第31章

"Whatwouldyouconsiderfairplay？"sheinquired。

"Itwouldbefairtolistentomewithoutprejudice——toletmeexplainhowithashappenedthatIhaveappearedtoyoua——ablackguard——Ihavenodoubtyouwouldcallit——andafool。"Hethrewouthishandinanimpatientgesture——impatientofhimself——hisfate——thetricksofbadfortunewhichitimpliedhadmadeofhimamoreerringmortalthanhewouldhavebeeniflefttohimself，andtreateddecently。

"Donotputitsostrongly，"withconservativepoliteness。

"Idon’trefusetoadmitthatIamhandicappedbyadevilofatemperament。Thatisaninheritedthing。"

"Ah！"saidBetty。"Oneofthetemperamentsonereadsabout——forwhichnooneistobeblamedbutone’sdeceasedrelatives。Afterall，thatiscomparativelyeasytodealwith。

Onecanjustgoondoingwhatonewantstodo——andthencondemnone’sgrandparentsseverely。"

Arepellentqualityinher——whichhadalsothetrickoftransformingitselfintoanexasperatingattraction——wasthatshedeprivedhimoftheluxuryhehadbeenmosttenaciousofthroughouthisexistence。Iftheinjusticeoffatehasfailedtobestowuponamanfortune，goodlooksorbrilliance，hisexerciseofthepowertodisturb，toenragethosewhodarenotresent，towoundandtakethenonsenseoutofthoseabouthim，will，atallevents，precludethepossibilityofhisbeingpassedoverasafactornottobeconsidered。Iftocharmandbestowgivesthesenseofpower，tothwartandhumiliatemaybefoundnotwhollyunsatisfying。

Butinhercasetheinadequacyoftheusualmethodshadforceditselfuponhim。Itwasasifthedartbeingaimedather，shecaughtitinherhandinitsflight，brokeoffitspointandthrewitlightlyasidewithoutcomment。Mostwomencannotresistthetemptationtoansweraspeechcontainingastingorareproach。Itwaspartofherabnormalitythatshecouldletsuchthingsgobyinadetachedsilence，whichdidnotexpresseventhegermofcommentoropinionuponthem。This，hesaid，wastheresultofherbeastlysenseofsecurity，which，initsturn，wastheresultoftheatmosphereofwealthshehadbreathedsinceherbirth。Therehadbeennoobstaclewhichcouldnotberemovedforher，nolawoflimitationhadlaiditsreinonherneck。Shehadnotbeentaughtbyherexistencetheimportanceofpropitiatingopinion。

Undersuchconditions，howwasfeartobelearned？Shehadnotlearnedit。Butforthedevilinthebluebetweenherlashes，herealisedthatheshouldhavebrokenlooselongago。

"IsupposeIdeservedthatformakingastupidappealtosympathy，"heremarked。"Iwillnotdoitagain。"

Ifshehadbeenthewomanwhocanbegentlygoadedintoreply，shewouldhavemadeanswertothis。Butsheallowedtheobservationtopass，givingitfreeflightintospace，whereitlostitselfaftertheannoyingmannerofitskind。

"HaveyouanyobjectiontotellingmewhyyoudecidedtocometoEnglandthisyear？"heinquired，withacasualair，afterthepausewhichshedidnotfillin。

Thebluntnessofthequestiondidnotseemtodisturbher。

Shewasnotsorry，infact，thathehadaskedit。Sheletherworklieuponherknee，andleanedbackinherlowgardenchair，herhandsrestinguponitswickerarms。Sheturnedonhimaclearunprejudicedgaze。

"IcametoseeRosy。Ihavealwaysbeenveryfondofher。Ididnotbelievethatshehadforgottenhowmuchwehadlovedher，orhowmuchshehadlovedus。IknewthatifIcouldseeheragainIshouldunderstandwhyshehadseemedtoforgetus。"

"Andwhenyousawher，you，ofcourse，decidedthatIhadbehaved，toquotemyownwords——likeablackguardandafool。"

"Itis，ofcourse，veryrudetosayyouhavebehavedlikeafool，but——ifyou’llexcusemysayingso——thatiswhathasimpressedmeverymuch。Don’tyouknow，"withamoderation，whichsingularlydroveitselfhome，"thatifyouhadbeenkindtoher，andhadmadeherhappy，youcouldhavehadanythingyouwishedfor——withouttrouble？"

