Shedidnotwant，andwouldnotknowwhattodowith，abiggershopthanshehad。Anaugmentationofhercapitalwouldbeofnouse，becausetherewasnoroominthecrowdedlittleshopforalargerstockthanitcontained。
Shewasentirelysatisfiedwiththedingyhomeoverhead，anddeclinedtothinkevenofmovingelsewhere。
Overandoveragainshemethispropositionswithasayingwhichhecouldrecallhavingparticularlyhatedontheirfather'slips，——"It'sillteachinganolddognewtricks。"
"Yououghttohavethemtaughtyouwithastick，"
hehadtoldherroundly，onthelastoccasion。
Shehadmerelyshruggedhergauntshouldersathim。
"Youthinkyoucanbullyeverybodyandmakethemcrawltoyou，——butthere'snogoodyourtryingitonwithme，"
shehadtoldhim，andhehadpushedhiswayoutoftheshopalmoststampinghisfeet。Itwascleartohimatthatmomentthathewouldneverdarkenherdooragain。
Yetnow，onthisafternoonofthetenth，asheloungedwithacigarandaCitypaperinhisapartmentatthehotelafterluncheon，wonderingwhetheritweretoohottoissueforthforawalktothePark，theirrelevantideaofgoingroundtoseehissisterkeptcomingintohismind。
Heseatedhimselfandfastenedhisattentionuponthepaper，——butoffitslippedagaintotheoldbook-shop，andtothatcurious，cross-grainedfigure，itsmistress。
Heabandonedhimselftothinkingabouther——anddiscoveredthatacertainuniquequalityinherchallengedhisadmiration。
Shewastheonlyabsolutelydisinterestedpersonheknew——theonlycreatureintheworld，apparently，whodidnotdesiretomakesomethingoutofhim。Shewasnotatallwell-
off，——wasindeedratherpoorthanotherwise，——andherewasheronlybrotheramillionaire，andinherdumbwayshehadasisterlyaffectionforhim，andyetshecouldnotbearguedorcajoledintotouchingapennyofhismoney。
Surelytherecouldbenootherwomanlikeher。
Thorperealizedthatitwasadistinctiontohavesuchasister，——andbehindthisthoughtroseobscurelythesuggestionthattheremustbewonderfulbloodinaracewhichhadproducedsuchadaughter。Andforthatmatter，suchasontoo！Heliftedhishead，andlookedabstractedlybeforehim，asifheweregazingatsomeapotheosisofhimselfinamirror。
Hebeheldallatoncesomethingconcreteandpersonal，obtrudedintotheheartofhisreverie，thesightofwhichdimlyastoundedhim。Forthemoment，withopenedlipshestaredatit，——thenslowlybroughthimselftocomprehendwhathadhappened。Anoldmanhadbysomeoversightofthehotelservantsbeenallowedtoentertheroomunannounced。Hehadwanderedinnoiselessly，andhadmovedinapurblindfashiontothecentreoftheapartment。Thevaguenessoftheexpressiononhisfaceandofhismovementshintedatavacantmindortoomuchdrink，——butThorpegavenothoughttoeitherhypothesis。
Thefaceitself——no——yes——itwasthefaceofoldTavender。
"InthenameofGod！Whatareyoudoinghere？"Thorpegaspedatthisextraordinaryapparition。Stillstaring，hebegantopushbackhischairandputhisweightuponhisfeet。
"Well——Thorpe"——theotherbegan，thrustingforwardhisheadtolookthroughhisspectacles——"soitisyou，afterall。
Ididn'tknowwhetherIwasgoingtofindyouornot。
Thisplacehasgotsomanyturnsandtwiststoit——"
"Butgoodheavens！"interposedthebewilderedThorpe。
Hehadrisentohisfeet。Hemechanicallytookthehandwhichtheotherhadextendedtohim。"Whatinhell"——hebegan，andbrokeoffagain。Thearomaofalcoholontheaircaughthissense，andhismindstoppedattheperceptionthatTavenderwasmoreorlessdrunk。Hestrovetospuritforward，tocompelittoencompassthemeaningsofthisnewcrisis，butalmostinvain。
