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。