第1章

’Itisonlythroughdeepsympathythatamancanbecomeagreatartist。’——Lewes’sLifeofGoethe。

’Sympathyisfeelingrelatedtoanobject，whilstsentimentisthesamefeelingseekingitselfalone。’——ArnoldToynbee。

ChapterI。

’Nothingfillsachild’smindlikealargeoldmansion；betterifun—orpartiallyoccupied；peopledwiththespiritsofdeceasedmembersofthecountyandJusticesoftheQuorum。WouldIwereburiedinthepeopledsolitudeofone，withmyfeelingsatsevenyearsold!’——FromLettersofCharlesLamb。

ToattemptaformalbiographyofDerrickVaughanwouldbeoutofthequestion，eventhoughheandIhavebeenmoreorlessthrowntogethersincewewerebothinthenursery。ButIhaveanoddsortofwishtonotedownroughlyjustafewofmyrecollectionsofhim，andtoshowhowhisfortunesgraduallydeveloped，beingperhapsstimulatedtomaketheattemptbycertainirritatingremarkswhichoneoverhearsnowoftenenoughatclubsorindrawing—rooms，orindeedwhereveronegoes。"DerrickVaughan，"saytheseauthoritiesoftheworldofsmall—talk，withthatdelightfulairofomnisciencewhichinvariablycharacterisesthem，"why，hesimplyleaptintofame。Heisoneofthefavouritesoffortune。LikeByron，hewokeonemorningandfoundhimselffamous。"

Nowthissoundswellenough，butitisalongwayfromthetruth，andI——SydneyWharncliffe，oftheInnerTemple，Barrister—at—law——

desire，whilethepastfewyearsarefreshinmymind，towriteatrueversionofmyfriend’scareer。

Everyoneknowshisface。Hasitnotappearedin’NotedMen，’and——

graduallydeterioratingaccordingtothepriceofthepaperandthequalityoftheengraving——inmanyanotherillustratedjournal？Yetsomehowtheseworksofartdon’tsatisfyme，and，asIwrite，IseebeforemesomethingverydifferentfromthelatestphotographbyMessrs。PaulandReynard。

Iseealarge—featured，broad—browedEnglishface，atrifleheavy—

lookingwheninrepose，yetathorough，honest，manlyface，withacomplexionneitherdarknorfair，withbrownhairandmoustache，andwithlighthazeleyesthatlookoutontheworldquietlyenough。

Youmighttalktohimforlonginanordinarywayandneversuspectthathewasagenius；butwhenyouhavehimtoyourself，whensomeconsciousnessofsympathyrouseshim，heallatoncebecomesadifferentbeing。Hisquieteyeskindle，hisfacebecomesfulloflife——youwonderthatyoueverthoughtitheavyorcommonplace。

Thentheworldinterruptsinsomeway，and，justasahermit—crabdrawsdownitsshellwithacomicallyrapidmovement，soDerricksuddenlyretiresintohimself。

Thusmuchforhisouterman。

Fortherest，thereareofcoursetheneatlittleaccountsofhisbirthplace，hisparentage，hiseducation，etc。，etc。，publishedwiththelistofhisworksindueorder，withtheengravingsintheillustratedpapers。Butthesetelluslittleofthereallifeoftheman。

Carlyle，inoneofhisfinestpassages，saysthat’Atruedelineationofthesmallestmanandhissceneofpilgrimagethroughlifeiscapableofinterestingthegreatestmen；thatallmenaretoanunspeakabledegreebrothers，eachman’slifeastrangeemblemofeveryman’s；andthathumanportraitsfaithfullydrawnareofallpicturesthewelcomestonhumanwalls。’AndthoughIdon’tprofesstogiveaportrait，butmerelyasketch，Iwillendeavourtosketchfaithfully，andpossiblyinthefuturemyworkmayfallintothehandsofsomeofthoseworthypeoplewhoimaginethatmyfriendleaptintofameatabound，orofthosecomfortablemortalswhoseemtothinkthatanovelisturnedoutaseasilyaswaterfromatap。

Thereis，however，onethingIcanneverdo：——Iamquiteunabletoputintowordsmyfriend’sintenselystrongfeelingwithregardtothesacrednessofhisprofession。ItseemedtomenotunlikethefeelingofIsaiahwhen，inthevision，hismouthhadbeentouchedwiththecelestialfire。AndIcanonlyhopethatsomethingofthismaybereadbetweenmyveryinadequatelines。

Lookingback，IfancyDerrickmusthavebeenacleverchild。Buthewasnotprecocious，andinsomerespectswasevendecidedlybackward。Icanseehimnow——itismyfirstclearrecollectionofhim——leaningbackinthecornerofmyfather’scarriageaswedrovefromtheNewmarketstationtooursummerhomeatMondisfield。HeandIweresmallboysofeight，andDerrickhadbeeninvitedfortheholidays，whilehistwinbrother——ifIrememberright——indulgedintyphoidfeveratKensington。Hewasshyandsilent，andtheicewasnotbrokenuntilwepassedSilverySteeple。

"That，"saidmyfather，"isaruinedchurch；itwasdestroyedbyCromwellintheCivilWars。"

Inaninstantthesmallquietboysittingbesidemewastransformed。

Hiseyesshone；hesprangforwardandthrusthisheadfaroutofthewindow，gazingattheoldivy—coveredtoweraslongasitremainedinsight。

"WasCromwellreallyoncethere？"heaskedwithbreathlessinterest。

"Sotheysay，"repliedmyfather，lookingwithanamusedsmileatthefaceofthequestioner，inwhicheagerness，delight，andreverenceweremingled。"AreyouanadmireroftheLordProtector？"

"Heismygreatestheroofall，"saidDerrickfervently。"Doyouthink——oh，doyouthinkhepossiblycaneverhavecometoMondisfield？"

Myfatherthoughtnot，butsaidtherewasanoldtraditionthattheHallhadbeenattackedbytheRoyalists，andthebridgeoverthemoatdefendedbytheownerofthehouse；buthehadnogreatbeliefinthestory，forwhich，indeed，thereseemednoevidence。

Derrick’seyesduringthisconversationweresomethingwonderfultosee，andlongafter，whenwewerenotactuallyplayingatanything，Iusedoftentonoticethesameexpressionstealingoverhim，andwouldcryout，"Thereisthemandefendingthebridgeagain；Icanseehiminyoureyes!Tellmewhathappenedtohimnext!"

Then，generallypacingtoandfrointheapplewalk，orsittingastridethebridgeitself，Derrickwouldtellmeoftheadventuresofmyancestor，PaulWharncliffe，whoperformedincrediblefeatsofvalour，andwhowastobothofusamostrealperson。Onwetdayshewrotehisstoryinacopy—book，andwouldhaveworkedatitforhourshadmymotherallowedhim，thoughofthemanualpartoftheworkhehad，andhasalwaysretained，thegreatestdislike。I

rememberwellthecomicalendingofthisfirststoryofhis。Heskippedoveranintervaloftenyears，representedonthepagebytenlaboriouslymadestars，anddidforhisherointhefollowinglines：

"Andnow，reader，letuscomeintoMondisfieldchurchyard。Therearethreetombstones。Ononeiswritten，’Mr。PaulWharncliffe。’"

Thestorywasnobetterthantheproductionsofmosteight—year—oldchildren，thewrittenstoryatleast。But，curiouslyenough，itprovedtobethegermofthecelebratedromance，’AtStrife，’whichDerrickwroteinafteryears；andhehimselfmaintainsthathispictureoflifeduringtheCivilWarwouldhavebeenmuchlessgraphichadhenotlivedsomuchinthepastduringhisvariousvisitstoMondisfield。

Itwasathissecondvisit，whenwewerenine，thatIrememberhisannouncinghisintentionofbeinganauthorwhenhewasgrownup。

Mymotherstilldelightsintellingthestory。Shewassittingatworkinthesouthparlouroneday，whenIdashedintotheroomcallingout：

"Derrick’sheadisstuckbetweenthebanistersinthegallery；comequick，mother，comequick!"

