第13章

Thenineholeshadbeenplayed，andbyasinglestrokeBarbarahadwonthematch，whichpleasedherverymuch，forshehaddoneherbest，andwithsuchheavyoddsinhisfavourSirRobert，whohadalsodonehisbest，wasnomeanopponent，evenforaplayerofherskill。Indeedthefighthadbeenquiteearnest，foreachpartyknewthatitwasbutapreludetoanotherandmoreseriousfight，andlookedupontheresultasinsomesenseanomen。

“Iamconquered，“hesaidinavoiceinwhichvexationstruggledwithalaugh，“andbyawomanoverwhomIhadanadvantage。Itishumiliating，forIconfessIdonotlikebeingbeaten。“

“Don’tyouthinkthatwomengenerallywiniftheymeanto？“askedBarbara。“Ibelievethatwhentheyfail，whichisoftenenough，itisbecausetheydon’tcare，orcan’tmakeuptheirminds。Awomaninearnestisadangerousantagonist。“

“Yes，“heanswered，“orthebestofallies。“Thenhegavetheclubsandhalf-a-crowntothecaddies，andwhentheywereoutofhearing，added，“MissChampers，Ihavebeenwonderingforsometimewhetheritispossiblethatyouwouldbecomesuchanallytome。“

“Iknownothingofbusiness，SirRobert；mytastesdonotliethatway。“

“YouknowwellthatIwasnotspeakingofbusiness，MissChampers。I

wasspeakingofanotherkindofpartnership，thatwhichNaturehasordainedbetweenmenandwomen——marriage。Willyouacceptmeasahusband？“

Sheopenedherlipstospeak，butheliftedhishandandwenton。

“Listenbeforeyougivethatreadyanswerwhichitissohardtorecall，orsmoothaway。Iknowallmydisadvantages，myyears，whichtoyoumayseemmany；mymodestorigin；mytrade，which，notaltogetherwithoutreason，youdespiseanddislike。Well，thefirsttwocannotbechangedexceptfortheworse；thesecondcanbe，andalreadyis，buriedbeneaththegoldandermineofwealthandtitles。

WhatdoesitmatterifIamthesonofaCityclerkwhoneverearnedmorethan￡2aweekandwasborninatenementatBattersea，whenIamoneoftherichmenofthisrichlandandshalldieapeerinapalace，leavingmillionsandhonourstomychildren？Asforthethird，myoccupation，Iampreparedtogiveitup。Ithasservedmyturn，andafternextweekIshallhaveearnedtheamountthatyearsagoI

determinedtoearn。Thenceforth，setabovetheaccidentsoffortune，I

proposetodevotemyselftohigheraims，thoseoflegitimateambition。

SofarasmytimewouldallowIhavealreadytakensomeshareinpoliticsasaworker；IintendtocontinueinthemasarulerwhichI

stillhavethehealthandabilitytodo。ImeantobeoneofthefirstmeninthisEmpire，toridetopowerovertheheadsofallthenonentitieswhoseonlyclaimupontheconfidenceoftheircountrymenisthattheywereborninacertainclass，withmoneyintheirpocketsandwithouttheneedtospendthebestoftheirmanhoodinwork。WithyouatmysideIcandoallthesethingsandmore，andsuchisthefuturethatIhavetoofferyou。“

Againshewouldhavebrokeninuponhisspeechandagainhestoppedher，readingtheunspokenansweronherlips。

“Listen:Ihavenottoldyouall。PerhapsIhaveputfirstwhatshouldhavecomelast。IhavenottoldyouthatIloveyouearnestlyandsincerely，withthesettled，unalterablelovethatsometimescomestomeninmiddle-agewhohaveneverturnedtheirthoughtthatwaybefore。

Iwillnotattempttherhapsodiesofpassionwhichatmytimeoflifemightsoundfoolishoroutofplace；yetitistruethatIamfilledwiththispassionwhichhasdescendedonmeandtakenpossessionofme。Iwhooftenhavelaughedatsuchthingsinothermen，adoreyou。

Youareajoytomyeyes。Ifyouarenotintheroom，formeitisempty。Iadmiretheuprightnessofyourcharacter，andevenyourprejudices，andtoyourstandardIdesiretoapproximatemyown。I

thinkthatnomancaneverloveyouquitesowellasIdo，BarbaraChampers。Nowspeak。Iamreadytomeetthebestortheworst。“

AfterherfashionBarbaralookedhimstraightinthefacewithhersteadyeyes，andansweredgentlyenough，fortheman’smethodofpresentinghiscase，elaborateandpreparedthoughitevidentlywas，hadtouchedher。

“Ifearitistheworst，SirRobert。Therearehundredsofwomensuperiortomyselfineverywaywhowouldbegladtogiveyouthehelpandcompanionshipyouask，withtheirheartsthrownin。Chooseoneofthem，forIcannotdoso。“

Heheardandforthefirsttimehisfacebroke，asitwere。Allthiswhileithadremainedmasklikeandimmovable，evenwhenhespokeofhislove，butnowitbrokeasicebreaksatthepressureofasuddenfloodbeneath，andshesawthedepthsandeddiesofhisnatureandunderstoodtheirstrength。Notthatherevealedtheminspeech，angryorpleading，forthatremainedcalmandmeasuredenough。Shedidnothear，shesaw，andeventhenitwasmarvelloustoherthatamerechangeinaman’sexpressioncouldexplainsomuch。

