“Order，order，MissSchlegel！“saidthereaderofthepaper。“Youarehere，Iunderstand，toadvisemeintheinterestsoftheSocietyforthePreservationofPlacesofHistoricInterestorNaturalBeauty。Icannothaveyouspeakingoutofyourrole。Itmakesmypoorheadgoround，andIthinkyouforgetthatIamveryill。“
“Yourheadwon\'tgoroundifonlyyou\'lllistentomyargument，“saidMargaret。“Whynotgivehimthemoneyitself。
You\'resupposedtohaveaboutthirtythousandayear。“
“HaveI？IthoughtIhadamillion。“
“Wasn\'tamillionyourcapital？Dearme！
weoughttohavesettledthat。Still，itdoesn\'tmatter。Whateveryou\'vegot，Iorderyoutogiveasmanypoormenasyoucanthreehundredayeareach。“
“Butthatwouldbepauperizingthem，“saidanearnestgirl，wholikedtheSchlegels，butthoughtthemalittleunspiritualattimes。
“Notifyougavethemsomuch。Abigwindfallwouldnotpauperizeaman。Itistheselittledriblets，distributedamongtoomany，thatdotheharm。Money\'seducational。It\'sfarmoreeducationalthanthethingsitbuys。“Therewasaprotest。
“Inasense，“addedMargaret，buttheprotestcontinued。“Well，isn\'tthemostcivilizedthinggoing，themanwhohaslearnttowearhisincomeproperly？“
“ExactlywhatyourMr。Bastswon\'tdo。“
“Givethemachance。Givethemmoney。
Don\'tdolethemoutpoetry-booksandrailway-ticketslikebabies。
Givethemthewherewithaltobuythesethings。WhenyourSocialismcomesitmaybedifferent，andwemaythinkintermsofcommoditiesinsteadofcash。Tillitcomesgivepeoplecash，foritisthewarpofcivilization，whateverthewoofmaybe。Theimaginationoughttoplayuponmoneyandrealizeitvividly，forit\'sthe——thesecondmostimportantthingintheworld。Itissosluffedoverandhushedup，thereissolittleclearthinking——oh，politicaleconomy，ofcourse，butsofewofusthinkclearlyaboutourownprivateincomes，andadmitthatindependentthoughtsareinninecasesoutoftentheresultofindependentmeans。Money:
giveMr。Bastmoney，anddon\'tbotherabouthisideals。He\'llpickupthoseforhimself。“
Sheleantbackwhilethemoreearnestmembersoftheclubbegantomisconstrueher。Thefemalemind，thoughcruellypracticalindailylife，cannotbeartohearidealsbelittledinconversation，andMissSchlegelwasaskedhowevershecouldsaysuchdreadfulthings，andwhatitwouldprofitMr。Bastifhegainedthewholeworldandlosthisownsoul。Sheanswered，“Nothing，buthewouldnotgainhissouluntilhehadgainedalittleoftheworld。“Thentheysaid，“Notheydidnotbelieveit，“andsheadmittedthatanoverworkedclerkmaysavehissoulinthesuperterrestrialsense，wheretheeffortwillbetakenforthedeed，butshedeniedthathewilleverexplorethespiritualresourcesofthisworld，willeverknowtherarerjoysofthebody，orattaintoclearandpassionateintercoursewithhisfellows。OthershadattackedthefabricofSociety-Property，Interest，etc。；sheonlyfixedhereyesonafewhumanbeings，toseehow，underpresentconditions，theycouldbemadehappier。Doinggoodtohumanitywasuseless:themany-colouredeffortstheretospreadingoverthevastarealikefilmsandresultinginanuniversalgrey。Todogoodtoone，or，asinthiscase，toafew，wastheutmostshedarehopefor。
Betweentheidealists，andthepoliticaleconomists，Margarethadabadtime。Disagreeingelsewhere，theyagreedindisowningher，andinkeepingtheadministrationofthemillionaire\'smoneyintheirownhands。Theearnestgirlbroughtforwardaschemeof“personalsupervisionandmutualhelp，“theeffectofwhichwastoalterpoorpeopleuntiltheybecameexactlylikepeoplewhowerenotsopoor。Thehostesspertinentlyremarkedthatshe，aseldestson，mightsurelyrankamongthemillionaire\'slegatees。Margaretweaklyadmittedtheclaim，andanotherclaimwasatoncesetupbyHelen，whodeclaredthatshehadbeenthemillionaire\'shousemaidforoverfortyyears，overfedandunderpaid；wasnothingtobedoneforher，socorpulentandpoor？Themillionairethenreadoutherlastwillandtestament，inwhichsheleftthewholeofherfortunetotheChancelloroftheExchequer。Thenshedied。Theseriouspartsofthediscussionhadbeenofhighermeritthantheplayful——inamen\'sdebateisthereversemoregeneral？——butthemeetingbrokeuphilariouslyenough，andadozenhappyladiesdispersedtotheirhomes。
HelenandMargaretwalkedtheearnestgirlasfarasBatterseaBridgeStation，arguingcopiouslyalltheway。Whenshehadgonetheywereconsciousofanalleviation，andofthegreatbeautyoftheevening。TheyturnedbacktowardsOakleyStreet。Thelampsandtheplane-trees，followingthelineoftheembankment，struckanoteofdignitythatisrareinEnglishcities。Theseats，almostdeserted，werehereandthereoccupiedbygentlefolkineveningdress，whohadstrolledoutfromthehousesbehindtoenjoyfreshairandthewhisperoftherisingtide。ThereissomethingcontinentalaboutChelseaEmbankment。Itisanopenspaceusedrightly，ablessingmorefrequentinGermanythanhere。AsMargaretandHelensatdown，thecitybehindthemseemedtobeavasttheatre，anopera-houseinwhichsomeendlesstrilogywasperforming，andtheythemselvesapairofsatisfiedsubscribers，whodidnotmindlosingalittleofthesecondact。
“Cold？“
“No。“
“Tired？“
“Doesn\'tmatter。“
Theearnestgirl\'strainrumbledawayoverthebridge。
“Isay，Helen——“
“Well？“
“ArewereallygoingtofollowupMr。Bast？“
“Idon\'tknow。“
“Ithinkwewon\'t。“
“Asyoulike。“
“It\'snogood，Ithink，unlessyoureallymeantoknowpeople。Thediscussionbroughtthathometome。Wegotonwellenoughwithhiminaspiritofexcitement，butthinkofrationalintercourse。Wemustn\'tplayatfriendship。No，it\'snogood。“
“There\'sMrs。Lanoline，too，“Helenyawned。
“Sodull。“
“Justso，andpossiblyworsethandull。“
“Ishouldliketoknowhowhegotholdofyourcard。“
“Buthesaid——somethingaboutaconcertandanumbrella——“
“Thendidthecardseethewife——“
“Helen，cometobed。“
“No，justalittlelonger，itissobeautiful。
