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