’Oh，yes；itisquitetrue，’saidJohnny。
’ThenyoumustearnmyfriendshipbydoingwhatIaskofyou。Thatpicturemustnotbepainted。YoumusttellConwayDalrympleashisfriendthathemustceasetocarryonsuchanintrigueinanotherman’shouse。’
’Youwouldhardlycallpaintingapictureanintrigue；wouldyou？’
’CertainlyIwouldwhenit’skeptasecretfromthehusbandbythewife——andfromthemotherbythedaughter。Ifitcannotbestoppedinanyotherway，ImusttellMrsVanSiever；——Imust，indeed。Ihavesuchanabhorrenceoftheoldwoman，thatIcouldnotbringmyselftospeaktoher——butIshouldwritetoher。That’swhatIshoulddo。’
’Butwhat’sthereason？Youmightastellmetherealreason。’HadMissDemolinesbeenchristenedMary，orFanny，orJane，IthinkthatJohnEameswouldnowhavecalledherbyeitherofthosenames；butMadalinawassuchamouthfulthathecouldnotbringhimselftouseitatonce。
HehadheardthatamongherintimatesshewascalledMaddy。HehadanideathathehadheardDalrympleinoldtimestalkofherasMaddyMullins，andjustatthismomenttheideawasnotpleasanttohim；atanyratehecouldnotcallherMaddyasyet。’HowamItohelpyou，’hesaid，’unlessIknowallaboutit？’
’Ihatethatgirllikepoison！’saidMissDemolines，confidentially，drawingherselfveryneartoJohnnyasshespoke。
’Butwhathasshedone？’
’Whathasshedone？Ican’ttellyouwhatshehasdone。Icouldnotdemeanmyselfbyrepeatingit。Ofcourseweallknowwhatshewants。ShewantstocatchConwayDalrymple。That’sasplainasanythingcanbe。NotthatIcareaboutthat。’
’Ofcoursenot，’saidJohnny。
’Notintheleast。It’snothingtome。IhaveknownConwayDalrymple，nodoubt，forayearortwo，andIshouldbesorrytoseeayoungmanwhohashisgoodpointssacrificedinthatsortofway。ButitismereacquaintancebetweenMrDalrympleandme，andofcourseIcannotinterfere。’
’She’llhavealotofmoney，youknow。’
’Hethinksso；doeshe？IsupposethatiswhatMariahastoldhim。Oh，MrEames，youdon’tknowthemeannessofwomen；youdon’tindeed。Menaresomuchmorenoble。’
’Arethey，doyouthink？’
’Thansomewomen。Iseewomendoingthingsthatreallydisgustme；Idoindeed；——thingsthatIwouldn’tdomyself，wereiteverso；——strivingtocatchmenineverypossibleway，andforsuchpurposes！Iwouldn’thavebelieveditofMariaClutterbuck。Iwouldn’tindeed。HoweverIwillneversayawordagainsther，becauseshehasbeenmyfriend。Nothingshalleverinduceme。’
JohnEamesbeforeheleftPorchesterTerrace，hadatlastsucceededincallinghisfairfriendMadalina，andhadpromisedthathewouldendeavourtoopentheartist’seyestothefollyofpaintinghispictureinBroughton’shousewithoutBroughton’sknowledge。
CHAPTERXL
MRTOOGOOD’SIDEASABOUTSOCIETY
AdayortwoaftertheinterviewwhichwasdescribedinthelastchapterJohnEamesdinedwithhisuncleMrThomasToogood，inTavistockSquare。
