit,doctor,howtheshiprollsto—day!\"

  Andtheoldwretchstaggeredandwouldhavefallen,hadnotDerricksupportedhimandlandedhimsafelyononeofthefixedottomans。

  \"Yes,yes,you’rethesonforme,\"hewenton,withablandsmile,whichmadehisfaceallthemorehideous。\"You’renotsoroughandclumsyasthatconfoundedJohnThomas,whosehandsarelikebrickbats。I’mamerewreck,asyousee;it’stheaccursedclimate!

  Butyourmotherwillsoonnursemeintohealthagain;shewasalwaysagoodnurse,poorsoul!itwasherbestpoint。Whatwithyouandyourmother,Ishallsoonbemyselfagain。\"

  Herethedoctorinterposed,andDerrickmadedesperatelyforaportholeandgulpeddownmouthfulsoffreshair:buthewasnotallowedmuchofarespite,fortheservantreturnedtosaythathehadprocuredacab,andtheMajorcalledloudlyforhisson’sarm。

  \"I’llnothaveyou,\"hesaid,pushingtheservantviolentlyaway。

  \"Come,Derrick,helpme!youareworthtwoofthatblockhead。\"

  AndDerrickcamequicklyforward,hisfacestillverypale,butwithadignityaboutitwhichIhadneverbeforeseen;and,givinghisarmtohisdrunkenfather,hepilotedhimacrossthesaloon,throughthestaringranksofstewards,officials,andtardypassengersoutside,downthegangway,andoverthecrowdedquaytothecab。I

  knewthateachderisiveglanceofthespectatorswastohimlikeasword—thrust,andlongedtothrottletheMajor,whoseemedtoenjoyhimselfamazinglyonterrafirma,andsangatthetopofhisvoiceaswedrovethroughthestreetsofSouthampton。Theolddoctorkeptupacheeryflowofsmall—talkwithme,thinking,nodoubt,thatthiswouldbeakindnesstoDerrick:andatlastthatpurgatorialdriveended,andsomehowDerrickandthedoctorbetweenthemgottheMajorsafelyintohisroomatRadley’sHotel。

  Wehadorderedlunchinaprivatesitting—room,thinkingthattheMajorwouldpreferittothecoffee—room;but,asitturnedout,hewasinnostatetoappear。Theylefthimasleep,andtheship’sdoctorsatintheseatthathadbeenpreparedforhispatient,andmadethemealastolerabletousbothasitcouldbe。Hewasanodd,old—fashionedfellow,butastrueagentlemanaseverbreathed。

  \"Now,\"hesaid,whenlunchwasover,\"youandImusthaveatalktogether,Mr。Vaughan,andIwillhelpyoutounderstandyourfather’scase。\"

  Imadeamovementtogo,butsatdownagainatDerrick’srequest。I

  think,pooroldfellow,hedreadedbeingalone,andknowingthatI

  hadseenhisfatherattheworst,thoughtImightaswellhearallparticulars。

  \"MajorVaughan,\"continuedthedoctor,\"hasnowbeenundermycareforsomeweeks,andIhadsomecommunicationwiththeregimentalsurgeonabouthiscasebeforehesailed。Heissufferingfromanenlargedliver,andthediseasehasbeenbroughtonbyhisunfortunatehabitofover—indulgenceinstimulants。\"Icouldalmosthavesmiled,soverygentlyandconsideratelydidthegoodoldmanveilinlongwordstheshamefulfact。\"Itisahabitsadlyprevalentamongourfellow—countrymeninIndia;theclimateaggravatesthemischief,andverymanylivesareinthiswayruined。

  Thenyourfatherwasalsounfortunateenoughtocontractrheumatismwhenhewascampingoutinthejunglelastyear,andthisisincreasingonhimverymuch,sothathislifeisalmostintolerabletohim,andhenaturallyfliesforrelieftohisgreatestenemy,drink。Atallcosts,however,youmustkeephimfromstimulants;

  theywillonlyintensifythediseaseandthesufferings,infacttheyarepoisontoamaninsuchastate。Don’tthinkIamabigotinthesematters;butIsaythatforamaninsuchaconditionasthis,thereisnothingforitbuttotalabstinence,andatallcostsyourfathermustbeguardedfromthepossibilityofprocuringanysortofintoxicatingdrink。ThroughoutthevoyageIhavedonemybesttoshieldhim,butitwasadifficultmatter。Hisservant,too,isnottrustworthy,andshouldbedismissedifpossible。\"

