Born in Exile

ent by the parlour window. In a short time Oliver came home, and, having learned what had happened, joined

telaw,' declared the lad

te's opinion. 'I can't see that it will make the sli

mother's pat

understand perfectly well how serious it

obstinacy, 'that one ought to be ashamed of one's re

in presented himself. To the general astonishment, he seemed in excellent spirits, and ate more heartily than usual. Not a word was sp

of my work at Whitelaw. We m

dear? What will L

write a letter to Lady Whitelaw. There's no need, you know, to go

bout, you may be sure. But I do hope

ts course-Greek, and Latin, and so on, you know; I ought to have stuck to science. I shall go back to it

fforts he was by no means clear, but it eased him greatly to have cast off a burden of doubt; his theorising intellect loved the sensation of life thrown open to new, however vague, possibilities. At present he was convinced that Andrew Peak had done him a service.

to a professorship. How had he thus been led astray? Not only had his boyish instincts moved strongly towards science, but was not the tendency of the age in the same direction? Buckland Warricombe, who habitually declaimed against classical study, was perfectly right; the world had learned all it could from those hoary teachers, and must now turn to Nature. On every hand, the future was with students of the laws of matter. Often, it was true, he

den daylight, the genial warmth. In a hollow of grassy fields, where he least expected to encounter an acquaintance, it was his chance to come upon Christian Moxey, stretched at full length in the

'the effort would be too great.

r thoughts,' a

just then. In fact, I have come as far as this in the ho

I enjoy a

istian, musingly. 'You will do something

ded not to g

m sorry to

up my mind not to

at Whitelaw. The possibility of this galled him; but it was such a great step to have declared, as it were i

l work of a scientific kind. It was a mi

ooked at hi

u sure

feel sur

hristian beat the gr

between literature and science, and now at last I have quite decided-quite-that scientific study is the only safe line for

n his elbow, seeming to watch the shee

aving a special line of work and sticking to it vigorously. I, unfortunately, shall never do anything of any account,-but I know so well the conflict between diverging tastes. It has played the deuce with me

very pleasant. Godwin felt his

plied. 'I am going back to the line I took n

hitelaw?' asked

like it-I can'

ed away from a subject

y other places where one

e School of Mines in London

re myself for

ll me about the-th

desired information, and

ds in London?' Moxe

don-very few that I care anything about. That, in fact, is one reason why I am staying here longer than I intended.' He seemed to speak rather to himself than to Godwin; the half-smile on his lips expressed a wish to disclose circumstances and motives which were yet hardly a sui

ation; he found it difficult to understand Moxey's yearning for domesticity, all his own impulses leading towards quite a contrary i

impossible to talk with the ease of unconsciousness. The contrast, too, between his garments, his boots, and those of the Londoner was painful enough to him. Without being a dandy, Christian, it was evident, gave a good deal of thought to costume. That k

use to you, pray let me. I must get back to town in a few days, but you

ics. Godwin made inquiries about Zuri

ee much of

't the energy-more's the pity. Would you like to see a lot of good photo

Peak accepted the invitation to walk back with his compan

hould moon my life away-no doubt. My sister has ten times as much energy-she knows much more than I do already. What a splendid thing it is to be of an independent character! I had rather be a self-reliant coal-heaver than a millionaire of uncertain will. My uncle-there's a man who knows

lawn sat Miss Janet, occupied with a book. She rose to me

left a letter for you-

s photographs. You wouldn't care to come an

azy

Peak would have recognised the beauty which transfo

ught the tremor of a sudden emotion on lip and eyelid. Instantly, prompted by he knew not what perception, he turned his gaze to Janet, a

e from a subtle stress on his nerves, due to something indeterminable in the situation, of which he formed a part. Janet's merry humour seemed to be subdued. Christian was obviously forcing himself to enterta

ill be coming to London before long. We m

if forcing herself to address Peak directly, she faced to hi

ne only half-serious, but conscious at once that he had made what might seem an appea

he young man's look and words. Again Godwin speculated on the meaning of this, and wondered, in connecti