ThentheFourSeriousSongsrangshallowinMargaret\'sears。Brahms，forallhisgrumblingandgrizzling，hadneverguessedwhatitfeltliketobesuspectedofstealinganumbrella。ForthisfoolofayoungmanthoughtthatsheandHelenandTibbyhadbeenplayingtheconfidencetrickonhim，andthatifhegavehisaddresstheywouldbreakintohisroomssomemidnightorotherandstealhiswalkingsticktoo。Mostladieswouldhavelaughed，butMargaretreallyminded，foritgaveheraglimpseintosqualor。Totrustpeopleisaluxuryinwhichonlythewealthycanindulge；thepoorcannotaffordit。
AssoonasBrahmshadgruntedhimselfout，shegavehimhercardandsaid，“Thatiswherewelive；ifyoupreferred，youcouldcallfortheumbrellaaftertheconcert，butIdidn\'tliketotroubleyouwhenithasallbeenourfault。“
HisfacebrightenedalittlewhenhesawthatWickhamPlacewasW。Itwassadtoseehimcorrodedwithsuspicion，andyetnotdaringtobeimpolite，incasethesewell-dressedpeoplewerehonestafterall。Shetookitasagoodsignthathesaidtoher，“It\'safineprogrammethisafternoon，isitnot？“forthiswastheremarkwithwhichhehadoriginallyopened，beforetheumbrellaintervened。
“TheBeethoven\'sfine，“saidMargaret，whowasnotafemaleoftheencouragingtype。“Idon\'tliketheBrahms，though，northeMendelssohnthatcamefirst——andugh！Idon\'tlikethisElgarthat\'scoming。“
“What，what？“calledHerrLiesecke，overhearing。
“ThePompandCircumstancewillnotbefine？“
“Oh，Margaret，youtiresomegirl！“criedheraunt。
“HerehaveIbeenpersuadingHerrLiesecketostopforPompandCircumstance，andyouareundoingallmywork。Iamsoanxiousforhimtohearwhatwearedoinginmusic。Oh，youmustn\'trundownourEnglishcomposers，Margaret。“
“Formypart，IhaveheardthecompositionatStettin，“
saidFrä；uleinMosebach。“Ontwooccasions。Itisdramatic，alittle。“
“Frieda，youdespiseEnglishmusic。Youknowyoudo。AndEnglishart。AndEnglishLiterature，exceptShakespeareandhe\'saGerman。Verywell，Frieda，youmaygo。“
Theloverslaughedandglancedateachother。
Movedbyacommonimpulse，theyrosetotheirfeetandfledfromPompandCircumstance。
“WehavethiscalltoplayinFinsburyCircus，itistrue，“saidHerrLiesecke，asheedgedpastherandreachedthegangwayjustasthemusicstarted。
“Margaret——“loudlywhisperedbyAuntJuley。
“Margaret，Margaret！Frä；uleinMosebachhasleftherbeautifullittlebagbehindherontheseat。“
Sureenough，therewasFrieda\'sreticule，containingheraddressbook，herpocketdictionary，hermapofLondon，andhermoney。
“Oh，whatabother——whatafamilyweare！
Fr-Frieda！“
“Hush！“saidallthosewhothoughtthemusicfine。
“Butit\'sthenumbertheywantinFinsburyCircus——“
“MightI——couldn\'tI——“saidthesuspiciousyoungman，andgotveryred。
“Oh，Iwouldbesograteful。“
Hetookthebag——moneyclinkinginsideit——andslippedupthegangwaywithit。Hewasjustintimetocatchthemattheswing-door，andhereceivedaprettysmilefromtheGermangirlandafinebowfromhercavalier。Hereturnedtohisseatup-sideswiththeworld。Thetrustthattheyhadreposedinhimwastrivial，buthefeltthatitcancelledhismistrustforthem，andthatprobablyhewouldnotbe“had“overhisumbrella。Thisyoungmanhadbeen“had“inthepast——badly，perhapsoverwhelmingly——andnowmostofhisenergieswentindefendinghimselfagainsttheunknown。Butthisafternoon——perhapsonaccountofmusic——heperceivedthatonemustslackoffoccasionally，orwhatisthegoodofbeingalive？WickhamPlace，W。，thougharisk，wasassafeasmostthings，andhewouldriskit。
SowhentheconcertwasoverandMargaretsaid，“Welivequitenear；Iamgoingtherenow。Couldyouwalkaroundwithme，andwe\'llfindyourumbrella？“hesaid，“Thankyou，“peaceably，andfollowedheroutoftheQueen\'sHall。Shewishedthathewasnotsoanxioustohandaladydownstairs，ortocarryalady\'sprogrammeforher——hisclasswasnearenoughherownforitsmannerstovexher。
Butshefoundhiminterestingonthewhole——everyoneinterestedtheSchlegelsonthewholeatthattime——andwhileherlipstalkedculture，herheartwasplanningtoinvitehimtotea。
“Howtiredonegetsaftermusic！“shebegan。
“DoyoufindtheatmosphereofQueen\'sHalloppressive？“
“Yes，horribly。“
“ButsurelytheatmosphereofCoventGardenisevenmoreoppressive。“
“Doyougotheremuch？“
“Whenmyworkpermits，Iattendthegalleryfor，theRoyalOpera。“
Helenwouldhaveexclaimed，“SodoI。Ilovethegallery，“andthushaveendearedherselftotheyoungman。Helencoulddothesethings。ButMargarethadanalmostmorbidhorrorof“drawingpeopleout，“of“makingthingsgo。“ShehadbeentothegalleryatCoventGarden，butshedidnot“attend“it，preferringthemoreexpensiveseats；stilllessdidsheloveit。Soshemadenoreply。
“ThisyearIhavebeenthreetimes——toFaust，Tosca，and——“Wasit“Tannhouser“or“Tannhoyser“？Betternotrisktheword。
MargaretdislikedToscaandFaust。
Andso，foronereasonandanother，theywalkedoninsilence，chaperonedbythevoiceofMrs。Munt，whowasgettingintodifficultieswithhernephew。
“Idoinawayrememberthepassage，Tibby，butwheneveryinstrumentissobeautiful，itisdifficulttopickoutonethingratherthananother。IamsurethatyouandHelentakemetotheverynicestconcerts。Notadullnotefrombeginningtoend。IonlywishthatourGermanfriendswouldhavestayedtillitfinished。“
“Butsurelyyouhaven\'tforgottenthedrumsteadilybeatingonthelowC，AuntJuley？“cameTibby\'svoice。“Noonecould。
It\'sunmistakable。“
“Aspeciallyloudpart？“hazardedMrs。Munt。
“OfcourseIdonotgoinforbeingmusical，“sheadded，theshotfailing。
“Ionlycareformusic——averydifferentthing。ButstillIwillsaythisformyself——IdoknowwhenIlikeathingandwhenIdon\'t。
Somepeoplearethesameaboutpictures。Theycangointoapicturegallery——MissCondercan——andsaystraightoffwhattheyfeel，allroundthewall。Inevercoulddothat。Butmusicissodifferenttopictures，tomymind。WhenitcomestomusicIamassafeashouses，andIassureyou，Tibby，Iambynomeanspleasedbyeverything。
Therewasathing——somethingaboutafauninFrench——whichHelenwentintoecstasiesover，butIthoughtitmosttinklingandsuperficial，andsaidso，andIheldtomyopiniontoo。“
“Doyouagree？“askedMargaret。“Doyouthinkmusicissodifferenttopictures？“
“I——Ishouldhavethoughtso，kindof，“hesaid。
“SoshouldI。Now，mysisterdeclaresthey\'rejustthesame。Wehavegreatargumentsoverit。ShesaysI\'mdense；