  \"Hadhespokenatallofhisplans?\"askedDerrick,andhisvoicesoundedstrangelyunlikeitself。

  \"HeaskedmewhatplaceinEnglandhehadbettersettledownin,\"

  saidthedoctor,\"andIstronglyrecommendedhimtotryBath。Thisseemedtopleasehim,andifheiswellenoughhehadbettergothereto—morrow。Hementionedyourmotherthismorning;nodoubtshewillknowhowtomanagehim。\"

  \"Mymotherdiedsixmonthsago,\"saidDerrick,pushingbackhischairandbeginningtopacetheroom。Thedoctormadekindlyapologies。

  \"Perhapsyouhaveasister,whocouldgotohim?\"

  \"No,\"repliedDerrick。\"Myonlysisterismarried,andherhusbandwouldneverallowit。\"

  \"Oracousinoranaunt?\"suggestedtheoldman,naivelyunconsciousthatthewordssoundedlikeaquotation。

  IsawtheghostofasmileflitoverDerrick’sharassedfaceasheshookhishead。

  \"IsuggestedthatheshouldgointosomeHomefor——casesofthekind,\"resumedthedoctor,\"orplacehimselfunderthechargeofsomemedicalman;however,hewon’thearofsuchathing。Butifheislefttohimself——well,itisallupwithhim。Hewilldrinkhimselftodeathinafewmonths。\"

  \"Heshallnotbeleftalone,\"saidDerrick;\"Iwilllivewithhim。

  DoyouthinkIshoulddo?ItseemstobeHobson’schoice。\"

  Ilookedupinamazement——forherewasDerrickcalmlygivinghimselfuptoalifethatmustcrusheveryplanforthefuturehehadmade。

  Didmenmakesuchachoiceasthatwhiletheytooktwoorthreeturnsinaroom?Didtheyspeaksocomposedlyafterastrugglethatmusthavebeensobitter?Thinkingitovernow,Ifeelsureitwashisextraordinarygiftofinsightandhisclearjudgmentwhichmadehimbehaveinthisway。Heinstantlyperceivedandpromptlyacted;

  theworstofthesufferingcamelongafter。

  \"Why,ofcourseyouaretheverybestpersonintheworldforhim,\"

  saidthedoctor。\"Hehastakenafancytoyou,andevidentlyyouhaveacertaininfluencewithhim。Ifanyonecansavehimitwillbeyou。\"

  ButthethoughtofallowingDerricktobesacrificedtothatoldbruteofaMajorwasmorethanIcouldbearcalmly。

  \"Amoremadschemewasneverproposed,\"Icried。\"Why,doctor,itwillbeutterruintomyfriend’scareer;hewillloseyearsthatnoonecanevermakeup。Andbesides,heisunfitforsuchastrain,hewillneverstandit。\"

  MyheartfelthotasIthoughtofDerrick,withhishighly—strung,sensitivenature,hisrefinement,hisgentleness,inconstantcompanionshipwithsuchamanasMajorVaughan。

  \"Mydearsir,\"saidtheolddoctor,withagleaminhiseye,\"I

  understandyourfeelingwellenough。Butdependuponit,yourfriendhasmadetherightchoice,andthereisnodoubtthathe’llbestrongenoughtodohisduty。\"

  ThewordremindedmeoftheMajor’ssong,andmyvoicewasabominablysarcasticintoneasIsaidtoDerrick,\"Younolongerconsiderwritingyourdutythen?\"

  \"Yes,\"hesaid,\"butitmuststandsecondtothis。Don’tbevexed,Sydney;ourplansareknockedonthehead,butitisnotsobadasyoumakeout。Ihaveatanyrateenoughtoliveon,andcanaffordtowait。\"

