CHAPTER II. CLAYTON.

Thecurtainrisesonournextscene,anddiscoversatranquillibrary,illuminatedbytheslantraysoftheafternoon'ssun.Ononesidetheroomopenedbylongglasswindowsontoagarden,fromwhencetheaircameinperfumedwiththebreathofrosesandhoneysuckles.Thefloorcoveredwithwhitematting,thecouchesandsofasrobedinsmoothglazedlinen,gaveanairoffreshnessandcoolnesstotheapartment.ThewallswerehungwithprintsofthegreatmasterpiecesofEuropeanart,whilebronzesandplaster-casts,distributedwithtasteandskill,gaveevidenceofartisticcultureinthegeneralarrangement.Twoyoungmenweresittingtogetherneartheopenedwindowatasmalltable,whichdisplayedanantiquecoffee-setofsilver,andasilvertrayoficesandfruits.Oneofthesehasalreadybeenintroducedtothenoticeofourreaders,inthedescriptionofourheroineinthelastchapter. EdwardClayton,theonlysonofJudgeClayton,andrepresentativeofoneoftheoldestandmostdistinguishedfamiliesofNorthCarolina,wasinpersonalappearancemuchwhatourlivelyyoungfriendhadsketched—tall,slender,withasortofloose-jointednessandcarelessnessofdress,whichmighthaveproducedanimpressionofclownishness,haditnotbeenrelievedbyarefinedandintellectualexpressionontheheadandface.Theupperpartofthefacegavetheimpressionofthoughtfulnessandstrength,withashadowingofmelancholyearnestness,andtherewasabouttheeye,inconversation,thatoccasionalgleamoftroubledwildnesswhichbetraysthehypochondriactemperament.Themouthwasevenfeminineinthedelicacyandbeautyofitslines,andthesmilewhichsometimesplayedaroundithadapeculiarfascination.Itseemedtobeasmileofbuthalftheman'snatureforitneverroseashighastheeyes,orseemedtodisturbthedarkstillnessoftheirthoughtfulness. TheotherspeakerwasinmanyrespectsacontrastandwewillintroducehimtoourreadersbythenameofFrankRussel.Furthermore,fortheirbenefit,wewillpremisethathewastheonlysonofaoncedistinguishedandwealthy,butnowalmostdecayed,familyofVirginia. Itissupposedbymanythatfriendshipisbestfoundeduponsimilarityofnaturebutobservationteachesthatitismorecommonbyaunionofopposites,inwhicheachpartyisattractedbysomethingwantinginitself.InClayton,thegreatpreponderanceofthosefacultieswhichdrawamaninward,andimpairtheefficiencyoftheoutwardlife,inclinedhimtoovervaluetheactiveandpracticalfaculties,becausehesawthemconstantlyattendedwithakindofsuccesswhichhefullyappreciated,butwasunabletoattain.Perfecteaseofmanner,readypresenceofmindunderallsocialexigencies,adroitnessinmakingthemostofpassingoccurrences,arequalitieswhichareseldomthegiftofsensitiveanddeeply-thoughtfulnatures,andwhichforthisveryreasontheyareoftendisposedtoovervalue.Russelwasoneofthosemenwhohavejustenoughofallthehigherfacultiestoappreciatetheirexistenceinothers,andnotenoughofanyonetodisturbtheperfectavailabilityofhisownmind.Everythinginhismentalfurnishingwasalwayscompletelyunderhisowncontrol,andonhandforuseatamoment'snotice.Frominfancyhewasnotedforquicktactandreadyreply.Atschoolhewastheuniversalfactotum,the"goodfellow"ofthering,headingallthemischiefamongtheboys,andyetwalkingwithexemplarygravityontheblindsideofthemaster.ManyascrapehadherescuedClaytonfrom,intowhichhehadfallenfromamorefastidiousmoralsense,amorescrupuloushonor,thanisforworldlyprofiteitherintheboy'sorman'ssphereandClayton,superiorashewas,couldnothelplovinganddependingonhim. Thedivinerpartofmanisoftenshamefacedandself-distrustful,illathomeinthisworld,andstandinginaweofnothingsomuchaswhatiscalledcommonsenseandyetcommonsenseveryoften,byitsownkeenness,isabletoseethattheseunavailablecurrenciesofanother'smindareofmoreworth,iftheworldonlyknewit,thanthereadycoinofitsownandsothepracticalandtheidealnaturearedrawntogether. SoClaytonandRusselhadbeenfriendsfromboyhoodhadroomedtogethertheirfouryearsincollegeand,thoughinstrumentsofavastlydifferentquality,hadhithertoplayedtheconcertsoflifewithscarceadiscord. Inperson,Russelwasofaboutthemediumsize,withawell-knit,elasticframe,allwhosemovementswerecharacterizedbysprightlinessandenergy.Hehad