Sheranupthelittlewindingstaircase，andthere，sureenough，inthemusician’sgallery，waspoorDerrick，hismanuscriptandpenonthefloorandhisheadindurancevile。

"Yousillyboy!"saidmymother，alittlefrightenedwhenshefoundthattogettheheadbackwasnoeasymatter，"Whatmadeyouputitthrough？"

"YoulooklikeKingCharlesatCarisbrooke，"Icried，forgettinghowmuchDerrickwouldresentthespeech。

Andbeingreleasedatthatmomenthetookmebytheshouldersandgavemeanangryshakeortwo，ashesaidvehemently，"I’mnotlikeKingCharles!KingCharleswasaliar。"

Isawmymothersmilealittleassheseparatedus。

"Come，boys，don’tquarrel，"shesaid。"AndDerrickwilltellmethetruth，forindeedIamcurioustoknowwhyhethrusthisheadinsuchaplace。"

"Iwantedtomakesure，"saidDerrick，"whetherPaulWharncliffecouldseeLadyLettice，whenshetookthefalcononherwristbelowinthepassage。Imustn’tsayhesawherifit’simpossible，youknow。Authorshavetobequitetrueinlittlethings，andImeantobeanauthor。"

"But，"saidmymother，laughingatthegreatearnestnessofthehazeleyes，"couldnotyourherolookoverthetopoftherail？"

"Well，yes，"saidDerrick。"Hewouldhavedonethat，butyouseeit’ssodreadfullyhighandIcouldn’tgetup。ButItellyouwhat，Mrs。Wharncliffe，ifitwouldn’tbegivingyouagreatdealoftrouble——I’msorryyouweretroubledtogetmyheadbackagain——butifyouwouldjustlookover，sinceyouaresotall，andI’llrundownandactLadyLettice。"

"Whycouldn’tPaulgodownstairsandlookattheladyincomfort？"

askedmymother。

Derrickmusedalittle。

"Hemightlookatherthroughacrackinthedooratthefootofthestairs，perhaps，butthatwouldseemmean，somehow。Itwouldbeapity，too，nottousethegallery；galleriesareuncommon，yousee，andyoucangetcrackeddoorsanywhere。And，youknow，hewasobligedtolookatherwhenshecouldn’tseehim，becausetheirfatherswereondifferentsidesinthewar，anddreadfulenemies。"

Whenschool—dayscame，matterswentonmuchinthesameway；therewasalwaysanabominablyscribbledtalestowedawayinDerrick’sdesk，andheworkedinfinitelyharderthanIdid，becausetherewasalwaysbeforehimthisdeterminationtobeanauthorandtopreparehimselfforthelife。Buthewrotemerelyfromloveofit，andwithnoideaofpublicationuntilthebeginningofourlastyearatOxford，when，havingreachedtheripeageofone—and—twenty，hedeterminedtodelaynolonger，buttoplungeboldlyintohisfirstnovel。

Hewasseldomabletogetmorethansixoreighthoursaweekforit，becausehewasreadingratherhard，sothatthenovelprogressedbutslowly。Finally，tomyastonishment，itcametoadeadstand—

still。

IhavenevermadeoutexactlywhatwaswrongwithDerrickthen，thoughIknowthathepassedthroughaterribletimeofdoubtanddespair。IspentpartoftheLongwithhimdownatVentnor，wherehismotherhadbeenorderedforherhealth。ShewasdevotedtoDerrick，andasfarasIcanunderstand，hewasherchiefcomfortinlife。MajorVaughan，thehusband，hadbeenoutinIndiaforyears；

theonlydaughterwasmarriedtoarichmanufactureratBirmingham，whohadaconstitutionaldisliketomothers—in—law，andasfaraspossibleeschewedtheircompany；whileLawrence，Derrick’stwinbrother，wasforevergettingintoscrapes，andwasintothebargainthemostunblushinglyselfishfellowIeverhadthepleasureofmeeting。

"Sydney，"saidMrs。Vaughantomeoneafternoonwhenwewereinthegarden，"Derrickseemstomeunlikehimself，thereisadivisionbetweenuswhichIneverfeltbefore。Canyoutellmewhatistroublinghim？"

Shewasnotatallagood—lookingwoman，butshehadaverysweet，wistfulface，andIneverlookedathersadeyeswithoutfeelingreadytogothroughfireandwaterforher。ItriednowtomakelightofDerrick’sdepression。

"Heisonlygoingthroughwhatweallofusgothrough，"Isaid，assumingacheerfultone。"Hehassuddenlydiscoveredthatlifeisagreatriddle，andthatthethingshehasacceptedinblindfaithare，afterall，notsosure。"

Shesighed。

"Doallgothroughit？"shesaidthoughtfully。"Andhowmany，I

wonder，getbeyond？"

"Fewenough，"Irepliedmoodily。Then，rememberingmyrole，——"ButDerrickwillgetthrough；hehasathousandthingstohelphimwhichothershavenot，——you，forinstance。AndthenIfancyhehasasortofinsightwhichmostofusarewithout。"

"Possibly，"shesaid。"Asforme，itislittlethatIcandoforhim。Perhapsyouareright，anditistruethatonceinalifeatanyrateweallhavetogointothewildernessalone。"

ThatwasthelastsummerIeversawDerrick’smother；shetookachillthefollowingChristmasanddiedafterafewdays’illness。

ButIhavealwaysthoughtherdeathhelpedDerrickinawaythatherlifemighthavefailedtodo。Foralthoughhenever，Ifancy，quiterecoveredfromtheblow，andtothisdaycannotspeakofherwithouttearsinhiseyes，yetwhenhecamebacktoOxfordheseemedtohavefoundtheanswertotheriddle，andthougholder，sadderandgraverthanbefore，hadquitelosttherestlessdissatisfactionthatforsometimehadcloudedhislife。Inafewmonths，moreover，I

noticedafreshsignthathewasoutofthewood。ComingintohisroomsonedayIfoundhimsittinginthecushionedwindow—seat，readingoverandcorrectingsomesheetsofbluefoolscap。

"Atitagain？"Iasked。

Henodded。

"Imeantofinishthefirstvolumehere。FortherestImustbeinLondon。"

"Why？"Iasked，alittlecuriousastothisunknownartofnovel—

making。

"Because，"hereplied，"onemustbeintheheartofthingstounderstandhowLynwoodwasaffectedbythem。"

"Lynwood!Ibelieveyouarealwaysthinkingofhim!"（Lynwoodwastheheroofhisnovel。）

"Well，soIamnearly——soImustbe，ifthebookistobeanygood。"

"Readmewhatyouhavewritten，"Isaid，throwingmyselfbackinaricketybuttolerablycomfortablearm—chairwhichDerrickhadinheritedwiththerooms。

Hehesitatedamoment，beingalwaysverydiffidentabouthisownwork；butpresently，havingprovidedmewithacigarandmadeagooddealofunnecessaryworkinarrangingthesheetsofthemanuscript，hebegantoreadaloud，rathernervously，theopeningchaptersofthebooknowsowellknownunderthetitleof’Lynwood’sHeritage。’

