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j'ose vous prier d'approuver cette union。 Le Roi temoigna d'abord
quelque surprise； mais l'estime qu'il avait pour son frere lui
inspira une reponse pleine de beinveillance。 Il s'approcha aussitot
de Calciope qu'il embrassa tendrement； combla ensuite Lycurgue de
prevenances et parut tres satisfait。〃
He called my attention to this and then said somewhat timidly that
he would rather have married Ellen than Calciope。 I saw he was
hardening and made no hesitation about proposing that in another day
or two we should proceed upon our journey。
I will not weary the reader by taking him with us over beaten
ground。 We stopped at Siena； Cortona； Orvieto； Perugia and many
other cities； and then after a fortnight passed between Rome and
Naples went to the Venetian provinces and visited all those wondrous
towns that lie between the southern slopes of the Alps and the
northern ones of the Apennines； coming back at last by the S。
Gothard。 I doubt whether he had enjoyed the trip more than I did
myself； but it was not till we were on the point of returning that
Ernest had recovered strength enough to be called fairly well； and
it was not for many months that he so completely lost all sense of
the wounds which the last four years had inflicted on him as to feel
as though there were a scar and a scar only remaining。
They say that when people have lost an arm or a foot they feel pains
in it now and again for a long while after they have lost it。 One
pain which he had almost forgotten came upon him on his return to
England； I mean the sting of his having been imprisoned。 As long as
he was only a small shop…keeper his imprisonment mattered nothing；
nobody knew of it； and if they had known they would not have cared；
now； however； though he was returning to his old position he was
returning to it disgraced； and the pain from which he had been saved
in the first instance by surroundings so new that he had hardly
recognised his own identity in the middle of them； came on him as
from a wound inflicted yesterday。
He thought of the high resolves which he had made in prison about
using his disgrace as a vantage ground of strength rather than
trying to make people forget it。 〃That was all very well then；〃 he
thought to himself； 〃when the grapes were beyond my reach； but now
it is different。〃 Besides； who but a prig would set himself high
aims； or make high resolves at all？
Some of his old friends； on learning that he had got rid of his
supposed wife and was now comfortably off again； wanted to renew
their acquaintance； he was grateful to them and sometimes tried to
meet their advances half way； but it did not do； and ere long he
shrank back into himself； pretending not to know them。 An infernal
demon of honesty haunted him which made him say to himself： 〃These
men know a great deal； but do not know allif they did they would
cut meand therefore I have no right to their acquaintance。〃
He thought that everyone except himself was sans peur et sans
reproche。 Of course they must be； for if they had not been； would
they not have been bound to warn all who had anything to do with
them of their deficiencies？ Well； he could not do this； and he
would not have people's acquaintance under false pretences； so he
gave up even hankering after rehabilitation and fell back upon his
old tastes for music and literature。
Of course he has long since found out how silly all this was； how
silly I mean in theory； for in practice it worked better than it
ought to have done； by keeping him free from liaisons which would
have tied his tongue and made him see success elsewhere than where
he came in time to see it。 He did what he did instinctively and for
no other reason than because it was most natural to him。 So far as
he thought at all； he thought wrong； but what he did was right。 I
said something of this kind to him once not so very long ago； and
told him he had always aimed high。 〃I never aimed at all；〃 he
replied a little indignantly； 〃and you may be sure I should have
aimed low enough if I had thought I had got the chance。〃
I suppose after all that no one whose mind was not； to put it
mildly； abnormal； ever yet aimed very high out of pure malice
aforethought。 I once saw a fly alight on a cup of hot coffee on
which the milk had formed a thin skin； he perceived his extreme
danger； and I noted with what ample strides and almost supermuscan
effort he struck across the treacherous surface and made for the
edge of the cupfor the ground was not solid enough to let him
raise himself from it by his wings。 As I watched him I fancied that
so supreme a moment of difficulty and danger might leave him with an
increase of moral and physical power which might even descend in
some measure to his offspring。 But surely he would not have got the
increased moral power if he could have helped it； and he will not
knowingly alight upon another cup of hot coffee。 The more I see the
more sure I am that it does not matter why people do the right thing
so long only as they do it； nor why they may have done the wrong if
they have done it。 The result depends upon the thing done and the
motive goes for nothing。 I have read somewhere； but cannot remember
where； that in some country district there was once a great scarcity
of food； during which the poor suffered acutely； many indeed
actually died of starvation； and all were hard put to it。 In one
village； however； there was a poor widow with a family of young
children； who； though she had small visible means of subsistence；
still looked well…fed and comfortable； as also did all her little
ones。 〃How；〃 everyone asked； 〃did they manage to live？〃 It was
plain they had a secret； and it was equally plain that it could be
no good one； for there came a hurried； hunted look over the poor
woman's face if anyone alluded to the way in which she and hers
throve when others starved； the family； moreover； were sometimes
seen out at unusual hours of the night； and evidently brought things
home； which could hardly have been honestly come by。 They knew they
were under suspicion； and； being hitherto of excellent name； it made
them very unhappy； for it must be confessed that they believed what
they did to be uncanny if not absolutely wicked； nevertheless； in
spite of this they throve； and kept their strength when all their
neighbours were pinched。
At length matters came to a head and the clergyman of the parish
cross…questioned the poor woman so closely that with many tears and
a bitter sense of degradation she confessed the truth； she and her
children went into the hedges and gathered snails； which they made
into broth and atecould she ever be forgiven？ Was there any hope
of salvation for her either in this world or the next after such
unnatural conduct？
So again I have heard of an old dowager countess whose money was all
in Consols； she had had many sons； and in her anxiety to give the
younger ones a good start； wanted a larger income than Consols would
give her。 She consulted her solicitor and was advised to sell her
Consols and invest in the London and North…Western Railway； then at
about 85。 This was to her what eating sna