  Therewasnomoretobesaid,andthenextdayIsawthatstrangetriosetoutontheirroadtoBath。TheMajorlookingmorewickedwhensoberthanhehaddonewhendrunk;theolddoctorkindlyandconsiderateasever;andDerrick,withanairofresolutionaboutthatEnglishfaceofhisandadauntlessexpressioninhiseyeswhichimpressedmecuriously。

  Thesequiet,reservedfellowsarealwaysgivingoneoddsurprises。

  Hehadastonishedmebythevigouranddepthofthefirstvolumeof’Lynwood’sHeritage。’Heastonishedmenowbyanewphaseinhisowncharacter。ApparentlyhewhohadalwaysbeencontenttofollowwhereIled,andtowatchliferatherthantotakeanactiveshareinit,nowintendedtostrikeoutaverydecidedlineofhisown。

  ChapterIV。

  \"BothGoetheandSchillerwereprofoundlyconvincedthatArtwasnoluxuryofleisure,nomereamusementtocharmtheidle,orrelaxthecareworn;butamightyinfluence,seriousinitsaimsalthoughpleasureableinitsmeans;asisterofReligion,bywhoseaidthegreatworld—schemewaswroughtintoreality。\"

  Lewes’sLifeofGoethe。

  Manisaselfishbeing,andIamaparticularlyfinespecimenoftheraceasfarasthatcharacteristicgoes。IfIhadhadadozendrunkenparentsIshouldneverhavedancedattendanceononeofthem;yetinmysecretsoulIadmiredDerrickforthelinehehadtaken,forwemostlydoadmirewhatisunlikeourselvesandreallynoble,thoughitisthefashiontoseemtotallyindifferenttoeverythinginheavenandearth。ButallthesameIfeltannoyedaboutthewholebusiness,andwasgladtoforgetitinmyownaffairsatMondisfield。

  Weekspassedby。Ilivedthroughamidsummerdreamofhappiness,andahardawaking。That,however,hasnothingtodowithDerrick’sstory,andmaybepassedover。InOctoberIsettleddowninMontagueStreet,Bloomsbury,andbegantoreadfortheBar,inaboutasdisagreeableaframeofmindascanbeconceived。OnemorningI

  foundonmybreakfasttablealetterinDerrick’shandwriting。Likemostmen,wehardlyevercorresponded——whatwomensayintheeternalletterstheysendtoeachotherIcan’tconceive——butitstruckmethatunderthecircumstancesIoughttohavesenthimalinetoaskhowhewasgettingon,andmyconscienceprickedmeasIrememberedthatIhadhardlythoughtofhimsinceweparted,beingabsorbedinmyownmatters。Theletterwasnotverylong,butwhenonereadbetweenthelinesitsomehowtoldagooddeal。Ihaveitlyingbyme,andthisisacopyofit:

  \"DearSydney,——DolikeagoodfellowgotoNorthAudleyStreetforme,tothehousewhichIdescribedtoyouastheonewhereLynwoodlodged,andtellmewhathewouldseebesidesthechurchfromhiswindow——ifshops,whatkind?AlsoifanyglimpseofOxfordStreetwouldbevisible。Thenifyou’lladdtoyourfavoursbygettingmeasecond—handcopyofLaveleye’s’SocialismeContemporain,’Ishouldbeforevergrateful。Wearesettledinhereallright。Bathisempty,butIpeopleitasfarasIcanwiththefolkoutof’Evelina’and’Persuasion。’HowdidyougetonatBlachington?andwhichoftheMissesMerrifieldwentintheend?Don’tbotheraboutthecommissions。Anytimewilldo。

  \"Everyours,\"DerrickVaughan。\"

  Pooroldfellow!allthespiritseemedknockedoutofhim。TherewasnotonewordabouttheMajor,andwhocouldsaywhatwretchednesswasveiledinthatcurtphrase,\"wearesettledinallright\"?Allright!itwasallaswrongasitcouldbe!MybloodbegantoboilatthethoughtofDerrick,withhisgreatpowers——hiswonderfulgift——coopedupinaplacewherethestudyoflifewassolimitedandsodull。ThentherewashishungerfornewsofFreda,andhissilenceastowhathadkepthimawayfromBlachington,andaboutallasortofproudhumilitywhichpreventedhimfromsayingmuchthatIshouldhaveexpectedhimtosayunderthecircumstances。