Isayshe\'ssloppy。“Gettingunderway，shecried:“Now，doesn\'titseemabsurdtoyou？WhatisthegoodoftheArtsiftheyareinterchangeable？
Whatisthegoodoftheearifittellsyouthesameastheeye？
Helen\'soneaimistotranslatetunesintothelanguageofpainting，andpicturesintothelanguageofmusic。It\'sveryingenious，andshesaysseveralprettythingsintheprocess，butwhat\'sgained，I\'dliketoknow？Oh，it\'sallrubbish，radicallyfalse。IfMonet\'sreallyDebussy，andDebussy\'sreallyMonet，neithergentlemanisworthhissalt——that\'smyopinion。
Evidentlythesesistersquarrelled。
“Now，thisverysymphonythatwe\'vejustbeenhaving——shewon\'tletitalone。Shelabelsitwithmeaningsfromstarttofinish；
turnsitintoliterature。Iwonderifthedaywilleverreturnwhenmusicwillbetreatedasmusic。YetIdon\'tknow。There\'smybrother——behindus。Hetreatsmusicasmusic，andoh，mygoodness！
Hemakesmeangrierthananyone，simplyfurious。WithhimIdaren\'tevenargue。“
Anunhappyfamily，iftalented。
“But，ofcourse，therealvillainisWagner。
Hehasdonemorethananymaninthenineteenthcenturytowardsthemuddlingofarts。Idofeelthatmusicisinaveryseriousstatejustnow，thoughextraordinarilyinteresting。Everynowandtheninhistorytheredocometheseterriblegeniuses，likeWagner，whostirupallthewellsofthoughtatonce。Foramomentit\'ssplendid。Suchasplashasneverwas。Butafterwards——suchalotofmud；andthewells——asitwere，theycommunicatewitheachothertooeasilynow，andnotoneofthemwillrunquiteclear。That\'swhatWagner\'sdone。“
Herspeechesflutteredawayfromtheyoungmanlikebirds。Ifonlyhecouldtalklikethis，hewouldhavecaughttheworld。Ohtoacquireculture！Oh，topronounceforeignnamescorrectly！Oh，tobewellinformed，discoursingateaseoneverysubjectthataladystarted！Butitwouldtakeoneyears。Withanhouratlunchandafewshatteredhoursintheevening，howwasitpossibletocatchupwithleisuredwomen，whohadbeenreadingsteadilyfromchildhood？
Hisbrainmightbefullofnames，hemighthaveevenheardofMonetandDebussy；thetroublewasthathecouldnotstringthemtogetherintoasentence，hecouldnotmakethem“tell，“hecouldnotquiteforgetabouthisstolenumbrella。Yes，theumbrellawastherealtrouble。
BehindMonetandDebussytheumbrellapersisted，withthesteadybeatofadrum。“Isupposemyumbrellawillbeallright，“hewasthinking。
“Idon\'treallymindaboutit。Iwillthinkaboutmusicinstead。
Isupposemyumbrellawillbeallright。“Earlierintheafternoonhehadworriedaboutseats。Oughthetohavepaidasmuchastwoshillings？
Earlierstillhehadwondered，“ShallItrytodowithoutaprogramme？“
Therehadalwaysbeensomethingtoworryhimeversincehecouldremember，alwayssomethingthatdistractedhiminthepursuitofbeauty。Forhedidpursuebeauty，andtherefore，Margaret\'sspeechesdidflutterawayfromhimlikebirds。
Margarettalkedahead，occasionallysaying，“Don\'tyouthinkso？don\'tyoufeelthesame？“Andonceshestopped，andsaid“Oh，dointerruptme！“whichterrifiedhim。Shedidnotattracthim，thoughshefilledhimwithawe。Herfigurewasmeagre，herfaceseemedallteethandeyes，herreferencestohersisterandbrotherwereuncharitable。Forallherclevernessandculture，shewasprobablyoneofthosesoulless，atheisticalwomenwhohavebeensoshownupbyMissCorelli。Itwassurprisingandalarmingthatsheshouldsuddenlysay，“Idohopethatyou\'llcomeinandhavesometea。“
“Idohopethatyou\'llcomeinandhavesometea。
Weshouldbesoglad。Ihavedraggedyousofaroutofyourway。“
TheyhadarrivedatWickhamPlace。Thesunhadset，andthebackwater，indeepshadow，wasfillingwithagentlehaze。
Totherightofthefantasticskylineoftheflatstoweredblackagainstthehuesofevening；tothelefttheolderhousesraisedasquare-cut，irregularparapetagainstthegrey。Margaretfumbledforherlatchkey。
Ofcourseshehadforgottenit。So，graspingherumbrellabyitsferrule，sheleantovertheareaandtappedatthedining-roomwindow。
“Helen！Letusin！“
“Allright，“saidavoice。
“You\'vebeentakingthisgentleman\'sumbrella。“
“Takenawhat？“saidHelen，openingthedoor。
“Oh，what\'sthat？Docomein！Howdoyoudo？“
“Helen，youmustnotbesoramshackly。Youtookthisgentleman\'sumbrellaawayfromQueen\'sHall，andhehashadthetroubleofcomingforit。“
“Oh，Iamsosorry！“criedHelen，allherhairflying。
Shehadpulledoffherhatassoonasshereturned，andhadflungherselfintothebigdining-roomchair。“Idonothingbutstealumbrellas。
Iamsoverysorry！Docomeinandchooseone。Isyoursahookyoranobbly？Mine\'sanobbly——atleast，Ithinkitis。“
Thelightwasturnedon，andtheybegantosearchthehall，Helen，whohadabruptlypartedwiththeFifthSymphony，commentingwithshrilllittlecries。
“Don\'tyoutalk，Meg！Youstoleanoldgentleman\'ssilktop-hat。Yes，shedid，AuntJuley。Itisapositivefact。
Shethoughtitwasamuff。Oh，heavens！I\'veknockedtheInandOutcarddown。Where\'sFrieda？Tibby，whydon\'tyouever——No，Ican\'trememberwhatIwasgoingtosay。Thatwasn\'tit，butdotellthemaidstohurryteaup。Whataboutthisumbrella？“
Sheopenedit。“No，it\'sallgonealongtheseams。It\'sanappallingumbrella。Itmustbemine。“
Butitwasnot。
Hetookitfromher，murmuredafewwordsofthanks，andthenfled，withtheliltingstepoftheclerk。
“Butifyouwillstop——“criedMargaret。“Now，Helen，howstupidyou\'vebeen！“
“WhateverhaveIdone？“
“Don\'tyouseethatyou\'vefrightenedhimaway？
Imeanthimtostoptotea。Yououghtn\'ttotalkaboutstealingorholesinanumbrella。Isawhisniceeyesgettingsomiserable。
No，it\'snotabitofgoodnow。“ForHelenhaddartedoutintothestreet，shouting，“Oh，dostop！“
“Idaresayitisallforthebest，“opinedMrs。
Munt。“Weknownothingabouttheyoungman，Margaret，andyourdrawing-roomisfullofverytemptinglittlethings。“
ButHelencried:“AuntJuley，howcanyou！
Youmakememoreandmoreashamed。I\'dratherhehadbeenathiefandtakenalltheapostlespoonsthanthatI——Well，Imustshutthefront-door，Isuppose。OnemorefailureforHelen。“
“Yes，Ithinktheapostlespoonscouldhavegoneasrent，“saidMargaret。Seeingthatherauntdidnotunderstand，sheadded:“Youremember\'rent。\'Itwasoneoffather\'swords——Renttotheideal，tohisownfaithinhumannature。Yourememberhowhewouldtruststrangers，andiftheyfooledhimhewouldsay，\'It\'sbettertobefooledthantobesuspicious\'——thattheconfidencetrickistheworkofman，butthewant-of-confidence-trickistheworkofthedevil。“