“Thoseareverycruelwords，“hesaid。“Aretheyunalterable？“

“Quite。Idonotplayinsuchmatters，itwouldbewicked。“

“MayIaskyouonequestion，foriftheanswerisinthenegative，I

shallstillcontinuetohope？Doyoucareforanyotherman？“

Againshelookedathimwithherfearlesseyesandanswered:

“Yes，Iamengagedtoanotherman。“

“ToAlanVernon？“

Shenodded。

“Whendidthathappen？Someyearsago？“

“No，thismorning。“

“GreatHeavens！“hemutteredinahoarsevoiceturninghisheadaway，“thismorning。Thenlastnightitmightnothavebeentoolate，andlastnightIshouldhavespokentoyou，Ihadarrangeditall。Yes，ifithadnotbeenforthestoryofthataccursedfetishandyouruncle’sillness，Ishouldhavespokentoyou，andperhapssucceeded。“

“Ithinknot，“shesaid。

Heturneduponherandnotwithstandingthetearsinhiseyestheyburnedlikefire。

“Youthink——youthink，“hegasped，“butIknow。Ofcourseafterthismorningitwasimpossible。But，Barbara，IsaythatIwillwinyouyet。IhaveneverfailedinanyobjectthatIsetbeforemyself，anddonotsupposethatIshallfailinthis。AlthoughinawayIlikedandrespectedhim，IhavealwaysfeltthatVernonwasmyenemy，onedestinedtobringgriefandlossuponme，evenifhedidnotintendtodoso。NowIunderstandwhy，andheshalllearnthatIamstrongerthanhe。Godhelphim！Isay。“

“IthinkHewill，“Barbaraanswered，calmly。“Youarespeakingwildly，andIunderstandthereasonandhopethatyouwillforgetyourwords，butwhetheryouforgetorremember，donotsupposethatyoufrightenme。Youmenwhohavemademoney，“shewentonwithswellingindignation，“whohavemademoneysomehow，andhaveboughthonourswiththemoneyssomehow，thinkyourselvesgreat，andinyourlittleday，yourlittle，littledaythatwillendwiththreelinesinsmalltypein/TheTimes/，youaregreatinthisvulgarland。Youcanbuywhatyouwantandpeoplecreeproundyouandaskyoufordolesandfavours，andrailwayporterscallyou’myLord’ateveryotherstep。

Butyouforgetyourlimitationsinthisworld，andthatwhichlivesaboveyou。Yousayyouwilldothisandthat。Youshouldstudyabookwhichfewofyoueverread，whereittellsyouthatyoudonotknowwhatyouwillbeonthemorrow；thatyourlifeisevenasavapourappearingforalittletimeandthenvanishingaway。YouthinkthatyoucancrushthemantowhomIhavegivenmyheartbecauseheishonestandyouaredishonest，becauseyouarerichandheispoor，andbecausehechancestohavesucceededwhereyouhavenot。Well，formyselfandforhimIdefyyou。Doyourworstandfail，andwhenyouhavefailed，inthehourofyourextremityremembermywordsto-day。

IfIhavegivenyoupainbyrefusingyouitisnotmyfaultandIamsorry，butwhenyouthreatenthemanwhohashonouredmewithhisloveandwhomIhonouraboveeverycreatureupontheearth，thenIthreatenback，andmaythePowerthatmadeusalljudgebetweenyouandme，asjudgeitwill，“andburstingintotearssheturnedandlefthim。

SirRobertwatchedhergo。

“Whatawoman！“hesaidmeditatively，“whatawoman——tohavelost。

Wellshehassetthestakesandwewillplayoutthegame。Thecardsallseemtobeinmyhands，butitwouldnotintheleastsurprisemeifshewontherubber，fortheelementthatIcallChanceandshewouldcallsomethingelse，maycomein。Still，Ineverrefusedachallengeyetandwewillplaythegameoutwithoutpitytotheloser。“

Thatnightthefirsttrickwasplayed。WhenhegotbacktoTheCourtSirRobertorderedhismotorcaranddepartedonurgentbusiness，eithertohisownplace，OldHall，ortoLondon，sayingonlythathehadbeensummonedawaybytelegram。Asthe70-horse-powerMercedesglidedoutofthegatesapencillednotewasputintoMr。Haswell’shand。

Itran:“Ihavetriedandfailed——forthepresent。Byill-luckA。V。hadbeenbeforeme，onlythismorning。IfIhadnotmissedmychancelastnightowingtoyourillness，itwouldhavebeendifferent。Idonot，however，intheleastabandonmyplan，inwhichofcourseIrelyonandexpectyoursupport。KeepV。intheofficeorlethimgoasyoulike。Perhapsitwouldbebetterifyoucouldprevailuponhimtostopthereuntilaftertheflotation。Butwhateveryousayatthemoment，Itrusttoyoutoabsolutelyvetoanyengagementbetweenhimandyourniece，andtothatendtouseallyourpowersandauthorityasherguardian。

Burnthisnote。