CHAPTER I.

Mencandonothingwithoutthemake-believeofabeginning.Evenscience,thestrictmeasurer,isobligedtostartwithamake-believeunit,andmustfixonapointinthestars’unceasingjourneywhenhissiderealclockshallpretendthattimeisatNought.HislessaccurategrandmotherPoetryhasalwaysbeenunderstoodtostartinthemiddlebutonreflectionitappearsthatherproceedingisnotverydifferentfromhissinceScience,too,reckonsbackwardaswellasforward,divideshisunitintobillions,andwithhisclock-fingeratNoughtreallysetsoffinmediasres.Noretrospectwilltakeustothetruebeginningandwhetherourprologuebeinheavenoronearth,itisbutafractionofthatall-presupposingfactwithwhichourstorysetsout. Wasshebeautifulornotbeautiful?andwhatwasthesecretofformorexpressionwhichgavethedynamicqualitytoherglance?Wasthegoodortheevilgeniusdominantinthosebeams?Probablytheevilelsewhywastheeffectthatofunrestratherthanofundisturbedcharm?Whywasthewishtolookagainfeltascoercionandnotasalonginginwhichthewholebeingconsents? ShewhoraisedthesequestionsinDanielDeronda’smindwasoccupiedingambling:notintheopenairunderasouthernsky,tossingcoppersonaruinedwall,withragsaboutherlimbsbutinoneofthosesplendidresortswhichtheenlightenmentofageshaspreparedforthesamespeciesofpleasureataheavycostofgiltmouldings,dark-tonedcolorandchubbynudities,allcorrespondinglyheavy—formingasuitablecondenserforhumanbreathbelonging,ingreatpart,tothehighestfashion,andnoteasilyprocurabletobebreathedinelsewhereinthelikeproportion,atleastbypersonsoflittlefashion. Itwasnearfouro’clockonaSeptemberday,sothattheatmospherewaswell-brewedtoavisiblehaze.Therewasdeepstillness,brokenonlybyalightrattle,alightchink,asmallsweepingsound,andanoccasionalmonotoneinFrench,suchasmightbeexpectedtoissuefromaningeniouslyconstructedautomaton.Roundtwolongtablesweregatheredtwoserriedcrowdsofhumanbeings,allsaveonehavingtheirfacesandattentionbentonthetables.Theoneexceptionwasamelancholylittleboy,withhiskneesandcalvessimplyintheirnaturalclothingofepidermis,butfortherestofhispersoninafancydress.Healonehadhisfaceturnedtowardthedoorway,andfixingonittheblankgazeofabedizenedchildstationedasamasqueradingadvertisementontheplatformofanitinerantshow,stoodclosebehindaladydeeplyengagedattheroulette-table. Aboutthistablefiftyorsixtypersonswereassembled,manyintheouterrows,wheretherewasoccasionallyadepositofnew-comers,beingmerespectators,onlythatoneofthem,usuallyawoman,mightnowandthenbeobservedputtingdownafive-francwithasimperingair,justtoseewhatthepassionofgamblingreallywas.Thosewhoweretakingtheirpleasureatahigherstrength,andwereabsorbedinplay,showedverydistantvarietiesofEuropeantype:LivonianandSpanish,Graeco-ItalianandmiscellaneousGerman,EnglisharistocraticandEnglishplebeian.Herecertainlywasastrikingadmissionofhumanequality.ThewhitebejewelledfingersofanEnglishcountesswereveryneartouchingabony,yellow,crab-likehandstretchingabaredwristtoclutchaheapofcoin—ahandeasytosortwiththesquare,gauntface,deep-s