Therewasapause。
“JenkinsonofCats——d’youstillkeepupwithhim？“askedAmbrose。
“Asmuchasoneeverdoes，“saidMr。Pepper。“Wemeetannually。
Thisyearhehashadthemisfortunetolosehiswife，whichmadeitpainful，ofcourse。“
“Verypainful，“Ridleyagreed。
“There’sanunmarrieddaughterwhokeepshouseforhim，Ibelieve，butit’sneverthesame，notathisage。“
Bothgentlemennoddedsagelyastheycarvedtheirapples。
“Therewasabook，wasn’tthere？“Ridleyenquired。
“There_was_abook，buttherenever_will_beabook，“saidMr。Pepperwithsuchfiercenessthatbothladieslookedupathim。
“Thereneverwillbeabook，becausesomeoneelsehaswrittenitforhim，“saidMr。Pepperwithconsiderableacidity。
“That’swhatcomesofputtingthingsoff，andcollectingfossils，andstickingNormanarchesonone’spigsties。“
“IconfessIsympathise，“saidRidleywithamelancholysigh。
“Ihaveaweaknessforpeoplewhocan’tbegin。“
“……Theaccumulationsofalifetimewasted，“continuedMr。pepper。
“Hehadaccumulationsenoughtofillabarn。“
“It’savicethatsomeofusescape，“saidRidley。“OurfriendMileshasanotherworkoutto-day。“
Mr。Peppergaveanacidlittlelaugh。“Accordingtomycalculations，“
hesaid，“hehasproducedtwovolumesandahalfannually，which，allowingfortimespentinthecradleandsoforth，showsacommendableindustry。“
“Yes，theoldMaster’ssayingofhimhasbeenprettywellrealised，“
saidRidley。
“Awaytheyhad，“saidMr。Pepper。“YouknowtheBrucecollection？——
notforpublication，ofcourse。“
“Ishouldsupposenot，“saidRidleysignificantly。“ForaDivinehewas——remarkablyfree。“
“ThePumpinNeville’sRow，forexample？“enquiredMr。Pepper。
“Precisely，“saidAmbrose。
Eachoftheladies，beingafterthefashionoftheirsex，highlytrainedinpromotingmen’stalkwithoutlisteningtoit，couldthink——abouttheeducationofchildren，abouttheuseoffogsirensinanopera——withoutbetrayingherself。OnlyitstruckHelenthatRachelwasperhapstoostillforahostess，andthatshemighthavedonesomethingwithherhands。
“Perhaps——？“shesaidatlength，uponwhichtheyroseandleft，vaguelytothesurpriseofthegentlemen，whohadeitherthoughtthemattentiveorhadforgottentheirpresence。
“Ah，onecouldtellstrangestoriesoftheolddays，“theyheardRidleysay，ashesankintohischairagain。Glancingback，atthedoorway，theysawMr。Pepperasthoughhehadsuddenlyloosenedhisclothes，andhadbecomeavivaciousandmaliciousoldape。
Windingveilsroundtheirheads，thewomenwalkedondeck。
Theywerenowmovingsteadilydowntheriver，passingthedarkshapesofshipsatanchor，andLondonwasaswarmoflightswithapaleyellowcanopydroopingaboveit。Therewerethelightsofthegreattheatres，thelightsofthelongstreets，lightsthatindicatedhugesquaresofdomesticcomfort，lightsthathunghighinair。Nodarknesswouldeversettleuponthoselamps，asnodarknesshadsettleduponthemforhundredsofyears。Itseemeddreadfulthatthetownshouldblazeforeverinthesamespot；
dreadfulatleasttopeoplegoingawaytoadventureuponthesea，andbeholdingitasacircumscribedmound，eternallyburnt，eternallyscarred。Fromthedeckoftheshipthegreatcityappearedacrouchedandcowardlyfigure，asedentarymiser。
Leaningovertherail，sidebyside，Helensaid，“Won’tyoubecold？“
Rachelreplied，“No……Howbeautiful！“sheaddedamomentlater。
Verylittlewasvisible——afewmasts，ashadowoflandhere，alineofbrilliantwindowsthere。Theytriedtomakeheadagainstthewind。
“Itblows——itblows！“gaspedRachel，thewordsrammeddownherthroat。
