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〃Poor things! they have a lot to bear。〃



〃The little children!〃  murmured Aunt Charlotte; with a flushing

cheek and shining eyes; 〃it 's rather pathetic。〃



〃Children indeed!〃  said Mrs。 Mattock。  〃It puts me out of all

patience to see the way that they neglect them。  People are so

sentimental about the poor。〃



Lady Bonington creaked again。  Her splendid shoulders were wedged

into her chair; her fine dark hair; gleaming with silver; sprang back

upon her brow; a ruby bracelet glowed on the powerful wrist that held

the journal; she rocked her copper…slippered foot。  She did not

appear to be too sentimental。



〃I know they often have a very easy time;〃 said Mrs。 Mattock; as if

some one had injured her severely。  And Shelton saw; not without

pity; that Fate had scored her kind and squashed…up face with

wrinkles; whose tiny furrows were eloquent of good intentions

frustrated by the unpractical and discontented poor。  〃Do what you

will; they are never satisfied; they only resent one's help; or else

they take the help and never thank you for it!〃



〃Oh!〃  murmured Aunt Charlotte; 〃that's rather hard。〃



Shelton had been growing; more uneasy。  He said abruptly:



〃I should do the same if I were they。〃



Mrs。 Mattock's brown eyes flew at him; Lady Bonington spoke to the

Times; her ruby bracelet and a bangle jingled。



〃We ought to put ourselves in their places。〃



Shelton could not help a smile; Lady Bonington in the places of the

poor!



〃Oh!〃  exclaimed Mrs。 Mattock; 〃I put myself entirely in their place。

I quite understand their feelings。  But ingratitude is a repulsive

quality。〃



〃They seem unable to put themselves in your place;〃 murmured Shelton;

and in a fit of courage he took the room in with a sweeping glance。



Yes; that room was wonderfully consistent; with its air of perfect

second…handedness; as if each picture; and each piece of furniture;

each book; each lady present; had been made from patterns。  They were

all widely different; yet all (like works of art seen in some

exhibitions) had the look of being after the designs of some original

spirit。  The whole room was chaste; restrained; derived; practical;

and comfortable; neither in virtue nor in work; neither in manner;

speech; appearance; nor in theory; could it give itself away。









CHAPTER XXIII



THE STAINED…GLASS MAN



Still looking for Antonia; Shelton went up to the morning…room。  Thea

Dennant and another girl were seated in the window; talking。  From

the look they gave him he saw that he had better never have been

born; he hastily withdrew。  Descending to the hall; he came on Mr。

Dennant crossing to his study; with a handful of official…looking

papers。



〃Ah; Shelton!〃  said he; 〃you look a little lost。  Is the shrine

invisible?〃



Shelton grinned; said 〃Yes;〃 and went on looking。  He was not

fortunate。  In the dining…room sat Mrs。 Dennant; making up her list

of books。



〃Do give me your opinion; Dick;〃 she said。  〃Everybody 's readin'

this thing of Katherine Asterick's; I believe it's simply because

she's got a title。〃



〃One must read a book for some reason or other;〃 answered Shelton。



〃Well;〃 returned Mrs。 Dennant; 〃I hate doin' things just because

other people do them; and I sha'n't get it。〃



〃Good!〃



Mrs。 Dennant marked the catalogue。



〃Here 's Linseed's last; of course; though I must say I don't care

for him; but I suppose we ought to have it in the house。  And there's

Quality's 'The Splendid Diatribes': that 's sure to be good; he's

always so refined。  But what am I to do about this of Arthur Baal's?

They say that he's a charlatan; but everybody reads him; don't you

know〃; and over the catalogue Shelton caught the gleam of hare…like

eyes。



Decision had vanished from her face; with its arched nose and

slightly sloping chin; as though some one had suddenly appealed to

her to trust her instincts。  It was quite pathetic。  Still; there was

always the book's circulation to form her judgment by。



〃I think I 'd better mark it;〃 she said; 〃don't you?  Were you

lookin' for Antonia?  If you come across Bunyan in the garden; Dick;

do say I want to see him; he's gettin' to be a perfect nuisance。  I

can understand his feelin's; but really he 's carryin' it too far。〃



Primed with his message to the under…gardener; Shelton went。  He took

a despairing look into the billiard…room。  Antonia was not there。

Instead; a tall and fat…cheeked gentleman with a neat moustache;

called Mabbey; was practising the spot…stroke。  He paused as Shelton

entered; and; pouting like a baby; asked in a sleepy voice;



