CHAPTERI

Thepooryoungmanhesitatedandprocrastinated：itcosthimsuchanefforttobroachthesubjectofterms，tospeakofmoneytoapersonwhospokeonlyoffeelingsand，asitwere，ofthearistocracy。Yethewasunwillingtotakeleave，treatinghisengagementassettled，withoutsomemoreconventionalglanceinthatdirectionthanhecouldfindanopeningforinthemannerofthelargeaffableladywhosattheredrawingapairofsoiledgantsdeSuedethroughafatjewelledhandand，atoncepressingandgliding，repeatedoverandovereverythingbutthethinghewouldhavelikedtohear。Hewouldhavelikedtohearthefigureofhissalary；butjustashewasnervouslyabouttosoundthatnotethelittleboycameback-thelittleboyMrs。Moreenhadsentoutoftheroomtofetchherfan。Hecamebackwithoutthefan，onlywiththecasualobservationthathecouldn’tfindit。Ashedroppedthiscynicalconfessionhelookedstraightandhardatthecandidateforthehonouroftakinghiseducationinhand。Thispersonagereflectedsomewhatgrimlythatthethingheshouldhavetoteachhislittlechargewouldbetoappeartoaddresshimselftohismotherwhenhespoketoher-especiallynottomakehersuchanimproperanswerasthat。

WhenMrs。MoreenbethoughtherselfofthispretextforgettingridoftheircompanionPembertonsupposeditwaspreciselytoapproachthedelicatesubjectofhisremuneration。Butithadbeenonlytosaysomethingsabouthersonthatitwasbetteraboyofelevenshouldn’tcatch。Theywereextravagantlytohisadvantagesavewhensheloweredhervoicetosigh，tappingherleftsidefamiliarly，"AndallovercloudedbyTHIS，youknow；allatthemercyofaweakness-！"Pembertongatheredthattheweaknesswasintheregionoftheheart。Hehadknownthepoorchildwasnotrobust：thiswasthebasisonwhichhehadbeeninvitedtotreat，throughanEnglishlady，anOxfordacquaintance，thenatNice，whohappenedtoknowbothhisneedsandthoseoftheamiableAmericanfamilylookingoutforsomethingreallysuperiorinthewayofaresidenttutor。

Theyoungman’simpressionofhisprospectivepupil，whohadcomeintotheroomasiftoseeforhimselfthemomentPembertonwasadmitted，wasnotquitethesoftsolicitationthevisitorhadtakenforgranted。MorganMoreenwassomehowsicklywithoutbeing"delicate，"andthathelookedintelligent-itistruePembertonwouldn’thaveenjoyedhisbeingstupid-onlyaddedtothesuggestionthat，aswithhisbigmouthandbigearshereallycouldn’tbecalledpretty，hemighttooutterlyfailtoplease。

Pembertonwasmodest，waseventimid；andthechancethathissmallscholarmightproveclevererthanhimselfhadquitefigured，tohisanxiety，amongthedangersofanuntriedexperiment。Hereflected，however，thatthesewererisksonehadtorunwhenoneacceptedaposition，asitwascalled，inaprivatefamily；whenasyetone’suniversityhonourshad，pecuniarilyspeaking，remainedbarren。AtanyratewhenMrs。Moreengotupastointimatethat，sinceitwasunderstoodhewouldenteruponhisdutieswithintheweekshewouldlethimoffnow，hesucceeded，inspiteofthepresenceofthechild，insqueezingoutaphraseabouttherateofpayment。Itwasnotthefaultoftheconscioussmilewhichseemedareferencetothelady’sexpensiveidentity，itwasnotthefaultofthisdemonstration，whichhad，inasort，bothvaguenessandpoint，iftheallusiondidn’tsoundrathervulgar。Thiswasexactlybecauseshebecamestillmoregracioustoreply："OhIcanassureyouthatallthatwillbequiteregular。"

Pembertononlywondered，whilehetookuphishat，what"allthat"

wastoamountto-peoplehadsuchdifferentideas。Mrs。Moreen’swords，however，seemedtocommitthefamilytoapledgedefiniteenoughtoelicitfromthechildastrangelittlecommentintheshapeofthemockingforeignejaculation"Ohla-la！"

Pemberton，insomeconfusion，glancedathimashewalkedslowlytothewindowwithhisbackturned，hishandsinhispocketsandtheairinhiselderlyshouldersofaboywhodidn’tplay。Theyoungmanwonderedifheshouldbeabletoteachhimtoplay，thoughhismotherhadsaiditwouldneverdoandthatthiswaswhyschoolwasimpossible。Mrs。Moreenexhibitednodiscomfiture；sheonlycontinuedblandly："Mr。Moreenwillbedelightedtomeetyourwishes。AsItoldyou，hehasbeencalledtoLondonforaweek。

Assoonashecomesbackyoushallhaveitoutwithhim。"

Thiswassofrankandfriendlythattheyoungmancouldonlyreply，laughingashishostesslaughed："OhIdon’timagineweshallhavemuchofabattle。"

"They’llgiveyouanythingyoulike，"theboyremarkedunexpectedly，returningfromthewindow。"Wedon’tmindwhatanythingcosts-weliveawfullywell。"

"Mydarling，you’retooquaint！"hismotherexclaimed，puttingouttocaresshimapractisedbutineffectualhand。Heslippedoutofit，butlookedwithintelligentinnocenteyesatPemberton，whohadalreadyhadtimetonoticethatfromonemomenttotheotherhissmallsatiricfaceseemedtochangeitstimeoflife。Atthismomentitwasinfantine，yetitappearedalsotobeundertheinfluenceofcuriousintuitionsandknowledges。Pembertonratherdislikedprecocityandwasdisappointedtofindgleamsofitinadisciplenotyetinhisteens。NeverthelesshedivinedonthespotthatMorganwouldn’tproveabore。Hewouldproveonthecontraryasourceofagitation。Thisideaheldtheyoungman，inspiteofacertainrepulsion。

"Youpompouslittleperson！We’renotextravagant！"Mrs。Moreengailyprotested，makinganotherunsuccessfulattempttodrawtheboytoherside。"Youmustknowwhattoexpect，"shewentontoPemberton。

"Thelessyouexpectthebetter！"hercompanioninterposed。"ButweAREpeopleoffashion。"

"OnlysofarasYOUmakeusso！"Mrs。Moreentenderlymocked。

"Wellthen，onFriday-don’ttellmeyou’resuperstitious-andmindyoudon’tfailus。Thenyou’llseeusall。I’msosorrythegirlsareout。Iguessyou’lllikethegirls。And，youknow，I’veanotherson，quitedifferentfromthisone。"