"ThoughtI'dlookyouup，"saidtheoldman，buoyantly。
"NobodyinLondonI'dratherseethanyou。Howareyou，anyway？"
"Whatdidyoucomeoverfor？Whendidyougethere？"
Thorpeputthequestionsautomatically。Hisself-controlwasreturningtohim；hiscapablebrainpushedforwardnowundersomethinglikedisciplineddirection。
"WhyIguessIoweitalltoyou，"repliedTavender。
TracesoftheoldQuakereffectwhichhadbeensocharacteristicofhimstillhungabouthisgarbandmien，butthereshoneanewassuranceonhisbenignant，rubicundface。Prosperityhadvisiblyliberalizedandenheartenedhim。HeshookThorpe'shandagain。
"Yes，sir——itmusthavebeenallthroughyou！"herepeated。
"Igotmycablethreeweeksago——'HastentoLondon，urgentbusiness，expensesandliberalfeeguaranteed，RubberConsols'——that'swhatthecablesaid，thatis，thefirstoneandofcourseyou'rethemanthatintroducedmetothoserubberpeople。Andsodon'tyouseeIoweitalltoyou？"
Hisinsistenceuponhisobligationwassuddenlyalmosttearful。
Thorpethoughthardashereplied："Oh——that'sallright。
I'mverygladindeedtohavehelpedyoualong。
AndsoyoucameoverfortheRubberConsolspeople，eh？Well——that'sgood。Seen'emyet？Youhaven'ttoldmewhenyoulanded。"
"CameupfromSouthamptonthismorning。Mybrother-in-lawwasdowntheretomeetme。WecameuptoLondontogether。"
"Yourbrother-in-law，"observedThorpe，meditatively。
Someshadowy，remoteimpressionofhavingforgottensomethingtroubledhismindforaninstant。"Isyourbrother-in-lawintherubberbusiness？"
"Extraor'narything，"explainedTavender，beamingly，"hedon'tknownomoreaboutthewholeaffairthantheman'nthemoon。
Iaskedhimtoday——buthecouldn'ttellmeanythingaboutthebusiness——whatitwasI'dbeensentfor，oranything。"
"Buthe——heknewyou'dbeensentfor，"Thorpecommenteduponbriefreflection。
"Why，hesentthesecondcablehimself——"
"Whatsecondcable？"
"Whyitwasthenextday，——ormaybeitwassentthatsamenight，andnotdeliveredtillmorning，——I
gotanothercable，thistimefrommybrother-in-law，tellingmetocablehimwhatshipIsailedonandwhen。
Soofcourseheknewallaboutit——butnowhesayshedon't。He'sacurioussortoffellow，anyway。"
"Buthowishemixedupinit？"demandedThorpe，impatiently。
"Well，asnearlyasIcanfigureitout，heworksforoneofthementhat'sattheheadofthisrubbercompany。
Itappearsthathehappenedtoshowthisman——he'samanoftitle，bytheway——aletterIwrotetohimlastspring，whenIgotbacktoMexico——andsointhatwaythisman，whenhewantedmetocomeover，justtoldGaffersontocabletome。"
"Gafferson，"Thorperepeated，veryslowly，andwithalmostaneffectoflistlessness。Hewasconsciousofnosurprise；
itwasasifhehaddivinedallalongthesinistershadowsofLordPlowdenandLordPlowden'sgardener，lurkingintheobscuritybehindthisegregiousoldassofaTavender。
"He'satremendoushorticulturalsharp，"saidtheother。
"Probablyyou'veheardtellofhim。He'stakenmedalsfornewflowersandthingstillyoucan'trest。
He'soverat——whatdoyoucallit？——theRoyalAquarium，now，toseetheDahliaShow。Iwentovertherewithhim，butitdidn'tseemtobemykindofashow，andsoIlefthimthere，andI'mtolookinagainforhimat5：30。I'mgoingdowntohisplaceinthecountrywithhimtonight，tomeethisboss——thenoblemanIspokeof。"