Ihadheardnothingofhisforthelastfouryears，andwasamazedatthegiganticstridehehadmadeintheinterval。For，spiteofacertaincrudeness，itseemedtomeamostpowerfulstory；itrushedstraighttothepointwithnowavering，nobeatingaboutthebush；

itflungitselfintotheproblemsofthedaywithasortofsublimeaudacity；ittookholdofone；itwhirledonealongwithitsowninherentforce，anddrewforthbothlaughterandtears，forDerrick’spowerofpathoshadalwaysbeenhisstrongestpoint。

Allatoncehestoppedreading。

"Goon!"Icriedimpatiently。

"Thatisall，"hesaid，gatheringthesheetstogether。

"Youstoppedinthemiddleofasentence!"Icriedinexasperation。

"Yes，"hesaidquietly，"forsixmonths。"

"Youprovokingfellow!why，Iwonder？"

"BecauseIdidn’tknowtheend。"

"Goodheavens!Anddoyouknowitnow？"

Helookedmefullintheface，andtherewasanexpressioninhiseyeswhichpuzzledme。

"IbelieveIdo，"hesaid；and，gettingup，hecrossedtheroom，putthemanuscriptawayinadrawer，andreturning，satdowninthewindow—seatagain，lookingoutonthenarrow，pavedstreetbelow，andatthegreybuildingsopposite。

IknewverywellthathewouldneveraskmewhatIthoughtofthestory——thatwasnothisway。

"Derrick!"Iexclaimed，watchinghisimpassiveface，"Ibelieveafterallyouareagenius。"

IhardlyknowwhyIsaid"afterall，"buttillthatmomentithadneverstruckmethatDerrickwasparticularlygifted。HehadsofargotthroughhisOxfordcareercreditably，butthenhehadworkedhard；histalentswerenotofashowyorder。IhadneverexpectedthathewouldsettheThamesonfire。Evennowitseemedtomethathewastoodreamy，tooquiet，toodevoidofthepushingfacultytosucceedintheworld。

Myremarkmadehimlaughincredulously。

"Defineagenius，"hesaid。

ForanswerIpulleddownhisbelovedImperialDictionaryandreadhimthefollowingquotationfromDeQuincey：’Geniusisthatmodeofintellectualpowerwhichmovesinalliancewiththegenialnature，i。e。，withthecapacitiesofpleasureandpain；whereastalenthasnovestigeofsuchanalliance，andisperfectlyindependentofallhumansensibilities。’

"Letmethink!YoucancertainlyenjoythingsahundredtimesmorethanIcan——andasforsuffering，whyyouwerealwaysagreathandatthat。NowlistentothegreatDr。Johnsonandseeifthecapfits，’Thetruegeniusisamindoflargegeneralpowersaccidentallydeterminedinsomeparticulardirection。’

"’Largegeneralpowers’!——yes，Ibelieveafterallyouhavethemwith，alas，poorDerrick!onenotableexception——themathematicalfaculty。Youwerealwaysbadatfigures。WewillsticktoDeQuincey’sdefinition，andforheaven’ssake，mydearfellow，dogetLynwoodoutofthatawfulplight!Nowonderyouweredepressedwhenyoulivedallthisagewithsuchasentenceunfinished!"

"Forthematterofthat，"saidDerrick，"hecan’tgetouttilltheendofthebook；butIcanbegintogoonwithhimnow。"

"AndwhenyouleaveOxford？"

"ThenImeantosettledowninLondon——towriteleisurely——andpossiblytoreadfortheBar。"

"Wemightbetogether，"Isuggested。AndDerricktooktothisidea，beingamanwhodetestedsolitudeandcrowdsaboutequally。Sincehismother’sdeathhehadbeenverymuchaloneintheworld。ToLawrencehewasalwaysloyal，butthetwohadnothingincommon，andthoughfondofhissisterhecouldnotgetonatallwiththemanufacturer，hisbrother—in—law。ButthisprospectoflifetogetherinLondonpleasedhimamazingly；hebegantorecoverhisspiritstoagreatextentandtolookmuchmorelikehimself。

ItmusthavebeenjustashehadtakenhisdegreethathereceivedatelegramtoannouncethatMajorVaughanhadbeeninvalidedhome，andwouldarriveatSouthamptoninthreeweeks’time。Derrickknewverylittleofhisfather，butapparentlyMrs。VaughanhaddoneherbesttokeepupasortofmemoryofhischildishdaysatAldershot，andinthesethepartthathisfatherplayedwasalwayspleasant。Sohelookedforwardtothemeetingnotalittle，whileI，fromthefirst，hadmydoubtsastothefelicityitwaslikelytobringhim。

However，itwasordainedthatbeforetheMajor’sshiparrived，hisson’swholelifeshouldchange。EvenLynwoodwasthrustintothebackground。Asforme，Iwasnowhere。ForDerrick，thequiet，theself—contained，hadfallenpassionatelyinlovewithacertainFredaMerrifield。

ChapterII。

’Infancy？Whatiftherose—streakofmorningPaleanddepartinapassionoftears？

Oncetohavehopedisnomatterforscorning：

Loveonce：e’enlove’sdisappointmentendears；

Amoment’ssuccesspaysthefailureofyears。’

R。Browning。

Thewonderwouldhavebeenifhehadnotfalleninlovewithher，foramorefascinatinggirlIneversaw。ShehadonlyjustreturnedfromschoolatCompiegne，andwasnotyetout；hercharmingfreshnesswasunsullied；shehadallthesimplicityandstraightforwardnessofunspoilt，unsophisticatedgirlhood。Iwellrememberourfirstsightofher。Wehadbeeninvitedforafortnight’syachtingbyCalverleyofExeter。Hisfather，SirJohnCalverley，hadasailingyacht，andsomeguestshavingdisappointedhimatthelastminute，hegavehissoncarteblancheastowhoheshouldbringtofillthevacantberths。

SowethreetravelleddowntoSouthamptontogetheronehotsummerday，andwererowedouttotheAurora，anuncommonlyneatlittleschoonerwhichlayinthatover—ratedandfrequentlyodoriferousroadstead，SouthamptonWater。However，Iadmitthatonthatevening——thetidebeinghigh——theplacelookedremarkablypretty；

thelevelraysofthesettingsunturnedthewatertogold；asoftluminoushazehungoverthetownandtheshipping，andbyastretchofimaginationonemighthavethoughttheviewalmostVenetian。

Derrick’sperfectcontentwasonlymarredbyhisshyness。IknewthathedreadedreachingtheAurora；andsureenough，aswesteppedontotheexquisitelywhitedeckandcaughtsightofthelittlegroupofguests，Isawhimretreatintohiscrab—shellofsilentreserve。SirJohn，whomadeaverypleasanthost，introducedustotheothervisitors——LordProbynandhiswifeandtheirniece，MissFredaMerrifield。LadyProbynwasSirJohn’ssister，andalsothesisterofMissMerrifield’smother；sothatitwasalmostafamilyparty，andbynomeansaformidablegathering。LadyProbynplayedthepartofhostessandchaperonedherprettyniece；butshewasnotintheleastliketheauntoffiction——onthecontrary，shewascomparativelyyounginyearsandalmostcomicallyyounginmind；herniecewasdevotedtoher，andthemomentIsawherIknewthatourcruisecouldnotpossiblybedull。