"Hetriestoimitateme，"Morgansaidtotheirfriend。

"Hetries？Whyhe’stwentyyearsold！"criedMrs。Moreen。

"You’reverywitty，"Pembertonremarkedtothechild-apropositionhismotherechoedwithenthusiasm，declaringMorgan’ssalliestobethedelightofthehouse。

Theboypaidnoheedtothis；heonlyenquiredabruptlyofthevisitor，whowassurprisedafterwardsthathehadn’tstruckhimasoffensivelyforward："DoyouWANTverymuchtocome？"

"CanyoudoubtitaftersuchadescriptionofwhatIshallhear？"

Pembertonreplied。Yethedidn’twanttocomeatall；hewascomingbecausehehadtogosomewhere，thankstothecollapseofhisfortuneattheendofayearabroadspentonthesystemofputtinghisscantpatrimonyintoasinglefullwaveofexperience。

Hehadhadhisfullwavebutcouldn’tpaythescoreathisinn。

Moreoverhehadcaughtintheboy’seyestheglimpseofafar-offappeal。

"Well，I’lldothebestIcanforyou，"saidMorgan；withwhichheturnedawayagain。Hepassedoutofoneofthelongwindows；

Pembertonsawhimgoandleanontheparapetoftheterrace。Heremainedtherewhiletheyoungmantookleaveofhismother，who，onPemberton’slookingasifheexpectedafarewellfromhim，interposedwith："Leavehim，leavehim；he’ssostrange！"

Pembertonsupposedhertofearsomethinghemightsay。"He’sagenius-you’lllovehim，"sheadded。"He’smuchthemostinterestingpersoninthefamily。"Andbeforehecouldinventsomecivilitytoopposetothisshewoundupwith："Butwe’reallgood，youknow！"

"He’sagenius-you’lllovehim！"werewordsthatrecurredtoouraspirantbeforetheFriday，suggestingamongmanythingsthatgeniuseswerenotinvariablyloveable。However，itwasallthebetteriftherewasanelementthatwouldmaketutorshipabsorbing：

hehadperhapstakentoomuchforgranteditwouldonlydisgusthim。Asheleftthevillaafterhisinterviewhelookedupatthebalconyandsawthechildleaningoverit。"Weshallhavegreatlarks！"hecalledup。

Morganhungfireamomentandthengailyreturned："BythetimeyoucomebackIshallhavethoughtofsomethingwitty！"

ThismadePembertonsaytohimself"Afterallhe’srathernice。"

CHAPTERII

OntheFridayhesawthemall，asMrs。Moreenhadpromised，forherhusbandhadcomebackandthegirlsandtheothersonwereathome。

Mr。Moreenhadawhitemoustache，aconfidingmannerand，inhisbuttonhole，theribbonofaforeignorder-bestowed，asPembertoneventuallylearned，forservices。Forwhatservicesheneverclearlyascertained：thiswasapoint-oneofalargenumber-

thatMr。Moreen’smannerneverconfided。Whatitemphaticallydidconfidewasthathewasevenmoreamanoftheworldthanyoumightfirstmakeout。Ulick，thefirstborn，wasinvisibletrainingforthesameprofession-underthedisadvantageasyet，however，ofabuttonholebutfeeblyfloralandamoustachewithnopretensionstotype。Thegirlshadhairandfiguresandmannersandsmallfatfeet，buthadneverbeenoutalone。AsforMrs。MoreenPembertonsawonanearerviewthatherelegancewasintermittentandherpartsdidn’talwaysmatch。Herhusband，asshehadpromised，metwithenthusiasmPemberton’sideasinregardtoasalary。Theyoungmanhadendeavouredtokeepthesestammeringsmodest，andMr。

MoreenmadeitnosecretthatHEfoundthemwantingin"style。"Hefurthermentionedthatheaspiredtobeintimatewithhischildren，tobetheirbestfriend，andthathewasalwayslookingoutforthem。Thatwaswhathewentofffor，toLondonandotherplaces-

tolookout；andthisvigilancewasthetheoryoflife，aswellastherealoccupation，ofthewholefamily。Theyalllookedout，fortheywereveryfrankonthesubjectofitsbeingnecessary。Theydesiredittobeunderstoodthattheywereearnestpeople，andalsothattheirfortune，thoughquiteadequateforearnestpeople，requiredthemostcarefuladministration。Mr。Moreen，astheparentbird，soughtsustenanceforthenest。Ulickinvokedsupportmainlyattheclub，wherePembertonguessedthatitwasusuallyservedongreencloth。Thegirlsusedtodouptheirhairandtheirfrocksthemselves，andouryoungmanfeltappealedtotobeglad，inregardtoMorgan’seducation，that，thoughitmustnaturallybeofthebest，itdidn’tcosttoomuch。AfteralittleheWASglad，forgettingattimeshisownneedsintheinterestinspiredbythechild’scharacterandcultureandthepleasureofmakingeasytermsforhim。

DuringthefirstweeksoftheiracquaintanceMorganhadbeenaspuzzlingasapageinanunknownlanguage-altogetherdifferentfromtheobviouslittleAnglo-SaxonswhohadmisrepresentedchildhoodtoPemberton。Indeedthewholemysticvolumeinwhichtheboyhadbeenamateurishlybounddemandedsomepracticeintranslation。To-day，afteraconsiderableinterval，thereissomethingphantasmagoria，likeaprismaticreflexionoraserialnovel，inPemberton’smemoryofthequeernessoftheMoreens。Ifitwerenotforafewtangibletokens-alockofMorgan’shaircutbyhisownhand，andthehalf-dozenlettersreceivedfromhimwhentheyweredisjoined-thewholeepisodeandthefigurespeoplingitwouldseemtooinconsequentforanythingbutdreamland。Theirsupremequaintnesswastheirsuccess-asitappearedtohimforawhileatthetime；sincehehadneverseenafamilysobrilliantlyequippedforfailure。Wasn’titsuccesstohavekepthimsohatefullylong？Wasn’titsuccesstohavedrawnhiminthatfirstmorningatdejeuner，theFridayhecame-itwasenoughtoMAKEonesuperstitious-sothatheutterlycommittedhimself，andthisnotbycalculationoronasignal，butfromahappyinstinctwhichmadethem，likeabandofgipsies，worksoneatlytogether？Theyamusedhimasmuchasiftheyhadreallybeenabandofgipsies。Hewasstillyoungandhadnotseenmuchoftheworld-hisEnglishyearshadbeenproperlyarid；thereforethereversedconventionsoftheMoreens-fortheyhadTHEIRdesperateproprieties-struckhimastopsy-turvy。HehadencounterednothinglikethematOxford；stilllesshadanysuchnotebeenstrucktohisyoungerAmericanearduringthefouryearsatYaleinwhichhehadrichlysupposedhimselftobereactingagainstaPuritanstrain。ThereactionoftheMoreens，atanyrate，wenteversomuchfurther。Hehadthoughthimselfverysharpthatfirstdayinhittingthemalloffinhismindwiththe"cosmopolite"label。Lateritseemedfeebleandcolourless-confessedlyhelplesslyprovisional。

