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particular　holes　in　his　three　or　four　pair　of　coloured　stockings。



Morgan　was　dear　to　his　mother；　but　he　never　was　better　dressed　than

was　absolutely　necessary　…　partly；　no　doubt；　by　his　own　fault；　for

he　was　as　indifferent　to　his　appearance　as　a　German　philosopher。

〃My　dear　fellow；　you　ARE　coming　to　pieces；〃　Pemberton　would　say　to

him　in　sceptical　remonstrance；　to　which　the　child　would　reply；

looking　at　him　serenely　up　and　down：　　〃My　dear　fellow；　so　are　you！

I　don't　want　to　cast　you　in　the　shade。〃　　Pemberton　could　have　no

rejoinder　for　this　…　the　assertion　so　closely　represented　the　fact。

If　however　the　deficiencies　of　his　own　wardrobe　were　a　chapter　by

themselves　he　didn't　like　his　little　charge　to　look　too　poor。

Later　he　used　to　say　〃Well；　if　we're　poor；　why；　after　all；

shouldn't　we　look　it？〃　and　he　consoled　himself　with　thinking　there

was　something　rather　elderly　and　gentlemanly　in　Morgan's　disrepair

…　it　differed　from　the　untidiness　of　the　urchin　who　plays　and

spoils　his　things。　　He　could　trace　perfectly　the　degrees　by　which；

in　proportion　as　her　little　son　confined　himself　to　his　tutor　for

society；　Mrs。　Moreen　shrewdly　forbore　to　renew　his　garments。　　She

did　nothing　that　didn't　show；　neglected　him　because　he　escaped

notice；　and　then；　as　he　illustrated　this　clever　policy；　discouraged

at　home　his　public　appearances。　　Her　position　was　logical　enough　…

those　members　of　her　family　who　did　show　had　to　be　showy。



During　this　period　and　several　others　Pemberton　was　quite　aware　of

how　he　and　his　comrade　might　strike　people；　wandering　languidly

through　the　Jardin　des　Plantes　as　if　they　had　nowhere　to　go；

sitting　on　the　winter　days　in　the　galleries　of　the　Louvre；　so

splendidly　ironical　to　the　homeless；　as　if　for　the　advantage　of　the

calorifere。　　They　joked　about　it　sometimes：　　it　was　the　sort　of

joke　that　was　perfectly　within　the　boy's　compass。　　They　figured

themselves　as　part　of　the　vast　vague　hand…to…mouth　multitude　of　the

enormous　city　and　pretended　they　were　proud　of　their　position　in　it

…　it　showed　them　〃such　a　lot　of　life〃　and　made　them　conscious　of　a

democratic　brotherhood。　　If　Pemberton　couldn't　feel　a　sympathy　in

destitution　with　his　small　companion　…　for　after　all　Morgan's　fond

parents　would　never　have　let　him　really　suffer　…　the　boy　would　at

least　feel　it　with　him；　so　it　came　to　the　same　thing。　　He　used

sometimes　to　wonder　what　people　would　think　they　were　…　to　fancy

they　were　looked　askance　at；　as　if　it　might　be　a　suspected　case　of

kidnapping。　　Morgan　wouldn't　be　taken　for　a　young　patrician　with　a

preceptor　…　he　wasn't　smart　enough；　though　he　might　pass　for　his

companion's　sickly　little　brother。　　Now　and　then　he　had　a　five…

franc　piece；　and　except　once；　when　they　bought　a　couple　of　lovely

neckties；　one　of　which　he　made　Pemberton　accept；　they　laid　it　out

scientifically　in　old　books。　　This　was　sure　to　be　a　great　day；

always　spent　on　the　quays；　in　a　rummage　of　the　dusty　boxes　that

garnish　the　parapets。　　Such　occasions　helped　them　to　live；　for

their　books　ran　low　very　soon　after　the　beginning　of　their

acquaintance。　　Pemberton　had　a　good　many　in　England；　but　he　was

obliged　to　write　to　a　friend　and　ask　him　kindly　to　get　some　fellow

to　give　him　something　for　them。



If　they　had　to　relinquish　that　summer　the　advantage　of　the　bracing

climate　the　young　man　couldn't　but　suspect　this　failure　of　the　cup

when　at　their　very　lips　to　have　been　the　effect　of　a　rude　jostle　of

his　own。　　This　had　represented　his　first　blow…out；　as　he　called　it；

with　his　patrons；　his　first　successful　attempt　…　though　there　was

little　other　success　about　it　…　to　bring　them　to　a　consideration　of

his　impossible　position。　　As　the　ostensible　eve　of　a　costly　journey

the　moment　had　struck　him　as　favourable　to　an　earnest　protest；　the

presentation　of　an　ultimatum。　　Ridiculous　as　it　sounded；　he　had

never　yet　been　able　to　compass　an　uninterrupted　private　interview

with　the　elder　pair　or　with　either　of　them　singly。　　They　were

always　flanked　by　their　elder　children；　and　poor　Pemberton　usually

had　his　own　little　charge　at　his　side。　　He　was　conscious　of　its

being　a　house　in　which　the　surface　of　one's　delicacy　got　rather

smudged；　nevertheless　he　had　preserved　the　bloom　of　his　scruple

against　announcing　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Moreen　with　publicity　that　he