AstoMissFreda，whenwefirstcaughtsightofhershewasstandingnearthecompanion，dressedinadaintilymadeyachtingcostumeofbluesergeandwhitebraid，androundherwhitesailorhatsheworethenameoftheyachtstampedonawhiteribbon；inherwaist—bandshehadfastenedtwodeepcrimsonroses，andshelookedatuswithfrank，girlishcuriosity，nodoubtwonderingwhetherweshouldaddtoordetractfromtheenjoymentoftheexpedition。Shewasrathertall，andtherewasanairofstrengthandenergyaboutherwhichwasmostrefreshing。Herskinwassingularlywhite，buttherewasahealthyglowofcolourinhercheeks；whileherlarge，greyeyes，shadedbylonglashes，werefulloflifeandbrightness。Astoherfeatures，theywereperhapsatrifleirregular，andhereldersistersweresupposedtoeclipseheraltogether；buttomymindshewasfarthemosttakingofthethree。

IwasnotintheleastsurprisedthatDerrickshouldfallheadoverearsinlovewithher；shewasexactlythesortofgirlthatwouldinfalliblyattracthim。Herabsenceofshyness；herstraightforward，easywayoftalking；hergenuinegoodheartedness；

herdevotiontoanimals——oneofhisownpethobbies——andfinallyherexquisiteplaying，madetheresultaforegoneconclusion。Andthen，moreover，theywereperpetuallytogether。Hewouldhangoverthepianointhesaloonforhourswhilesheplayed，therestofuslazilyenjoyingtheeasychairsandthefreshairondeck；andwheneverwelanded，thesetwoweresureintheendtobejustalittleapartfromtherestofus。

Itwasaneminentlysuccessfulcruise。Wealllikedeachother；theseawascalm，thesunshineconstant，thewindasarulefavourable，andIthinkIneverinasinglefortnightheardsomanygoodstories，orhadsuchagoodtime。Weseemedtogetrightoutoftheworldanditsnarrowrestrictions，awayfromallthatwashollowandbaseanddepressing，onlylandingnowandthenatquaintlittlequietplacesforsomemerryexcursiononshore。Fredawasinthehighestspirits；andastoDerrick，hewasadifferentcreature。

Sheseemedtohavethepowerofdrawinghimoutinamarvellousdegree，andshetookthegreatestinterestinhiswork——asurewaytoeveryauthor’sheart。

Butitwasnottilloneday，whenwelandedatTresco，thatIfeltcertainshegenuinelylovedhim——thereinoneglancethetruthflasheduponme。Iwaswalkingwithoneofthegardenersdownoneofthelongshadypathsofthatlovelylittleisland，withitscuriouslyforeignlook，whenwesuddenlycamefacetofacewithDerrickandFreda。Theyweretalkingearnestly，andIcouldseehergreatgreyeyesastheywereliftedtohis——perhapstheyweremoreexpressivethansheknew——Icannotsay。Theybothstartedalittleasweconfrontedthem，andthecolourdeepenedinFreda’sface。Thegardener，withwhatphotographersusuallyaskfor——’justthefaintbeginningofasmile，’——turnedandgatheredabitofwhiteheathergrowingnear。

"Theysayitbringsgoodluck，miss，"heremarked，handingittoFreda。

"Thankyou，"shesaid，laughing，"Ihopeitwillbringittome。Atanyrateitwillremindmeofthisbeautifulisland。Isn’titjustlikeParadise，Mr。Wharncliffe？"

"FormeitislikeParadisebeforeEvewascreated，"Ireplied，ratherwickedly。"Bythebye，areyougoingtokeepallthegoodlucktoyourself？"

"Idon’tknow，"shesaidlaughing。"PerhapsIshall；butyouhaveonlytoaskthegardener，hewillgatheryouanotherpiecedirectly。"

Itookgoodcaretodropbehind，havingnotasteforthethird—

fiddlebusiness；butInoticedwhenwewereinthegigoncemore，rowingbacktotheyacht，thatthewhiteheatherhadbeenequallydivided——onehalfwasinthewaist—bandofthebluesergedress，theotherhalfinthebutton—holeofDerrick’sblazer。

Sothefortnightslippedby，andatlengthoneafternoonwefoundourselvesoncemoreinSouthamptonWater；thencamethebustleofpackingandthehurryofdeparture，andthemerrypartydispersed。

DerrickandIsawthemalloffatthestation，for，ashisfather’sshipdidnotarrivetillthefollowingday，ImadeupmymindtostayonwithhimatSouthampton。

"Youwillcomeandseeusintown，"saidLadyProbyn，kindly。AndLordProbyninvitedusbothfortheshootingatBlachingtoninSeptember。"Wewillhavethesamepartyonshore，andseeifwecan’tenjoyourselvesalmostaswell，"hesaidinhisheartyway；

"thenovelwillgoallthebetterforit，eh，Vaughan？"

Derrickbrightenedvisiblyatthesuggestion。IheardhimtalkingtoFredaallthetimethatSirJohnstoodlaughingandjokingastothecomparativepleasuresofyachtingandshooting。

"Youwillbetheretoo？"Derrickasked。

"Ican’ttell，"saidFreda，andtherewasashadeofsadnessinhertone。Hervoicewasdeeperthanmostwomen’svoices——arichcontraltowithsomethingstrikingandindividualaboutit。Icouldhearherquiteplainly；butDerrickspokelessdistinctly——healwayshadabadtrickofmumbling。

"YouseeIamtheyoungest，"shesaid，"andIamnotreally’out。’

Perhapsmymotherwillwishoneoftheelderonestogo；butIhalfthinktheyarealreadyengagedforSeptember，soafterallImayhaveachance。"

Inaudibleremarkfrommyfriend。

"Yes，IcameherebecausemysistersdidnotcaretoleaveLondontilltheendoftheseason，"repliedtheclearcontralto。"Ithasbeenaperfectcruise。Ishallrememberitallmylife。"

Afterthat，nothingmorewasaudible；butIimagineDerrickmusthavehazardedamorepersonalquestion，andthatFredahadadmittedthatitwasnotonlytheactualsailingsheshouldremember。AtanyrateherfacewhenIcaughtsightofitagainmademethinkofthegirldescribedinthe’BiglowPapers’：

"’’Twaskin’o’kingdomcometolookOnsechablessedcreatur。

Adogroseblushin’toabrookAin’tmodesternorsweeter。’"

Sothetrainwentoff，andDerrickandIwerelefttoidleaboutSouthamptonandkilltimeasbestwemight。Derrickseemedtowalkthestreetsinasortofdream——hewasperfectlywellawarethathehadmethisfate，andatthattimenothoughtofdifficultiesinthewayhadariseneitherinhismindorinmyown。Wewerebothofusyoungandinexperienced；wewerebothofusinlove，andwehadtheusuallover’snotionthateverythinginheavenandearthispreparedtofavourthecourseofhisparticularpassion。

Irememberthatwesoonfoundthetownintolerable，and，crossingbytheferry，walkedovertoNetleyAbbey，andlaydownidlyintheshadeoftheoldgreywalls。Notabreathofwindstirredthegreatmassesofivywhichwerewreathedabouttheruinedchurch，andtheplacelookedsolovelyinitsdecay，thatwefeltdisposedtojudgethedissolutemonksverylenientlyforhavingbehavedsobadlythattheirchurchandmonasteryhadtobeopenedtothefourwindsofheaven。Afterall，whenisachurchsobeautifulaswhenithasthegreengrassforitsfloorandtheskyforitsroof？

IcouldshowyoutheveryspotneartheEastwindowwhereDerricktoldmethewholetruth，andwherewetalkedoverFreda’sperfectionsandtheprobabilityoffrequentmeetingsinLondon。Hehadlistenedsooftenandsopatientlytomyaffairs，thatitseemedanoddreversaltohavetoplaytheconfidant；andifnowandthenmythoughtswanderedofftothecomingmonthatMondisfield，andpicturedvioleteyeswhilehetalkedofgrey，itwasnotfromanylackofsympathywithmyfriend。