Tellme；ohyes；didyousaymoneyisthewarpoftheworld？“
“Yes。“
“Thenwhat\'sthewoof？“
“Verymuchwhatonechooses，“saidMargaret。
“It\'ssomethingthatisn\'tmoney——onecan\'tsaymore。“
“Walkingatnight？“
“Probably。“
“ForTibby，Oxford？“
“Itseemsso。“
“Foryou？“
“NowthatwehavetoleaveWickhamPlace，Ibegintothinkit\'sthat。ForMrs。WilcoxitwascertainlyHowardsEnd。“
One\'sownnamewillcarryimmensedistances。
Mr。Wilcox，whowassittingwithfriendsmanyseatsaway，heardhis，rosetohisfeet，andstrolledalongtowardsthespeakers。
“Itissadtosupposethatplacesmayeverbemoreimportantthanpeople，“continuedMargaret。
“Why，Meg？They\'resomuchnicergenerally。
I\'dratherthinkofthatforester\'shouseinPomeraniathanofthefatHerrFö；rstmeisterwholivedinit。“
“Ibelieveweshallcometocareaboutpeoplelessandless，Helen。Themorepeopleoneknowstheeasieritbecomestoreplacethem。It\'soneofthecursesofLondon。Iquiteexpecttoendmylifecaringmostforaplace。“
HereMr。Wilcoxreachedthem。Itwasseveralweekssincetheyhadmet。
“Howdoyoudo？“hecried。“IthoughtIrecognizedyourvoices。Whateverareyoubothdoingdownhere？“
Histoneswereprotective。HeimpliedthatoneoughtnottositoutonChelseaEmbankmentwithoutamaleescort。
Helenresentedthis，butMargaretaccepteditaspartofthegoodman\'sequipment。
“WhatanageitissinceI\'veseenyou，Mr。Wilcox。
ImetEvieintheTube，though，lately。Ihopeyouhavegoodnewsofyourson。“
“Paul？“saidMr。Wilcox，extinguishinghiscigarette，andsittingdownbetweenthem。“Oh，Paul\'sallright。WehadalinefromMadeira。He\'llbeatworkagainbynow。“
“Ugh——“saidHelen，shudderingfromcomplexcauses。
“Ibegyourpardon？“
“Isn\'ttheclimateofNigeriatoohorrible？“
“Someone\'sgottogo，“hesaidsimply。“Englandwillneverkeephertradeoverseasunlesssheispreparedtomakesacrifices。
UnlesswegetfirminWestAfrica，Ger——untoldcomplicationsmayfollow。
Nowtellmeallyournews。“
“Oh，we\'vehadasplendidevening，“criedHelen，whoalwayswokeupattheadventofavisitor。“Webelongtoakindofclubthatreadspapers，MargaretandI——allwomen，butthereisadiscussionafter。Thiseveningitwasonhowoneoughttoleaveone\'smoney——whethertoone\'sfamily，ortothepoor，andifsohow——oh，mostinteresting。“
Themanofbusinesssmiled。Sincehiswife\'sdeathhehadalmostdoubledhisincome。Hewasanimportantfigureatlast，areassuringnameoncompanyprospectuses，andlifehadtreatedhimverywell。TheworldseemedinhisgraspashelistenedtotheRiverThames，whichstillflowedinlandfromthesea。Sowonderfultothegirls，itheldnomysteriesforhim。HehadhelpedtoshortenitslongtidaltroughbytakingsharesinthelockatTeddington，andifheandothercapitaliststhoughtgood，somedayitcouldbeshortenedagain。
Withagooddinnerinsidehimandanamiablebutacademicwomanoneitherflank，hefeltthathishandswereonalltheropesoflife，andthatwhathedidnotknowcouldnotbeworthknowing。
“Soundsamostoriginalentertainment！“heexclaimed，andlaughedinhispleasantway。“IwishEviewouldgotothatsortofthing。Butshehasn\'tthetime。She\'stakentobreedAberdeenterriers——jollylittledogs。
“Iexpectwe\'dbetterbedoingthesame，really。“
“Wepretendwe\'reimprovingourselves，yousee，“
saidHelenalittlesharply，fortheWilcoxglamourisnotofthekindthatreturns，andshehadbittermemoriesofthedayswhenaspeechsuchashehadjustmadewouldhaveimpressedherfavourably。“Wesupposeitisagoodthingtowasteaneveningonceafortnightoveradebate，but，asmysistersays，itmaybebettertobreeddogs。“
“Notatall。Idon\'tagreewithyoursister。
There\'snothinglikeadebatetoteachonequickness。IoftenwishIhadgoneinforthemwhenIwasayoungster。Itwouldhavehelpedmenoend。“
“Quickness——？“
“Yes。Quicknessinargument。TimeaftertimeI\'vemissedscoringapointbecausetheothermanhashadthegiftofthegabandIhaven\'t。Oh，Ibelieveinthesediscussions。“
ThepatronizingtonethoughtMargaret，camewellenoughfromamanwhowasoldenoughtobetheirfather。ShehadalwaysmaintainedthatMr。Wilcoxhadacharm。Intimesofsorroworemotionhisinadequacyhadpainedher，butitwaspleasanttolistentohimnow，andtowatchhisthickbrownmoustacheandhighforeheadconfrontingthestars。ButHelenwasnettled。TheaimoftheirdebatessheimpliedwasTruth。
“Ohyes，itdoesn\'tmuchmatterwhatsubjectyoutake，“saidhe。
Margaretlaughedandsaid，“Butthisisgoingtobefarbetterthanthedebateitself。“Helenrecoveredherselfandlaughedtoo。“No，Iwon\'tgoon，“shedeclared。“I\'lljustputourspecialcasetoMr。Wilcox。“
“AboutMr。Bast？Yes，do。He\'llbemorelenienttoaspecialcase。
“But，Mr。Wilcox，dofirstlightanothercigarette。
It\'sthis。We\'vejustcomeacrossayoungfellow，who\'sevidentlyverypoor，andwhoseemsinterest——“
“What\'shisprofession？“
“Clerk。“
“Whatin？“
“Doyouremember，Margaret？“
“PorphyrionFireInsuranceCompany。“
“Ohyes；thenicepeoplewhogaveAuntJuleyanewhearth-rug。Heseemsinteresting，insomewaysvery，andonewishesonecouldhelphim。Heismarriedtoawifewhomhedoesn\'tseemtocareformuch。Helikesbooks，andwhatonemayroughlycalladventure，andifhehadachance——Butheissopoor。Helivesalifewhereallthemoneyisapttogoonnonsenseandclothes。Oneissoafraidthatcircumstanceswillbetoostrongforhimandthathewillsink。
Well，hegotmixedupinourdebate。Hewasn\'tthesubjectofit，butitseemedtobearonhispoint。Supposeamillionairedied，anddesiredtoleavemoneytohelpsuchaman。Howshouldhebehelped？
Shouldhebegiventhreehundredpoundsayeardirect，whichwasMargaret\'splan？Mostofthemthoughtthiswouldpauperizehim。Shouldheandthoselikehimbegivenfreelibraries？Isaid\'No！\'Hedoesn\'twantmorebookstoread，buttoreadbooksrightly。Mysuggestionwasheshouldbegivensomethingeveryyeartowardsasummerholiday，butthenthereishiswife，andtheysaidshewouldhavetogotoo。Nothingseemedquiteright！Nowwhatdoyouthink？Imaginethatyouwereamillionaire，andwantedtohelpthepoor。Whatwouldyoudo？“
