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and　ready　to　prove　himself　of　sterling　ability。　　Sharply　as　he　was

capable　at　times　of　analysing；　as　he　called　it；　his　life；　there

were　happy　hours　when　he　remained；　as　he　also　called　it　…　and　as

the　name；　really；　of　their　right　ideal　…　〃jolly〃　superficial；　the

proof　of　which　was　his　fundamental　assumption　that　he　should

presently　go　to　Oxford；　to　Pemberton's　college；　and；　aided　and

abetted　by　Pemberton；　do　the　most　wonderful　things。　　It　depressed

the　young　man　to　see　how　little　in　such　a　project　he　took　account

of　ways　and　means：　　in　other　connexions　he　mostly　kept　to　the

measure。　　Pemberton　tried　to　imagine　the　Moreens　at　Oxford　and

fortunately　failed；　yet　unless　they　were　to　adopt　it　as　a　residence

there　would　be　no　modus　vivendi　for　Morgan。　　How　could　he　live

without　an　allowance；　and　where　was　the　allowance　to　come　from？

He；　Pemberton；　might　live　on　Morgan；　but　how　could　Morgan　live　on

HIM？　　What　was　to　become　of　him　anyhow？　　Somehow　the　fact　that　he

was　a　big　boy　now；　with　better　prospects　of　health；　made　the

question　of　his　future　more　difficult。　　So　long　as　he　was　markedly

frail　the　great　consideration　he　inspired　seemed　enough　of　an

answer　to　it。　　But　at　the　bottom　of　Pemberton's　heart　was　the

recognition　of　his　probably　being　strong　enough　to　live　and　not　yet

strong　enough　to　struggle　or　to　thrive。　　Morgan　himself　at　any　rate

was　in　the　first　flush　of　the　rosiest　consciousness　of　adolescence；

so　that　the　beating　of　the　tempest　seemed　to　him　after　all　but　the

voice　of　life　and　the　challenge　of　fate。　　He　had　on　his　shabby

little　overcoat；　with　the　collar　up；　but　was　enjoying　his　walk。



It　was　interrupted　at　last　by　the　appearance　of　his　mother　at　the

end　of　the　sala。　　She　beckoned　him　to　come　to　her；　and　while

Pemberton　saw　him；　complaisant；　pass　down　the　long　vista　and　over

the　damp　false　marble；　he　wondered　what　was　in　the　air。　　Mrs。

Moreen　said　a　word　to　the　boy　and　made　him　go　into　the　room　she　had

quitted。　　Then；　having　closed　the　door　after　him；　she　directed　her

steps　swiftly　to　Pemberton。　　There　was　something　in　the　air；　but

his　wildest　flight　of　fancy　wouldn't　have　suggested　what　it　proved

to　be。　　She　signified　that　she　had　made　a　pretext　to　get　Morgan　out

of　the　way；　and　then　she　enquired　…　without　hesitation　…　if　the

young　man　could　favour　her　with　the　loan　of　three　louis。　　While；

before　bursting　into　a　laugh；　he　stared　at　her　with　surprise；　she

declared　that　she　was　awfully　pressed　for　the　money；　she　was

desperate　for　it　…　it　would　save　her　life。



〃Dear　lady；　c'est　trop　fort！〃　　Pemberton　laughed　in　the　manner　and

with　the　borrowed　grace　of　idiom　that　marked　the　best　colloquial；

the　best　anecdotic；　moments　of　his　friends　themselves。　　〃Where　in

the　world　do　you　suppose　I　should　get　three　louis；　du　train　dont

vous　allez？〃



〃I　thought　you　worked　…　wrote　things。　　Don't　they　pay　you？〃



〃Not　a　penny。〃



〃Are　you　such　a　fool　as　to　work　for　nothing？〃



〃You　ought　surely　to　know　that。〃



Mrs。　Moreen　stared；　then　she　coloured　a　little。　　Pemberton　saw　she

had　quite　forgotten　the　terms　…　if　〃terms〃　they　could　be　called　…

that　he　had　ended　by　accepting　from　herself；　they　had　burdened　her

memory　as　little　as　her　conscience。　　〃Oh　yes；　I　see　what　you　mean　…

