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custom；　and　instantly　to　be　casting　up　whatever　it　might；　as　Mrs。

Jordan　had　said；　lead　to。　　What　he　had　in　mind　was　not　of　course

what　Mrs。　Jordan　had　had：　　it　was　obviously　not　a　source　of

speculation　with　him　that　his　sweetheart　might　pick　up　a　husband。

She　could　see　perfectly　that　this　was　not　for　a　moment　even　what　he

supposed　she　herself　dreamed　of。　　What　she　had　done　was　simply　to

give　his　sensibility　another　push　into　the　dim　vast　of　trade。　　In

that　direction　it　was　all　alert；　and　she　had　whisked　before　it　the

mild　fragrance　of　a　〃connexion。〃　　That　was　the　most　he　could　see　in

any　account　of　her　keeping　in；　on　whatever　roundabout　lines；　with

the　gentry；　and　when；　getting　to　the　bottom　of　this；　she　quickly

proceeded　to　show　him　the　kind　of　eye　she　turned　on　such　people　and

to　give　him　a　sketch　of　what　that　eye　discovered；　she　reduced　him

to　the　particular　prostration　in　which　he　could　still　be　amusing　to

her。







CHAPTER　X







〃They're　the　most　awful　wretches；　I　assure　youthe　lot　all　about

there。〃



〃Then　why　do　you　want　to　stay　among　them？〃



〃My　dear　man；　just　because　they　ARE。　　It　makes　me　hate　them　so。〃



〃Hate　them？　　I　thought　you　liked　them。〃



〃Don't　be　stupid。　　What　I　'like'　is　just　to　loathe　them。　　You

wouldn't　believe　what　passes　before　my　eyes。〃



〃Then　why　have　you　never　told　me？　　You　didn't　mention　anything

before　I　left。〃



〃Oh　I　hadn't　got　round　to　it　then。　　It's　the　sort　of　thing　you

don't　believe　at　first；　you　have　to　look　round　you　a　bit　and　then

you　understand。　　You　work　into　it　more　and　more。　　Besides；〃　the

girl　went　on；　〃this　is　the　time　of　the　year　when　the　worst　lot　come

up。　　They're　simply　packed　together　in　those　smart　streets。　　Talk

of　the　numbers　of　the　poor！　　What　I　can　vouch　for　is　the　numbers　of

the　rich！　　There　are　new　ones　every　day；　and　they　seem　to　get

richer　and　richer。　　Oh；　they　do　come　up！〃　she　cried；　imitating　for

her　private　recreationshe　was　sure　it　wouldn't　reach　Mr。　Mudge

the　low　intonation　of　the　counter…clerk。



〃And　where　do　they　come　from？〃　her　companion　candidly　enquired。



She　had　to　think　a　moment；　then　she　found　something。　　〃From　the

'spring　meetings。'　　They　bet　tremendously。〃



〃Well；　they　bet　enough　at　Chalk　Farm；　if　that's　all。〃



〃It　ISN'T　all。　　It　isn't　a　millionth　part！〃　she　replied　with　some

sharpness。　　〃It's　immense　fun〃she　HAD　to　tantalise　him。　　Then　as

she　had　heard　Mrs。　Jordan　say；　and　as　the　ladies　at　Cocker's　even

sometimes　wired；　〃It's　quite　too　dreadful！〃　　She　could　fully　feel

how　it　was　Mr。　Mudge's　propriety；　which　was　extremehe　had　a

horror　of　coarseness　and　attended　a　Wesleyan　chapelthat　prevented

his　asking　for　details。　　But　she　gave　him　some　of　the　more

innocuous　in　spite　of　himself；　especially　putting　before　him　how；

at　Simpkin's　and　Ladle's；　they　all　made　the　money　fly。　　That　was

indeed　what　he　liked　to　hear：　　the　connexion　was　not　direct；　but

one　was　somehow　more　in　the　right　place　where　the　money　was　flying

than　where　it　was　simply　and　meagrely　nesting。　　The　air　felt　that

stir；　he　had　to　acknowledge；　much　less　at　Chalk　Farm　than　in　the

district　in　which　his　beloved　so　oddly　enjoyed　her　footing。　　She

gave　him；　she　could　see；　a　restless　sense　that　these　might　be