  ItwasSaturday,andmytimewasmyown。Iwentout,gothisbookforhim;interviewedNorthAudleyStreet;spentabadfiveminutesincompanywiththatvillain’Bradshaw,’whoisresponsibleforsomuchofthebrainandeyediseaseofthenineteenthcentury,andfinallyleftPaddingtonintheFlyingDutchman,whichlandedmeatBathearlyintheafternoon。Ileftmyportmanteauatthestation,andwalkedthroughthecitytillIreachedGayStreet。LikemostofthestreetsofBath,itwasbroad,andhadoneitherhanddull,well—built,darkgrey,eminentlyrespectable,unutterablydreary—

  lookinghouses。Irang,andthedoorwasopenedtomebyamostquaintoldwoman,evidentlythelandlady。Anodourofcurrypervadedthepassage,andbecamemoreoppressiveasthedoorofthesitting—roomwasopened,andIwasusheredinupontheMajorandhisson,whohadjustfinishedlunch。

  \"Hullo!\"criedDerrick,springingup,hisfacefullofdelightwhichtouchedme,whileatthesametimeitfilledmewithenvy。

  EventheMajorthoughtfittogivemeaheartywelcome。

  \"Gladtoseeyouagain,\"hesaidpleasantlyenough。\"It’sarelieftohaveafreshfacetolookat。Wehavearoomwhichisquiteatyourdisposal,andIhopeyou’llstaywithus。Broughtyourportmanteau,eh?\"

  \"Itisatthestation,\"Ireplied。

  \"Seethatitissentfor,\"hesaidtoDerrick;\"andshowMr。

  Wharncliffeallthatistobeseeninthiscursedholeofaplace。\"

  Then,turningagaintome,\"Haveyoulunched?Verywell,then,don’twastethisfineafternooninaninvalid’sroom,butbeoffandenjoyyourself。\"

  Socordialwastheoldman,thatIshouldhavethoughthimalreadyareformedcharacter,hadInotfoundthathekepttheroughsideofhistongueforhomeuse。Derrickplacedanovelandasmallhandbellwithinhisreach,andwewerejustgoing,whenwewerecheckedbyavolleyofoathsfromtheMajor;thenabookcameflyingacrosstheroom,wellaimedatDerrick’shead。Hesteppedaside,andletitfallwithacrashonthesideboard。

  \"WhatdoyoumeanbygivingmethesecondvolumewhenyouknowIaminthethird?\"fumedtheinvalid。

  Heapologisedquietly,fetchedthethirdvolume,straightenedthedisorderedleavesofthediscardedsecond,andwiththeairofonewellaccustomedtosuchlittledomesticscenes,tookuphishatandcameoutwithme。

  \"HowlongdoyouintendtogoonplayingDavidtotheMajor’sSaul?\"

  Iasked,marvellingatthewayinwhichheenduredthehumoursofhisfather。

  \"AslongasIhavethechance,\"hereplied。\"Isay,areyousureyouwon’tmindstayingwithus?Itcan’tbeaverycomfortablehouseholdforanoutsider。\"

  \"Muchbetterthanforaninsider,toallappearance,\"Ireplied。

  \"I’monlytoodelightedtostay。Andnow,oldfellow,tellmethehonesttruth——youdidn’t,youknow,inyourletter——howhaveyoubeengettingon?\"

  Derricklaunchedintoanaccountofhisfather’sailments。

  \"Oh,hangtheMajor!Idon’tcareabouthim,Iwanttoknowaboutyou,\"Icried。

  \"Aboutme?\"saidDerrickdoubtfully。\"Oh,I’mrightenough。\"

  \"Whatdoyoudowithyourself?Howonearthdoyoukilltime?\"I

  asked。\"Come,givemeafull,true,andparticularaccountofitall。\"

  \"Wehavetriedthreeotherservants,\"saidDerrick;\"buttheplandoesn’tanswer。Theyeitherwon’tstandit,orelsetheyarebribedintosmugglingbrandyintothehouse。IfindIcandomostthingsformyfather,andinthemorninghehasanattendantfromthehospitalwhoistrustworthy,andwhodoeswhatisnecessaryforhim。