Mr。Wilcox，whosefortunewasnotsoveryfarbelowthestandardindicated，laughedexuberantly。“MydearMissSchlegel，Iwillnotrushinwhereyoursexhasbeenunabletotread。Iwillnotaddanotherplantothenumerousexcellentonesthathavebeenalreadysuggested。Myonlycontributionisthis:letyouryoungfriendclearoutofthePorphyrionFireInsuranceCompanywithallpossiblespeed。“
“Why？“saidMargaret。
Heloweredhisvoice。“Thisisbetweenfriends。
It\'llbeintheReceiver\'shandsbeforeChristmas。It\'llsmash，“
headded，thinkingthatshehadnotunderstood。
“Dearme，Helen，listentothat。Andhe\'llhavetogetanotherplace！“
“Willhave？Lethimleavetheshipbeforeitsinks。Lethimgetonenow。“
“Ratherthanwait，tomakesure？“
“Decidedly。“
“Why\'sthat？“
AgaintheOlympianlaugh，andtheloweredvoice。
“Naturallythemanwho\'sinasituationwhenheappliesstandsabetterchance，isinastrongerposition，thanthemanwhoisn\'t。Itlooksasifhe\'sworthsomething。Iknowbymyself——thisislettingyouintotheStatesecrets——itaffectsanemployergreatly。Humannature，I\'mafraid。“
“Ihadn\'tthoughtofthat，“murmuredMargaret，whileHelensaid，“Ourhumannatureappearstobetheotherwayround。
Weemploypeoplebecausethey\'reunemployed。Thebootman，forinstance。“
“Andhowdoeshecleantheboots？“
“Notwell，“confessedMargaret。
“Thereyouare！“
“Thendoyoureallyadviseustotellthisyouth——“
“Iadvisenothing，“heinterrupted，glancingupanddowntheEmbankment，incasehisindiscretionhadbeenoverheard。
“Ioughtn\'ttohavespoken——butIhappentoknow，beingmoreorlessbehindthescenes。ThePorphyrion\'sabad，badconcern——Now，don\'tsayI
saidso。It\'soutsidetheTariffRing。“
“CertainlyIwon\'tsay。Infact，Idon\'tknowwhatthatmeans。“
“Ithoughtaninsurancecompanyneversmashed，“
wasHelen\'scontribution。“Don\'ttheothersalwaysruninandsavethem？“
“You\'rethinkingofreinsurance，“saidMr。Wilcoxmildly。“ItisexactlytherethatthePorphyrionisweak。Ithastriedtoundercut，hasbeenbadlyhitbyalongseriesofsmallfires，andithasn\'tbeenabletoreinsure。I\'mafraidthatpubliccompaniesdon\'tsaveoneanotherforlove。“
“\'Humannature，\'Isuppose，“quotedHelen，andhelaughedandagreedthatitwas。WhenMargaretsaidthatshesupposedthatclerks，likeeveryoneelse，founditextremelydifficulttogetsituationsinthesedays，hereplied，“Yes，extremely，“androsetorejoinhisfriends。
Heknewbyhisownoffice——seldomavacantpost，andhundredsofapplicantsforit；atpresentnovacantpost。
“Andhow\'sHowardsEndlooking？“saidMargaret，wishingtochangethesubjectbeforetheyparted。Mr。Wilcoxwasalittleapttothinkonewantedtogetsomethingoutofhim。
“It\'slet。“
“Really。Andyouwanderinghomelessinlong-hairedChelsea？HowstrangearethewaysofFate！“
“No；it\'sletunfurnished。We\'vemoved。“
“Why，Ithoughtofyoubothasanchoredthereforever。Evienevertoldme。“
“IdaresaywhenyoumetEviethethingwasn\'tsettled。
Weonlymovedaweekago。Paulhasratherafeelingfortheoldplace，andweheldonforhimtohavehisholidaythere；but，really，itisimpossiblysmall。Endlessdrawbacks。Iforgetwhetheryou\'vebeenuptoit？“
“Asfarasthehouse，never。“
“Well，HowardsEndisoneofthoseconvertedfarms。
Theydon\'treallydo，spendwhatyouwillonthem。Wemessedawaywithagarageallamongthewych-elmroots，andlastyearweenclosedabitofthemeadowandattemptedamockery。EviegotratherkeenonAlpineplants。Butitdidn\'tdo——no，itdidn\'tdo。Youremember，oryoursisterwillremember，thefarmwiththoseabominableguinea-fowls，andthehedgethattheoldwomanneverwouldcutproperly，sothatitallwentthinatthebottom。And，insidethehouse，thebeams——andthestaircasethroughadoor——picturesqueenough，butnotaplacetolivein。“
Heglancedovertheparapetcheerfully。“Fulltide。Andthepositionwasn\'trighteither。Theneighbourhood\'sgettingsuburban。
EitherbeinLondonoroutofit，Isay；sowe\'vetakenahouseinDucieStreet，closetoSloaneStreet，andaplacerightdowninShropshire——OnitonGrange。EverheardofOniton？Docomeandseeus——rightawayfromeverywhere，uptowardsWales。“
“Whatachange！“saidMargaret。Butthechangewasinherownvoice，whichhadbecomemostsad。“Ican\'timagineHowardsEndorHiltonwithoutyou。“
“Hiltonisn\'twithoutus，“hereplied。“Charlesistherestill。“
“Still？“saidMargaret，whohadnotkeptupwiththeCharles\'。“ButIthoughthewasstillatEpsom。TheywerefurnishingthatChristmas——oneChristmas。Howeverythingalters！
IusedtoadmireMrs。Charlesfromourwindowsveryoften。Wasn\'titEpsom？“
“Yes，buttheymovedeighteenmonthsago。
Charles，thegoodchap“——hisvoicedropped——“thoughtIshouldbelonely。
Ididn\'twanthimtomove，buthewould，andtookahouseattheotherendofHilton，downbytheSixHills。Hehadamotor，too。
Theretheyallare，averyjollyparty——heandsheandthetwograndchildren。“
“Imanageotherpeople\'saffairssomuchbetterthantheymanagethemthemselves，“saidMargaretastheyshookhands。
“WhenyoumovedoutofHowardsEnd，IshouldhavemovedMr。CharlesWilcoxintoit。Ishouldhavekeptsoremarkableaplaceinthefamily。“
“Soitis，“hereplied。“Ihaven\'tsoldit，anddon\'tmeanto。“
“No；butnoneofyouarethere。“
“Oh，we\'vegotasplendidtenant——HamarBryce，aninvalid。IfCharleseverwantedit——buthewon\'t。Dollyissodependentonmodernconveniences。No，wehavealldecidedagainstHowardsEnd。Welikeitinaway，butnowwefeelthatitisneitheronethingnortheother。Onemusthaveonethingortheother。“
“Andsomepeopleareluckyenoughtohaveboth。
You\'redoingyourselfproud，Mr。Wilcox。Mycongratulations。“
“Andmine，“saidHelen。
“DoremindEvietocomeandseeus——two，WickhamPlace。Weshan\'tbethereverylong，either。“
“You，too，onthemove？“
