CHAPTER VI.

fawool-warehouse,everagainbepermittedtocomeintocontactwitharistocraticpalms?” “Therewouldbeadifficulty,nodoubtstillyouaresuchacompleteSeacombeinappearance,feature,language,almostmanner,Iwondertheyshoulddisownyou.” “Theyhavedisownedmesotalknomoreaboutit.” “Doyouregretit,William?” “No.” “Whynot,lad?” “BecausetheyarenotpeoplewithwhomIcouldeverhavehadanysympathy.” “Isayyouareoneofthem.” “ThatmerelyprovesthatyouknownothingatallaboutitIammymother’sson,butnotmyuncles’nephew.” “Still—oneofyourunclesisalord,thoughratheranobscureandnotaverywealthyone,andtheotherarighthonourable:youshouldconsiderworldlyinterest.” “Nonsense,Mr.Hunsden.YouknowormayknowthatevenhadIdesiredtobesubmissivetomyuncles,Icouldnothavestoopedwithagoodenoughgraceevertohavewontheirfavour.Ishouldhavesacrificedmyowncomfortandnothavegainedtheirpatronageinreturn.” “Verylikely—soyoucalculatedyourwisestplanwastofollowyourowndevicesatonce?” “Exactly.Imustfollowmyowndevices—Imust,tillthedayofmydeathbecauseIcanneithercomprehend,adopt,norworkoutthoseofotherpeople.” Hunsdenyawned.“Well,”saidhe,“inallthis,Iseebutonethingclearly-thatis,thatthewholeaffairisnobusinessofmine.”Hestretchedhimselfandagainyawned.“Iwonderwhattimeitis,”hewenton:“Ihaveanappointmentforseveno’clock.” “Threequarterspastsixbymywatch.” “Well,thenI’llgo.”Hegotup.“You’llnotmeddlewithtradeagain?”saidhe,leaninghiselbowonthemantelpiece. “NoIthinknot.” “Youwouldbeafoolifyoudid.Probably,afterall,you’llthinkbetterofyouruncles’proposalandgointotheChurch.” “AsingularregenerationmusttakeplaceinmywholeinnerandoutermanbeforeIdothat.Agoodclergymanisoneofthebestofmen.” “Indeed!Doyouthinkso?”interruptedHunsden,scoffingly. “Ido,andnomistake.ButIhavenotthepeculiarpointswhichgotomakeagoodclergymanandratherthanadoptaprofessionforwhichIhavenovocation,Iwouldendureextremitiesofhardshipfrompoverty.” “You’reamightydifficultcustomertosuit.Youwon’tbeatradesmanoraparsonyoucan’tbealawyer,oradoctor,oragentleman,becauseyou’venomoney.I’drecommendyoutotravel.” “What!withoutmoney?” “Youmusttravelinsearchofmoney,man.YoucanspeakFrench—withavileEnglishaccent,nodoubt—still,youcanspeakit.GoontotheContinent,andseewhatwillturnupforyouthere.” “GodknowsIshouldliketogo!”exclaimedIwithinvoluntaryardour. “Go:whatthedeucehindersyou?YoumaygettoBrussels,forinstance,forfiveorsixpounds,i