you've　been　very　nice　about　that；　but　why　drag　it　in　so　often？〃

She　had　been　perfectly　urbane　with　him　ever　since　the　rough　scene

of　explanation　in　his　room　the　morning　he　made　her　accept　HIS

〃terms〃　…　the　necessity　of　his　making　his　case　known　to　Morgan。

She　had　felt　no　resentment　after　seeing　there　was　no　danger　Morgan

would　take　the　matter　up　with　her。　　Indeed；　attributing　this

immunity　to　the　good　taste　of　his　influence　with　the　boy；　she　had

once　said　to　Pemberton　〃My　dear　fellow；　it's　an　immense　comfort

you're　a　gentleman。〃　　She　repeated　this　in　substance　now。　　〃Of

course　you're　a　gentleman　…　that's　a　bother　the　less！〃　　Pemberton

reminded　her　that　he　had　not　〃dragged　in〃　anything　that　wasn't

already　in　as　much　as　his　foot　was　in　his　shoe；　and　she　also

repeated　her　prayer　that；　somewhere　and　somehow；　he　would　find　her

sixty　francs。　　He　took　the　liberty　of　hinting　that　if　he　could　find

them　it　wouldn't　be　to　lend　them　to　HER　…　as　to　which　he

consciously　did　himself　injustice；　knowing　that　if　he　had　them　he

would　certainly　put　them　at　her　disposal。　　He　accused　himself；　at

bottom　and　not　unveraciously；　of　a　fantastic；　a　demoralised

sympathy　with　her。　　If　misery　made　strange　bedfellows　it　also　made

strange　sympathies。　　It　was　moreover　a　part　of　the　abasement　of

living　with　such　people　that　one　had　to　make　vulgar　retorts；　quite

out　of　one's　own　tradition　of　good　manners。　　〃Morgan；　Morgan；　to

what　pass　have　I　come　for　you？〃　he　groaned　while　Mrs。　Moreen

floated　voluminously　down　the　sala　again　to　liberate　the　boy；

wailing　as　she　went　that　everything　was　too　odious。



Before　their　young　friend　was　liberated　there　came　a　thump　at　the

door　communicating　with　the　staircase；　followed　by　the　apparition

of　a　dripping　youth　who　poked　in　his　head。　　Pemberton　recognised

him　as　the　bearer　of　a　telegram　and　recognised　the　telegram　as

addressed　to　himself。　　Morgan　came　back　as；　after　glancing　at　the

signature　…　that　of　a　relative　in　London　…　he　was　reading　the

words：　　〃Found　a　jolly　job　for　you；　engagement　to　coach　opulent

youth　on　own　terms。　　Come　at　once。〃　　The　answer　happily　was　paid

and　the　messenger　waited。　　Morgan；　who　had　drawn　near；　waited　too

and　looked　hard　at　Pemberton；　and　Pemberton；　after　a　moment；　having

met　his　look；　handed　him　the　telegram。　　It　was　really　by　wise　looks

…　they　knew　each　other　so　well　now　…　that；　while　the　telegraph…boy；

in　his　waterproof　cape；　made　a　great　puddle　on　the　floor；　the　thing

was　settled　between　them。　　Pemberton　wrote　the　answer　with　a　pencil

against　the　frescoed　wall；　and　the　messenger　departed。　　When　he　had

gone　the　young　man　explained　himself。



〃I'll　make　a　tremendous　charge；　I'll　earn　a　lot　of　money　in　a　short

time；　and　we'll　live　on　it。〃



〃Well；　I　hope　the　opulent　youth　will　be　a　dismal　dunce　…　he

probably　will　…　〃　Morgan　parenthesised　…　〃and　keep　you　a　long　time

a…hammering　of　it　in。〃



〃Of　course　the　longer　he　keeps　me　the　more　we　shall　have　for　our

old　age。〃



〃But　suppose　THEY　don't　pay　you！〃　Morgan　awfully　suggested。



〃Oh　there　are　not　two　such　…　！〃　　But　Pemberton　pulled　up；　he　had

been　on　the　point　of　using　too　invidious　a　term。　　Instead　of　this

he　said　〃Two　such　fatalities。〃



Morgan　flushed　…　the　tears　came　to　his　eyes。　　〃Dites　toujours　two

such　rascally　crews！〃　　Then　in　a　different　tone　he　added：　　〃Happy