Derrickwasnotofaself—tormentingnature，andthoughIknewhewasamazedatthethoughtthatsuchagirlasFredacouldpossiblycareforhim，yethebelievedmostimplicitlythatthiswonderfulthinghadcometopass；and，rememberingherfaceaswehadlastseenit，andthelookinhereyesatTresco，I，too，hadnotashadowofadoubtthatshereallylovedhim。Shewasnottheleastbitofaflirt，andsocietyhadnothadachanceyetofmouldingherintotheordinarygirlofthenineteenthcentury。

PerhapsitwasthesuddenandunexpectedchangeofthenextdaythatmakesmerememberDerrick’sfacesodistinctlyashelaybackonthesmoothturfthatafternooninNetleyAbbey。Asitlookedthen，fullofyouthandhope，fullofthatdreamofcloudlesslove，Ineversawitagain。

ChapterIII。

"Religioninhimneverdied，butbecameahabit——ahabitofenduringhardness，andcleavingtothesteadfastperformanceofdutyinthefaceofthestrongestallurementstothepleasanterandeasiercourse。"

LifeofCharlesLamb，byA。Ainger。

Derrickwasingoodspiritsthenextday。HetalkedmuchofMajorVaughan，wonderedwhetherthevoyagehomehadrestoredhishealth，discussedtheprobablelengthofhisleave，andspeculatedastothenatureofhisillness；thetelegramhadofcoursegivennodetails。

"Therehasnotbeenevenaphotographforthelastfiveyears，"heremarked，aswewalkeddowntothequaytogether。"YetIthinkI

shouldknowhimanywhere，ifitisonlybyhisheight。Heusedtolooksowellonhorseback。IrememberasachildseeinghiminashamfightchargingupCaesar’sCamp。"

"Howoldwereyouwhenhewentout？"

"Oh，quiteasmallboy，"repliedDerrick。"ItwasjustbeforeI

firststayedwithyou。However，hehashadaregularsuccessionofphotographssentouttohim，andwillknowmeeasilyenough。"

PoorDerrick!Ican’tthinkofthatdayevennowwithoutakindofmentalshiver。Wewatchedthegreatsteamerasitglideduptothequay，andDerrickscannedthecrowdeddeckwitheagereyes，butcouldnowhereseethetall，soldierlyfigurethathadlingeredsolonginhismemory。Hestoodwithhishandrestingontherailofthegangway，andwhenpresentlyitwasraisedtothesideofthesteamer，hestillkepthisposition，sothathecouldinstantlycatchsightofhisfatherashepasseddown。Istoodclosebehindhim，andwatchedthemotleyprocessionofpassengers；mostofthemhadthedullcolourlessskinwhichbespeakslongresidenceinIndia，andaparticularlyyellowandpeevish—lookingoldmanwasgrumblingloudlyasheslowlymadehiswaydownthegangway。

"Themostdisgracefulscene!"heremarked。"Thefellowwasasdrunkashecouldbe。"

"Whowasit？"askedhiscompanion。

"Why，MajorVaughan，tobesure。Theonlywonderisthathehasn’tdrunkhimselftodeathbythistime——beenatityearsenough!"

Derrickturned，asthoughtoshelterhimselffromthecuriouseyesofthetravellers；buteverywherethequaywascrowded。Itseemedtomenotunlikethelifethatlaybeforehim，withthisnewshamewhichcouldnotbehid，andIshallneverforgetthelookofmiseryinhisface。

"Mostlikelyagreatexaggerationofthatspitefuloldfogey’s，"I

said。"Neverbelieveanythingthatyouhear，isasoundaxiom。Hadyounotbettertrytogetonboard？"

"Yes；andforheaven’ssakecomewithme，Wharncliffe!"hesaid。

"Itcan’tbetrue!Itis，asyousay，thatman’sspite，orelsethereissomeoneelseofthenameonboard。Thatmustbeit——

someoneelseofthename。"

Idon’tknowwhetherhemanagedtodeceivehimself。Wemadeourwayonboard，andhespoketooneofthestewards，whoconductedustothesaloon。Iknewfromtheexpressionoftheman’sfacethatthewordswehadoverheardwerebuttootrue；itwasamereglancethathegaveus，yetifhehadsaidaloud，"Theybelongtothatolddrunkard!ThankheavenI’mnotintheirshoes!"Icouldnothavebetterunderstoodwhatwasinhismind。

Therewerethreepersonsonlyinthegreatsaloon：anofficer’sservant，whoseappearancedidnotpleaseme；afinelookingoldmanwithgreyhairandwhiskers，andarough—hewnhonestface，apparentlytheship’sdoctor；andatallgrizzledmaninwhomIatoncesawasortofhorriblelikenesstoDerrick——horriblebecausethisfacewaswickedanddegraded，andbecauseitsownerwasdrunk——

noisilydrunk。Derrickpausedforaminute，lookingathisfather；

then，deadlypale，heturnedtotheolddoctor。"IamMajorVaughan’sson，"hesaid。

Thedoctorgraspedhishand，andtherewassomethingintheoldman’skindly，chivalrousmannerwhichbroughtasortoflightintothegloom。

"Iamverygladtoseeyou!"heexclaimed。"IstheMajor’sluggageready？"heinquiredturningtotheservant。Then，asthemanrepliedintheaffirmative，"Howwoulditbe，Mr。Vaughan，ifyourfather’smanjustsawthethingsintoacab？andthenI’llcomeonshorewithyouandseemypatientsafelysettledin。"

Derrickacquiesced，andthedoctorturnedtotheMajor，whowasleaningupagainstoneofthepillarsofthesaloonandshoutingout"’TwasinTrafalgarBay，"inawaywhich，underothercircumstances，wouldhavebeenhighlycomic。Thedoctorinterruptedhim，aswithmuchfeelinghesanghow：

"EnglanddeclaredthateverymanThatdayhaddonehisduty。"

"Look，Major，"hesaid；"hereisyoursoncometomeetyou。"

"Gladtoseeyou，myboy，"saidtheMajor，reelingforwardandrunningallhiswordstogether。"How’syourmother？IsthisLawrence？Gladtoseebothofyou!Why，you’r’slike’stwopeas!

NotLawrence，doyousay？Confoundit，doctor，howtheshiprollsto—day!"

Andtheoldwretchstaggeredandwouldhavefallen，hadnotDerricksupportedhimandlandedhimsafelyononeofthefixedottomans。

"Yes，yes，you’rethesonforme，"hewenton，withablandsmile，whichmadehisfaceallthemorehideous。"You’renotsoroughandclumsyasthatconfoundedJohnThomas，whosehandsarelikebrickbats。I’mamerewreck，asyousee；it’stheaccursedclimate!

