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CHAPTER　IX







Meanwhile；　since　irritation　sometimes　relieved　her；　the　betrothed

of　Mr。　Mudge　found　herself　indebted　to　that　admirer　for　amounts　of

it　perfectly　proportioned　to　her　fidelity。　　She　always　walked　with

him　on　Sundays；　usually　in　the　Regent's　Park；　and　quite　often；　once

or　twice　a　month　he　took　her；　in　the　Strand　or　thereabouts；　to　see

a　piece　that　was　having　a　run。　　The　productions　he　always　preferred

were　the　really　good　onesShakespeare；　Thompson　or　some　funny

American　thing；　which；　as　it　also　happened　that　she　hated　vulgar

plays；　gave　him　ground　for　what　was　almost　the　fondest　of　his

approaches；　the　theory　that　their　tastes　were；　blissfully；　just　the

same。　　He　was　for　ever　reminding　her　of　that；　rejoicing　over　it　and

being　affectionate　and　wise　about　it。　　There　were　times　when　she

wondered　how　in　the　world　she　could　〃put　up　with〃　him；　how　she

could　put　up　with　any　man　so　smugly　unconscious　of　the　immensity　of

her　difference。　　It　was　just　for　this　difference　that；　if　she　was

to　be　liked　at　all；　she　wanted　to　be　liked；　and　if　that　was　not　the

source　of　Mr。　Mudge's　admiration；　she　asked　herself　what　on　earth

COULD　be？　　She　was　not　different　only　at　one　point；　she　was

different　all　round；　unless　perhaps　indeed　in　being　practically

human；　which　her　mind　just　barely　recognised　that　he　also　was。　　She

would　have　made　tremendous　concessions　in　other　quarters：　　there

was　no　limit　for　instance　to　those　she　would　have　made　to　Captain

Everard；　but　what　I　have　named　was　the　most　she　was　prepared　to　do

for　Mr。　Mudge。　　It　was　because　HE　was　different　that；　in　the　oddest

way；　she　liked　as　well　as　deplored　him；　which　was　after　all　a　proof

that　the　disparity；　should　they　frankly　recognise　it；　wouldn't

necessarily　be　fatal。　　She　felt　that；　oleaginoustoo　oleaginous

as　he　was；　he　was　somehow　comparatively　primitive：　　she　had　once；

during　the　portion　of　his　time　at　Cocker's　that　had　overlapped　her

own；　seen　him　collar　a　drunken　soldier；　a　big　violent　man　who；

having　come　in　with　a　mate　to　get　a　postal…order　cashed；　had　made　a

grab　at　the　money　before　his　friend　could　reach　it　and　had　so

determined；　among　the　hams　and　cheeses　and　the　lodgers　from

Thrupp's；　immediate　and　alarming　reprisals；　a　scene　of　scandal　and

consternation。　　Mr。　Buckton　and　the　counter…clerk　had　crouched

within　the　cage；　but　Mr。　Mudge　had；　with　a　very　quiet　but　very

quick　step　round　the　counter；　an　air　of　masterful　authority　she

shouldn't　soon　forget；　triumphantly　interposed　in　the　scrimmage；

parted　the　combatants　and　shaken　the　delinquent　in　his　skin。　　She

had　been　proud　of　him　at　that　moment；　and　had　felt　that　if　their

affair　had　not　already　been　settled　the　neatness　of　his　execution

would　have　left　her　without　resistance。



Their　affair　had　been　settled　by　other　things：　　by　the　evident

sincerity　of　his　passion　and　by　the　sense　that　his　high　white　apron

resembled　a　front　of　many　floors。　　It　had　gone　a　great　way　with　her

that　he　would　build　up　a　business　to　his　chin；　which　he　carried

quite　in　the　air。　　This　could　only　be　a　question　of　time；　he　would

have　all　Piccadilly　in　the　pen　behind　his　ear。　　That　was　a　merit　in

itself　for　a　girl　who　had　known　what　she　had　known。　　There　were

hours　at　which　she　even　found　him　good…looking；　though；　frankly

there　could　be　no　crown　for　her　effort　to　imagine　on　the　part　of

the　tailor　or　the　barber　some　such　treatment　of　his　appearance　as

would　make　him　resemble　even　remotely　a　man　of　the　world。　　His　very

beauty　was　the　beauty　of　a　grocer；　and　the　finest　future　would

offer　it　none　too　much　room　consistently　to　develop。　　She　had

