The Awkward Age

eference of the philosopher when it was heavy. On this occasion he therefore recognised as the servant opened the door a congruity betw

through the storm. Mr. Longdon wondered to Vanderbank if their course might by any chance be the same; which led our young friend immediately to express a readiness to see him safely in any direction that should accommodate him. As the footman's whistle spent itself in vain they got together into the four-wheeler, where at the end of a few moments more Vanderbank became conscious of having proposed his own rooms as a wind-up to their drive. Wouldn't that be a better finish of the evening than just separating in the wet? He liked his new acquaintance, who struck him as in a manner clinging to him, who was staying at an hotel presumably at that hour dismal, and who, conf

've been i

end of all I've accepted this queer view of the doom of coming back. But I don't doubt I shall ask you, if you'll be so good as to let me, fo

ore than the equivalent of what might, superficially or stupidly, elsewhere be missed in him; which was mass, substance, presence-what is vulgarly called importance. He had indeed no presence but had somehow an effect. He might almost have been a priest if priests, as it occurred to Vanderbank, were ever such dandies. He had at all events conclusively doubled the Cape of the years-he would never again see fifty-five: to the warning light of that bleak headland he presented a back sufficiently conscious. Yet though to Vanderbank he couldn't look young he came near-strikingly and amusingly-looking new: this after a minute appeared mainly perhaps indeed in the perfection of his evening dress and the special smartness of the sleeveless overcoat he had evidently had made to wear with it and might even actually be wearing for the first time. He had talke

ncouraged the courtesy of the reference. "

are you t

m thirt

s took out his watch. "It's only a quarter past eleven." Then with a quick

Audit. I'm De

im as if he had had fifty windo

head's Sir D

do we do

ough not perhaps very thick

ellows would give a po

hat he dropped all scruples. "I'm the most envied man I know-so tha

e as if they were joking. "I see.

, not serious. "Wouldn'

discomposed by the indulgence in Vanderbank's face. "It's all right-all right!" he reassuringly added, having meanwhile stopped before a photograph suspended on the wall. "That's your mother!" he brought ou

of amusement he excited would never in the least

watch again. "Do you thi

at he was almost tempted to say: "Dear and delightful sir, don't weigh that question;

at's the only way n

ses through which he had been darting admirations and catching side-lights for shocks. "Don't talk nonsense," he continued as his friend attempted once more to throw in a protest; "I belong to a diffe

verything his visitor represented, to enter into his consciousness and feel, as it were, on his side. He gl

ailed to prevent his discovering in the eyes behind them a shy reflexio

's not what

mean." Vanderbank bristled with the wish to be put to the test, but wa

an awfully good thing

too grossly-wondered

ughed. "Well,

ed grave. "And ab

and boats and things. To do the work!" Van

at IS t

pause. "Ask HIM. He'

little to say." Mr. Longdon

bout that

a trap; then not less vaguely he sighed. "Well, it's what I came

Brookenham's getting the place wasn't a job. It was given, I mean, not to his mere domestic need, but to his notorious efficiency. He has a

es, I remember-one heard of those things at

ys has her intense cleverness. She knows th

But a house in Buckingham Crescent, with the way they se

ght," Vanderbank s

with whom one has dined. There are

a wonder, the older girl, whom you must see, and

r talk, have been almost nothing too uncanny for Mr. Long

ed back. "I know the thing you just mentioned-the thing that strikes you as odd." He produced his knowledge quite with elation. "The talk." Mr. Longdon on this only looked at him in silence and harder, but he went on with assurance: "Yes, the talk-for we do talk, I think." Still his guest le

ou there, when the ladies had left us, how ma

an old boy who remembers the

ow well you remembe

at a new subject. "This m

ry bad, but a

Dear,

delightful of you," this informant went on,

t mightn't-one never knows-have amused you. As I told you there, the first thing I did was to ask Fernanda

did Fern

red. "Do YOU ca

han he would have expected. "You think it

th a smile a trifle strange:

nt. In point of fact," Vanderbank pursued, "I D

ng. "Unless in speaking of her to oth

say we seem to you a vulgar lot of people. That's not

at me-!" And his

to hear how the sort of thing we've fallen into-oh we HAVE fallen in!-strikes your fresh, your uncorrupted ear. Do have another cigarett

him up. "What do you pe

'! That's right-give it to us. I'm sure that in one way or another

ou call aw

much? But no," he added quickly and gaily, "of course you don't: if I don't look out I shall have exactly the effect on you I don't want. I dare say I don't know HOW well I know Mrs. Brook

sfied and reassured. "You probab

at wouldn't excuse me. The only thing

ank's surprise, at any rate to his deeper amusemen

everal oth

h pleasure. "You're quite right. We d

said. "And I think it's rather in my interest

n attention that just operated as

egree attenuate "What IS your Ch

answer could only impute extravagance to the lady.

l conscious leap. "And

rsued, "if she herself gave you no glimpse of the fact. Any implicati

ce just covered-and a little painfully-with the vision of the possibility brushe

lled up, however, and, thinking better of it, selected another instance. "The Duchess-weren't you introduced to the Duchess?-never calls me anything b

pointed its moral with an indulgent: "Oh well, a

rself so cleverly, to make up for the obloquy of that state, of the benefits and immunities it brings

on seemed all civilly to

s are as thick as princes at Petersburg. He's dead, at

hink-after Naples?" M

the young man caught himself up-"she lives not in what's behind

. Longdon risked a

a, a little girl, the Duchess's niece, or rather I believe her husband's, whom she ha

great man

He gave a vague but expressive sigh.

picuously subtle. "Then

'great' one?" Va

from him, again embraced

e pointed to an object on one of the tables, a small photograph w

e was serious now. "She's very bea

rate, has of course nothing to conceal. She IS extremely pretty-with extraordinary red hair and a complexion to match; great rarities I believe, in that race and latitu

ou got HER?" The old

de the lamp-also a pre