Butyourmotherwillsoonnursemeintohealthagain；shewasalwaysagoodnurse，poorsoul!itwasherbestpoint。Whatwithyouandyourmother，Ishallsoonbemyselfagain。"

Herethedoctorinterposed，andDerrickmadedesperatelyforaportholeandgulpeddownmouthfulsoffreshair：buthewasnotallowedmuchofarespite，fortheservantreturnedtosaythathehadprocuredacab，andtheMajorcalledloudlyforhisson’sarm。

"I’llnothaveyou，"hesaid，pushingtheservantviolentlyaway。

"Come，Derrick，helpme!youareworthtwoofthatblockhead。"

AndDerrickcamequicklyforward，hisfacestillverypale，butwithadignityaboutitwhichIhadneverbeforeseen；and，givinghisarmtohisdrunkenfather，hepilotedhimacrossthesaloon，throughthestaringranksofstewards，officials，andtardypassengersoutside，downthegangway，andoverthecrowdedquaytothecab。I

knewthateachderisiveglanceofthespectatorswastohimlikeasword—thrust，andlongedtothrottletheMajor，whoseemedtoenjoyhimselfamazinglyonterrafirma，andsangatthetopofhisvoiceaswedrovethroughthestreetsofSouthampton。Theolddoctorkeptupacheeryflowofsmall—talkwithme，thinking，nodoubt，thatthiswouldbeakindnesstoDerrick：andatlastthatpurgatorialdriveended，andsomehowDerrickandthedoctorbetweenthemgottheMajorsafelyintohisroomatRadley’sHotel。

Wehadorderedlunchinaprivatesitting—room，thinkingthattheMajorwouldpreferittothecoffee—room；but，asitturnedout，hewasinnostatetoappear。Theylefthimasleep，andtheship’sdoctorsatintheseatthathadbeenpreparedforhispatient，andmadethemealastolerabletousbothasitcouldbe。Hewasanodd，old—fashionedfellow，butastrueagentlemanaseverbreathed。

"Now，"hesaid，whenlunchwasover，"youandImusthaveatalktogether，Mr。Vaughan，andIwillhelpyoutounderstandyourfather’scase。"

Imadeamovementtogo，butsatdownagainatDerrick’srequest。I

think，pooroldfellow，hedreadedbeingalone，andknowingthatI

hadseenhisfatherattheworst，thoughtImightaswellhearallparticulars。

"MajorVaughan，"continuedthedoctor，"hasnowbeenundermycareforsomeweeks，andIhadsomecommunicationwiththeregimentalsurgeonabouthiscasebeforehesailed。Heissufferingfromanenlargedliver，andthediseasehasbeenbroughtonbyhisunfortunatehabitofover—indulgenceinstimulants。"Icouldalmosthavesmiled，soverygentlyandconsideratelydidthegoodoldmanveilinlongwordstheshamefulfact。"Itisahabitsadlyprevalentamongourfellow—countrymeninIndia；theclimateaggravatesthemischief，andverymanylivesareinthiswayruined。

Thenyourfatherwasalsounfortunateenoughtocontractrheumatismwhenhewascampingoutinthejunglelastyear，andthisisincreasingonhimverymuch，sothathislifeisalmostintolerabletohim，andhenaturallyfliesforrelieftohisgreatestenemy，drink。Atallcosts，however，youmustkeephimfromstimulants；

theywillonlyintensifythediseaseandthesufferings，infacttheyarepoisontoamaninsuchastate。Don’tthinkIamabigotinthesematters；butIsaythatforamaninsuchaconditionasthis，thereisnothingforitbuttotalabstinence，andatallcostsyourfathermustbeguardedfromthepossibilityofprocuringanysortofintoxicatingdrink。ThroughoutthevoyageIhavedonemybesttoshieldhim，butitwasadifficultmatter。Hisservant，too，isnottrustworthy，andshouldbedismissedifpossible。"

"Hadhespokenatallofhisplans？"askedDerrick，andhisvoicesoundedstrangelyunlikeitself。

"HeaskedmewhatplaceinEnglandhehadbettersettledownin，"

saidthedoctor，"andIstronglyrecommendedhimtotryBath。Thisseemedtopleasehim，andifheiswellenoughhehadbettergothereto—morrow。Hementionedyourmotherthismorning；nodoubtshewillknowhowtomanagehim。"

"Mymotherdiedsixmonthsago，"saidDerrick，pushingbackhischairandbeginningtopacetheroom。Thedoctormadekindlyapologies。

"Perhapsyouhaveasister，whocouldgotohim？"

"No，"repliedDerrick。"Myonlysisterismarried，andherhusbandwouldneverallowit。"

"Oracousinoranaunt？"suggestedtheoldman，naivelyunconsciousthatthewordssoundedlikeaquotation。

IsawtheghostofasmileflitoverDerrick’sharassedfaceasheshookhishead。

"IsuggestedthatheshouldgointosomeHomefor——casesofthekind，"resumedthedoctor，"orplacehimselfunderthechargeofsomemedicalman；however，hewon’thearofsuchathing。Butifheislefttohimself——well，itisallupwithhim。Hewilldrinkhimselftodeathinafewmonths。"

"Heshallnotbeleftalone，"saidDerrick；"Iwilllivewithhim。

DoyouthinkIshoulddo？ItseemstobeHobson’schoice。"

Ilookedupinamazement——forherewasDerrickcalmlygivinghimselfuptoalifethatmustcrusheveryplanforthefuturehehadmade。

Didmenmakesuchachoiceasthatwhiletheytooktwoorthreeturnsinaroom？Didtheyspeaksocomposedlyafterastrugglethatmusthavebeensobitter？Thinkingitovernow，Ifeelsureitwashisextraordinarygiftofinsightandhisclearjudgmentwhichmadehimbehaveinthisway。Heinstantlyperceivedandpromptlyacted；

theworstofthesufferingcamelongafter。

"Why，ofcourseyouaretheverybestpersonintheworldforhim，"

saidthedoctor。"Hehastakenafancytoyou，andevidentlyyouhaveacertaininfluencewithhim。Ifanyonecansavehimitwillbeyou。"

ButthethoughtofallowingDerricktobesacrificedtothatoldbruteofaMajorwasmorethanIcouldbearcalmly。

"Amoremadschemewasneverproposed，"Icried。"Why，doctor，itwillbeutterruintomyfriend’scareer；hewillloseyearsthatnoonecanevermakeup。Andbesides，heisunfitforsuchastrain，hewillneverstandit。"

MyheartfelthotasIthoughtofDerrick，withhishighly—strung，sensitivenature，hisrefinement，hisgentleness，inconstantcompanionshipwithsuchamanasMajorVaughan。

"Mydearsir，"saidtheolddoctor，withagleaminhiseye，"I

understandyourfeelingwellenough。Butdependuponit，yourfriendhasmadetherightchoice，andthereisnodoubtthathe’llbestrongenoughtodohisduty。"

ThewordremindedmeoftheMajor’ssong，andmyvoicewasabominablysarcasticintoneasIsaidtoDerrick，"Younolongerconsiderwritingyourdutythen？"

"Yes，"hesaid，"butitmuststandsecondtothis。Don’tbevexed，Sydney；ourplansareknockedonthehead，butitisnotsobadasyoumakeout。Ihaveatanyrateenoughtoliveon，andcanaffordtowait。"

Therewasnomoretobesaid，andthenextdayIsawthatstrangetriosetoutontheirroadtoBath。TheMajorlookingmorewickedwhensoberthanhehaddonewhendrunk；theolddoctorkindlyandconsiderateasever；andDerrick，withanairofresolutionaboutthatEnglishfaceofhisandadauntlessexpressioninhiseyeswhichimpressedmecuriously。

Thesequiet，reservedfellowsarealwaysgivingoneoddsurprises。

Hehadastonishedmebythevigouranddepthofthefirstvolumeof’Lynwood’sHeritage。’Heastonishedmenowbyanewphaseinhisowncharacter。ApparentlyhewhohadalwaysbeencontenttofollowwhereIled，andtowatchliferatherthantotakeanactiveshareinit，nowintendedtostrikeoutaverydecidedlineofhisown。