opulent　youth！〃



〃Not　if　he's　a　dismal　dunce。〃



〃Oh　they're　happier　then。　　But　you　can't　have　everything；　can　you？〃

the　boy　smiled。



Pemberton　held　him　fast；　hands　on　his　shoulders　…　he　had　never

loved　him　so。　　〃What　will　become　of　you；　what　will　you　do？〃　　He

thought　of　Mrs。　Moreen；　desperate　for　sixty　francs。



〃I　shall　become　an　homme　fait。〃　　And　then　as　if　he　recognised　all

the　bearings　of　Pemberton's　allusion：　　〃I　shall　get　on　with　them

better　when　you're　not　here。〃



〃Ah　don't　say　that　…　it　sounds　as　if　I　set　you　against　them！〃



〃You　do　…　the　sight　of　you。　　It's　all　right；　you　know　what　I　mean。

I　shall　be　beautiful。　　I'll　take　their　affairs　in　hand；　I'll　marry

my　sisters。〃



〃You'll　marry　yourself！〃　joked　Pemberton；　as　high；　rather　tense

pleasantry　would　evidently　be　the　right；　or　the　safest；　tone　for

their　separation。



It　was；　however；　not　purely　in　this　strain　that　Morgan　suddenly

asked：　　〃But　I　say　…　how　will　you　get　to　your　jolly　job？　　You'll

have　to　telegraph　to　the　opulent　youth　for　money　to　come　on。〃



Pemberton　bethought　himself。　　〃They　won't　like　that；　will　they？〃



〃Oh　look　out　for　them！〃



Then　Pemberton　brought　out　his　remedy。　　〃I'll　go　to　the　American

Consul；　I'll　borrow　some　money　of　him　…　just　for　the　few　days；　on

the　strength　of　the　telegram。〃



Morgan　was　hilarious。　　〃Show　him　the　telegram　…　then　collar　the

money　and　stay！〃



Pemberton　entered　into　the　joke　sufficiently　to　reply　that　for

Morgan　he　was　really　capable　of　that；　but　the　boy；　growing　more

serious；　and　to　prove　he　hadn't　meant　what　he　said；　not　only

hurried　him　off　to　the　Consulate　…　since　he　was　to　start　that

evening；　as　he　had　wired　to　his　friend　…　but　made　sure　of　their

affair　by　going　with　him。　　They　splashed　through　the　tortuous

perforations　and　over　the　humpbacked　bridges；　and　they　passed

through　the　Piazza；　where　they　saw　Mr。　Moreen　and　Ulick　go　into　a

jeweller's　shop。　　The　Consul　proved　accommodating　…　Pemberton　said

it　wasn't　the　letter；　but　Morgan's　grand　air　…　and　on　their　way

back　they　went　into　Saint　Mark's　for　a　hushed　ten　minutes。　　Later

they　took　up　and　kept　up　the　fun　of　it　to　the　very　end；　and　it

seemed　to　Pemberton　a　part　of　that　fun　that　Mrs。　Moreen；　who　was

very　angry　when　he　had　announced　her　his　intention；　should　charge

him；　grotesquely　and　vulgarly　and　in　reference　to　the　loan　she　had

vainly　endeavoured　to　effect；　with　bolting　lest　they　should　〃get

something　out〃　of　him。　　On　the　other　hand　he　had　to　do　Mr。　Moreen

and　Ulick　the　justice　to　recognise　that　when　on　coming　in　they

heard　the　cruel　news　they　took　it　like　perfect　men　of　the　world。







CHAPTER　VIIII







When　he　got　at　work　with　the　opulent　youth；　who　was　to　be　taken　in

hand　for　Balliol；　he　found　himself　unable　to　say　if　this　aspirant

had　really　such　poor　parts　or　if　the　appearance　were　only　begotten

of　his　own　long　association　with　an　intensely　living　little　mind。

From　Morgan　he　heard　half　a　dozen　times：　　the　boy　wrote　charming

young　letters；　a　patchwork　of　tongues；　with　indulgent　postscripts

in　the　family　Volapuk　and；　in　little　squares　and　rounds　and

crannies　of　the　text；　the　drollest　illustrations　…　letters　that　he

was　divided　between　the　impulse　to　show　his　present　charge　as　a

vain；　a　wasted　incentive；　and　the　sense　of　som