familiarities　not　to　be　sacrificed；　germs；　possibilities；　faint

foreshowingsheaven　knew　whatof　the　initiation　it　would　prove

profitable　to　have　arrived　at　when　in　the　fulness　of　time　he　should

have　his　own　shop　in　some　such　paradise。　　What　really　touched　him

that　was　discerniblewas　that　she　could　feed　him　with　so　much　mere

vividness　of　reminder；　keep　before　him；　as　by　the　play　of　a　fan；

the　very　wind　of　the　swift　bank…notes　and　the　charm　of　the

existence　of　a　class　that　Providence　had　raised　up　to　be　the

blessing　of　grocers。　　He　liked　to　think　that　the　class　was　there；

that　it　was　always　there；　and　that　she　contributed　in　her　slight

but　appreciable　degree　to　keep　it　up　to　the　mark。　　He　couldn't　have

formulated　his　theory　of　the　matter；　but　the　exuberance　of　the

aristocracy　was　the　advantage　of　trade；　and　everything　was　knit

together　in　a　richness　of　pattern　that　it　was　good　to　follow　with

one's　finger…tips。　　It　was　a　comfort　to　him　to　be　thus　assured　that

there　were　no　symptoms　of　a　drop。　　What　did　the　sounder；　as　she

called　it；　nimbly　worked；　do　but　keep　the　ball　going？



What　it　came　to　therefore　for　Mr。　Mudge　was　that　all　enjoyments

were；　as　might　be　said；　inter…related；　and　that　the　more　people　had

the　more　they　wanted　to　have。　　The　more　flirtations；　as　he　might

roughly　express　it；　the　more　cheese　and　pickles。　　He　had　even　in

his　own　small　way　been　dimly　struck　with　the　linked　sweetness

connecting　the　tender　passion　with　cheap　champagne；　or　perhaps　the

other　way　round。　　What　he　would　have　liked　to　say　had　he　been　able

to　work　out　his　thought　to　the　end　was：　　〃I　see；　I　see。　　Lash　them

up　then；　lead　them　on；　keep　them　going：　　some　of　it　can't　help；

some　time；　coming　OUR　way。〃　　Yet　he　was　troubled　by　the　suspicion

of　subtleties　on　his　companion's　part　that　spoiled　the　straight

view。　　He　couldn't　understand　people's　hating　what　they　liked　or

liking　what　they　hated；　above　all　it　hurt　him　somewherefor　he　had

his　private　delicaciesto　see　anything　BUT　money　made　out　of　his

betters。　　To　be　too　enquiring；　or　in　any　other　way　too　free；　at　the

expense　of　the　gentry　was　vaguely　wrong；　the　only　thing　that　was

distinctly　right　was　to　be　prosperous　at　any　price。　　Wasn't　it　just

because　they　were　up　there　aloft　that　they　were　lucrative？　　He

concluded　at　any　rate　by　saying　to　his　young　friend：　　〃If　it's

improper　for　you　to　remain　at　Cocker's；　then　that　falls　in　exactly

with　the　other　reasons　I've　put　before　you　for　your　removal。〃



〃Improper？〃her　smile　became　a　prolonged　boldness。　　〃My　dear　boy；

there's　no　one　like　you！〃



〃I　dare　say；〃　he　laughed；　〃but　that　doesn't　help　the　question。〃



〃Well；〃　she　returned；　〃I　can't　give　up　my　friends。　　I'm　making　even

more　than　Mrs。　Jordan。〃



Mr。　Mudge　considered。　　〃How　much　is　SHE　making？〃



〃Oh　you　dear　donkey！〃and；　regardless　of　all　the　Regent's　Park；

she　patted　his　cheek。　　This　was　the　sort　of　moment　at　which　she　was

absolutely　tempted　to　tell　him　that　she　liked　to　be　near　Park

Chambers。　　There　was　a　fascination　in　the　idea　of　seeing　if；　on　a

mention　of　Captain　Everard；　he　wouldn't　do　what　she　thought　he

might；　wouldn't　weigh　against　the　obvious　objection　the　still　more

obvious　advantage。　　The　advantage　of　course　could　only　strike　him

at　the　best　as　rather　fantastic；　but　it　was　always　to　the　good　to