shouldn't　be　able　to　go　on　longer　without　a　little　money。　　He　was

still　simple　enough　to　suppose　Ulick　and　Paula　and　Amy　might　not

know　that　since　his　arrival　he　had　only　had　a　hundred　and　forty

francs；　and　he　was　magnanimous　enough　to　wish　not　to　compromise

their　parents　in　their　eyes。　　Mr。　Moreen　now　listened　to　him；　as　he

listened　to　every　one　and　to　every　thing；　like　a　man　of　the　world；

and　seemed　to　appeal　to　him　…　though　not　of　course　too　grossly　…　to

try　and　be　a　little　more　of　one　himself。　　Pemberton　recognised　in

fact　the　importance　of　the　character　…　from　the　advantage　it　gave

Mr。　Moreen。　　He　was　not　even　confused　or　embarrassed；　whereas　the

young　man　in　his　service　was　more　so　than　there　was　any　reason　for。

Neither　was　he　surprised　…　at　least　any　more　than　a　gentleman　had

to　be　who　freely　confessed　himself　a　little　shocked　…　though　not

perhaps　strictly　at　Pemberton。



〃We　must　go　into　this；　mustn't　we；　dear？〃　he　said　to　his　wife。　　He

assured　his　young　friend　that　the　matter　should　have　his　very　best

attention；　and　he　melted　into　space　as　elusively　as　if；　at　the

door；　he　were　taking　an　inevitable　but　deprecatory　precedence。

When；　the　next　moment；　Pemberton　found　himself　alone　with　Mrs。

Moreen　it　was　to　hear　her　say　〃I　see；　I　see〃　…　stroking　the

roundness　of　her　chin　and　looking　as　if　she　were　only　hesitating

between　a　dozen　easy　remedies。　　If　they　didn't　make　their　push　Mr。

Moreen　could　at　least　disappear　for　several　days。　　During　his

absence　his　wife　took　up　the　subject　again　spontaneously；　but　her

contribution　to　it　was　merely　that　she　had　thought　all　the　while

they　were　getting　on　so　beautifully。　　Pemberton's　reply　to　this

revelation　was　that　unless　they　immediately　put　down　something　on

account　he　would　leave　them　on　the　spot　and　for　ever。　　He　knew　she

would　wonder　how　he　would　get　away；　and　for　a　moment　expected　her

to　enquire。　　She　didn't；　for　which　he　was　almost　grateful　to　her；

so　little　was　he　in　a　position　to　tell。



〃You　won't；　you　KNOW　you　won't　…　you're　too　interested；〃　she　said。

〃You　are　interested；　you　know　you　are；　you　dear　kind　man！〃　　She

laughed　with　almost　condemnatory　archness；　as　if　it　were　a　reproach

…　though　she　wouldn't　insist；　and　flirted　a　soiled　pocket…

handkerchief　at　him。



Pemberton's　mind　was　fully　made　up　to　take　his　step　the　following

week。　　This　would　give　him　time　to　get　an　answer　to　a　letter　he　had

despatched　to　England。　　If　he　did　in　the　event　nothing　of　the　sort

…　that　is　if　he　stayed　another　year　and　then　went　away　only　for

three　months　…　it　was　not　merely　because　before　the　answer　to　his

letter　came　（most　unsatisfactory　when　it　did　arrive）　Mr。　Moreen

generously　counted　out　to　him；　and　again　with　the　sacrifice　to

〃form〃　of　a　marked　man　of　the　world；　three　hundred　francs　in

elegant　ringing　gold。　　He　was　irritated　to　find　that　Mrs。　Moreen

was　right；　that　he　couldn't　at　the　pinch　bear　to　leave　the　child。

This　stood　out　clearer　for　the　very　reason　that；　the　night　of　his

desperate　appeal　to　his　patrons；　he　had　seen　fully　for　the　first

time　where　he　was。　　Wasn't　it　another　proof　of　the　success　with

which　those　patrons　practised　their　arts　that　they　had　managed　to

avert　for　so　long　the　illuminating　flash？　　It　descended　on　our

friend　with　a　breadth　of　effect　which　perhaps　would　have　struck　a

spectator　as　comical；　after　he　had　returned　to　his　little　servile

room；　which　looked　into　a　close　court　where　a　bare　dirty　opposite

wall　took；　with　the　sound　of　shrill　clatter；　the　reflexion　of

lighted　back　windows。　　He　had　simply　given　himself　away　to　a　band

of　adventurers。　　The　idea；　the　word　itself；　wore　a　romantic　horror

for　him　…　he　had　always　lived　on　such　safe　lines。　　Later　it　assumed

a　more　interesting；　almost　a　soothing；　sense：　　it　pointed　a　moral；

and　Pemberton　could　enjoy　a　moral。　　The　Moreens　were　adventurers

not　merely　because　they　didn't　pay　their　debts；　because　they　lived

on　society；　but　because　their　whole　view　of　life；　dim　and　confused

and　instinctive；　like　that　of　clever　colour…blind　animals；　was

speculative　and　rapacious　and　mean。　　Oh　they　were　〃respectable；〃

and　that　only　made　them　more　immondes。　　The　young　man's　analysis；

while　he　brooded；　put　it　at　last　very　simply　…　they　were

adventurers　because　they　were　toadies　and　snobs。　　That　was　the

completest　account　of　them　…　it　was　the　law　of　their　being。　　Even

when　this　truth　became　vivid　to　their　ingenious　inmate　he　remained

unconscious　of　how　much　his　mind　had　been　prepared　for　it　by　the

extraordinary　little　boy　who　had　now　become　such　a　complication　in

his　life。　　Much　less　could　he　then　calculate　on　the　information　he

was　sti