“NextSeptember，“Margaretsighed。
“Everyonemoving！Good-bye。“
Thetidehadbeguntoebb。Margaretleantovertheparapetandwatcheditsadly。Mr。Wilcoxhadforgottenhiswife，Helenherlover；sheherselfwasprobablyforgetting。Everyonemoving。Isitworthwhileattemptingthepastwhenthereisthiscontinualfluxevenintheheartsofmen？
Helenrousedherbysaying:“WhataprosperousvulgarianMr。Wilcoxhasgrown！Ihaveverylittleuseforhiminthesedays。
However，hedidtellusaboutthePorphyrion。LetuswritetoMr。
Bastassoonaseverwegethome，andtellhimtoclearoutofitatonce。“
“Do；yes，that\'sworthdoing。Letus。“
“Let\'saskhimtotea。“Chapter16LeonardacceptedtheinvitationtoteanextSaturday。Buthewasright；thevisitprovedaconspicuousfailure。
“Sugar？“saidMargaret。
“Cake？“saidHelen。“Thebigcakeorthelittledeadlies？I\'mafraidyouthoughtmyletterratherodd，butwe\'llexplain——wearen\'todd，really——notaffected，really。We\'reover-expressive:
that\'sall。“
Asalady\'slap-dogLeonarddidnotexcel。
HewasnotanItalian，stilllessaFrenchman，inwhosebloodthererunstheveryspiritofpersiflageandofgraciousrepartee。HiswitwastheCockney\'s；itopenednodoorsintoimagination，andHelenwasdrawnupshortby“Themorealadyhastosay，thebetter，“administeredwaggishly。
“Oh，yes，“shesaid。
“Ladiesbrighten——“
“Yes，Iknow。Thedarlingsareregularsunbeams。
Letmegiveyouaplate。“
“Howdoyoulikeyourwork？“interposedMargaret。
He，too，wasdrawnupshort。Hewouldnothavethesewomenpryingintohiswork。TheywereRomance，andsowastheroomtowhichhehadatlastpenetrated，withthequeersketchesofpeoplebathinguponitswalls，andsoweretheverytea-cups，withtheirdelicatebordersofwildstrawberries。ButhewouldnotletRomanceinterferewithhislife。Thereisthedeviltopaythen。
“Oh，wellenough，“heanswered。
“YourcompanyisthePorphyrion，isn\'tit？“
“Yes，that\'sso“——becomingratheroffended。
“It\'sfunnyhowthingsgetround。“
“Whyfunny？“askedHelen，whodidnotfollowtheworkingsofhismind。“Itwaswrittenaslargeaslifeonyourcard，andconsideringwewrotetoyouthere，andthatyourepliedonthestampedpaper——“
“WouldyoucallthePorphyriononeofthebigInsuranceCompanies？“pursuedMargaret。
“Itdependswhatyoucallbig。“
“Imeanbybig，asolid，well-establishedconcern，thatoffersareasonablygoodcareertoitsemployé；s。“
“Icouldn\'tsay——somewouldtellyouonethingandothersanother，“saidtheemployeuneasily。“Formyownpart“——heshookhishead——“IonlybelievehalfIhear。Notthateven；it\'ssafer。Thosecleveronescometotheworsegrief，I\'veoftennoticed。
Ah，youcan\'tbetoocareful。“
Hedrank，andwipedhismoustache，whichwasgoingtobeoneofthosemoustachesthatalwaysdroopintotea-cups——morebotherthanthey\'reworth，surely，andnotfashionableeither。
“Iquiteagree，andthat\'swhyIwascurioustoknow:isitasolid，well-establishedconcern？“
Leonardhadnoidea。Heunderstoodhisowncornerofthemachine，butnothingbeyondit。Hedesiredtoconfessneitherknowledgenorignorance，andunderthesecircumstances，anothermotionoftheheadseemedsafest。Tohim，astotheBritishpublic，thePorphyrionwasthePorphyrionoftheadvertisement——agiant，intheclassicalstyle，butdrapedsufficiently，whoheldinonehandaburningtorch，andpointedwiththeothertoSt。Paul\'sandWindsorCastle。
Alargesumofmoneywasinscribedbelow，andyoudrewyourownconclusions。
ThisgiantcausedLeonardtodoarithmeticandwriteletters，toexplaintheregulationstonewclients，andre-explainthemtooldones。
Agiantwasofanimpulsivemorality——oneknewthatmuch。HewouldpayforMrs。Munt\'shearth-rugwithostentatioushaste，alargeclaimhewouldrepudiatequietly，andfightcourtbycourt。Buthistruefightingweight，hisantecedents，hisamourswithothermembersofthecommercialPantheon——allthesewereasuncertaintoordinarymortalsasweretheescapadesofZeus。Whilethegodsarepowerful，welearnlittleaboutthem。
Itisonlyinthedaysoftheirdecadencethatastronglightbeatsintoheaven。
“WeweretoldthePorphyrion\'snogo，“blurtedHelen。
“Wewantedtotellyou；that\'swhywewrote。“
“Afriendofoursdidthinkthatitisunsufficientlyreinsured，“saidMargaret。
NowLeonardhadhisclue。HemustpraisethePorphyrion。“Youcantellyourfriend，“hesaid，“thathe\'squitewrong。“
“Oh，good！“
Theyoungmancolouredalittle。Inhiscircletobewrongwasfatal。TheMissSchlegelsdidnotmindbeingwrong。
Theyweregenuinelygladthattheyhadbeenmisinformed。Tothemnothingwasfatalbutevil。
“Wrong，sotospeak，“headded。
“How\'sotospeak\'？“
“ImeanIwouldn\'tsayhe\'srightaltogether。“
Butthiswasablunder。“Thenheisrightpartly，“saidtheelderwoman，quickaslightning。
Leonardrepliedthateveryonewasrightpartly，ifitcametothat。
“Mr。Bast，Idon\'tunderstandbusiness，andIdaresaymyquestionsarestupid，butcanyoutellmewhatmakesaconcern\'right\'
or\'wrong\'？“
Leonardsatbackwithasigh。
“Ourfriend，whoisalsoabusinessman，wassopositive。HesaidbeforeChristmas——“
“Andadvisedyoutoclearoutofit，“concludedHelen。“ButIdon\'tseewhyheshouldknowbetterthanyoudo。“
Leonardrubbedhishands。Hewastemptedtosaythatheknewnothingaboutthethingatall。Butacommercialtrainingwastoostrongforhim。Norcouldhesayitwasabadthing，forthiswouldbegivingitaway；noryetthatitwasgood，forthiswouldbegivingitawayequally。Heattemptedtosuggestthatitwassomethingbetweenthetwo，withvastpossibilitiesineitherdirection，butbrokedownunderthegazeoffoursincereeyes。Asyethescarcelydistinguishedbetweenthetwosisters。Onewasmorebeautifulandmorelively，but“theMissSchlegels“stillremainedacompositeIndiangod，whosewavingarmsandcontradictoryspeechesweretheproductofasinglemind。