ChapterIV。

"BothGoetheandSchillerwereprofoundlyconvincedthatArtwasnoluxuryofleisure，nomereamusementtocharmtheidle，orrelaxthecareworn；butamightyinfluence，seriousinitsaimsalthoughpleasureableinitsmeans；asisterofReligion，bywhoseaidthegreatworld—schemewaswroughtintoreality。"

Lewes’sLifeofGoethe。

Manisaselfishbeing，andIamaparticularlyfinespecimenoftheraceasfarasthatcharacteristicgoes。IfIhadhadadozendrunkenparentsIshouldneverhavedancedattendanceononeofthem；yetinmysecretsoulIadmiredDerrickforthelinehehadtaken，forwemostlydoadmirewhatisunlikeourselvesandreallynoble，thoughitisthefashiontoseemtotallyindifferenttoeverythinginheavenandearth。ButallthesameIfeltannoyedaboutthewholebusiness，andwasgladtoforgetitinmyownaffairsatMondisfield。

Weekspassedby。Ilivedthroughamidsummerdreamofhappiness，andahardawaking。That，however，hasnothingtodowithDerrick’sstory，andmaybepassedover。InOctoberIsettleddowninMontagueStreet，Bloomsbury，andbegantoreadfortheBar，inaboutasdisagreeableaframeofmindascanbeconceived。OnemorningI

foundonmybreakfasttablealetterinDerrick’shandwriting。Likemostmen，wehardlyevercorresponded——whatwomensayintheeternalletterstheysendtoeachotherIcan’tconceive——butitstruckmethatunderthecircumstancesIoughttohavesenthimalinetoaskhowhewasgettingon，andmyconscienceprickedmeasIrememberedthatIhadhardlythoughtofhimsinceweparted，beingabsorbedinmyownmatters。Theletterwasnotverylong，butwhenonereadbetweenthelinesitsomehowtoldagooddeal。Ihaveitlyingbyme，andthisisacopyofit：

"DearSydney，——DolikeagoodfellowgotoNorthAudleyStreetforme，tothehousewhichIdescribedtoyouastheonewhereLynwoodlodged，andtellmewhathewouldseebesidesthechurchfromhiswindow——ifshops，whatkind？AlsoifanyglimpseofOxfordStreetwouldbevisible。Thenifyou’lladdtoyourfavoursbygettingmeasecond—handcopyofLaveleye’s’SocialismeContemporain，’Ishouldbeforevergrateful。Wearesettledinhereallright。Bathisempty，butIpeopleitasfarasIcanwiththefolkoutof’Evelina’and’Persuasion。’HowdidyougetonatBlachington？andwhichoftheMissesMerrifieldwentintheend？Don’tbotheraboutthecommissions。Anytimewilldo。

"Everyours，"DerrickVaughan。"

Pooroldfellow!allthespiritseemedknockedoutofhim。TherewasnotonewordabouttheMajor，andwhocouldsaywhatwretchednesswasveiledinthatcurtphrase，"wearesettledinallright"？Allright!itwasallaswrongasitcouldbe!MybloodbegantoboilatthethoughtofDerrick，withhisgreatpowers——hiswonderfulgift——coopedupinaplacewherethestudyoflifewassolimitedandsodull。ThentherewashishungerfornewsofFreda，andhissilenceastowhathadkepthimawayfromBlachington，andaboutallasortofproudhumilitywhichpreventedhimfromsayingmuchthatIshouldhaveexpectedhimtosayunderthecircumstances。

ItwasSaturday，andmytimewasmyown。Iwentout，gothisbookforhim；interviewedNorthAudleyStreet；spentabadfiveminutesincompanywiththatvillain’Bradshaw，’whoisresponsibleforsomuchofthebrainandeyediseaseofthenineteenthcentury，andfinallyleftPaddingtonintheFlyingDutchman，whichlandedmeatBathearlyintheafternoon。Ileftmyportmanteauatthestation，andwalkedthroughthecitytillIreachedGayStreet。LikemostofthestreetsofBath，itwasbroad，andhadoneitherhanddull，well—built，darkgrey，eminentlyrespectable，unutterablydreary—

lookinghouses。Irang，andthedoorwasopenedtomebyamostquaintoldwoman，evidentlythelandlady。Anodourofcurrypervadedthepassage，andbecamemoreoppressiveasthedoorofthesitting—roomwasopened，andIwasusheredinupontheMajorandhisson，whohadjustfinishedlunch。

"Hullo!"criedDerrick，springingup，hisfacefullofdelightwhichtouchedme，whileatthesametimeitfilledmewithenvy。

EventheMajorthoughtfittogivemeaheartywelcome。

"Gladtoseeyouagain，"hesaidpleasantlyenough。"It’sarelieftohaveafreshfacetolookat。Wehavearoomwhichisquiteatyourdisposal，andIhopeyou’llstaywithus。Broughtyourportmanteau，eh？"

"Itisatthestation，"Ireplied。

"Seethatitissentfor，"hesaidtoDerrick；"andshowMr。

Wharncliffeallthatistobeseeninthiscursedholeofaplace。"

Then，turningagaintome，"Haveyoulunched？Verywell，then，don’twastethisfineafternooninaninvalid’sroom，butbeoffandenjoyyourself。"

Socordialwastheoldman，thatIshouldhavethoughthimalreadyareformedcharacter，hadInotfoundthathekepttheroughsideofhistongueforhomeuse。Derrickplacedanovelandasmallhandbellwithinhisreach，andwewerejustgoing，whenwewerecheckedbyavolleyofoathsfromtheMajor；thenabookcameflyingacrosstheroom，wellaimedatDerrick’shead。Hesteppedaside，andletitfallwithacrashonthesideboard。

"WhatdoyoumeanbygivingmethesecondvolumewhenyouknowIaminthethird？"fumedtheinvalid。

Heapologisedquietly，fetchedthethirdvolume，straightenedthedisorderedleavesofthediscardedsecond，andwiththeairofonewellaccustomedtosuchlittledomesticscenes，tookuphishatandcameoutwithme。

"HowlongdoyouintendtogoonplayingDavidtotheMajor’sSaul？"

Iasked，marvellingatthewayinwhichheenduredthehumoursofhisfather。

"AslongasIhavethechance，"hereplied。"Isay，areyousureyouwon’tmindstayingwithus？Itcan’tbeaverycomfortablehouseholdforanoutsider。"

"Muchbetterthanforaninsider，toallappearance，"Ireplied。

"I’monlytoodelightedtostay。Andnow，oldfellow，tellmethehonesttruth——youdidn’t，youknow，inyourletter——howhaveyoubeengettingon？"

Derricklaunchedintoanaccountofhisfather’sailments。

"Oh，hangtheMajor!Idon’tcareabouthim，Iwanttoknowaboutyou，"Icried。

"Aboutme？"saidDerrickdoubtfully。"Oh，I’mrightenough。"

"Whatdoyoudowithyourself？Howonearthdoyoukilltime？"I

asked。"Come，givemeafull，true，andparticularaccountofitall。"

"Wehavetriedthreeotherservants，"saidDerrick；"buttheplandoesn’tanswer。Theyeitherwon’tstandit，orelsetheyarebribedintosmugglingbrandyintothehouse。IfindIcandomostthingsformyfather，andinthemorninghehasanattendantfromthehospitalwhoistrustworthy，andwhodoeswhatisnecessaryforhim。