  Attenwebreakfasttogether,thentherearethemorningpapers,whichhelikestohavereadtohim。AfterthatIgoroundtothePumpRoomwithhim——oddcontrastnowtowhatitmusthavebeenwhenBathwastherage。Thenwehavelunch。Intheafternoon,ifheiswellenough,wedrive;ifnothesleeps,andIgetawalk。LateronanoldIndianfriendofhiswillsometimesdropin;ifnothelikestobereadtountildinner。Afterdinnerweplaychess——heisafirst—rateplayer。AttenIhelphimtobed;fromeleventotwelveIsmokeandstudySocialismandalltherestofitthatLynwoodisatpresentflounderingin。\"

  \"Whydon’tyouwrite,then?\"

  \"Itriedit,butitdidn’tanswer。Icouldn’tsleepafterit,andwas,infact,tootired;seemsabsurdtobetiredaftersuchadayasthat,butsomehowittakesitoutofonemorethanthehardestreading;Idon’tknowwhy。\"

  \"Why,\"Isaidangrily,\"it’sbecauseitisworktowhichyouarequiteunsuited——workforathick—skinned,hard—hearted,uncultivatedandwell—paidattendant,notforthenovelistwhoistobethechieflightofourgeneration。\"

  Helaughedatthisestimateofhispowers。

  \"Novelists,likeothercattle,havetoobeytheirowner,\"hesaidlightly。

  IthoughtforamomentthathemeanttheMajor,andwasbreakingintoanangryremonstrance,whenIsawthathemeantsomethingquitedifferent。Itwasalwayshisstrongestpoint,thisextraordinaryconsciousnessofright,thisunwaveringbeliefthathehadtodoandthereforecoulddocertainthings。Withoutthis,Iknowthatheneverwrotealine,andinmyheartIbelievethiswasthecauseofhissuccess。

  \"Thenyouarenotwritingatall?\"Iasked。

  \"Yes,Iwritegenerallyforacoupleofhoursbeforebreakfast,\"hesaid。

  Andthateveningwesatbyhisgasstoveandhereadmethenextfourchaptersof’Lynwood。’Hehadratheradismallodging—housebedroom,withfadedwall—paperandaprosaicsnuff—colouredcarpet。

  Onaricketytableinthewindowwashisdesk,andaportfoliofullofbluefoolscap,buthehaddonewhathecouldtomaketheplacehabitable;hisOxfordpictureswereonthewalls——Hoffman’s’ChristspeakingtotheWomantakeninAdultery,’hangingoverthemantelpiece——ithadalwaysbeenafavouriteofhis。Irememberthat,ashereadthedescriptionofLynwoodandhiswife,IkeptlookingfromhimtotheChristinthepicturetillIcouldalmosthavefanciedthateachfaceborethesameexpression。HadthisstrangemonotonouslifewiththatoldbruteofaMajorbroughthimsomenewperceptionofthosewords,\"NeitherdoIcondemnthee\"?

  Butwhenhestoppedreading,I,truetomycharacter,forgothisaffairsinmyown,aswesattalkingfarintothenight——talkingofthatlucklessmonthatMondisfield,ofalltheproblemsithadopenedup,andofmywretchedness。

  \"YouwereintownallSeptember?\"heasked;\"yougaveupBlachington?\"

  \"Yes,\"Ireplied。\"WhatdidIcareforcountryhousesinsuchamoodasthat。\"

  Heacquiesced,andIwentontalkingofmygrievances,anditwasnottillIwasinthetrainonmywaybacktoLondonthatI

  rememberedhowalookofdisappointmenthadpassedoverhisfacejustatthemoment。EvidentlyhehadcountedonlearningsomethingaboutFredafromme,andI——well,Ihadcleanforgottenbothherexistenceandhispassionatelove。