“Iremembersomethingofthesortnow，“saidMrs。
Munt，rathertartly，forshelongedtoadd，“Itwasluckythatyourfathermarriedawifewithmoney。“Butthiswasunkind，andshecontentedherselfwith，“Why，hemighthavestolenthelittleRickettspictureaswell。“
“Betterthathehad，“saidHelenstoutly。
“No，IagreewithAuntJuley，“saidMargaret。
“I\'drathermistrustpeoplethanlosemylittleRicketts。Therearelimits。“
Theirbrother，findingtheincidentcommonplace，hadstolenupstairstoseewhetherthereweresconesfortea。Hewarmedtheteapot——almosttoodeftly——rejectedtheOrangePekoethattheparlour-maidhadprovided，pouredinfivespoonfulsofasuperiorblend，filledupwithreallyboilingwater，andnowcalledtotheladiestobequickortheywouldlosethearoma。
“Allright，AuntieTibby，“calledHelen，whileMargaret，thoughtfulagain，said:“Inaway，Iwishwehadarealboyinthehouse——thekindofboywhocaresformen。Itwouldmakeentertainingsomucheasier。“
“SodoI，“saidhersister。“TibbyonlycaresforculturedfemalessingingBrahms。“Andwhentheyjoinedhimshesaidrathersharply:“Whydidn\'tyoumakethatyoungmanwelcome，Tibby？
Youmustdothehostalittle，youknow。Yououghttohavetakenhishatandcoaxedhimintostopping，insteadoflettinghimbeswampedbyscreamingwomen。“
Tibbysighed，anddrewalongstrandofhairoverhisforehead。
“Oh，it\'snogoodlookingsuperior。ImeanwhatIsay。“
“LeaveTibbyalone！“saidMargaret，whocouldnotbearherbrothertobescolded。
“Here\'sthehousearegularhen-coop！“grumbledHelen。
“Oh，mydear！“protestedMrs。Munt。“Howcanyousaysuchdreadfulthings！Thenumberofmenyougetherehasalwaysastonishedme。Ifthereisanydangerit\'stheotherwayround。“
“Yes，butit\'sthewrongsortofmen，Helenmeans。“
“No，Idon\'t，“correctedHelen。“Wegettherightsortofman，butthewrongsideofhim，andIsaythat\'sTibby\'sfault。Thereoughttobeasomethingaboutthehouse——an——Idon\'tknowwhat。“
“AtouchoftheW。\'s，perhaps？“
Helenputouthertongue。
“WhoaretheW。\'s？“askedTibby。
“TheW。\'sarethingsIandMegandAuntJuleyknowaboutandyoudon\'t，sothere！“
“Isupposethatoursisafemalehouse，“saidMargaret，“andonemustjustacceptit。No，AuntJuley，Idon\'tmeanthatthishouseisfullofwomen。Iamtryingtosaysomethingmuchmoreclever。
Imeanthatitwasirrevocablyfeminine，eveninfather\'stime。NowI\'msureyouunderstand！Well，I\'llgiveyouanotherexample。
It\'llshockyou，butIdon\'tcare。SupposeQueenVictoriagaveadinner-party，andthattheguestshadbeenLeighton，Millais，Swinburne，Rossetti，Meredith，Fitzgerald，etc。Doyousupposethattheatmosphereofthatdinnerwouldhavebeenartistic？Heavensno！Theverychairsonwhichtheysatwouldhaveseentothat。Sowithourhouse——itmustbefeminine，andallwecandoistoseethatitisn\'teffeminate。
JustasanotherhousethatIcanmention，butIwon\'t，soundedirrevocablymasculine，andallitsinmatescandoistoseethatitisn\'tbrutal。“
“ThathousebeingtheW。\'shouse，Ipresume，“saidTibby。
“You\'renotgoingtobetoldabouttheW。\'s，mychild，“Helencried，“sodon\'tyouthinkit。Andontheotherhand，Idon\'ttheleastmindifyoufindout，sodon\'tyouthinkyou\'vedoneanythingclever，ineithercase。Givemeacigarette。“
“Youdowhatyoucanforthehouse，“saidMargaret。
“Thedrawing-roomreeksofsmoke。“
“Ifyousmokedtoo，thehousemightsuddenlyturnmasculine。Atmosphereisprobablyaquestionoftouchandgo。
EvenatQueenVictoria\'sdinner-party——ifsomethinghadbeenjustalittledifferent——perhapsifshe\'dwornaclingingLibertytea-gowninsteadofamagentasatin——“
“WithanIndianshawloverhershoulders——“
“FastenedatthebosomwithaCairngorm-pin——“
Burstsofdisloyallaughter——youmustrememberthattheyarehalfGerman——greetedthesesuggestions，andMargaretsaidpensively，“HowinconceivableitwouldbeiftheRoyalFamilycaredaboutArt。“
Andtheconversationdriftedawayandaway，andHelen\'scigaretteturnedtoaspotinthedarkness，andthegreatflatsoppositeweresownwithlightedwindows，whichvanishedandwererelitagain，andvanishedincessantly。
Beyondthemthethoroughfareroaredgently——atidethatcouldneverbequiet，whileintheeast，invisiblebehindthesmokesofWapping，themoonwasrising。
“Thatremindsme，Margaret。Wemighthavetakenthatyoungmanintothedining-room，atallevents。Onlythemajolicaplate——andthatissofirmlysetinthewall。Iamreallydistressedthathehadnotea。“
Forthatlittleincidenthadimpressedthethreewomenmorethanmightbesupposed。Itremainedasagoblinfootball，asahintthatallisnotforthebestinthebestofallpossibleworlds，andthatbeneaththesesuperstructuresofwealthandarttherewandersanill-fedboy，whohasrecoveredhisumbrellaindeed，butwhohasleftnoaddressbehindhim，andnoname。Chapter6Wearenotconcernedwiththeverypoor。Theyareunthinkable，andonlytobeapproachedbythestatisticianorthepoet。Thisstorydealswithgentlefolk，orwiththosewhoareobligedtopretendthattheyaregentlefolk。
Theboy，LeonardBast，stoodattheextremevergeofgentility。Hewasnotintheabyss，buthecouldseeit，andattimespeoplewhomheknewhaddroppedin，andcountednomore。Heknewthathewaspoor，andwouldadmitit:hewouldhavediedsoonerthanconfessanyinferioritytotherich。Thismaybesplendidofhim。
Buthewasinferiortomostrichpeople，thereisnottheleastdoubtofit。Hewasnotascourteousastheaveragerichman，norasintelligent，norashealthy，noraslovable。Hismindandhisbodyhadbeenalikeunderfed，becausehewaspoor，andbecausehewasmoderntheywerealwayscravingbetterfood。Hadhelivedsomecenturiesago，inthebrightlycolouredcivilizationsofthepast，hewouldhavehadadefinitestatus，hisrankandhisincomewouldhavecorresponded。ButinhisdaytheangelofDemocracyhadarisen，enshadowingtheclasseswithleathernwings，andproclaiming，“Allmenareequal——allmen，thatistosay，whopossessumbrellas，“andsohewasobligedtoassertgentility，lestheslippedintotheabysswherenothingcounts，andthestatementsofDemocracyareinaudible。
AshewalkedawayfromWickhamPlace，hisfirstcarewastoprovethathewasasgoodastheMissSchlegels。Obscurelywoundedinhispride，hetriedtowoundtheminreturn。Theywereprobablynotladies。Wouldrealladieshaveaskedhimtotea？