〃Play me a hundred up?〃



Shelton shook his head; stammered out his sorrow; and was about to

go。



The gentleman called Mabbey; plaintively feeling the places where his

moustaches joined his pink and glossy cheeks; asked with an air of

some surprise;



〃What's your general game; then?〃



〃I really don't know;〃 said Shelton。



The gentleman called Mabbey chalked his cue; and; moving his round;

knock…kneed legs in their tight trousers; took up his position for

the stroke。



〃What price that?〃 he said; as he regained the perpendicular; and his

well…fed eyes followed Shelton with sleepy inquisition。  〃Curious

dark horse; Shelton;〃 they seemed to say。



Shelton hurried out; and was about to run down the lower lawn; when

he was accosted by another person walking in the sunshinea slight…

built man in a turned…down collar; with a thin and fair moustache;

and a faint bluish tint on one side of his high forehead; caused by a

network of thin veins。  His face had something of the youthful;

optimistic; stained…glass look peculiar to the refined English type。

He walked elastically; yet with trim precision; as if he had a

pleasant taste in furniture and churches; and held the Spectator in

his hand。



〃Ah; Shelton!  〃he said in high…tuned tones; halting his legs in such

an easy attitude that it was impossible to interrupt it: 〃come to

take the air?〃



Shelton's own brown face; nondescript nose; and his amiable but

dogged chin contrasted strangely with the clear…cut features of the

stained…glass man。



〃I hear from Halidome that you're going to stand for Parliament;〃 the

latter said。



Shelton; recalling Halidome's autocratic manner of settling other

people's business; smiled。



〃Do I look like it?〃 he asked。



The eyebrows quivered on the stained…glass man。  It had never

occurred to him; perhaps; that to stand for Parliament a man must

look like it; he examined Shelton with some curiosity。



〃Ah; well;〃 he said; 〃now you mention it; perhaps not。〃  His eyes; so

carefully ironical; although they differed from the eyes of Mabbey;

also seemed to ask of Shelton what sort of a dark horse he was。



〃You 're still in the Domestic Office; then?〃 asked Shelton。



The stained…glass man stooped to sniff a rosebush。  〃Yes;〃 he said;

〃it suits me very well。  I get lots of time for my art work。〃



〃That must be very interesting;〃 said Shelton; whose glance was

roving for Antonia; 〃I never managed to begin a hobby。〃



〃Never had a hobby!〃  said the stained…glass man; brushing back his

hair (he was walking with no hat); 〃why; what the deuce d' you do?〃



Shelton could not answer; the idea had never troubled him。



〃I really don't know;〃 he said; embarrassed; 〃there's always

something going on; as far as I can see。〃



The stained…glass man placed his hands within his pockets; and his

bright glance swept over his companion。



〃A fellow must have a hobby to give him an interest in life;〃 he

said。



〃An interest in life?〃 repeated Shelton grimly; 〃life itself is good

enough for me。〃



〃Oh!〃 replied the stained…glass man; as though he disapproved of

regarding life itself as interesting。



〃That's all very well; but you want something more than that。  Why

don't you take up woodcarving?〃



〃Wood…carving?〃



〃The moment I get fagged with office papers and that sort of thing I

take up my wood…carving; good as a game of hockey。〃



〃I have n't the enthusiasm。〃



The eyebrows of the stained…glass man twitched; he twisted his

moustache。



〃You 'll find not having a hobby does n't pay;〃 he said; 〃you 'll get

old; then where 'll you be?〃



It came as a surprise that he should use the words 〃it does n't pay;〃

for he had a kind of partially enamelled look; like that modern

jewellery which really seems unconscious of its market value。



〃You've given up the Bar?  Don't you get awfully bored having nothing

to do?〃 pursued the stained…glass man; stopping before an ancient

sundial。



Shelton felt a delicacy; as a man naturally would; in explaining that

being in love was in itself enough to do。  To do nothing is unworthy

of a man!  But he had never felt as yet the want of any occupation。

His silence in no way disconcerted his acquaintance。

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