  Something,probablyself—interest,thedesireformyfriend’scompany,andsoforth,tookmedowntoBathprettyfrequentlyinthosedays;luckilytheMajorhadasortoflikingforme,andwasalwayspoliteenough;anddearoldDerrick——well,Ibelievemyvisitsreallyhelpedtobrightenhimup。Atanyratehesaidhecouldn’thavebornehislifewithoutthem,andforasceptical,dismal,cynicalfellowlikemetohearthatwassomehowflattering。

  Themereforceofcontrastdidmegood。IusedtocomebackontheMondaywonderingthatDerrickdidn’tcuthisthroat,andrealisingthat,afterall,itwassomethingtobeafreeagent,andtohavecomfortableroomsinMontagueStreet,withnooldbearofadrunkardtodisturbmypeace。Andthenasortofadmirationsprangupinmyheart,andthecynicismbredofmelancholybroodingsoversolitarypipeswaslessrampantthanusual。

  Itwas,Ithink,earlyinthenewyearthatImetLawrenceVaughaninBath。HewasnotstayingatGayStreet,soIcouldstillhavethevacantroomnexttoDerrick’s。LawrenceputupattheYorkHouseHotel。

  \"Foryouknow,\"heinformedme,\"Ireallycan’tstandthegovernorformorethananhourortwoatatime。\"

  \"Derrickmanagestodoit,\"Isaid。

  \"Oh,Derrick,yes,\"hereplied,\"it’shismetier,andheiswellaccustomedtothelife。Besides,youknow,heissuchadreamy,quietsortoffellow;helivesallthetimeinaworldofhisowncreation,andbearsthediscomfortsofthisworldwithgreatphilosophy。Actuallyhehasturnedteetotaller!Itwouldkillmeinaweek。\"

  Imakeapointofneverarguingwithafellowlikethat,butIthinkIhadavindictivelonging,asIlookedathim,toshuthimupwiththeMajorforamonth,andseewhatwouldhappen。

  Thesetwinbrotherswerecuriouslyalikeinfaceandcuriouslyunlikeinnature。Somuchforthegreatscienceofphysiognomy!Itoftenseemedtomethattheywerethecomplementofeachother。Forinstance,Derrickinsocietywasextremelysilent,Lawrencewasarattlingtalker;Derrick,whenalonewithyou,wouldnowandthenrevealunsuspecteddepthsofthoughtandexpression;Lawrence,whenalonewithyou,veryfrequentlyshowedhimselftobeacad。Theeldertwinwasmodestanddiffident,theyoungerinclinedtobrag;

  theonehadastrongtendencytomelancholy,theotherwasblestorcursedwiththesortoftemperamentwhichhasbeensaidtoaccompany\"ahardheartandagooddigestion。\"

  Iwasnotsurprisedtofindthatthesonwhocouldnottoleratethegovernor’spresenceformorethananhourortwo,wasaprimefavouritewiththeoldman;thatwasjustthewayoftheworld。Ofcourse,theMajorwasaspoliteaspossibletohim;DerrickgotthekicksandLawrencethehalf—pence。

  Intheeveningsweplayedwhist,Lawrencecominginafterdinner,\"For,youknow,\"heexplainedtome,\"Ireallycouldn’tgetthroughamealwithnothingbutthoseinfernalmineralwaterstowashitdown。\"

  AndhereImustownthatatmyfirstvisitIhadsailedratherclosetothewind;forwhentheMajor,liketheHatterin’Alice,’pressedmetotakewine,I——notseeingany——hadansweredthatIdidnottakeit;mentallyaddingthewords,\"inyourhouse,youbrute!\"

  Thetwobrotherswerefondofeachotherafterafashion。ButDerrickwashuman,andhadhisfaultsliketherestofus;andIamprettysurehedidnotmuchenjoythesightofhisfather’sfoolishandunreasonabledevotiontoLawrence。Ifyoucometothinkofit,hewouldhavebeenafull—fledgedangelifnojealouspang,noreflectionthatitwasratherroughonhim,hadcrossedhismind,whenhesawhisyoungerbrothertreatedwitheverymarkofrespectandliking,andknewthatLawrencewouldneverstirafingerreallytohelpthepoorfractiousinvalid。Unluckilytheyhappenedonenighttogetonthesubjectofprofessions。

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