Theywerecertainlyill-naturedandcold。Ateachstephisfeelingofsuperiorityincreased。Wouldarealladyhavetalkedaboutstealinganumbrella？Perhapstheywerethievesafterall，andifhehadgoneintothehousetheycouldhaveclappedachloroformedhandkerchiefoverhisface。HewalkedoncomplacentlyasfarastheHousesofParliament。
Thereanemptystomachasserteditself，andtoldhimhewasafool。
“Evening，Mr。Bast。“
“Evening，Mr。Dealtry。“
“Niceevening。“
“Evening。“
Mr。Dealtry，afellowclerk，passedon，andLeonardstoodwonderingwhetherhewouldtakethetramasfarasapennywouldtakehim，orwhetherhewouldwalk。Hedecidedtowalk——itisnogoodgivingin，andhehadspentmoneyenoughatQueen\'sHall——andhewalkedoverWestminsterBridge，infrontofSt。Thomas\'sHospital，andthroughtheimmensetunnelthatpassesundertheSouth-WesternmainlineatVauxhall。
Inthetunnelhepausedandlistenedtotheroarofthetrains。A
sharppaindartedthroughhishead，andhewasconsciousoftheexactformofhiseyesockets。Hepushedonforanothermile，anddidnotslackenspeeduntilhestoodattheentranceofaroadcalledCameliaRoad，whichwasatpresenthishome。
Herehestoppedagain，andglancedsuspiciouslytorightandleft，likearabbitthatisgoingtoboltintoitshole。
Ablockofflats，constructedwithextremecheapness，toweredoneitherhand。Fartherdowntheroadtwomoreblockswerebeingbuilt，andbeyondtheseanoldhousewasbeingdemolishedtoaccommodateanotherpair。
ItwasthekindofscenethatmaybeobservedalloverLondon，whateverthelocality——bricksandmortarrisingandfallingwiththerestlessnessofthewaterinafountain，asthecityreceivesmoreandmoremenuponhersoil。CameliaRoadwouldsoonstandoutlikeafortress，andcommand，foralittle，anextensiveview。Onlyforalittle。
PlanswereoutfortheerectionofflatsinMagnoliaRoadalso。Andagainafewyears，andalltheflatsineitherroadmightbepulleddown，andnewbuildings，ofavastnessatpresentunimaginable，mightarisewheretheyhadfallen。
“Evening，Mr。Bast。“
“Evening，Mr。Cunningham。“
“Veryseriousthingthisdeclineofthebirth-rateinManchester。“
“Ibegyourpardon？“
“Veryseriousthingthisdeclineofthebirth-rateinManchester，“repeatedMr。Cunningham，tappingtheSundaypaper，inwhichthecalamityinquestionhadjustbeenannouncedtohim。
“Ah，yes，“saidLeonard，whowasnotgoingtoletonthathehadnotboughtaSundaypaper。
“IfthiskindofthinggoesonthepopulationofEnglandwillbestationaryin1960。“
“Youdon\'tsayso。“
“Icallitaveryseriousthing，eh？“
“Good-evening，Mr。Cunningham。“
“Good-evening，Mr。Bast。“
ThenLeonardenteredBlockBoftheflats，andturned，notupstairs，butdown，intowhatisknowntohouseagentsasasemi-basement，andtoothermenasacellar。Heopenedthedoor，andcried“Hullo！“
withthepseudo-genialityoftheCockney。Therewasnoreply。
“Hullo！“herepeated。Thesitting-roomwasempty，thoughtheelectriclighthadbeenleftburning。Alookofreliefcameoverhisface，andheflunghimselfintothearmchair。
Thesitting-roomcontained，besidesthearmchair，twootherchairs，apiano，athree-leggedtable，andacosycorner。
Ofthewalls，onewasoccupiedbythewindow，theotherbyadrapedmantelshelfbristlingwithCupids。Oppositethewindowwasthedoor，andbesidethedoorabookcase，whileoverthepianothereextendedoneofthemasterpiecesofMaudGoodman。Itwasanamorousandnotunpleasantlittleholewhenthecurtainsweredrawn，andthelightsturnedon，andthegas-stoveunlit。Butitstruckthatshallowmakeshiftnotethatissooftenheardinthemodemdwelling-place。Ithadbeentooeasilygained，andcouldberelinquishedtooeasily。
AsLeonardwaskickingoffhisbootshejarredthethree-leggedtable，andaphotographframe，honourablypoiseduponit，slidsideways，felloffintothefireplace，andsmashed。Hesworeinacolourlesssortofway，andpickedthephotographup。ItrepresentedayoungladycalledJacky，andhadbeentakenatthetimewhenyoungladiescalledJackywereoftenphotographedwiththeirmouthsopen。TeethofdazzlingwhitenessextendedalongeitherofJacky\'sjaws，andpositivelyweightedherheadsideways，solargeweretheyandsonumerous。Takemywordforit，thatsmilewassimplystunning，anditisonlyyouandIwhowillbefastidious，andcomplainthattruejoybeginsintheeyes，andthattheeyesofJackydidnotaccordwithhersmile，butwereanxiousandhungry。
Leonardtriedtopulloutthefragmentsofglass，andcuthisfingersandsworeagain。Adropofbloodfellontheframe，anotherfollowed，spillingoverontotheexposedphotograph。
Hesworemorevigorously，anddashedtothekitchen，wherehebathedhishands。Thekitchenwasthesamesizeasthesittingroom；throughitwasabedroom。Thiscompletedhishome。Hewasrentingtheflatfurnished:ofalltheobjectsthatencumbereditnonewerehisownexceptthephotographframe，theCupids，andthebooks。
“Damn，damn，damnation！“hemurmured，togetherwithsuchotherwordsashehadlearntfromoldermen。Thenheraisedhishandtohisforeheadandsaid，“Oh，damnitall——“whichmeantsomethingdifferent。Hepulledhimselftogether。Hedrankalittletea，blackandsilent，thatstillsurviveduponanuppershelf。Heswallowedsomedustycrumbsofcake。Thenhewentbacktothesitting-room，settledhimselfanew，andbegantoreadavolumeofRuskin。
“SevenmilestothenorthofVenice——“
Howperfectlythefamouschapteropens！Howsupremeitscommandofadmonitionandofpoetry！Therichmanisspeakingtousfromhisgondola。
“SevenmilestothenorthofVenicethebanksofsandwhichnearerthecityriselittleabovelow-watermarkattainbydegreesahigherlevel，andknitthemselvesatlastintofieldsofsaltmorass，raisedhereandthereintoshapelessmounds，andinterceptedbynarrowcreeksofsea。“
LeonardwastryingtoformhisstyleonRuskin:
heunderstoodhimtobethegreatestmasterofEnglishProse。Hereadforwardsteadily，occasionallymakingafewnotes。
“Letusconsideralittleeachofthesecharactersinsuccession，andfirstforoftheshaftsenoughhasbeensaidalready，whatisverypeculiartothischurch——itsluminousness。“
Wasthereanythingtobelearntfromthisfinesentence？
Couldheadaptittotheneedsofdailylife？Couldheintroduceit，withmodifications，whenhenextwrotealettertohisbrother，thelay-reader？Forexample——
“Letusconsideralittleeachofthesecharactersinsuccession，andfirstforoftheabsenceofventilationenoughhasbeensaidalready，whatisverypeculiartothisflat——itsobscurity。
“
Somethingtoldhimthatthemodificationswouldnotdo；andthatsomething，hadheknownit，wasthespiritofEnglishProse。“Myflatisdarkaswellasstuffy。“Thosewerethewordsforhim。