keep　hold　when　you　HAD　hold；　and　such　an　attitude　would　also　after

all　involve　a　high　tribute　to　her　fidelity。　　Of　one　thing　she

absolutely　never　doubted：　　Mr。　Mudge　believed　in　her　with　a　belief…

…！　　She　believed　in　herself　too；　for　that　matter：　　if　there　was　a

thing　in　the　world　no　one　could　charge　her　with　it　was　being　the

kind　of　low　barmaid　person　who　rinsed　tumblers　and　bandied　slang。

But　she　forbore　as　yet　to　speak；　she　had　not　spoken　even　to　Mrs。

Jordan；　and　the　hush　that　on　her　lips　surrounded　the　Captain's　name

maintained　itself　as　a　kind　of　symbol　of　the　success　that；　up　to

this　time；　had　attended　something　or　othershe　couldn't　have　said

whatthat　she　humoured　herself　with　calling；　without　words；　her

relation　with　him。







CHAPTER　XI







She　would　have　admitted　indeed　that　it　consisted　of　little　more

than　the　fact　that　his　absences；　however　frequent　and　however　long；

always　ended　with　his　turning　up　again。　　It　was　nobody's　business

in　the　world　but　her　own　if　that　fact　continued　to　be　enough　for

her。　　It　was　of　course　not　enough　just　in　itself；　what　it　had　taken

on　to　make　it　so　was　the　extraordinary　possession　of　the　elements

of　his　life　that　memory　and　attention　had　at　last　given　her。　　There

came　a　day　when　this　possession　on　the　girl's　part　actually　seemed

to　enjoy　between　them；　while　their　eyes　met；　a　tacit　recognition

that　was　half　a　joke　and　half　a　deep　solemnity。　　He　bade　her　good

morning　always　now；　he　often　quite　raised　his　hat　to　her。　　He

passed　a　remark　when　there　was　time　or　room；　and　once　she　went　so

far　as　to　say　to　him　that　she　hadn't　seen　him　for　〃ages。〃　　〃Ages〃

was　the　word　she　consciously　and　carefully；　though　a　trifle

tremulously　used；　〃ages〃　was　exactly　what　she　meant。　　To　this　he

replied　in　terms　doubtless　less　anxiously　selected；　but　perhaps　on

that　account　not　the　less　remarkable；　〃Oh　yes；　hasn't　it　been

awfully　wet？〃　　That　was　a　specimen　of　their　give　and　take；　it　fed

her　fancy　that　no　form　of　intercourse　so　transcendent　and　distilled

had　ever　been　established　on　earth。　　Everything；　so　far　as　they

chose　to　consider　it　so；　might　mean　almost　anything。　　The　want　of

margin　in　the　cage；　when　he　peeped　through　the　bars；　wholly　ceased

to　be　appreciable。　　It　was　a　drawback　only　in　superficial　commerce。

With　Captain　Everard　she　had　simply　the　margin　of　the　universe。　　It

may　be　imagined　therefore　how　their　unuttered　reference　to　all　she

knew　about　him　could　in　this　immensity　play　at　its　ease。　　Every

time　he　handed　in　a　telegram　it　was　an　addition　to　her　knowledge：

what　did　his　constant　smile　mean　to　mark　if　it　didn't　mean　to　mark

that？　　He　never　came　into　the　place　without　saying　to　her　in　this

manner：　　〃Oh　yes；　you　have　me　by　this　time　so　completely　at　your

mercy　that　it　doesn't　in　the　least　matter　what　I　give　you　now。

You've　become　a　comfort；　I　assure　you！〃



She　had　only　two　torments；　the　greatest　of　which　was　that　she

couldn't；　not　even　once　or　twice；　touch　with　him　on　some　individual

fact。　　She　would　have　given　anything　to　have　been　able　to　allude　to

one　of　his　friends　by　name；　to　one　of　his　engagements　by　date；　to

one　of　his　difficulties　by　the　solution。　　She　would　have　given

almost　as　much　for　just　the　right　chanceit　would　have　to　be

tremendously　rightto　show　him　in　some　sharp　sweet　way　that　she

had　perfectly　penetrated　th