“Onecanbutsee，“heremarked，adding，“asIbsensays，\'thingshappen。\'“Hewasitchingtotalkaboutbooksandmakethemostofhisromantichour。Minuteafterminuteslippedaway，whiletheladies，withimperfectskill，discussedthesubjectofreinsuranceorpraisedtheiranonymousfriend。Leonardgrewannoyed——perhapsrightly。Hemadevagueremarksaboutnotbeingoneofthosewhomindedtheiraffairsbeingtalkedoverbyothers，buttheydidnottakethehint。
Menmighthaveshownmoretact。Women，howevertactfulelsewhere，areheavy-handedhere。Theycannotseewhyweshouldshroudourincomesandourprospectsinaveil。“Howmuchexactlyhaveyou，andhowmuchdoyouexpecttohavenextJune？“Andthesewerewomenwithatheory，whoheldthatreticenceaboutmoneymattersisabsurd，andthatlifewouldbetruerifeachwouldstatetheexactsizeofthegoldenislanduponwhichhestands，theexactstretchofwarpoverwhichhethrowsthewoofthatisnotmoney。Howcanwedojusticetothepatternotherwise？
Andthepreciousminutesslippedaway，andJackyandsqualorcamenearer。Atlasthecouldbearitnolonger，andbrokein，recitingthenamesofbooksfeverishly。TherewasamomentofpiercingjoywhenMargaretsaid，“SoyoulikeCarlyle，“andthenthedooropened，and“Mr。Wilcox，MissWilcox“entered，precededbytwoprancingpuppies。
“Oh，thedears！Oh，Evie，howtooimpossiblysweet！“screamedHelen，fallingonherhandsandknees。
“Webroughtthelittlefellowsround，“saidMr。
Wilcox。
“Ibred\'emmyself。“
“Oh，really！Mr。Bast，comeandplaywithpuppies。“
“I\'vegottobegoingnow，“saidLeonardsourly。
“Butplaywithpuppiesalittlefirst。“
“ThisisAhab，that\'sJezebel，“saidEvie，whowasoneofthosewhonameanimalsafterthelesssuccessfulcharactersofOldTestamenthistory。
“I\'vegottobegoing。“
Helenwastoomuchoccupiedwithpuppiestonoticehim。
“Mr。Wilcox，Mr。Ba——Mustyoubereally？Good-bye！“
“Comeagain，“saidHelenfromthefloor。
ThenLeonard\'sgorgearose。Whyshouldhecomeagain？Whatwasthegoodofit？Hesaidroundly:“No，Ishan\'t；Iknewitwouldbeafailure。“
Mostpeoplewouldhavelethimgo。“Alittlemistake。Wetriedknowinganotherclass——impossible。“ButtheSchlegelshadneverplayedwithlife。Theyhadattemptedfriendship，andtheywouldtaketheconsequences。Helenretorted，“Icallthataveryruderemark。Whatdoyouwanttoturnonmelikethatfor？“
andsuddenlythedrawing-roomre-echoedtoavulgarrow。
“YouaskmewhyIturnonyou？“
“Yes。“
“Whatdoyouwanttohavemeherefor？“
“Tohelpyou，yousillyboy！“criedHelen。
“Anddon\'tshout。“
“Idon\'twantyourpatronage。Idon\'twantyourtea。Iwasquitehappy。Whatdoyouwanttounsettlemefor？“HeturnedtoMr。Wilcox。“Iputittothisgentleman。
Iaskyou，sir，amtohavemybrainpicked？“
Mr。WilcoxturnedtoMargaretwiththeairofhumorousstrengththathecouldsowellcommand。“Areweintruding，MissSchlegel？
Canwebeofanyuseorshallwego？“
ButMargaretignoredhim。
“I\'mconnectedwithaleadinginsurancecompany，sir。IreceivewhatItaketobeaninvitationfromthese——ladies“
hedrawledtheword。“Icome，andit\'stohavemybrainpicked。
Iaskyou，isitfair？“
“Highlyunfair，“saidMr。Wilcox，drawingagaspfromEvie，whoknewthatherfatherwasbecomingdangerous。
“There，youhearthat？Mostunfair，thegentlemansays。There！Notcontentwith“——pointingatMargaret——“youcan\'tdenyit。“Hisvoicerose:hewasfallingintotherhythmofascenewithJacky。“ButassoonasI\'musefulit\'saverydifferentthing。
\'Ohyes，sendforhim。Cross-questionhim。Pickhisbrains。\'
Ohyes。Now，takemeonthewhole，I\'maquietfellow:I\'mlaw-abiding，Idon\'twishanyunpleasantness；butI——I——“
“You，“saidMargaret——“you——you——“
LaughterfromEvie，asatarepartee。
“YouarethemanwhotriedtowalkbythePoleStar。“
Morelaughter。
“Yousawthesunrise。“
Laughter。
“Youtriedtogetawayfromthefogsthatarestiflingusall——awaypastbooksandhousestothetruth。Youwerelookingforarealhome。“
“Ifailtoseetheconnection，“saidLeonard，hotwithstupidanger。
“SodoI。“Therewasapause。“YouwerethatlastSunday——youarethistoday。Mr。Bast！Iandmysisterhavetalkedyouover。Wewantedtohelpyou；wealsosupposedyoumighthelpus。Wedidnothaveyouhereoutofcharity——whichboresus——butbecausewehopedtherewouldbeaconnectionbetweenlastSundayandotherdays。Whatisthegoodofyourstarsandtrees，yoursunriseandthewind，iftheydonotenterintoourdailylives？Theyhaveneverenteredintomine，butintoyours，wethought——Haven\'twealltostruggleagainstlife\'sdailygreyness，againstpettiness，againstmechanicalcheerfulness，againstsuspicion？Istrugglebyrememberingmyfriends；
othersIhaveknownbyrememberingsomeplace——somebelovedplaceortree——wethoughtyouoneofthese。“
“Ofcourse，ifthere\'sbeenanymisunderstanding，“
mumbledLeonard，“allIcandoistogo。ButIbegtostate——“Hepaused。AhabandJezebeldancedathisbootsandmadehimlookridiculous。
“Youwerepickingmybrainforofficialinformation——Icanproveit——I——Heblewhisnoseandleftthem。
“CanIhelpyounow？“saidMr。Wilcox，turningtoMargaret。“MayIhaveonequietwordwithhiminthehall？“
“Helen，goafterhim——doanything——anything——tomakethenoodleunderstand。“
Helenhesitated。
“Butreally——“saidtheirvisitor。“Oughtsheto？“
Atonceshewent。
Heresumed。“Iwouldhavechimedin，butI
feltthatyoucouldpolishhimoffforyourselves——Ididn\'tinterfere。
Youweresplendid，MissSchlegel——absolutelysplendid。Youcantakemywordforit，butthereareveryfewwomenwhocouldhavemanagedhim。“
“Ohyes，“saidMargaretdistractedly。
“Bowlinghimoverwiththoselongsentenceswaswhatfetchedme，“criedEvie。
“Yes，indeed，“chuckledherfather；“allthatpartabout\'mechanicalcheerfulness\'——oh，fine！“
“I\'mverysorry，“saidMargaret，collectingherself。
“He\'sanicecreaturereally。Icannotthinkwhatsethimoff。
Ithasbeenmostunpleasantforyou。“
“Oh，Ididn\'tmind。“Thenhechangedhismood。Heaskedifhemightspeakasanoldfriend，and，permissiongiven，said:“Oughtn\'tyoureallytobemorecareful？“