Andthevoiceinthegondolarolledon，pipingmelodiouslyofEffortandSelf-Sacrifice，fullofhighpurpose，fullofbeauty，fullevenofsympathyandtheloveofmen，yetsomehoweludingallthatwasactualandinsistentinLeonard\'slife。Foritwasthevoiceofonewhohadneverbeendirtyorhungry，andhadnotguessedsuccessfullywhatdirtandhungerare。
Leonardlistenedtoitwithreverence。Hefeltthathewasbeingdonegoodto，andthatifhekeptonwithRuskin，andtheQueen\'sHallConcerts，andsomepicturesbyWatts，hewouldonedaypushhisheadoutofthegreywatersandseetheuniverse。Hebelievedinsuddenconversion，abeliefwhichmayberight，butwhichispeculiarlyattractivetoahalf-bakedmind。Itisthebiasofmuchpopularreligion:inthedomainofbusinessitdominatestheStockExchange，andbecomesthat“bitofluck“bywhichallsuccessesandfailuresareexplained。“IfonlyIhadabitofluck，thewholethingwouldcomestraight……He\'sgotamostmagnificentplacedownatStreathamanda20h-p。Fiat，butthen，mindyou，he\'shadluck……I\'msorrythewife\'ssolate，butsheneverhasanyluckovercatchingtrains。“
Leonardwassuperiortothesepeople；hedidbelieveineffortandinasteadypreparationforthechangethathedesired。Butofaheritagethatmayexpandgradually，hehadnoconception:hehopedtocometoCulturesuddenly，muchastheRevivalisthopestocometoJesus。ThoseMissSchlegelshadcometoit；theyhaddonethetrick；theirhandswereupontheropes，onceandforall。Andmeanwhile，hisflatwasdark，aswellasstuffy。
Presentlytherewasanoiseonthestaircase。
HeshutupMargaret\'scardinthepagesofRuskin，andopenedthedoor。
Awomanentered，ofwhomitissimplesttosaythatshewasnotrespectable。
Herappearancewasawesome。Sheseemedallstringsandbell-pulls——ribbons，chains，beadnecklacesthatclinkedandcaught——andaboaofazurefeathershungroundherneck，withtheendsuneven。Herthroatwasbare，woundwithadoublerowofpearls，herarmswerebaretotheelbows，andmightagainbedetectedattheshoulder，throughcheaplace。Herhat，whichwasflowery，resembledthosepunnets，coveredwithflannel，whichwesowedwithmustardandcressinourchildhood，andwhichgerminatedhereyes，andthereno。Sheworeitonthebackofherhead。Asforherhair，orratherhairs，theyaretoocomplicatedtodescribe，butonesystemwentdownherback，lyinginathickpadthere，whileanother，createdforalighterdestiny，rippledaroundherforehead。Theface——thefacedoesnotsignify。Itwasthefaceofthephotograph，butolder，andtheteethwerenotsonumerousasthephotographerhadsuggested，andcertainlynotsowhite。Yes，Jackywaspastherprime，whateverthatprimemayhavebeen。Shewasdescendingquickerthanmostwomenintothecolourlessyears，andthelookinhereyesconfessedit。
“Whatho！“saidLeonard，greetingthatapparitionwithmuchspirit，andhelpingitoffwithitsboa。
Jacky，inhuskytones，replied，“Whatho！“
“Beenout？“heasked。Thequestionsoundssuperfluous，butitcannothavebeenreally，fortheladyanswered，“No，“
adding，“Oh，Iamsotired。“
“Youtired？“
“Eh？“
“I\'mtired，“saidhe，hangingtheboaup。
“Oh，Len，Iamsotired。“
“I\'vebeentothatclassicalconcertItoldyouabout，“saidLeonard。
“What\'sthat？“
“Icamebackassoonasitwasover。“
“Anyonebeenroundtoourplace？“askedJacky。
“NotthatI\'veseen。ImetMr。Cunninghamoutside，andwepassedafewremarks。“
“What，notMr。Cunnginham？“
“Yes。“
“Oh，youmeanMr。Cunningham。“
“Yes。Mr。Cunningham。“
“I\'vebeenouttoteaataladyfriend\'s。“
Hersecretbeingatlastgiventotheworld，andthenameofthelady-friendbeingevenadumbrated，Jackymadenofurtherexperimentsinthedifficultandtiringartofconversation。Sheneverhadbeenagreattalker。Eveninherphotographicdaysshehadrelieduponhersmileandherfiguretoattract，andnowthatshewas——“Ontheshelf，Ontheshelf，Boys，boys，I\'montheshelf，“
shewasnotlikelytofindhertongue。
Occasionalburstsofsongofwhichtheaboveisanexamplestillissuedfromherlips，butthespokenwordwasrare。
ShesatdownonLeonard\'sknee，andbegantofondlehim。Shewasnowamassivewomanofthirty-three，andherweighthurthim，buthecouldnotverywellsayanything。Thenshesaid，“Isthatabookyou\'rereading？“andhesaid，“That\'sabook，“anddrewitfromherunreluctantgrasp。Margaret\'scardfelloutofit。
Itfellfacedownwards，andhemurmured，“Bookmarker。“
“Len——“
“Whatisit？“heasked，alittlewearily，forsheonlyhadonetopicofconversationwhenshesatuponhisknee。
“Youdoloveme？“
“Jacky，youknowthatIdo。Howcanyouasksuchquestions！“
“Butyoudoloveme，Len，don\'tyou？“
“OfcourseIdo。“
Apause。Theotherremarkwasstilldue。
“Len——“
“Well？Whatisit？“
“Len，youwillmakeitallright？“
“Ican\'thaveyouaskmethatagain，“saidtheboy，flaringupintoasuddenpassion。“I\'vepromisedtomarryyouwhenI\'mofage，andthat\'senough。Myword\'smyword。I\'vepromisedtomarryyouassoonaseverI\'mtwenty-one，andIcan\'tkeeponbeingworried。I\'veworriesenough。Itisn\'tlikelyI\'dthrowyouover，letalonemyword，whenI\'vespentallthismoney。Besides，I\'manEnglishman，andInevergobackonmyword。Jacky，dobereasonable。
OfcourseI\'llmarryyou。Onlydostopbadgeringme。“
“When\'syourbirthday，Len？“
“I\'vetoldyouagainandagain，theeleventhofNovembernext。Nowgetoffmykneeabit；someonemustgetsupper，Isuppose。“
Jackywentthroughtothebedroom，andbegantoseetoherhat。Thismeantblowingatitwithshortsharppuffs。
Leonardtidiedupthesitting-room，andbegantopreparetheireveningmeal。Heputapennyintotheslotofthegas-meter，andsoontheflatwasreekingwithmetallicfumes。Somehowhecouldnotrecoverhistemper，andallthetimehewascookinghecontinuedtocomplainbitterly。
“Itreallyistoobadwhenafellowisn\'ttrusted。
Itmakesonefeelsowild，whenI\'vepretendedtothepeopleherethatyou\'remywife——allright，youshallbemywife——andI\'veboughtyoutheringtowear，andI\'vetakenthisflatfurnished，andit\'sfarmorethanIcanafford，andyetyouaren\'tcontent，andI\'vealsonottoldthetruthwhenI\'vewrittenhome。“Heloweredhisvoice。“He\'dstopit。“Inatoneofhorror，thatwasalittleluxurious，herepeated:“Mybrother\'dstopit。I\'mgoingagainstthewholeworld，Jacky。
“That\'swhatIam，Jacky。Idon\'ttakeanyheedofwhatanyonesays。Ijustgostraightforward，Ido。
That\'salwaysbeenmyway。I\'mnotoneofyourweakknock-kneedchaps。