Heyetwhenhefirstapplieditfeltaglowofjoy-foraninstructorhewasstillempirical-risefromtheapprehensionthatlivingwiththemwouldreallyhetoseelife。Theirsociablestrangenesswasanintimationofthat-theirchatteroftongues，theirgaietyandgoodhumour，theirinfinitedawdling（theywerealwaysgettingthemselvesup，butittookforever，andPembertonhadoncefoundMr。Moreenshavinginthedrawing-room），theirFrench，theirItalianand，croppingupintheforeignfluencies，theircoldtoughslicesofAmerican。Theylivedonmacaroniandcoffee-theyhadthesearticlespreparedinperfection-buttheyknewrecipesforahundredotherdishes。Theyoverflowedwithmusicandsong，werealwayshummingandcatchingeachotherup，andhadasortofprofessionalacquaintancewithContinentalcities。

Theytalkedof"goodplaces"asiftheyhadbeenpickpocketsorstrollingplayers。TheyhadatNiceavilla，acarriage，apianoandabanjo，andtheywenttoofficialparties。Theywereaperfectcalendarofthe"days"oftheirfriends，whichPembertonknewthem，whentheywereindisposed，togetoutofbedtogoto，andwhichmadetheweeklargerthanlifewhenMrs。MoreentalkedofthemwithPaulaandAmy。Theirinitiationsgavetheirnewinmateatfirstanalmostdazzlingsenseofculture。Mrs。Moreenhadtranslatedsomethingatsomeformerperiod-anauthorwhomitmadePembertonfeelbornenevertohaveheardof。TheycouldimitateVenetianandsingNeapolitan，andwhentheywantedtosaysomethingveryparticularcommunicatedwitheachotherinaningeniousdialectoftheirown，anelasticspokencipherwhichPembertonatfirsttookforsomepatoisofoneoftheircountries，butwhichhe"caughtonto"ashewouldnothavegraspedprovincialdevelopmentofSpanishorGerman。

"It’sthefamilylanguage-Ultramoreen，"Morganexplainedtohimdrollyenough；buttheboyrarelycondescendedtouseithimself，thoughhedealtincolloquialLatinasifhehadbeenalittleprelate。

Amongallthe"days"withwhichMrs。Moreen’smemorywastaxedshemanagedtosqueezeinoneofherown，whichherfriendssometimesforgot。ButthehousedrewafrequentedairfromthenumberoffinepeoplewhowerefreelynamedthereandfromseveralmysteriousmenwithforeigntitlesandEnglishclotheswhomMorgancalledtheprincesandwho，onsofaswiththegirls，talkedFrenchveryloud-

thoughsometimeswithsomeoddityofaccent-asiftoshowtheyweresayingnothingimproper。Pembertonwonderedhowtheprincescouldeverproposeinthattoneandsopublicly：hetookforgrantedcynicallythatthiswaswhatwasdesiredofthem。ThenherecognisedthatevenforthechanceofsuchanadvantageMrs。

MoreenwouldneverallowPaulaandAmytoreceivealone。Theseyoungladieswerenotatalltimid，butitwasjustthesafeguardsthatmadethemsocandidlyfree。ItwasahousefulofBohemianswhowantedtremendouslytobePhilistines。

Inonerespect，however，certainlytheyachievednorigour-theywerewonderfullyamiableandecstaticaboutMorgan。Itwasagenuinetenderness，anartlessadmiration，equallystrongineach。

Theyevenpraisedhisbeauty，whichwassmall，andwereasafraidofhimasiftheyfelthimoffinerclay。Theyspokeofhimasalittleangelandaprodigy-theytouchedonhiswantofhealthwithlongvaguefaces。Pembertonfearedatfirstanextravagancethatmightmakehimhatetheboy，butbeforethishappenedhehadbecomeextravaganthimself。Later，whenhehadgrownrathertohatetheothers，itwasabribetopatienceforhimthattheywereatanyrateniceaboutMorgan，goingontiptoeiftheyfanciedhewasshowingsymptoms，andevengivingupsomebody’s"day"toprocurehimapleasure。Mixedwiththistoowastheoddestwishtomakehimindependent，asiftheyhadfeltthemselvesnotgoodenoughforhim。Theypassedhimovertothenewmembersoftheircircleverymuchasifwishingtoforcesomecharityofadoptiononsofreeanagentandgetridoftheirowncharge。TheyweredelightedwhentheysawMorgantakesotohiskindplayfellow，andcouldthinkofnohigherpraisefortheyoungman。Itwasstrangehowtheycontrivedtoreconciletheappearance，andindeedtheessentialfact，ofadoringthechildwiththeireagernesstowashtheirhandsofhim。Didtheywanttogetridofhimbeforeheshouldfindthemout？Pembertonwasfindingthemoutmonthbymonth。Theboy’sfondfamily，howeverthismightbe，turnedtheirbackswithexaggerateddelicacy，asiftoavoidthereproachofinterfering。Seeingintimehowlittlehehadincommonwiththem-itwasbyTHEMhefirstobservedit；theyproclaimeditwithcompletehumility-hiscompanionwasmovedtospeculateonthemysteriesoftransmission，thefarjumpsofheredity。Wherehisdetachmentfrommostofthethingstheyrepresentedhadcomefromwasmorethananobservercouldsay-itcertainlyhadburrowedundertwoorthreegenerations。