Strugglingbyherside，Helenwassuddenlyovercomebythespiritofmovement，andpushedalongwithherskirtswrappingthemselvesroundherknees，andbotharmstoherhair。Butslowlytheintoxicationofmovementdieddown，andthewindbecameroughandchilly。
Theylookedthroughachinkintheblindandsawthatlongcigarswerebeingsmokedinthedining-room；theysawMr。Ambrosethrowhimselfviolentlyagainstthebackofhischair，whileMr。Peppercrinkledhischeeksasthoughtheyhadbeencutinwood。
Theghostofaroaroflaughtercameouttothem，andwasdrownedatonceinthewind。Inthedryyellow-lightedroomMr。PepperandMr。Ambrosewereobliviousofalltumult；theywereinCambridge，anditwasprobablyabouttheyear1875。
“They’reoldfriends，“saidHelen，smilingatthesight。
“Now，istherearoomforustositin？“
Rachelopenedadoor。
“It’smorelikealandingthanaroom，“shesaid。Indeedithadnothingoftheshutstationarycharacterofaroomonshore。
Atablewasrootedinthemiddle，andseatswerestucktothesides。
Happilythetropicalsunshadbleachedthetapestriestoafadedblue-greencolour，andthemirrorwithitsframeofshells，theworkofthesteward’slove，whenthetimehungheavyinthesouthernseas，wasquaintratherthanugly。Twistedshellswithredlipslikeunicorn’shornsornamentedthemantelpiece，whichwasdrapedbyapallofpurpleplushfromwhichdependedacertainnumberofballs。
Twowindowsopenedontothedeck，andthelightbeatingthroughthemwhentheshipwasroastedontheAmazonshadturnedtheprintsontheoppositewalltoafaintyellowcolour，sothat“TheColiseum“
wasscarcelytobedistinguishedfromQueenAlexandraplayingwithherSpaniels。Apairofwickerarm-chairsbythefiresideinvitedonetowarmone’shandsatagratefullofgiltshavings；
agreatlampswungabovethetable——thekindoflampwhichmakesthelightofcivilisationacrossdarkfieldstoonewalkinginthecountry。
“It’soddthateveryoneshouldbeanoldfriendofMr。Pepper’s，“
Rachelstartednervously，forthesituationwasdifficult，theroomcold，andHelencuriouslysilent。
“Isupposeyoutakehimforgranted？“saidheraunt。
“He’slikethis，“saidRachel，lightingonafossilisedfishinabasin，anddisplayingit。
“Iexpectyou’retoosevere，“Helenremarked。
Rachelimmediatelytriedtoqualifywhatshehadsaidagainstherbelief。
“Idon’treallyknowhim，“shesaid，andtookrefugeinfacts，believingthatelderlypeoplereallylikethembetterthanfeelings。
SheproducedwhatsheknewofWilliamPepper。ShetoldHelenthathealwayscalledonSundayswhentheywereathome；heknewaboutagreatmanythings——aboutmathematics，history，Greek，zoology，economics，andtheIcelandicSagas。HehadturnedPersianpoetryintoEnglishprose，andEnglishproseintoGreekiambics；
hewasanauthorityuponcoins；and——oneotherthing——ohyes，shethoughtitwasvehiculartraffic。
Hewashereeithertogetthingsoutofthesea，ortowriteupontheprobablecourseofOdysseus，forGreekafterallwashishobby。
“I’vegotallhispamphlets，“shesaid。“Littlepamphlets。
Littleyellowbooks。“Itdidnotappearthatshehadreadthem。
“Hasheeverbeeninlove？“askedHelen，whohadchosenaseat。
Thiswasunexpectedlytothepoint。
“Hisheart’sapieceofoldshoeleather，“Racheldeclared，droppingthefish。Butwhenquestionedshehadtoownthatshehadneveraskedhim。
“Ishallaskhim，“saidHelen。
“ThelasttimeIsawyou，youwerebuyingapiano，“shecontinued。
“Doyouremember——thepiano，theroomintheattic，andthegreatplantswiththeprickles？“
“Yes，andmyauntssaidthepianowouldcomethroughthefloor，butattheirageonewouldn’tmindbeingkilledinthenight？“
sheenquired。
“IheardfromAuntBessienotlongago，“Helenstated。“Sheisafraidthatyouwillspoilyourarmsifyouinsistuponsomuchpractising。“