Ifawoman\'sintrouble，Idon\'tleaveherinthelurch。That\'snotmystreet。No，thankyou。
“I\'lltellyouanotherthingtoo。IcareagooddealaboutimprovingmyselfbymeansofLiteratureandArt，andsogettingawideroutlook。Forinstance，whenyoucameinIwasreadingRuskin\'sStonesofVenice。Idon\'tsaythistoboast，butjusttoshowyouthekindofmanIam。Icantellyou，Ienjoyedthatclassicalconcertthisafternoon。“
ToallhismoodsJackyremainedequallyindifferent。
Whensupperwasready——andnotbefore——sheemergedfromthebedroom，saying:
“Butyoudoloveme，don\'tyou？“
Theybeganwithasoupsquare，whichLeonardhadjustdissolvedinsomehotwater。Itwasfollowedbythetongue——afreckledcylinderofmeat，withalittlejellyatthetop，andagreatdealofyellowfatatthebottom——endingwithanothersquaredissolvedinwaterjelly:pineapple，whichLeonardhadpreparedearlierintheday。Jackyatecontentedlyenough，occasionallylookingathermanwiththoseanxiouseyes，towhichnothingelseinherappearancecorresponded，andwhichyetseemedtomirrorhersoul。AndLeonardmanagedtoconvincehisstomachthatitwashavinganourishingmeal。
Aftersuppertheysmokedcigarettesandexchangedafewstatements。Sheobservedthather“likeness“hadbeenbroken。
Hefoundoccasiontoremark，forthesecondtime，thathehadcomestraightbackhomeaftertheconcertatQueen\'sHall。Presentlyshesatuponhisknee。TheinhabitantsofCameliaRoadtrampedtoandfrooutsidethewindow，justonalevelwiththeirheads，andthefamilyintheflatontheground-floorbegantosing，“Hark，mysoul，itistheLord。“
“Thattunefairlygivesmethehump，“saidLeonard。
Jackyfollowedthis，andsaidthat，forherpart，shethoughtitalovelytune。
“No；I\'llplayyousomethinglovely。Getup，dear，foraminute。“
HewenttothepianoandjingledoutalittleGrieg。
Heplayedbadlyandvulgarly，buttheperformancewasnotwithoutitseffect，forJackysaidshethoughtshe\'dbegoingtobed。Asshereceded，anewsetofinterestspossessedtheboy，andhebegantothinkofwhathadbeensaidaboutmusicbythatoddMissSchlegel——theonethattwistedherfaceaboutsowhenshespoke。Thenthethoughtsgrewsadandenvious。TherewasthegirlnamedHelen，whohadpinchedhisumbrella，andtheGermangirlwhohadsmiledathimpleasantly，andHerrsomeone，andAuntsomeone，andthebrother——all，allwiththeirhandsontheropes。
Theyhadallpassedupthatnarrow，richstaircaseatWickhamPlace，tosomeampleroom，whitherhecouldneverfollowthem，notifhereadfortenhoursaday。Oh，itwasnotgood，thiscontinualaspiration。
Someareborncultured；theresthadbettergoinforwhatevercomeseasy。
Toseelifesteadilyandtoseeitwholewasnotforthelikesofhim。
Fromthedarknessbeyondthekitchenavoicecalled，“Len？“
“Youinbed？“heasked，hisforeheadtwitching。
“M\'m。“
“Allright。“
Presentlyshecalledhimagain。
“Imustcleanmybootsreadyforthemorning，“heanswered。
Presentlyshecalledhimagain。
“Iratherwanttogetthischapterdone。“
“What？“
Heclosedhisearsagainsther。
“What\'sthat？“
“Allright，Jacky，nothing；I\'mreadingabook。“
“What？“
“What？“heanswered，catchingherdegradeddeafness。
Presentlyshecalledhimagain。
RuskinhadvisitedTorcellobythistime，andwasorderinghisgondolierstotakehimtoMurano。Itoccurredtohim，asheglidedoverthewhisperinglagoons，thatthepowerofNaturecouldnotbeshortenedbythefolly，norherbeautyaltogethersaddenedbythemisery，ofsuchasLeonard。Chapter7“Oh，Margaret，“criedherauntnextmorning，“suchamostunfortunatethinghashappened。Icouldnotgetyoualone。“
Themostunfortunatethingwasnotveryserious。
OneoftheflatsintheornateblockoppositehadbeentakenfurnishedbytheWilcoxfamily，“comingup，nodoubt，inthehopeofgettingintoLondonsociety。“ThatMrs。Muntshouldbethefirsttodiscoverthemisfortunewasnotremarkable，forshewassointerestedintheflats，thatshewatchedtheireverymutationwithunwearyingcare。Intheoryshedespisedthem——theytookawaythatold-worldlook——theycutoffthesun——flatshouseaflashytypeofperson。Butifthetruthhadbeenknown，shefoundhervisitstoWickhamPlacetwiceasamusingsinceWickhamMansionshadarisen，andwouldinacoupleofdayslearnmoreaboutthemthanherniecesinacoupleofmonths，orhernephewinacoupleofyears。Shewouldstrollacrossandmakefriendswiththeporters，andinquirewhattherentswere，exclaimingforexample:“What！ahundredandtwentyforabasement？
You\'llnevergetit！“Andtheywouldanswer:“Onecanbuttry，madam。“
Thepassengerlifts，theprovisionlifts，thearrangementforcoalsagreattemptationforadishonestporter，wereallfamiliarmatterstoher，andperhapsarelieffromthepolitico-economical-æ；stheticatmospherethatreignedattheSchlegels\'。
Margaretreceivedtheinformationcalmly，anddidnotagreethatitwouldthrowacloudoverpoorHelen\'slife。
“Oh，butHelenisn\'tagirlwithnointerests，“
sheexplained。“Shehasplentyofotherthingsandotherpeopletothinkabout。ShemadeafalsestartwiththeWilcoxes，andshe\'llbeaswillingaswearetohavenothingmoretodowiththem。“
“Foraclevergirl，dear，howveryoddlyyoudotalk。Helen\'llhavetohavesomethingmoretodowiththem，nowthatthey\'reallopposite。ShemaymeetthatPaulinthestreet。
Shecannotverywellnotbow。“
“Ofcourseshemustbow。Butlookhere；let\'sdotheflowers。Iwasgoingtosay，thewilltobeinterestedinhimhasdied，andwhatelsematters？IlookonthatdisastrousepisodeoverwhichyouweresokindasthekillingofanerveinHelen。
It\'sdead，andshe\'llneverbetroubledwithitagain。Theonlythingsthatmatterarethethingsthatinterestone。Bowing，evencallingandleavingcards，evenadinner-party——wecandoallthosethingstotheWilcoxes，iftheyfinditagreeable；buttheotherthing，theoneimportantthing——neveragain。Don\'tyousee？“
Mrs。Muntdidnotsee，andindeedMargaretwasmakingamostquestionablestatement——thatanyemotion，anyinterestoncevividlyaroused，canwhollydie。
“IalsohavethehonourtoinformyouthattheWilcoxesareboredwithus。Ididn\'ttellyouatthetime——itmighthavemadeyouangry，andyouhadenoughtoworryyou——butIwrotealettertoMrs。
W。，andapologizedforthetroublethatHelenhadgiventhem。Shedidn\'tanswerit。“
“Howveryrude！“
“Iwonder。Orwasitsensible？“
“No，Margaret，mostrude。“
“Ineithercaseonecanclassitasreassuring。“