AsforPemberton’sownestimateofhispupil，itwasagoodwhilebeforehegotthepointofview，solittlehadhebeenpreparedforitbythesmugyoungbarbarianstowhomthetraditionoftutorship，ashithertorevealedtohim，hadbeenadjusted。Morganwasscrappyandsurprising，deficientinmanypropertiessupposedcommontothegenusandaboundinginothersthatweretheportiononlyofthesupernaturallyclever。Onedayhisfriendmadeagreatstride：itclearedupthequestiontoperceivethatMorganWASsupernaturallycleverandthat，thoughtheformulawastemporarilymeagre，thiswouldbetheonlyassumptiononwhichonecouldsuccessfullydealwithhim。Hehadthegeneralqualityofachildforwhomlifehadnotbeensimplifiedbyschool，akindofhomebredsensibilitywhichmighthavebeenasbadforhimselfbutwascharmingforothers，andawholerangeofrefinementandperception-littlemusicalvibrationsastakingaspicked-upairs-begottenbywanderingaboutEuropeatthetailofhismigratorytribe。Thismightnothavebeenaneducationtorecommendinadvance，butitsresultswithsospecialasubjectwereasappreciableasthemarksonapieceoffineporcelain。Therewasatthesametimeinhimasmallstrainofstoicism，doubtlessthefruitofhavinghadtobeginearlytobearpain，whichcountedforpluckandmadeitoflessconsequencethathemighthavebeenthoughtatschoolratherapolyglotlittlebeast。Pembertonindeedquicklyfoundhimselfrejoicingthatschoolwasoutofthequestion：inanymillionofboysitwasprobablygoodforallbutone，andMorganwasthatmillionth。Itwouldhavemadehimcomparativeandsuperior-itmighthavemadehimreallyrequirekicking。Pembertonwouldtrytobeschoolhimself-abiggerseminarythanfivehundredgrazingdonkeys，sothat，winningnoprizes，theboywouldremainunconsciousandirresponsibleandamusing-amusing，because，thoughlifewasalreadyintenseinhischildishnature，freshnessstillmadethereastrongdraughtforjokes。ItturnedoutthateveninthestillairofMorgan’svariousdisabilitiesjokesflourishedgreatly。Hewasapaleleanacuteundevelopedlittlecosmopolite，wholikedintellectualgymnasticsandwhoalso，asregardsthebehaviourofmankind，hadnoticedmorethingsthanyoumightsuppose，butwhoneverthelesshadhisproperplayroomofsuperstitions，wherehesmashedadozentoysaday。

CHAPTERIII

AtNiceonce，towardevening，asthepairrestedintheopenairafterawalk，andlookedovertheseaatthepinkwesternlights，hesaidsuddenlytohiscomrade："Doyoulikeit，youknow-beingwithusallinthisintimateway？"

"Mydearfellow，whyshouldIstayifIdidn’t？"

"HowdoIknowyou’llstay？I’malmostsureyouwon’t，verylong。"

"Ihopeyoudon’tmeantodismissme，"saidPemberton。

Morgandebated，lookingatthesunset。"IthinkifIdidrightI

oughtto。"

"Well，IknowI’msupposedtoinstructyouinvirtue；butinthatcasedon’tdoright。"

"’You’reveryyoung-fortunately，"Morganwenton，turningtohimagain。

"Ohyes，comparedwithyou！"

"Thereforeitwon’tmattersomuchifyoudolosealotoftime。"

"That’sthewaytolookatit，"saidPembertonaccommodatingly。

Theyweresilentaminute；afterwhichtheboyasked："Doyoulikemyfatherandmymotherverymuch？"

"Dearme，yes。They’recharmingpeople。"

Morganreceivedthiswithanothersilence；thenunexpectedly，familiarly，butatthesametimeaffectionately，heremarked：

"You’reajollyoldhumbug！"

Foraparticularreasonthewordsmadeouryoungmanchangecolour。

Theboynoticedinaninstantthathehadturnedred，whereuponheturnedredhimselfandpupilandmasterexchangedalongishglanceinwhichtherewasaconsciousnessofmanymorethingsthanareusuallytouchedupon，eventacitly，insucharelation。ItproducedforPembertonanembarrassment；itraisedinashadowyformaquestion-thiswasthefirstglimpseofit-destinedtoplayasingularand，asheimagined，owingtothealtogetherpeculiarconditions，anunprecedentedpartinhisintercoursewithhislittlecompanion。Later，whenhefoundhimselftalkingwiththeyoungsterinawayinwhichfewyoungsterscouldeverhavebeentalkedwith，hethoughtofthatclumsymomentonthebenchatNiceasthedawnofanunderstandingthathadbroadened。WhathadaddedtotheclumsinessthenwasthathethoughtithisdutytodeclaretoMorganthathemightabusehim，Pemberton，asmuchasheliked，butmustneverabusehisparents。TothisMorganhadtheeasyretortthathehadn’tdreamedofabusingthem；whichappearedtobetrue：itputPembertoninthewrong。

"ThenwhyamIahumbugforsayingIthinkthemcharming？"theyoungmanasked，consciousofacertainrashness。

"Well-they’renotyourparents。"

"Theyloveyoubetterthananythingintheworld-neverforgetthat，"saidPemberton。

"Isthatwhyyoulikethemsomuch？"

"They’reverykindtome，"Pembertonrepliedevasively。

"YouAREahumbug！"laughedMorgan，passinganarmintohistutor’s。Heleanedagainsthimlookingoftattheseaagainandswinginghislongthinlegs。

"Don’tkickmyshins，"saidPembertonwhilehereflected"Hangit，Ican’tcomplainofthemtothechild！"

"There’sanotherreason，too，"Morganwenton，keepinghislegsstill。

"Anotherreasonforwhat？"

"Besidestheirnotbeingyourparents。"

"Idon’tunderstandyou，"saidPemberton。

"Well，youwillbeforelong。Allright！"

Hedidunderstandfullybeforelong，buthemadeafightevenwithhimselfbeforeheconfessedit。Hethoughtittheoddestthingtohaveastrugglewiththechildabout。Hewonderedhedidn’thatethehopeoftheMoreensforbringingthestruggleon。Butbythetimeitbegananysuchsentimentforthatscionwasclosedtohim。

Morganwasaspecialcase，andtoknowhimwastoaccepthimonhisownoddterms。Pembertonhadspenthisaversiontospecialcasesbeforearrivingatknowledge。Whenatlasthedidarrivehisquandarywasgreat。Againsteveryinteresthehadattachedhimself。Theywouldhavetomeetthingstogether。BeforetheywenthomethateveningatNicetheboyhadsaid，clingingtohisarm：

"Well，atanyrateyou’llhangontothelast。"

"Tothelast？"

"Tillyou’refairlybeaten。"

"YOUoughttobefairlybeaten！"criedtheyoungman，drawinghimcloser。

CHAPTERIV

AyearafterhehadcometolivewiththemMr。andMrs。MoreensuddenlygaveupthevillaatNice。Pembertonhadgotusedtosuddenness，havingseenitpractisedonaconsiderablescaleduringtwojerkylittletours-oneinSwitzerlandthefirstsummer，andtheotherlateinthewinter，whentheyallrandowntoFlorenceandthen，attheendoftendays，likingitmuchlessthantheyhadintended，straggledbackinmysteriousdepression。TheyhadreturnedtoNice"forever，"astheysaid；butthisdidn’tpreventtheirsqueezing，onerainymuggyMaynight，intoasecond-classrailway-carriage-youcouldnevertellbywhichclasstheywouldtravel-wherePembertonhelpedthemtostowawayawonderfulcollectionofbundlesandbags。Theexplanationofthismanoeuvrewasthattheyhaddeterminedtospendthesummer"insomebracingplace"；butinParistheydroppedintoasmallfurnishedapartment-afourthfloorinathird-rateavenue，wheretherewasasmellonthestaircaseandtheportierwashateful-andpassedthenextfourmonthsinblankindigence。