“Themusclesoftheforearm——andthenonewon’tmarry？“
“Shedidn’tputitquitelikethat，“repliedMrs。Ambrose。
“Oh，no——ofcourseshewouldn’t，“saidRachelwithasigh。
Helenlookedather。Herfacewasweakratherthandecided，savedfrominsipiditybythelargeenquiringeyes；deniedbeauty，nowthatshewasshelteredindoors，bythelackofcolouranddefiniteoutline。Moreover，ahesitationinspeaking，orratheratendencytousethewrongwords，madeherseemmorethannormallyincompetentforheryears。Mrs。Ambrose，whohadbeenspeakingmuchatrandom，nowreflectedthatshecertainlydidnotlookforwardtotheintimacyofthreeorfourweeksonboardshipwhichwasthreatened。
Womenofherownageusuallyboringher，shesupposedthatgirlswouldbeworse。SheglancedatRachelagain。Yes！howclearitwasthatshewouldbevacillating，emotional，andwhenyousaidsomethingtoheritwouldmakenomorelastingimpressionthanthestrokeofastickuponwater。Therewasnothingtotakeholdofingirls——nothinghard，permanent，satisfactory。DidWilloughbysaythreeweeks，ordidhesayfour？Shetriedtoremember。
Atthispoint，however，thedooropenedandatallburlymanenteredtheroom，cameforwardandshookHelen’shandwithanemotionalkindofheartiness，Willoughbyhimself，Rachel’sfather，Helen’sbrother-in-law。Asagreatdealoffleshwouldhavebeenneededtomakeafatmanofhim，hisframebeingsolarge，hewasnotfat；hisfacewasalargeframeworktoo，looking，bythesmallnessofthefeaturesandtheglowinthehollowofthecheek，morefittedtowithstandassaultsoftheweatherthantoexpresssentimentsandemotions，ortorespondtotheminothers。
“Itisagreatpleasurethatyouhavecome，“hesaid，“forbothofus。“
Rachelmurmuredinobediencetoherfather’sglance。
“We’lldoourbesttomakeyoucomfortable。AndRidley。Wethinkitanhonourtohavechargeofhim。Pepper’llhavesomeonetocontradicthim——whichIdaren’tdo。Youfindthischildgrown，don’tyou？Ayoungwoman，eh？“
StillholdingHelen’shandhedrewhisarmroundRachel’sshoulder，thusmakingthemcomeuncomfortablyclose，butHelenforboretolook。
“Youthinkshedoesuscredit？“heasked。
“Ohyes，“saidHelen。
“Becauseweexpectgreatthingsofher，“hecontinued，squeezinghisdaughter’sarmandreleasingher。“Butaboutyounow。“Theysatdownsidebysideonthelittlesofa。“Didyouleavethechildrenwell？
They’llbereadyforschool，Isuppose。DotheytakeafteryouorAmbrose？They’vegotgoodheadsontheirshoulders，I’llbebound？“
AtthisHelenimmediatelybrightenedmorethanshehadyetdone，andexplainedthathersonwassixandherdaughterten。
EverybodysaidthatherboywaslikeherandhergirllikeRidley。
Asforbrains，theywerequickbrats，shethought，andmodestlysheventuredonalittlestoryaboutherson，——howleftaloneforaminutehehadtakenthepatofbutterinhisfingers，runacrosstheroomwithit，andputitonthefire——merelyforthefunofthething，afeelingwhichshecouldunderstand。
“Andyouhadtoshowtheyoungrascalthatthesetrickswouldn’tdo，eh？“
“Achildofsix？Idon’tthinktheymatter。“
“I’manold-fashionedfather。“
“Nonsense，Willoughby；Rachelknowsbetter。“
MuchasWilloughbywoulddoubtlesshavelikedhisdaughtertopraisehimshedidnot；hereyeswereunreflectingaswater，herfingersstilltoyingwiththefossilisedfish，hermindabsent。
TheelderpeoplewentontospeakofarrangementsthatcouldbemadeforRidley’scomfort——atableplacedwherehecouldn’thelplookingatthesea，farfromboilers，atthesametimeshelteredfromtheviewofpeoplepassing。Unlesshemadethisaholiday，whenhisbookswereallpacked，hewouldhavenoholidaywhatever；
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