Mrs。Muntsighed。ShewasgoingbacktoSwanageonthemorrow，justashernieceswerewantinghermost。Otherregretscrowdeduponher:forinstance，howmagnificentlyshewouldhavecutCharlesifshehadmethimfacetoface。Shehadalreadyseenhim，givinganordertotheporter——andverycommonhelookedinatallhat。
Butunfortunatelyhisbackwasturnedtoher，andthoughshehadcuthisback，shecouldnotregardthisasatellingsnub。
“Butyouwillbecareful，won\'tyou？“sheexhorted。
“Oh，certainly。Fiendishlycareful。“
“AndHelenmustbecareful，too，“
“Carefuloverwhat？“criedHelen，atthatmomentcomingintotheroomwithhercousin。
“Nothing，“saidMargaret，seizedwithamomentaryawkwardness。
“Carefuloverwhat，AuntJuley？“
Mrs。Muntassumedacrypticair。“Itisonlythatacertainfamily，whomweknowbynamebutdonotmention，asyousaidyourselflastnightaftertheconcert，havetakentheflatoppositefromtheMathesons——wheretheplantsareinthebalcony。“
Helenbegansomelaughingreply，andthendisconcertedthemallbyblushing。Mrs。Muntwassodisconcertedthatsheexclaimed，“What，Helen，youdon\'tmindthemcoming，doyou？“anddeepenedtheblushtocrimson。
“OfcourseIdon\'tmind，“saidHelenalittlecrossly。
“ItisthatyouandMegarebothsoabsurdlygraveaboutit，whenthere\'snothingtobegraveaboutatall。“
“I\'mnotgrave，“protestedMargaret，alittlecrossinherturn。
“Well，youlookgrave；doesn\'tshe，Frieda？“
“Idon\'tfeelgrave，that\'sallIcansay；you\'regoingquiteonthewrongtack。“
“No，shedoesnotfeelgrave，“echoedMrs。Munt。
“Icanbearwitnesstothat。Shedisagrees——“
“Hark！“interruptedFrä；uleinMosebach。
“IhearBrunoenteringthehall。“
ForHerrLieseckewasdueatWickhamPlacetocallforthetwoyoungergirls。Hewasnotenteringthehall——infact，hedidnotenteritforquitefiveminutes。ButFriedadetectedadelicatesituation，andsaidthatsheandHelenhadmuchbetterwaitforBrunodownbelow，andleaveMargaretandMrs。Munttofinisharrangingtheflowers。Helenacquiesced。But，asiftoprovethatthesituationwasnotdelicatereally，shestoppedinthedoorwayandsaid:
“DidyousaytheMathesons\'flat，AuntJuley？
Howwonderfulyouare！Ineverknewthatthewomanwholacedtootightly\'snamewasMatheson。“
“Come，Helen，“saidhercousin。
“Go，Helen，“saidheraunt；andcontinuedtoMargaretalmostinthesamebreath:“Helencannotdeceiveme，Shedoesmind。“
“Oh，hush！“breathedMargaret。“Frieda\'llhearyou，andshecanbesotiresome。“
“Sheminds，“persistedMrs。Munt，movingthoughtfullyabouttheroom，andpullingthedeadchrysanthemumsoutofthevases。
“Iknewshe\'dmind——andI\'msureagirloughtto！Suchanexperience！
Suchawfulcoarse-grainedpeople！Iknowmoreaboutthemthanyoudo，whichyouforget，andifCharleshadtakenyouthatmotordrive——well，you\'dhavereachedthehouseaperfectwreck。Oh，Margaret，youdon\'tknowwhatyouareinfor。They\'reallbottledupagainstthedrawing-roomwindow。There\'sMrs。Wilcox——I\'veseenher。There\'sPaul。
There\'sEvie，whoisaminx。There\'sCharles——Isawhimtostartwith。Andwhowouldanelderlymanwithamoustacheandacopper-colouredfacebe？“
“Mr。Wilcox，possibly。“
“Iknewit。Andthere\'sMr。Wilcox。“
“It\'sashametocallhisfacecoppercolour，“complainedMargaret。“Hehasaremarkablygoodcomplexionforamanofhisage。“
Mrs。Munt，triumphantelsewhere，couldaffordtoconcedeMr。Wilcoxhiscomplexion。Shepassedonfromittotheplanofcampaignthatherniecesshouldpursueinthefuture。Margarettriedtostopher。
“HelendidnottakethenewsquiteasIexpected，buttheWilcoxnerveisdeadinherreally，sothere\'snoneedforplans。“
“It\'saswelltobeprepared。“
“No——it\'saswellnottobeprepared。“
“Because——\'
Herthoughtdrewbeingfromtheobscureborderland。
Shecouldnotexplaininsomanywords，butshefeltthatthosewhoprepareforalltheemergenciesoflifebeforehandmayequipthemselvesattheexpenseofjoy。Itisnecessarytoprepareforanexamination，oradinner-party，orapossiblefallinthepriceofstock:thosewhoattempthumanrelationsmustadoptanothermethod，orfail。“BecauseI\'dsoonerriskit，“washerlameconclusion。
“Butimaginetheevenings，“exclaimedheraunt，pointingtotheMansionswiththespoutofthewatering-can。“Turntheelectriclightonherorthere，andit\'salmostthesameroom。
Oneeveningtheymayforgettodrawtheirblindsdown，andyou\'llseethem；
andthenext，youyours，andthey\'llseeyou。Impossibletositoutonthebalconies。Impossibletowatertheplants，orevenspeak。
Imaginegoingoutofthefront-door，andtheycomeoutoppositeatthesamemoment。Andyetyoutellmethatplansareunnecessary，andyou\'dratherriskit。“
“Ihopetoriskthingsallmylife。“
“Oh，Margaret，mostdangerous。“
“Butafterall，“shecontinuedwithasmile，“there\'sneveranygreatriskaslongasyouhavemoney。“
“Oh，shame！Whatashockingspeech！“
“Moneypadstheedgesofthings，“saidMissSchlegel。
“Godhelpthosewhohavenone。“
“Butthisissomethingquitenew！“saidMrs。Munt，whocollectednewideasasasquirrelcollectsnuts，andwasespeciallyattractedbythosethatareportable。
“Newforme；sensiblepeoplehaveacknowledgeditforyears。YouandIandtheWilcoxesstanduponmoneyasuponislands。
Itissofirmbeneathourfeetthatweforgetitsveryexistence。
It\'sonlywhenweseesomeonenearustotteringthatwerealizeallthatanindependentincomemeans。Lastnight，whenweweretalkinguphereroundthefire，Ibegantothinkthattheverysouloftheworldiseconomic，andthatthelowestabyssisnottheabsenceoflove，buttheabsenceofcoin。“
“Icallthatrathercynical。“
“SodoI。ButHelenandI，weoughttoremember，whenwearetemptedtocriticizeothers，thatwearestandingontheseislands，andthatmostoftheothers，aredownbelowthesurfaceofthesea。Thepoorcannotalwaysreachthosewhomtheywanttolove，andtheycanhardlyeverescapefromthosewhomtheylovenolonger。
Werichcan。ImaginethetragedylastJune，ifHelenandPaulWilcoxhadbeenpoorpeople，andcouldn\'tinvokerailwaysandmotor-carstopartthem。“
“That\'smorelikeSocialism，“saidMrs。Muntsuspiciously。
“Callitwhatyoulike。Icallitgoingthroughlifewithone\'shandspreadopenonthetable。I\'mtiredoftheserichpeoplewhopretendtobepoor，andthinkitshowsanicemindtoignorethepilesofmoneythatkeeptheirfeetabovethewaves。Istandeachyearuponsixhundredpounds，andHelenuponthesame，andTibbywillstanduponeight，andasfastasourpoundscrumbleawayintotheseatheyarerenewed——fromthesea，yes，fromthesea。Andallourthoughtsarethethoughtsofsix-hundred-pounders，andallourspeeches；andbecausewedon\'twanttostealumbrellasourselves，weforgetthatbelowtheseapeopledowanttostealthem，anddostealthemsometimes，andthatwhat\'sajokeuphereisdowntherereality——“