engaged　herself　in　short　to　the　perfection　of　a　type；　and　almost

anything　square　and　smooth　and　whole　had　its　weight　for　a　person

still　conscious　herself　of　being　a　mere　bruised　fragment　of

wreckage。　　But　it　contributed　hugely　at　present　to　carry　on　the　two

parallel　lines　of　her　experience　in　the　cage　and　her　experience　out

of　it。　　After　keeping　quiet　for　some　time　about　this　opposition　she

suddenlyone　Sunday　afternoon　on　a　penny　chair　in　the　Regent's

Parkbroke；　for　him；　capriciously；　bewilderingly；　into　an

intimation　of　what　it　came　to。　　He　had　naturally　pressed　more　and

more　on　the　point　of　her　again　placing　herself　where　he　could　see

her　hourly；　and　for　her　to　recognise　that　she　had　as　yet　given　him

no　sane　reason　for　delay　he　had　small　need　to　describe　himself　as

unable　to　make　out　what　she　was　up　to。　　As　if；　with　her　absurd　bad

reasons；　she　could　have　begun　to　tell　him！　　Sometimes　she　thought

it　would　be　amusing　to　let　him　have　them　full　in　the　face；　for　she

felt　she　should　die　of　him　unless　she　once　in　a　while　stupefied

him；　and　sometimes　she　thought　it　would　be　disgusting　and　perhaps

even　fatal。　　She　liked　him；　however；　to　think　her　silly；　for　that

gave　her　the　margin　which　at　the　best　she　would　always　require；　and

the　only　difficulty　about　this　was　that　he　hadn't　enough

imagination　to　oblige　her。　　It　produced　none　the　less　something　of

the　desired　effectto　leave　him　simply　wondering　why；　over　the

matter　of　their　reunion；　she　didn't　yield　to　his　arguments。　　Then

at　last；　simply　as　if　by　accident　and　out　of　mere　boredom　on　a　day

that　was　rather　flat；　she　preposterously　produced　her　own。　　〃Well；

wait　a　bit。　　Where　I　am　I　still　see　things。〃　　And　she　talked　to　him

even　worse；　if　possible；　than　she　had　talked　to　Jordan。



Little　by　little；　to　her　own　stupefaction；　she　caught　that　he　was

trying　to　take　it　as　she　meant　it　and　that　he　was　neither

astonished　nor　angry。　　Oh　the　British　tradesmanthis　gave　her　an

idea　of　his　resources！　　Mr。　Mudge　would　be　angry　only　with　a　person

who；　like　the　drunken　soldier　in　the　shop；　should　have　an

unfavourable　effect　on　business。　　He　seemed　positively　to　enter；

for　the　time　and　without　the　faintest　flash　of　irony　or　ripple　of

laughter；　into　the　whimsical　grounds　of　her　enjoyment　of　Cocker's

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

her。







CHAPTER　X







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

there。〃



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



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



〃Hate　them？　　I　thought　you　liked　them。〃



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

wouldn't　believe　what　passes　before　my　eyes。〃



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

before　I　left。〃



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the　low　intonation　of　the　counter…clerk。



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



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

'spring　meetings。'　　They　bet　tremendously。〃



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



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

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

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

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

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

horror　of　coarseness　and　attended　a　Wesleyan　chapelthat　prevented

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

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

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

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

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

than　where　it　was　simply　and　meagrely　n