Attenwebreakfasttogether，thentherearethemorningpapers，whichhelikestohavereadtohim。AfterthatIgoroundtothePumpRoomwithhim——oddcontrastnowtowhatitmusthavebeenwhenBathwastherage。Thenwehavelunch。Intheafternoon，ifheiswellenough，wedrive；ifnothesleeps，andIgetawalk。LateronanoldIndianfriendofhiswillsometimesdropin；ifnothelikestobereadtountildinner。Afterdinnerweplaychess——heisafirst—rateplayer。AttenIhelphimtobed；fromeleventotwelveIsmokeandstudySocialismandalltherestofitthatLynwoodisatpresentflounderingin。"

"Whydon’tyouwrite，then？"

"Itriedit，butitdidn’tanswer。Icouldn’tsleepafterit，andwas，infact，tootired；seemsabsurdtobetiredaftersuchadayasthat，butsomehowittakesitoutofonemorethanthehardestreading；Idon’tknowwhy。"

"Why，"Isaidangrily，"it’sbecauseitisworktowhichyouarequiteunsuited——workforathick—skinned，hard—hearted，uncultivatedandwell—paidattendant，notforthenovelistwhoistobethechieflightofourgeneration。"

Helaughedatthisestimateofhispowers。

"Novelists，likeothercattle，havetoobeytheirowner，"hesaidlightly。

IthoughtforamomentthathemeanttheMajor，andwasbreakingintoanangryremonstrance，whenIsawthathemeantsomethingquitedifferent。Itwasalwayshisstrongestpoint，thisextraordinaryconsciousnessofright，thisunwaveringbeliefthathehadtodoandthereforecoulddocertainthings。Withoutthis，Iknowthatheneverwrotealine，andinmyheartIbelievethiswasthecauseofhissuccess。

"Thenyouarenotwritingatall？"Iasked。

"Yes，Iwritegenerallyforacoupleofhoursbeforebreakfast，"hesaid。

Andthateveningwesatbyhisgasstoveandhereadmethenextfourchaptersof’Lynwood。’Hehadratheradismallodging—housebedroom，withfadedwall—paperandaprosaicsnuff—colouredcarpet。

Onaricketytableinthewindowwashisdesk，andaportfoliofullofbluefoolscap，buthehaddonewhathecouldtomaketheplacehabitable；hisOxfordpictureswereonthewalls——Hoffman’s’ChristspeakingtotheWomantakeninAdultery，’hangingoverthemantelpiece——ithadalwaysbeenafavouriteofhis。Irememberthat，ashereadthedescriptionofLynwoodandhiswife，IkeptlookingfromhimtotheChristinthepicturetillIcouldalmosthavefanciedthateachfaceborethesameexpression。HadthisstrangemonotonouslifewiththatoldbruteofaMajorbroughthimsomenewperceptionofthosewords，"NeitherdoIcondemnthee"？

Butwhenhestoppedreading，I，truetomycharacter，forgothisaffairsinmyown，aswesattalkingfarintothenight——talkingofthatlucklessmonthatMondisfield，ofalltheproblemsithadopenedup，andofmywretchedness。

"YouwereintownallSeptember？"heasked；"yougaveupBlachington？"

"Yes，"Ireplied。"WhatdidIcareforcountryhousesinsuchamoodasthat。"

Heacquiesced，andIwentontalkingofmygrievances，anditwasnottillIwasinthetrainonmywaybacktoLondonthatI

rememberedhowalookofdisappointmenthadpassedoverhisfacejustatthemoment。EvidentlyhehadcountedonlearningsomethingaboutFredafromme，andI——well，Ihadcleanforgottenbothherexistenceandhispassionatelove。

Something，probablyself—interest，thedesireformyfriend’scompany，andsoforth，tookmedowntoBathprettyfrequentlyinthosedays；luckilytheMajorhadasortoflikingforme，andwasalwayspoliteenough；anddearoldDerrick——well，Ibelievemyvisitsreallyhelpedtobrightenhimup。Atanyratehesaidhecouldn’thavebornehislifewithoutthem，andforasceptical，dismal，cynicalfellowlikemetohearthatwassomehowflattering。

Themereforceofcontrastdidmegood。IusedtocomebackontheMondaywonderingthatDerrickdidn’tcuthisthroat，andrealisingthat，afterall，itwassomethingtobeafreeagent，andtohavecomfortableroomsinMontagueStreet，withnooldbearofadrunkardtodisturbmypeace。Andthenasortofadmirationsprangupinmyheart，andthecynicismbredofmelancholybroodingsoversolitarypipeswaslessrampantthanusual。

Itwas，Ithink，earlyinthenewyearthatImetLawrenceVaughaninBath。HewasnotstayingatGayStreet，soIcouldstillhavethevacantroomnexttoDerrick’s。LawrenceputupattheYorkHouseHotel。

"Foryouknow，"heinformedme，"Ireallycan’tstandthegovernorformorethananhourortwoatatime。"

"Derrickmanagestodoit，"Isaid。

"Oh，Derrick，yes，"hereplied，"it’shismetier，andheiswellaccustomedtothelife。Besides，youknow，heissuchadreamy，quietsortoffellow；helivesallthetimeinaworldofhisowncreation，andbearsthediscomfortsofthisworldwithgreatphilosophy。Actuallyhehasturnedteetotaller!Itwouldkillmeinaweek。"

Imakeapointofneverarguingwithafellowlikethat，butIthinkIhadavindictivelonging，asIlookedathim，toshuthimupwiththeMajorforamonth，andseewhatwouldhappen。

Thesetwinbrotherswerecuriouslyalikeinfaceandcuriouslyunlikeinnature。Somuchforthegreatscienceofphysiognomy!Itoftenseemedtomethattheywerethecomplementofeachother。Forinstance，Derrickinsocietywasextremelysilent，Lawrencewasarattlingtalker；Derrick，whenalonewithyou，wouldnowandthenrevealunsuspecteddepthsofthoughtandexpression；Lawrence，whenalonewithyou，veryfrequentlyshowedhimselftobeacad。Theeldertwinwasmodestanddiffident，theyoungerinclinedtobrag；

theonehadastrongtendencytomelancholy，theotherwasblestorcursedwiththesortoftemperamentwhichhasbeensaidtoaccompany"ahardheartandagooddigestion。"

Iwasnotsurprisedtofindthatthesonwhocouldnottoleratethegovernor’spresenceformorethananhourortwo，wasaprimefavouritewiththeoldman；thatwasjustthewayoftheworld。Ofcourse，theMajorwasaspoliteaspossibletohim；DerrickgotthekicksandLawrencethehalf—pence。

Intheeveningsweplayedwhist，Lawrencecominginafterdinner，"For，youknow，"heexplainedtome，"Ireallycouldn’tgetthroughamealwithnothingbutthoseinfernalmineralwaterstowashitdown。"

AndhereImustownthatatmyfirstvisitIhadsailedratherclosetothewind；forwhentheMajor，liketheHatterin’Alice，’pressedmetotakewine，I——notseeingany——hadansweredthatIdidnottakeit；mentallyaddingthewords，"inyourhouse，youbrute!"

Thetwobrotherswerefondofeachotherafterafashion。ButDerrickwashuman，andhadhisfaultsliketherestofus；andIamprettysurehedidnotmuchenjoythesightofhisfather’sfoolishandunreasonabledevotiontoLawrence。Ifyoucometothinkofit，hewouldhavebeenafull—fledgedangelifnojealouspang，noreflectionthatitwasratherroughonhim，hadcrossedhismind，whenhesawhisyoungerbrothertreatedwitheverymarkofrespectandliking，andknewthatLawrencewouldneverstirafingerreallytohelpthepoorfractiousinvalid。Unluckilytheyhappenedonenighttogetonthesubjectofprofessions。