Thebetterpartofthisbaffledsojournwasforthepreceptorandhispupil，who，visitingtheInvalidesandNotreDame，theConciergerieandallthemuseums，tookahundredremunerativerambles。TheylearnedtoknowtheirParis，whichwasuseful，fortheycamebackanotheryearforalongerstay，thegeneralcharacterofwhichinPemberton’smemoryto-daymixespitiablyandconfusedlywiththatofthefirst。HeseesMorgan’sshabbyknickerbockers-theeverlastingpairthatdidn’tmatchhisblouseandthatashegrewlongercouldonlygrowfaded。Herememberstheparticularholesinhisthreeorfourpairofcolouredstockings。

Morganwasdeartohismother，butheneverwasbetterdressedthanwasabsolutelynecessary-partly，nodoubt，byhisownfault，forhewasasindifferenttohisappearanceasaGermanphilosopher。

"Mydearfellow，youAREcomingtopieces，"Pembertonwouldsaytohiminscepticalremonstrance；towhichthechildwouldreply，lookingathimserenelyupanddown："Mydearfellow，soareyou！

Idon’twanttocastyouintheshade。"Pembertoncouldhavenorejoinderforthis-theassertionsocloselyrepresentedthefact。

Ifhoweverthedeficienciesofhisownwardrobewereachapterbythemselveshedidn’tlikehislittlechargetolooktoopoor。

Laterheusedtosay"Well，ifwe’repoor，why，afterall，shouldn’twelookit？"andheconsoledhimselfwiththinkingtherewassomethingratherelderlyandgentlemanlyinMorgan’sdisrepair-itdifferedfromtheuntidinessoftheurchinwhoplaysandspoilshisthings。Hecouldtraceperfectlythedegreesbywhich，inproportionasherlittlesonconfinedhimselftohistutorforsociety，Mrs。Moreenshrewdlyforboretorenewhisgarments。Shedidnothingthatdidn’tshow，neglectedhimbecauseheescapednotice，andthen，asheillustratedthiscleverpolicy，discouragedathomehispublicappearances。Herpositionwaslogicalenough-

thosemembersofherfamilywhodidshowhadtobeshowy。

DuringthisperiodandseveralothersPembertonwasquiteawareofhowheandhiscomrademightstrikepeople；wanderinglanguidlythroughtheJardindesPlantesasiftheyhadnowheretogo，sittingonthewinterdaysinthegalleriesoftheLouvre，sosplendidlyironicaltothehomeless，asiffortheadvantageofthecalorifere。Theyjokedaboutitsometimes：itwasthesortofjokethatwasperfectlywithintheboy’scompass。Theyfiguredthemselvesaspartofthevastvaguehand-to-mouthmultitudeoftheenormouscityandpretendedtheywereproudoftheirpositioninit-itshowedthem"suchalotoflife"andmadethemconsciousofademocraticbrotherhood。IfPembertoncouldn’tfeelasympathyindestitutionwithhissmallcompanion-forafterallMorgan’sfondparentswouldneverhavelethimreallysuffer-theboywouldatleastfeelitwithhim，soitcametothesamething。Heusedsometimestowonderwhatpeoplewouldthinktheywere-tofancytheywerelookedaskanceat，asifitmightbeasuspectedcaseofkidnapping。Morganwouldn’tbetakenforayoungpatricianwithapreceptor-hewasn’tsmartenough；thoughhemightpassforhiscompanion’ssicklylittlebrother。Nowandthenhehadafive-

francpiece，andexceptonce，whentheyboughtacoupleoflovelyneckties，oneofwhichhemadePembertonaccept，theylaiditoutscientificallyinoldbooks。Thiswassuretobeagreatday，alwaysspentonthequays，inarummageofthedustyboxesthatgarnishtheparapets。Suchoccasionshelpedthemtolive，fortheirbooksranlowverysoonafterthebeginningoftheiracquaintance。PembertonhadagoodmanyinEngland，buthewasobligedtowritetoafriendandaskhimkindlytogetsomefellowtogivehimsomethingforthem。

Iftheyhadtorelinquishthatsummertheadvantageofthebracingclimatetheyoungmancouldn’tbutsuspectthisfailureofthecupwhenattheirverylipstohavebeentheeffectofarudejostleofhisown。Thishadrepresentedhisfirstblow-out，ashecalledit，withhispatrons；hisfirstsuccessfulattempt-thoughtherewaslittleothersuccessaboutit-tobringthemtoaconsiderationofhisimpossibleposition。Astheostensibleeveofacostlyjourneythemomenthadstruckhimasfavourabletoanearnestprotest，thepresentationofanultimatum。Ridiculousasitsounded，hehadneveryetbeenabletocompassanuninterruptedprivateinterviewwiththeelderpairorwitheitherofthemsingly。Theywerealwaysflankedbytheirelderchildren，andpoorPembertonusuallyhadhisownlittlechargeathisside。Hewasconsciousofitsbeingahouseinwhichthesurfaceofone’sdelicacygotrathersmudged；neverthelesshehadpreservedthebloomofhisscrupleagainstannouncingtoMr。andMrs。Moreenwithpublicitythatheshouldn’tbeabletogoonlongerwithoutalittlemoney。HewasstillsimpleenoughtosupposeUlickandPaulaandAmymightnotknowthatsincehisarrivalhehadonlyhadahundredandfortyfrancs；andhewasmagnanimousenoughtowishnottocompromisetheirparentsintheireyes。Mr。Moreennowlistenedtohim，ashelistenedtoeveryoneandtoeverything，likeamanoftheworld，andseemedtoappealtohim-thoughnotofcoursetoogrossly-totryandbealittlemoreofonehimself。Pembertonrecognisedinfacttheimportanceofthecharacter-fromtheadvantageitgaveMr。Moreen。Hewasnotevenconfusedorembarrassed，whereastheyoungmaninhisservicewasmoresothantherewasanyreasonfor。

Neitherwashesurprised-atleastanymorethanagentlemanhadtobewhofreelyconfessedhimselfalittleshocked-thoughnotperhapsstrictlyatPemberton。