“Theretheygo——theregoesFrä；uleinMosebach。
Really，foraGermanshedoesdresscharmingly。Oh——！“
“Whatisit？“
“HelenwaslookingupattheWilcoxes\'flat。“
“Whyshouldn\'tshe？“
“Ibegyourpardon，Iinterruptedyou。Whatwasityouweresayingaboutreality？“
“Ihadworkedroundtomyself，asusual，“answeredMargaretintonesthatweresuddenlypreoccupied。
“Dotellmethis，atallevents。Areyoufortherichorforthepoor？“
“Toodifficult。Askmeanother。AmI
forpovertyorforriches？Forriches。Hurrahforriches！“
“Forriches！“echoedMrs。Munt，having，asitwere，atlastsecuredhernut。
“Yes。Forriches。Moneyforever！“
“SoamI，andso，Iamafraid，aremostofmyacquaintancesatSwanage，butIamsurprisedthatyouagreewithus。“
“Thankyousomuch，AuntJuley。WhileIhavetalkedtheories，youhavedonetheflowers。“
“Notatall，dear。Iwishyouwouldletmehelpyouinmoreimportantthings。“
“Well，wouldyoubeverykind？Wouldyoucomeroundwithmetotheregistryoffice？There\'sahousemaidwhowon\'tsayyesbutdoesn\'tsayno。“
OntheirwaythithertheytoolookedupattheWilcoxes\'
flat。Eviewasinthebalcony，“staringmostrudely，“accordingtoMrs。Munt。Ohyes，itwasanuisance，therewasnodoubtofit。
Helenwasproofagainstapassingencounterbut——Margaretbegantoloseconfidence。Mightitreawakethedyingnerveifthefamilywerelivingcloseagainsthereyes？AndFriedaMosebachwasstoppingwiththemforanotherfortnight，andFriedawassharp，abominablysharp，andquitecapableofremarking，“Youloveoneoftheyounggentlemenopposite，yes？“
Theremarkwouldbeuntrue，butofthekindwhich，ifstatedoftenenough，maybecometrue；justastheremark，“EnglandandGermanyareboundtofight，“renderswaralittlemorelikelyeachtimethatitismade，andisthereforemadethemorereadilybythegutterpressofeithernation。
Havetheprivateemotionsalsotheirgutterpress？Margaretthoughtso，andfearedthatgoodAuntJuleyandFriedaweretypicalspecimensofit。Theymight，bycontinualchatter，leadHelenintoarepetitionofthedesiresofJune。Intoarepetition——theycouldnotdomore；
theycouldnotleadherintolastinglove。Theywere——shesawitclearly——Journalism；herfather，withallhisdefectsandwrong-headedness，hadbeenLiterature，andhadhelived，hewouldhavepersuadedhisdaughterrightly。
Theregistryofficewasholdingitsmorningreception。
Astringofcarriagesfilledthestreet。MissSchlegelwaitedherturn，andfinallyhadtobecontentwithaninsidious“temporary，“beingrejectedbygenuinehousemaidsonthegroundofhernumerousstairs。
Herfailuredepressedher，andthoughsheforgotthefailure，thedepressionremained。OnherwayhomesheagainglancedupattheWilcoxes\'flat，andtooktherathermatronlystepofspeakingaboutthemattertoHelen。
“Helen，youmusttellmewhetherthisthingworriesyou。“
“Ifwhat？“saidHelen，whowaswashingherhandsforlunch。
“TheW。\'scoming。“
“No，ofcoursenot。“
“Really？“
“Really。“ThensheadmittedthatshewasalittleworriedonMrs。Wilcox\'saccount；sheimpliedthatMrs。Wilcoxmightreachbackwardintodeepfeelings，andbepainedbythingsthatnevertouchedtheothermembersofthatclan。“Ishan\'tmindifPaulpointsatourhouseandsays，\'Therelivesthegirlwhotriedtocatchme。\'Butshemight。“
“Ifeventhatworriesyou，wecouldarrangesomething。
There\'snoreasonweshouldbenearpeoplewhodispleaseusorwhomwedisplease，thankstoourmoney。Wemightevengoawayforalittle。“
“Well，Iamgoingaway。Frieda\'sjustaskedmetoStettin，andIshan\'tbebacktillaftertheNewYear。Willthatdo？OrmustIflythecountryaltogether？Really，Meg，whathascomeoveryoutomakesuchafuss？“
“Oh，I\'mgettinganoldmaid，Isuppose。I
thoughtImindednothing，butreallyI——Ishouldbeboredifyoufellinlovewiththesamemantwiceand“——sheclearedherthroat——“youdidgored，youknow，whenAuntJuleyattackedyouthismorning。Ishouldn\'thavereferredtoitotherwise。“
ButHelen\'slaughrangtrue，assheraisedasoapyhandtoheavenandsworethatnever，nowhereandnohow，wouldsheagainfallinlovewithanyoftheWilcoxfamily，downtoitsremotestcollaterals。Chapter8ThefriendshipbetweenMargaretandMrs。Wilcox，whichwastodevelopso——quicklyandwithsuchstrangeresults，mayperhapshavehaditsbeginningsatSpeyer，inthespring。Perhapstheelderlady，asshegazedatthevulgar，ruddycathedral，andlistenedtothetalkofHelenandherhusband，mayhavedetectedintheotherandlesscharmingofthesistersadeepersympathy，asounderjudgment。Shewascapableofdetectingsuchthings。
PerhapsitwasshewhohaddesiredtheMissSchlegelstobeinvitedtoHowardsEnd，andMargaretwhosepresenceshehadparticularlydesired。
Allthisisspeculation:Mrs。Wilcoxhasleftfewclearindicationsbehindher。ItiscertainthatshecametocallatWickhamPlaceafortnightlater，theverydaythatHelenwasgoingwithhercousintoStettin。
“Helen！“criedFrä；uleinMosebachinawestrucktonesshewasnowinhercousin\'sconfidence——“hismotherhasforgivenyou！“Andthen，rememberingthatinEnglandthenew-comeroughtnottocallbeforesheiscalledupon，shechangedhertonefromawetodisapproval，andopinedthatMrs。Wilcoxwas“keineDame。“
“Botherthewholefamily！“snappedMargaret。
“Helen，stopgigglingandpirouetting，andgoandfinishyourpacking。
Whycan\'tthewomanleaveusalone？“
“Idon\'tknowwhatIshalldowithMeg，“Helenretorted，collapsinguponthestairs。“She\'sgotWilcoxandBoxuponthebrain。
Meg，Meg，Idon\'tlovetheyounggentleman；Idon\'tlovetheyounggentleman，Meg，Meg。Canabodyspeakplainer？“
“Mostcertainlyherlovehasdied，“assertedFrä；uleinMosebach。
“Mostcertainlyithas，Frieda，butthatwillnotpreventmefrombeingboredwiththeWilcoxesifIreturnthecall。“
ThenHelensimulatedtears，andFrä；uleinMosebach，whothoughtherextremelyamusing，didthesame。“Oh，boohoo！
boohoohoo！Meg\'sgoingtoreturnthecall，andIcan\'t。\'Coswhy？\'CosI\'mgoingtoGerman-eye。“
“IfyouaregoingtoGermany，goandpack；ifyouaren\'t，goandcallontheWilcoxesinsteadofme。“
“But，Meg，Meg，Idon\'tlovetheyounggentleman；
Idon\'tlovetheyoung——0lud，who\'sthatcomingdownthestairs？
Ivow\'tismybrother。0crimini！“