Hewasinthehabitofdoingthisaboutonceamonth，andwasagreatfavouritebothwithhiscousinsandwiththeirmother。MrToogooddidnotgivedinner—parties；alwaysbeggingthosewhomheaskedtoenjoyhishospitality，totakepotluck，andtellingyoungmenwhomhecouldtreatwithfamiliarity——suchashisnephew——thatiftheywantedtoberegaledalaRussetheymustnotcometoNumber75TavistockSquare。’Alegofmuttonandtrimmings；thatwillbeabouttheoutsideofit，’hewouldsay；buthewouldaddinawhisper——’andaglassofportsuchasyoudon’tgeteverydayofyourlife。’PollyandLucyToogoodwereprettygirls，andmerrywithal，andcertainyoungmenwerewellcontentedtoaccepttheattorney’sinvitation——whetherattractedbythepromisedlegofmutton，ortheportwine，ortheyoungladies，Iwillnotattempttosay。Butithadsohappenedthatoneyoungman，aclerkfromJohnEames’soffice，hadpartakensooftenoftheputluckandportwinethatPollyToogoodhadconqueredhimbyhercharms，andhewasnowaslave，waitinganappropriatetimeformatrimonialsacrifice。WilliamSummerkinwastheyoungman’sname；andasitwasknownthatMrSummerkinwastoinheritafortuneamountingtothreehundredpoundsfromhismaidenaunt，itwasconsideredthatPollyToogoodwasnotdoingamiss。’I’llgiveyouthreehundredpounds，myboy，justtoputafewsheetsonthebeds，’saidToogoodthefather，’andwhentheoldbirdsarebothdeadshe’llhaveathousandpoundsoutofthenest。That’stheextentofPolly’sfortune；——sonowyouknow。’Summerkinwas，however，quitecontentedtohavehisownmoneysettledonhisdarlingPolly，andthewholethingwaslookedatwithpleasantandpropitiouseyesbytheToogoodconnexion。
WhenJohnEamesenteredthedrawing—roomSummerkinandPollywerealreadythere。Summerkinblusheduptohiseyes，ofcourse，butPollysatasdemurelyasthoughshehadbeenaccustomedtohavingloversallherlife。’Mammawillbedownalmostimmediately，John，’saidPollyassoonasthefirstgreetingswereover，’andpapahascomein，Iknow。’
’Summerkin，’saidJohnny，’I’mafraidyoulefttheofficebeforefouro’clock。’
’No，Ididnot，’saidSummerkin。’Idenyit。’
’Polly，’saidhercousin，’youshouldkeephiminbetterorder。Hewillcertainlycometogriefifhegoesonlikethis。Isupposeyoucoulddowithouthimforhalfanhour。’
’Idon’twanthimIassureyou，’saidPolly。
’Ihaveonlybeenherejustfiveminutes，’saidSummerkin，’andIcamebecauseMrsToogoodaskedmetodoacommission。’
’That’sciviltoyou，Polly，’saidJohn。
’It’squiteascivilasIwishhimtobe，’saidPolly。’Andasforyou，John，everybodyknowsthatyou’reagoose，andthatyoualwayswereagoose。Isn’thealwaysdoingfoolishthingsattheoffice，William？’ButasJohnEameswasratheragreatmanattheIncome—TaxOffice，Summerkincouldnotfallintohissweetheart’sjokeonthissubject，findingiteasierandperhapssafertotwiddlethebodkinsofPolly’swork—basket。
ThenToogoodandMrsToogoodenteredtheroomtogether，andtheloverswereabletobealoneagainduringthegeneralgreetingswithwhichJohnnywaswelcomed。
’Youdon’tknowtheSilverbridgepeople——doyou？’askedMrToogood。
Eamessaidthathedidnot。HehadbeenatSilverbridgemorethanonce，butdidnotknowverymuchoftheSilverbridgians。’BecauseWalkeriscomingheretodinehere。WalkeristheleadingmaninSilverbridge。’
’AndwhatisWalker；——besidesbeingtheleadingmaninSilverbridge？’
’He’salawyer。WalkerandWinthrop。EverybodyknowsWalkerinBarsetshire。I’vebeendownatBarchestersinceIsawyou。’
’Haveyouindeed？’saidJohnny。
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