"That'snice，"Thorpecommented，slowly。"Ienvyanybodywhocangetintothecountrythesedays。ButhowdidyouknowIwashere？""Thewomaninthebook-storetoldme——Iwenttherethefirstthing。YoumightbesureI'dlookyouup。Nobodywaseverabetterfriendthanyou'vebeentome，Thorpe。AnddoyouknowwhatIwantyoutodo？Iwantyoutocomerightbangout，now，andhaveadrinkwithme。"
"Iwasthinkingofsomethingofthesortmyself，"
thebigmanreplied。"I'llgetmyhat，andbewithyouinaminute。"
Inthenextroomherelinquishedhiscountenancetoafrownoffierceperplexity。Morethanaminutepassedinthisscowlingpreoccupation。Thenhisfacelightenedwiththereliefofanidea，andhesteppedconfidentlybackintotheparlour。
"Comealong，"hesaid，jovially。"We'llhaveadrinkdownstairs，andthenwe'lldriveuptoHanoverSquareandseeifwecan'tfindafriendofmineathisclub。"
Intheofficebelowhestoppedlongenoughtosecureaconsiderablerollofbank-notesinexchangeforacheque。
Alittlelater，ahansomdepositedthecoupleatthedooroftheAsianClub，andThorpe，intheouterhallwayofthisinstitution，clickedhisteethinsatisfactionatthenewsthatGeneralKervickwasonthepremises。
TheGeneral，havingbeenfoundbyaboyandbroughtdown，extendedtohisguestsahospitalitywhichwasnonethelessurbanefortheevidencesofsurprisewithwhichitwasseasoned。HeconcealedsoindifferentlyhisinabilitytoaccountforTavender，thattheanxiousThorpegrewannoyedwithhim，buthappilyTavender'sperceptionswerelesssubtle。Hegazedabouthiminhisdim-eyedwaywithchildlikeinterest，andbabbledcheerfullyoverhisliquor。HehadnotbeeninsideaLondonclubbefore，andhisglimpseofthereading-room，where，isolated，purple-faced，retiredoldEmpire-makerssatsnortinginthesilence，theirgoutyfeetproppeduponfoot-rests，theirwhitebrowsscowlingoverthepagesofFrenchnovels，particularlyimpressedhim。Itwasanewandhalcyonvisionofthewaytospendone'sdecliningyears。
Andthebigsmoking-room——wheretheleathercushionsweresolowandsosoft，andtheconnectionbetweenthebellsandthewaiterswassoefficient——thatwasevenbetter。
ThorpepresentlymadeanexcusefortakingKervickapart。
"Ibroughtthisoldjackasshereforapurpose，"hesaidinlow，gravelymandatorytones。"Hethinkshe'sgotanappointmentat5：30thisafternoon——buthe'swrong。
Hehasn't。He'snotgoingtohaveanyappointmentatall——foralongtimeyet。Iwantyoutogethimdrunk，therewherehesits，andthentakehimawaywithyou，andgethimdrunkerstill，andthentakeatrainwithhimsomewhere——anystationbutCharingCrossorthatline——andIdon'tcarewhereyoulandwithhim——ScotlandorIrelandorFrance——whateveryoulike。Here'ssomemoneyforyou——andyoucanwritetomeformore。Idon'tcarewhatyousaytohim——makeupanyyarnyoulike——onlykeephimpacified，andkeephimawayfromLondon，anddon'tletalivingsoultalktohim——tillIgiveyoutheword。
You'llletmeknowwhereyouare。I'llgetawaynow——andmind，General，agooddealdependsonthewayyoupleasemeinthisthing。"
Thesoldier'srichly-floridfaceandintent，bulgingblueeyesexpressedvividcomprehension。Henoddedwitheloquenceasheslippedthenotesintohistrouserspocket。
"Absolutely，"hemurmuredwithmartialbrevity，fromunderhiswhite，tightmoustache。
WithonlyavaguewordortwoofmeaninglessexplanationtoTavender，Thorpetookhisdeparture，andwalkedbacktothehotel。Fromwhathehadlearnedandsurmised，itwasnotdifficulttoputthepiecesofthepuzzletogether。