"Wemustgointothis，mustn’twe，dear？"hesaidtohiswife。Heassuredhisyoungfriendthatthemattershouldhavehisverybestattention；andhemeltedintospaceaselusivelyasif，atthedoor，heweretakinganinevitablebutdeprecatoryprecedence。

When，thenextmoment，PembertonfoundhimselfalonewithMrs。

Moreenitwastohearhersay"Isee，Isee"-strokingtheroundnessofherchinandlookingasifshewereonlyhesitatingbetweenadozeneasyremedies。Iftheydidn’tmaketheirpushMr。

Moreencouldatleastdisappearforseveraldays。Duringhisabsencehiswifetookupthesubjectagainspontaneously，buthercontributiontoitwasmerelythatshehadthoughtallthewhiletheyweregettingonsobeautifully。Pemberton’sreplytothisrevelationwasthatunlesstheyimmediatelyputdownsomethingonaccounthewouldleavethemonthespotandforever。Heknewshewouldwonderhowhewouldgetaway，andforamomentexpectedhertoenquire。Shedidn’t，forwhichhewasalmostgratefultoher，solittlewasheinapositiontotell。

"Youwon’t，youKNOWyouwon’t-you’retoointerested，"shesaid。

"Youareinterested，youknowyouare，youdearkindman！"Shelaughedwithalmostcondemnatoryarchness，asifitwereareproach-thoughshewouldn’tinsist；andflirtedasoiledpocket-

handkerchiefathim。

Pemberton’smindwasfullymadeuptotakehisstepthefollowingweek。ThiswouldgivehimtimetogetananswertoaletterhehaddespatchedtoEngland。Ifhedidintheeventnothingofthesort-thatisifhestayedanotheryearandthenwentawayonlyforthreemonths-itwasnotmerelybecausebeforetheanswertohislettercame（mostunsatisfactorywhenitdidarrive）Mr。Moreengenerouslycountedouttohim，andagainwiththesacrificeto"form"ofamarkedmanoftheworld，threehundredfrancsinelegantringinggold。HewasirritatedtofindthatMrs。Moreenwasright，thathecouldn’tatthepinchbeartoleavethechild。

Thisstoodoutclearerfortheveryreasonthat，thenightofhisdesperateappealtohispatrons，hehadseenfullyforthefirsttimewherehewas。Wasn’titanotherproofofthesuccesswithwhichthosepatronspractisedtheirartsthattheyhadmanagedtoavertforsolongtheilluminatingflash？Itdescendedonourfriendwithabreadthofeffectwhichperhapswouldhavestruckaspectatorascomical，afterhehadreturnedtohislittleservileroom，whichlookedintoaclosecourtwhereabaredirtyoppositewalltook，withthesoundofshrillclatter，thereflexionoflightedbackwindows。Hehadsimplygivenhimselfawaytoabandofadventurers。Theidea，theworditself，worearomantichorrorforhim-hehadalwayslivedonsuchsafelines。Lateritassumedamoreinteresting，almostasoothing，sense：itpointedamoral，andPembertoncouldenjoyamoral。TheMoreenswereadventurersnotmerelybecausetheydidn’tpaytheirdebts，becausetheylivedonsociety，butbecausetheirwholeviewoflife，dimandconfusedandinstinctive，likethatofclevercolour-blindanimals，wasspeculativeandrapaciousandmean。Ohtheywere"respectable，"

andthatonlymadethemmoreimmondes。Theyoungman’sanalysis，whilehebrooded，putitatlastverysimply-theywereadventurersbecausetheyweretoadiesandsnobs。Thatwasthecompletestaccountofthem-itwasthelawoftheirbeing。Evenwhenthistruthbecamevividtotheiringeniousinmateheremainedunconsciousofhowmuchhismindhadbeenpreparedforitbytheextraordinarylittleboywhohadnowbecomesuchacomplicationinhislife。Muchlesscouldhethencalculateontheinformationhewasstilltoowetheextraordinarylittleboy。

CHAPTERV

Butitwasduringtheensuingtimethattherealproblemcameup-

theproblemofhowfaritwasexcusabletodiscusstheturpitudeofparentswithachildoftwelve，ofthirteen，offourteen。

Absolutelyinexcusableandquiteimpossibleitofcourseatfirstappeared；andindeedthequestiondidn’tpressforsometimeafterPembertonhadreceivedhisthreehundredfrancs。Theyproducedatemporarylull，arelieffromthesharpestpressure。Theyoungmanfrugallyamendedhiswardrobeandevenhadafewfrancsinhispocket。HethoughttheMoreenslookedathimasifhewerealmosttoosmart，asiftheyoughttotakecarenottospoilhim。IfMr。

Moreenhadn’tbeensuchamanoftheworldhewouldperhapshavespokenofthefreedomofsuchnecktiesonthepartofasubordinate。ButMr。Moreenwasalwaysenoughamanoftheworldtoletthingspass-hehadcertainlyshownthat。ItwassingularhowPembertonguessedthatMorgan，thoughsayingnothingaboutit，knewsomethinghadhappened。Butthreehundredfrancs，especiallywhenoneowedmoney，couldn’tlastforever；andwhenthetreasurewasgone-theboyknewwhenithadfailed-Morgandidbreakground。ThepartyhadreturnedtoNiceatthebeginningofthewinter，butnottothecharmingvilla。Theywenttoanhotel，wheretheystayedthreemonths，andthenmovedtoanotherestablishment，explainingthattheyhadleftthefirstbecause，afterwaitingandwaiting，theycouldn’tgettheroomstheywanted。

Theseapartments，theroomstheywanted，weregenerallyverysplendid；butfortunatelytheyneverCOULDgetthem-fortunately，Imean，forPemberton，whoreflectedalwaysthatiftheyhadgotthemtherewouldhavebeenastillscantiereducationalfund。WhatMorgansaidatlastwassaidsuddenly，irrelevantly，whenthemomentcame，inthemiddleofalesson，andconsistedoftheapparentlyunfeelingwords："Yououghttofiler，youknow-youreallyought。"

Pembertonstared。HehadlearntenoughFrenchslangfromMorgantoknowthattofilermeanttocutsticks。"Ahmydearfellow，don’tturnmeoff！"

MorganpulledaGreeklexicontowardhim-heusedaGreek-German-

tolookoutaword，insteadofaskingitofPemberton。"Youcan’tgoonlikethis，youknow。"

"Likewhat，myboy？"

"Youknowtheydon’tpayyouup，"saidMorgan，blushingandturninghisleaves。

"Don’tpayme？"Pembertonstaredagainandfeignedamazement。

"Whatonearthputthatintoyourhead？"