Thiswasoneoftheunadornedfactswhicharelikebullets。

Disgustedly，hefoundhimselfveeringtowardsanoutlookwhichforcedhimtoadmitthattherewasprobablytruthinwhatshesaid，andheknewheheardmoretruthasshewenton。

"Shewouldhavewantedonlywhatyouwanted，andshewouldnothaveaskedmuchinreturn。ShewouldnothaveaskedasmuchasIshould。Whatyoudidwasnotbusiness—

like。"Shepausedamomenttogivethoughttoit。"Youpaidtoohighapricefortheluxuryofindulgingtheinheritedtemperament。Yourluxurywasnottocontrolit。Butitwasabadinvestment。"

"Thefigureofspeechisrathercommercial，"coldly。

"Itiscuriousthatmostthingsare，asarule。Thereisalwaystheparallelofprofitandlosswhetheroneseesitornot。Theprofitsarehappinessandfriendship——enjoymentoflifeandapprobation。Iftheinheritedtemperamentsuppliesonewithallonewantsofsuchthings，itcannotbecalledaloss，ofcourse。"

"Youthink，however，thatminehasnotbroughtmemuch？"

"Idonotknow。Itisyouwhoknow。"

"Well，"viciously，"thereHASbeenasortofluxuryinitinlashingoutwithone’sheels，andsmashingthings——andinknowingthatpeopleprefertokeepclear。"

Sheliftedhershouldersalittle。

"Thenperhapsithaspaid。"

"No，"suddenlyandfiercely，"damnit，ithasnot！"

Andsheactuallymadenoreplytothat。

"Whatdoyoumeantodo？"hequestionedasbluntlyasbefore。Heknewshewouldunderstandwhathemeant。

"Notmuch。ToseethatRosyisnotunhappyanymore。

Wecanpreventthat。Shewasoutofrepair——asthehousewas。Sheisbeingrebuiltanddecorated。Sheknowsthatshewillbetakencareof。"

"Iknowherbetterthanyoudo，"withalaugh。"Shewillnotgoaway。Sheistoofrightenedoftherowitwouldmake——

ofwhatIshouldsay。Ishouldhaveplentytosay。Icanmakehershakeinhershoes。"

Bettylethereyesrestfulluponhim，andhesawthatshewassoftlysumminghimup——quitewithoutprejudice，merelyininterestedspeculationupontheworkingsoftype。

"Youarelettingtheinheritedtemperamentrunawaywithyouatthismoment，"shereflectedaloud——herquietscrutinyalmostabstracted。"Itwasfoolishtosaythat。"

Hehadknownitwasfoolishtwosecondsafterthewordshadlefthislips。Butatemperwhichhasbeenallowedtoleaphedges，uncheckedthroughoutlife，isinperilofformingahabitoftakingthemevenatsuchtimesasaleapmaylanditsownerinaditch。Thislastwaswhatherinterestedeyeswereobviouslysaying。Itsuitedhimbestatthemomenttotrytolaugh。

"Don’tlookatmelikethat，"hethrewoff。"Asifyouwerecalculatingthattwoandtwomakefour。"

"Noprejudiceofminecaninducethemtomakefiveorsix——orthreeandahalf，"shesaid。"Noprejudiceofmine——

orofyours。"

Thetwoandtwoshewascalculatingwithwerethelikelihoodsandunlikelihoodsoftheinheritedtemperament，andthepracticalpowersshecouldabsolutelycountonifdifficultyarosewithregardtoRosy。

Heguessedatthis，andbegantomakecalculationshimself。

Buttherewasnofurtherconversationforthem，astheywereobligedtorisetotheirfeettoreceivevisitors。LadyAlanbyofDoleandSirThomas，hergrandson，werebeingbroughtoutofthehousetothembyRosalie。

Hewentforwardtomeetthem——hismannerthatofthegracefulhost。LadyAlanby，havingbeenwelcomedbyhim，andledtothemostcomfortable，tree—shadedchair，foundhisbearingsoelegantlychastenedthatshegazedathimwithprivatecuriosity。Toherfar—seeingandhighlyexperiencedoldminditseemedthebearingofamanwhowas"uptosomething。"Whatspecialthingdidhechancetobe"upto"？HisglancecertainlylurkedafterMissVanderpoeloddly。

Washefallinginunholylovewiththegirl，underhisstupidlittlewife’sverynose？

Shecouldnot，however，giveherundividedattentiontohim，asshewishedtokeephereyeonhergrandsonand——outrageouslyenoughfithappenedthatjustasteawasbroughtoutandTommywasbeg

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