Margaretlaughed，thoughherthoughtsstillstrayedafterHelen。“Doyourealizethatit\'sallyourfault？“shesaid。
“You\'reresponsible。“
“I？“
“ThisistheyoungmanwhomweweretowarnagainstthePorphyrion。Wewarnhim，and——look！“
Mr。Wilcoxwasannoyed。“Ihardlyconsiderthatafairdeduction，“hesaid。
“Obviouslyunfair，“saidMargaret。“Iwasonlythinkinghowtangledthingsare。It\'sourfaultmostly——neitheryoursnorhis。“
“Nothis？“
“No。“
“MissSchlegel，youaretookind。“
“Yes，indeed，“noddedEvie，alittlecontemptuously。
“Youbehavemuchtoowelltopeople，andthentheyimposeonyou。Iknowtheworldandthattypeofman，andassoonasIenteredtheroomIsawyouhadnotbeentreatinghimproperly。
Youmustkeepthattypeatadistance。Otherwisetheyforgetthemselves。
Sad，buttrue。Theyaren\'toursort，andonemustfacethefact。“
“Ye-es。“
“Doadmitthatweshouldneverhavehadtheoutburstifhewasagentleman。“
“Iadmititwillingly，“saidMargaret，whowaspacingupanddowntheroom。“Agentlemanwouldhavekepthissuspicionstohimself。“
Mr。Wilcoxwatchedherwithavagueuneasiness。
“Whatdidhesuspectyouof？“
“Ofwantingtomakemoneyoutofhim。“
“Intolerablebrute！Buthowwereyoutobenefit？“
“Exactly。Howindeed！Justhorrible，corrodingsuspicion。Onetouchofthoughtorofgoodwillwouldhavebrusheditaway。Justthesenselessfearthatdoesmakemenintolerablebrutes。“
“Icomebacktomyoriginalpoint。Yououghttobemorecareful，MissSchlegel。Yourservantsoughttohaveordersnottoletsuchpeoplein。“
Sheturnedtohimfrankly。“Letmeexplainexactlywhywelikethisman，andwanttoseehimagain。“
“That\'syourcleverwayofthinking。Ishallneverbelieveyoulikehim。“
“Ido。Firstly，becausehecaresforphysicaladventure，justasyoudo。Yes，yougomotoringandshooting；hewouldliketogocampingout。Secondly，hecaresforsomethingspecialinadventure。Itisquickesttocallthatspecialsomethingpoetry——“
“Oh，he\'soneofthatwritersort。“
“No——ohno！Imeanhemaybe，butitwouldbeloathsomestiff。Hisbrainisfilledwiththehusksofbooks，culture——horrible；wewanthimtowashouthisbrainandgototherealthing。Wewanttoshowhimhowhemaygetupsideswithlife。
AsIsaid，eitherfriendsorthecountry，some“——shehesitated——“eithersomeverydearpersonorsomeverydearplaceseemsnecessarytorelievelife\'sdailygrey，andtoshowthatitisgrey。Ifpossible，oneshouldhaveboth。“
SomeofherwordsranpastMr。Wilcox。Heletthemrunpast。Othershecaughtandcriticizedwithadmirablelucidity。
“Yourmistakeisthis，anditisaverycommonmistake。
Thisyoungbounderhasalifeofhisown。Whatrighthaveyoutoconcludeitisanunsuccessfullife，or，asyoucallit，\'grey\'？“
“Because——“
“Oneminute。Youknownothingabouthim。
Heprobablyhashisownjoysandinterests——wife，children，snuglittlehome。That\'swherewepracticalfellows“——hesmiled——“aremoretolerantthanyouintellectuals。Weliveandletlive，andassumethatthingsarejoggingonfairlywellelsewhere，andthattheordinaryplainmanmaybetrustedtolookafterhisownaffairs。Iquitegrant——Ilookatthefacesoftheclerksinmyownoffice，andobservethemtobedull，butIdon\'tknowwhat\'sgoingonbeneath。So，bytheway，withLondon。
IhaveheardyourailagainstLondon，MissSchlegel，anditseemsafunnythingtosaybutIwasveryangrywithyou。WhatdoyouknowaboutLondon？Youonlyseecivilizationfromtheoutside。Idon\'tsayinyourcase，butintoomanycasesthatattitudeleadstomorbidity，discontent，andSocialism。“
Sheadmittedthestrengthofhisposition，thoughitunderminedimagination。Ashespoke，someoutpostsofpoetryandperhapsofsympathyfellruining，andsheretreatedtowhatshecalledher“secondline“——tothespecialfactsofthecase。
“Hiswifeisanoldbore，“shesaidsimply。
“HenevercamehomelastSaturdaynightbecausehewantedtobealone，andshethoughthewaswithus。“
“Withyou？“
“Yes。“Evietittered。“Hehasn\'tgotthecosyhomethatyouassumed。Heneedsoutsideinterests。“
“Naughtyyoungman！“criedthegirl。
“Naughty？“saidMargaret，whohatednaughtinessmorethansin。“Whenyou\'remarried，MissWilcox，won\'tyouwantoutsideinterests？“
“Hehasapparentlygotthem，“putinMr。Wilcoxslyly。
“Yes，indeed，Father。“
“HewastrampinginSurrey，ifyoumeanthat，“saidMargaret，pacingawayrathercrossly。
“Oh，Idaresay！“
“MissWilcox，hewas！“
“M-m-m-m！“fromMr。Wilcox，whothoughttheepisodeamusing，ifrisqué；。Withmostladieshewouldnothavediscussedit，buthewastradingonMargaret\'sreputationasanemanicipatedwoman。
“Hesaidso，andaboutsuchathinghewouldn\'tlie。“
Theybothbegantolaugh。
“That\'swhereIdifferfromyou。Menlieabouttheirpositionsandprospects，butnotaboutathingofthatsort。“
Heshookhishead。“MissSchlegel，excuseme，butIknowthetype。“
“Isaidbefore——heisn\'tatype。Hecaresaboutadventuresrightly。He\'scertainthatoursmugexistenceisn\'tall。He\'svulgarandhystericalandbookish，butIdon\'tthinkthatsumshimup。There\'smanhoodinhimaswell。Yes，that\'swhatI\'mtryingtosay。He\'sarealman。“
Asshespoketheireyesmet，anditwasasifMr。
Wilcox\'sdefencesfell。Shesawbacktotherealmaninhim。
Unwittinglyshehadtouchedhisemotions。Awomanandtwomen——theyhadformedthemagictriangleofsex，andthemalewasthrilledtojealousy，incasethefemalewasattractedbyanothermale。Love，saytheascetics，revealsourshamefulkinshipwiththebeasts。Beitso:onecanbearthat；jealousyistherealshame。Itisjealousy，notlove，thatconnectsuswiththefarmyardintolerably，andcallsupvisionsoftwoangrycocksandacomplacenthen。Margaretcrushedcomplacencydownbecauseshewascivilized。Mr。Wilcox，uncivilized，continuedtofeelangerlongafterhehadrebuilthisdefences，andwasagainpresentingabastiontotheworld。
“MissSchlegel，you\'reapairofdearcreatures，butyoureallymustbecarefulinthisuncharitableworld。
Whatdoesyourbrothersay？“
“Iforget。“
“Surelyhehassomeopinion？“