"Ithasbeentherealongtime，"theboyrepliedrummaginghisbook。

Pembertonwassilent，thenhewenton："Isay，whatareyouhuntingfor？Theypaymebeautifully。"

"I’mhuntingfortheGreekforawfulwhopper，"Morgandropped。

"Findthatratherforgrossimpertinenceanddisabuseyourmind。

WhatdoIwantofmoney？"

"Ohthat’sanotherquestion！"

Pembertonwavered-hewasdrawnindifferentways。Theseverelycorrectthingwouldhavebeentotelltheboythatsuchamatterwasnoneofhisbusinessandbidhimgoonwithhislines。Buttheywerereallytoointimateforthat；itwasnotthewayhewasinthehabitoftreatinghim；therehadbeennoreasonitshouldbe。OntheotherhandMorganhadquitelightedonthetruth-hereallyshouldn’tbeabletokeepitupmuchlonger；thereforewhynotlethimknowone’srealmotiveforforsakinghim？Atthesametimeitwasn’tdecenttoabusetoone’spupilthefamilyofone’spupil；itwasbettertomisrepresentthantodothat。Soinreplytohiscomrade’slastexclamationhejustdeclared，todismissthesubject，thathehadreceivedseveralpayments。

"Isay-Isay！"theboyejaculated，laughing。

"That’sallright，"Pembertoninsisted。"Givemeyourwrittenrendering。"

Morganpushedacopybookacrossthetable，andhebegantoreadthepage，butwithsomethingrunninginhisheadthatmadeitnosense。

Lookingupafteraminuteortwohefoundthechild’seyesfixedonhimandfeltinthemsomethingstrange。ThenMorgansaid："I’mnotafraidofthesternreality。"

"Ihaven’tyetseenthethingyouAREafraidof-I’lldoyouthatjustice！"

Thiscameoutwithajump-itwasperfectlytrue-andevidentlygaveMorganpleasure。"I’vethoughtofitalongtime，"hepresentlyresumed。

"Well，don’tthinkofitanymore。"

Theboyappearedtocomply，andtheyhadacomfortableandevenanamusinghour。Theyhadatheorythattheywereverythorough，andyettheyseemedalwaystobeintheamusingpartoflessons，theintervalsbetweenthedulldarktunnels，wheretherewerewaysidesandjollyviews。YetthemorningwasbroughttoaviolentasendbyMorgan’ssuddenlyleaninghisarmsonthetable，buryinghisheadinthemandburstingintotears：atwhichPembertonwasthemorestartledthat，asitthencameoverhim，itwasthefirsttimehehadeverseentheboycryandthattheimpressionwasconsequentlyquiteawful。

Thenextday，aftermuchthought，hetookadecisionand，believingittobejust，immediatelyactedonit。HecorneredMr。andMrs。

Moreenagainandletthemknowthatifonthespottheydidn’tpayhimalltheyowedhimhewouldn’tonlyleavetheirhousebutwouldtellMorganexactlywhathadbroughthimtoit。

"OhyouHAVEN’Ttoldhim？"criedMrs。Moreenwithapacifyinghandonherwell-dressedbosom。

"Withoutwarningyou？Forwhatdoyoutakeme？"theyoungmanreturned。

Mr。andMrs。Moreenlookedateachother；hecouldseethattheyappreciated，astendingtotheirsecurity，hissuperstitionofdelicacy，andyetthattherewasacertainalarmintheirrelief。

"Mydearfellow，"Mr。Moreendemanded，"whatusecanyouhave，leadingthequietlifewealldo，forsuchalotofmoney？"-aquestiontowhichPembertonmadenoanswer，occupiedashewasinnotingthatwhatpassedinthemindofhispatronswassomethinglike："Ohthen，ifwe’vefeltthatthechild，dearlittleangel，hasjudgedusandhowheregardsus，andwehaven’tbeenbetrayed，hemusthaveguessed-andinshortit’sGENERAL！"aninferencethatratherstirredupMr。andMrs。Moreen，asPembertonhaddesireditshould。Atthesametime，ifhehadsupposedhisthreatwoulddosomethingtowardsbringingthemround，hewasdisappointedtofindthemtakingforgranted-howvulgartheirperceptionHAD

been！-thathehadalreadygiventhemaway。Therewasamysticuneasinessintheirparentalbreasts，andthathadbeentheinferiorsenseofit。Nonethelesshowever，histhreatdidtouchthem；foriftheyhadescapeditwasonlytomeetanewdanger。

Mr。Moreenappealedtohim，oneveryprecedent，asamanoftheworld；buthiswifehadrecourse，forthefirsttimesincehisdomesticationwiththem，toafinehauteur，remindinghimthatadevotedmother，withherchild，hadartsthatprotectedheragainstgrossmisrepresentation。

"IshouldmisrepresentyougrosslyifIaccusedyouofcommonhonesty！"ourfriendreplied；butasheclosedthedoorbehindhimsharply，thinkinghehadnotdonehimselfmuchgood，whileMr。

Moreenlightedanothercigarette，heheardhishostessshoutafterhimmoretouchingly"Ohyoudo，youDO，puttheknifetoone’sthroat！"

Thenextmorning，veryearly，shecametohisroom。Herecognisedherknock，buthadnohopeshebroughthimmoney；astowhichhewaswrong，forshehadfiftyfrancsinherhand。Shesqueezedforwardinherdressing-gown，andhereceivedherinhisown，betweenhisbath-tubandhisbed。Hehadbeentolerablyschooledbythistimetothe"foreignways"ofhishosts。Mrs。Moreenwasardent，andwhenshewasardentshedidn’tcarewhatshedid；soshenowsatdownonhisbed，hisclothesbeingonthechairs，and，inherpreoccupation，forgot，assheglancedround，tobeashamedofgivinghimsuchahorridroom。WhatMrs。Moreen’sardournowboreuponwasthedesignofpersuadinghimthatinthefirstplaceshewasverygood-naturedtobringhimfiftyfrancs，andthatinthesecond，ifhewouldonlyseeit，hewasreallytooabsurdtoexpecttobepaid。Wasn’thepaidenoughwithoutperpetualmoney-

wasn’thepaidbythecomfortableluxurioushomeheenjoyedwiththemall，withoutacare，ananxiety，asolitarywant？Wasn’thesureofhisposition，andwasn’tthateverythingtoayoungmanlikehim，quiteunknown，withsingularlylittletoshow，thegroundofwhoseexorbitantpretensionsithadneverbeeneasytodiscover？

Wasn’thepaidaboveallbythesweetrelationhehadestablishedwithMorgan-quiteidealasfrommastertopupil-andbythesimpleprivilegeofknowingandlivingwithsoamazinglygiftedachild；thanwhomreally（andshemeantliterallywhatshesaid）

therewasnobettercompanyinEurope？Mrs。Moreenherselftooktoappealingtohimasamanoftheworld；shesaid"Voyons，moncher，"and"Mydearman，lookherenow"；andurgedhimtobereasonable，puttingitbeforehimthatitwastrulyachanceforhim。Shespokeasif，accordingasheSHOULDbereasonable，hewouldprovehimselfworthytobeherson’stutorandoftheextraordinaryconfidencetheyhadplacedinhim。

Afterall，Pembertonreflected，itwasonlyadifferenceoftheoryandthetheorydidn’tmattermuch。Theyhadhithertogoneonthatofremunerated，asnowtheywouldgoonthatofgratuitous，service；butwhyshouldtheyhavesomanywordsaboutit？Mrs。

Moreenatalleventscontinuedtobeconvincing；sittingtherewithherfiftyfrancsshetalkedandreiterated，aswomenreiterate，andboredandirritatedhim，whileheleanedagainstthewallwithhishandsinthepocketsofhiswrapper，drawingittogetherroundhislegsandlookingovertheheadofhisvisitoratthegreynegationsofhiswindow。Shewoundupwithsaying："YouseeIbringyouadefiniteproposal。"

"Adefiniteproposal？"

"Tomakeourrelationsregular，asitwere-toputthemonacomfortablefooting。"

"Isee-it’sasystem，"saidPemberton。"Akindoforganisedblackmail。"

Mrs。Moreenboundedup，whichwasexactlywhathewanted。"Whatdoyoumeanbythat？"

"Youpractiseonone’sfears-one’sfearsaboutthechildifoneshouldgoaway。"

"Andpraywhatwouldhappentohiminthatevent？"shedemanded，withmajesty。

"Whyhe’dbealonewithYOU。"

"AndpraywithwhomSHOULDachildbebutwiththosewhomhelovesmost？"

"Ifyouthinkthat，whydon’tyoudismissme？"

"DoyoupretendhelovesyoumorethanhelovesUS？"criedMrs。

Moreen。

"Ithinkheoughtto。Imakesacrificesforhim。ThoughI’veheardofthoseYOUmakeIdon’tseethem。"

Mrs。Moreenstaredamoment；thenwithemotionshegraspedherinmate’shand。"WILLyoumakeit-thesacrifice？"

Heburstoutlaughing。"I’llsee。I’lldowhatIcan。I’llstayalittlelonger。Yourcalculation’sjust-IDOhateintenselytogivehimup；I’mfondofhimandhethoroughlyinterestsme，inspiteoftheinconvenienceIsuffer。Youknowmysituationperfectly。Ihaven’tapennyintheworldand，occupiedasyouseemewithMorgan，amunabletoearnmoney。"

Mrs。Moreentappedherundressedarmwithherfoldedbank-note。

"Can’tyouwritearticles？Can’tyoutranslateasIdo？"

"Idon’tknowabouttranslating；it’swretchedlypaid。"

"I’mgladtoearnwhatIcan，"saidMrs。Moreenwithprodigiousvirtue。

"Yououghttotellmewhoyoudoitfor。"Pembertonpausedamoment，andshesaidnothing；soheadded："I’vetriedtoturnoffsomelittlesketches，butthemagazineswon’thavethem-they’redeclinedwiththanks。"

"Youseethenyou’renotsuchaphoenix，"hisvisitorpointedlysmiled-"topretendtoabilitiesyou’resacrificingforoursake。"

"Ihaven’ttimetodothingsproperly，"heruefullywenton。Thenasitcameoverhimthathewasalmostabjectlygood-naturedtogivetheseexplanationsheadded："IfIstayonlongeritmustbeononecondition-thatMorganshallknowdistinctlyonwhatfootingIam。"

Mrs。Moreendemurred。"Surelyyoudon’twanttoshowofftoachild？"

"ToshowYOUoff，doyoumean？"

Againshecastabout，butthistimeitwastoproduceastillfinerflower。"AndYOUtalkofblackmail！"

"Youcaneasilypreventit，"saidPemberton。

"AndYOUtalkofpractisingonfears，"shebravelypushedon。

"Yes，there’snodoubtI’magreatscoundrel。"

Hispatronessmethiseyes-itwasclearshewasinstraits。Thenshethrustouthermoneyathim。"Mr。Moreendesiredmetogiveyouthisonaccount。"

"I’mmuchobligedtoMr。Moreen，butweHAVEnoaccount。"

"Youwon’ttakeit？"

"Thatleavesmemorefree，"saidPemberton。

"Topoisonmydarling’smind？"groanedMrs。Moreen。

"Ohyourdarling’smind-！"theyoungmanlaughed。

Shefixedhimamoment，andhethoughtshewasgoingtobreakouttormentedly，pleadingly："ForGod’ssake，tellmewhatISinit！"

Butshecheckedthisimpulse-anotherwasstronger。Shepocketedthemoney-thecrudityofthealternativewascomical-andsweptoutoftheroomwiththedesperateconcession："Youmaytellhimanyhorroryoulike！"

CHAPTERVI

Acoupleofdaysafterthis，duringwhichhehadfailedtoprofitbysofreeapermission，hehadbeenforaquarterofanhourwalkingwithhischargeinsilencewhentheboybecamesociableagainwiththeremark："I’lltellyouhowIknowit；IknowitthroughZenobie。"

"Zenobie？WhointheworldisSHE？"

"AnurseIusedtohave-eversomanyyearsago。Acharmingwoman。Ilikedherawfully，andshelikedme。"

"There’snoaccountingfortastes。Whatisityouknowthroughher？"

"Whywhattheirideais。Shewentawaybecausetheydidn’tforkout。Shedidlikemeawfully，andshestayedtwoyears。Shetoldmeallaboutit-thatatlastshecouldnevergetherwages。Assoonastheysawhowmuchshelikedmetheystoppedgivingheranything。Theythoughtshe’dstayfornothing-justBECAUSE，don’tyouknow？"AndMorganhadaqueerlittleconsciouslucidlook。"Shedidstayeversolong-aslonganshecould。Shewasonlyapoorgirl。Sheusedtosendmoneytohermother。Atlastshecouldn’tafforditanylonger，andwentawayinafearfulrageonenight-ImeanofcourseinarageagainstTHEM。Shecriedovermetremendously，shehuggedmenearlytodeath。Shetoldmeallaboutit，"theboyrepeated。"Shetoldmeitwastheiridea。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读