“Helaughs，ifIremembercorrectly。“
“He\'sveryclever，isn\'the？“saidEvie，whohadmetanddetestedTibbyatOxford。
“Yes，prettywell——butIwonderwhatHelen\'sdoing。“
“Sheisveryyoungtoundertakethissortofthing，“
saidMr。Wilcox。
Margaretwentoutintothelanding。Sheheardnosound，andMr。Bast\'stopperwasmissingfromthehall。
“Helen！“shecalled。
“Yes！“repliedavoicefromthelibrary。
“Youinthere？“
“Yes——he\'sgonesometime。“
Margaretwenttoher。“Why，you\'reallalone，“
shesaid。
“Yes——it\'sallright，Meg——Poor，poorcreature——“
“ComebacktotheWilcoxesandtellmelater——Mr。
W。muchconcerned，andslightlytitillated。“
“Oh，I\'venopatiencewithhim。Ihatehim。
PoordearMr。Bast！hewantedtotalkliterature，andwewouldtalkbusiness。Suchamuddleofaman，andyetsoworthpullingthrough。
Ilikehimextraordinarily。“
“Welldone，“saidMargaret，kissingher，“butcomeintothedrawing-roomnow，anddon\'ttalkabouthimtotheWilcoxes。
Makelightofthewholething。“
Helencameandbehavedwithacheerfulnessthatreassuredtheirvisitor——thishenatalleventswasfancy-free。
“He\'sgonewithmyblessing，“shecried，“andnowforpuppies。“
Astheydroveaway，Mr。Wilcoxsaidtohisdaughter:
“Iamreallyconcernedatthewaythosegirlsgoon。Theyareascleverasyoumake\'em，butunpractical——Godblessme！Oneofthesedaysthey\'llgotoofar。Girlslikethatoughtn\'ttolivealoneinLondon。Untiltheymarry，theyoughttohavesomeonetolookafterthem。Wemustlookinmoreoften——we\'rebetterthannoone。Youlikethem，don\'tyou，Evie？“
Eviereplied:“Helen\'srightenough，butIcan\'tstandthetoothyone。AndIshouldn\'thavecalledeitherofthemgirls。“
Eviehadgrownuphandsome。Dark-eyed，withtheglowofyouthundersunburn，builtfirmlyandfirm-lipped，shewasthebesttheWilcoxescoulddointhewayoffemininebeauty。Forthepresent，puppiesandherfatherweretheonlythingssheloved，butthenetofmatrimonywasbeingpreparedforher，andafewdayslatershewasattractedtoaMr。PercyCahill，anuncleofMrs。Charles，andhewasattractedtoher。Chapter17TheAgeofPropertyholdsbittermomentsevenforaproprietor。Whenamoveisimminent，furniturebecomesridiculous，andMargaretnowlayawakeatnightswonderingwhere，whereonearththeyandalltheirbelongingswouldbedepositedinSeptembernext。Chairs，tables，pictures，books，thathadrumbleddowntothemthroughthegenerations，mustrumbleforwardagainlikeaslideofrubbishtowhichshelongedtogivethefinalpush，andsendtopplingintothesea。Buttherewerealltheirfather\'sbooks——theyneverreadthem，buttheyweretheirfather\'s，andmustbekept。Therewasthemarble-toppedchiffonier——theirmotherhadsetstorebyit，theycouldnotrememberwhy。Roundeveryknobandcushioninthehousesentimentgathered，asentimentthatwasattimespersonal，butmoreoftenafaintpietytothedead，aprolongationofritesthatmighthaveendedatthegrave。
Itwasabsurd，ifyoucametothinkofit；HelenandTibbycametothinkofit:Margaretwastoobusywiththehouse-agents。
Thefeudalownershipoflanddidbringdignity，whereasthemodernownershipofmovablesisreducingusagaintoanomadichorde。Wearerevertingtothecivilizationofluggage，andhistoriansofthefuturewillnotehowthemiddleclassesaccretedpossessionswithouttakingrootintheearth，andmayfindinthisthesecretoftheirimaginativepoverty。
TheSchlegelswerecertainlythepoorerforthelossofWickhamPlace。
Ithadhelpedtobalancetheirlives，andalmosttocounselthem。
Noristheirground-landlordspirituallythericher。Hehasbuiltflatsonitssite，hismotor-carsgrowswifter，hisexposuresofSocialismmoretrenchant。Buthehasspiltthepreciousdistillationoftheyears，andnochemistryofhiscangiveitbacktosocietyagain。
Margaretgrewdepressed；shewasanxioustosettleonahousebeforetheylefttowntopaytheirannualvisittoMrs。Munt。
Sheenjoyedthisvisit，andwantedtohavehermindateaseforit。
Swanage，thoughdull，wasstable，andthisyearshelongedmorethanusualforitsfreshairandforthemagnificentdownsthatguarditonthenorth。
ButLondonthwartedher；initsatmosphereshecouldnotconcentrate。
Londononlystimulates，itcannotsustain；andMargaret，hurryingoveritssurfaceforahousewithoutknowingwhatsortofahouseshewanted，waspayingformanyathrillingsensationinthepast。Shecouldnotevenbreakloosefromculture，andhertimewaswastedbyconcertswhichitwouldbeasintomiss，andinvitationswhichitwouldneverdotorefuse。Atlastshegrewdesperate；sheresolvedthatshewouldgonowhereandbeathometonooneuntilshefoundahouse，andbroketheresolutioninhalfanhour。
OnceshehadhumorouslylamentedthatshehadneverbeentoSimpson\'srestaurantintheStrand。NowanotearrivedfromMissWilcox，askinghertolunchthere。Mr。Cahillwascoming，andthethreewouldhavesuchajollychat，andperhapsendupattheHippodrome。
MargarethadnostrongregardforEvie，andnodesiretomeetherfiancé；，andshewassurprisedthatHelen，whohadbeenfarfunnieraboutSimpson\'s，hadnotbeenaskedinstead。Buttheinvitationtouchedherbyitsintimatetone。ShemustknowEvieWilcoxbetterthanshesupposed，anddeclaringthatshe“simplymust，“sheaccepted。
ButwhenshesawEvieattheentranceoftherestaurant，staringfiercelyatnothingafterthefashionofathleticwomen，herheartfailedheranew。MissWilcoxhadchangedperceptiblysinceherengagement。
Hervoicewasgruffer，hermannermoredownright，andshewasinclinedtopatronizethemorefoolishvirgin。Margaretwassillyenoughtobepainedatthis。Depressedatherisolation，shesawnotonlyhousesandfurniture，butthevesseloflifeitselfslippingpasther，withpeoplelikeEvieandMr。Cahillonboard。
Therearemomentswhenvirtueandwisdomfailus，andoneofthemcametoheratSimpson\'sintheStrand。Asshetrodthestaircase，narrow，butcarpetedthickly，assheenteredtheeating-room，wheresaddlesofmuttonwerebeingtrundleduptoexpectantclergymen，shehadastrong，iferroneous，convictionofherownfutility，andwishedshehadnevercomeoutofherbackwater，wherenothinghappenedexceptartandliterature，andwherenooneevergotmarriedorsucceededinremainingengaged。Thencamealittlesurprise。“Fathermightbeoftheparty——yes，Fatherwas。“Withasmileofpleasureshemovedforwardtogreethim，andherfeelingoflonelinessvanished。
“IthoughtI\'dgetroundifIcould，“saidhe。
“Evietoldmeofherlittleplan，soIjustslippedinandsecuredatable。
Alwayssecureatablefirst。Evie，don\'tpretendyouwanttositbyyouroldfather，becauseyoudon\'t。MissSchlegel，comeinmyside，outofpity。Mygoodness，butyoulooktired！Beenworryingroundafteryouryoungclerks？“
“No，afterhouses，“saidMargaret，edgingpasthimintothebox。“I\'mhungry，nottired；Iwanttoeatheaps。“
“That\'sgood。What\'llyouhave？“
“Fishpie，“saidshe，withaglanceatthemenu。
“Fishpie！FancycomingforfishpietoSimpson\'s。
It\'snotabitthethingtogoforhere。“
“Goforsomethingforme，then，“saidMargaret，pullingoffhergloves。Herspiritswererising，andhisreferencetoLeonardBasthadwarmedhercuriously。
“Saddleofmutton，“saidheafterprofoundreflection:
“andcidertodrink。That\'sthetypeofthing。Ilikethisplace，forajoke，onceinaway。ItissothoroughlyOldEnglish。
Don\'tyouagree？“
“Yes，“saidMargaret，whodidn\'t。Theorderwasgiven，thejointrolledup，andthecarver，underMr。Wilcox\'sdirection，cutthemeatwhereitwassucculent，andpiledtheirplateshigh。
Mr。Cahillinsistedonsirloin，butadmittedthathehadmadeamistakelateron。HeandEviesoonfellintoaconversationofthe“No，I
didn\'t；yes，youdid“type——conversationwhich，thoughfascinatingtothosewhoareengagedinit，neitherdesiresnordeservestheattentionofothers。
“It\'sagoldenruletotipthecarver。Tipeverywhere\'smymotto。“
“Perhapsitdoesmakelifemorehuman。“
“Thenthefellowsknowoneagain。EspeciallyintheEast，ifyoutip，theyrememberyoufromyear\'sendtoyear\'send。
“HaveyoubeenintheEast？“
“Oh，GreeceandtheLevant。IusedtogooutforsportandbusinesstoCyprus；somemilitarysocietyofasortthere。
Afewpiastres，properlydistributed，helptokeepone\'smemorygreen。
Butyou，ofcourse，thinkthisshockinglycynical。How\'syourdiscussionsocietygettingon？AnynewUtopiaslately？“
“No，I\'mhouse-hunting，Mr。Wilcox，asI\'vealreadytoldyouonce。Doyouknowofanyhouses？“
“AfraidIdon\'t。“
“Well，what\'sthepointofbeingpracticalifyoucan\'tfindtwodistressedfemalesahouse？Wemerelywantasmallhousewithlargerooms，andplentyofthem。“
“Evie，Ilikethat！MissSchlegelexpectsmetoturnhouseagentforher！“
“What\'sthat，Father？
“IwantanewhomeinSeptember，andsomeonemustfindit。Ican\'t。“
“Percy，doyouknowofanything？“
“Ican\'tsayIdo，“saidMr。Cahill。
“Howlikeyou！You\'reneveranygood。“
“Neveranygood。Justlistentoher！
Neveranygood。Oh，come！“
“Well，youaren\'t。MissSchlegel，ishe？“
Thetorrentoftheirlove，havingsplashedthesedropsatMargaret，sweptawayonitshabitualcourse。Shesympathizedwithitnow，foralittlecomforthadrestoredhergeniality。Speechandsilencepleasedherequally，andwhileMr。Wilcoxmadesomepreliminaryinquiriesaboutcheese，hereyessurveyedtherestaurant，andadmireditswell-calculatedtributestothesolidityofourpast。ThoughnomoreOldEnglishthantheworksofKipling，ithadselecteditsreminiscencessoadroitlythathercriticismwaslulled，andtheguestswhomitwasnourishingforimperialpurposesboretheoutersemblanceofParsonAdamsorTomJones。
Scrapsoftheirtalkjarredoddlyontheear。“Rightyouare！
I\'llcableouttoUgandathisevening，“camefromthetablebehind。
“TheirEmperorwantswar；well，lethimhaveit，“wastheopinionofaclergyman。Shesmiledatsuchincongruities。“Nexttime，“shesaidtoMr。Wilcox，“youshallcometolunchwithmeatMr。EustaceMiles\'s。“
“Withpleasure。“
“No，you\'dhateit，“shesaid，pushingherglasstowardshimforsomemorecider。“It\'sallproteidsandbody-buildings，andpeoplecomeuptoyouandbegyourpardon，butyouhavesuchabeautifulaura。“
“Awhat？“
“Neverheardofanaura？Oh，happy，happyman！Iscrubatmineforhours。Norofanastralplane？“
Hehadheardofastralplanes，andcensuredthem。
“Justso。LuckilyitwasHelen\'saura，notmine，andshehadtochaperoneitanddothepolitenesses。Ijustsatwithmyhandkerchiefinmymouthtillthemanwent。“
“Funnyexperiencesseemtocometoyoutwogirls。
Noone\'severaskedmeaboutmy——whatd\'yecallit？PerhapsI\'venotgotone。“
“You\'reboundtohaveone，butitmaybesuchaterriblecolourthatnoonedaresmentionit。“
“Tellme，though，MissSchlegel，doyoureallybelieveinthesupernaturalandallthat？“
“Toodifficultaquestion。“
“Why\'sthat？Gruyè；reorStilton？“
“Gruyè；re，please。“
“BetterhaveStilton。“
“Stilton。Because，thoughIdon\'tbelieveinauras，andthinkTheosophy\'sonlyahalfway-house——“
“——Yettheremaybesomethinginitallthesame，“
heconcluded，withafrown。
“Noteventhat。Itmaybehalfwayinthewrongdirection。Ican\'texplain。Idon\'tbelieveinallthesefads，andyetIdon\'tlikesayingthatIdon\'tbelieveinthem。“
Heseemedunsatisfied，andsaid:“Soyouwouldn\'tgivemeyourwordthatyoudon\'tholdwithastralbodiesandalltherestofit？“
“Icould，“saidMargaret，surprisedthatthepointwasofanyimportancetohim。“Indeed，Iwill。WhenItalkedaboutscrubbingmyaura，Iwasonlytryingtobefunny。Butwhydoyouwantthissettled？“
“Idon\'tknow。“
“Now，Mr。Wilcox，youdoknow。“
“Yes，Iam，““No，you\'renot，“burstfromtheloversopposite。Margaretwassilentforamoment，andthenchangedthesubject。
“How\'syourhouse？“
“Muchthesameaswhenyouhonoureditlastweek。“
“Idon\'tmeanDucieStreet。HowardsEnd，ofcourse。“
“Why\'ofcourse\'？“
“Can\'tyouturnoutyourtenantandletittous？
We\'renearlydemented。“
“Letmethink。IwishIcouldhelpyou。