Thisridiculousoldfool，herememberednow，hadreproachedhimself，whenhewasinEnglandbefore，forhisuncivilneglectofhisbrother-in-law。Bysomeabsurdchance，thisdamnedbrother-in-lawhappenedtobeGafferson。
Itwasclearenoughthat，whenhereturnedtoMexico，TavenderhadwrittentoGafferson，explainingtheunexpectedpressureofbusinesswhichhadtakenupallhistimeinEngland。Probablyhehadbeenidiotenoughtorelatewhatheofcourseregardedasthemostwonderfulpieceofgoodnews——howtheworthlessconcessionhehadbeendeludedintobuyinghadbeenboughtbackfromhim。
Aslikelyasnothehadevenidentifiedtheconcession，andgivenThorpe'snameasthatofthemanwhohadfirstimpoverishedandthenmysteriouslyenrichedhim。Atallevents，hehadclearlymentionedthathehadacommissiontoreportupontheRubberConsolsproperty，andhadsaidenoughelsetocreatetheimpressionthattherewerecriminalsecretsconnectedwithitssaletotheLondonCompany。
Therestwaseasy。Gafferson，knowingLordPlowden'srelationtotheCompany，hadshownhimTavender'sletter。
LordPlowden，meditatinguponit，hadseenawaytobenasty——andhadvindictivelyplungedintoit。HehadbroughtTavenderfromMexicotoLondon，tousehimasaweapon。
Allthiswasasobviousasthenoseonone'sface。
Butaweaponforwhat？Thorpe，asthisquestionputitselfinhismind，haltedbeforeashop-windowfullofsoft-huedsilkfabrics，tomuseuponananswer。
Thedelicatetintsandsurfacesofwhatwasbeforehiseyesseemedsomehowtoconnectthemselveswiththesubject。
Plowdenhimselfwasdelicately-tintedandrefinedoftexture。
Vindictivenesswastooplainandcoarseanemotiontoswaysuchacomplicatedandpolishedorganism。
Hereasoneditout，ashestoodwithlack-lustregazebeforetheplate-glassfront，aloofamongathrongofeagerandtalkativewomenwhopressedaroundhim——thatPlowdenwouldnothavespenthismoneyonamereimpulseofmischief-making。Hewouldbecountinguponsomethingmoretangiblethanrevenge——somethingthatcouldbecountedandweighedandconvertedintoabank-balance。Hesmiledwhenhereachedthisconclusion——greatlysurprisingandconfusingamatronlyladyintowhosecorrectfacehechancedtobelookingattheinstant——andturningslowly，continuedhiswalk。
Attheofficeofthehotel，hemuchregrettednothavingdriveninstead，forhelearnedthatSemplehadtwicetelephonedfromtheCityforhim。Itwaslateintheafternoon——henotedwithsatisfactionthattheclockshowedittobealreadypastthehouroftheTavender-Gaffersonappointment，——buthehadSemple'sofficecalledup，uponthechancethatsomeonemightbethere。Theclerkhadnotconsumedmorethantenminutesinthepreliminariesoffindingoutthatnoonewasthere——ThorpemeanwhilepassingsavagecommentstotheotherclerksabouttheBritishofficialconceptionofthetelephoneasaninstrumentofdisciplineandhumiliation——whenSemplehimselfappearedinthedoorway。
TheBrokergaveanexclamationofreliefatseeingThorpe，andthen，apparentlyindifferenttothedisplayofexcitementhewasexhibiting，drewhimaside。
"Comesomewherewherewecantalk，"hewhisperednervously。
ThorpehadneverseenthelittleScotchmaninsuchaflurry。
"We'llgouptomyrooms，"hesaid，andledthewaytothelift。
Upstairs，Sempleboltedthedoorofthesitting-roombehindthem，andsatisfiedhimselfthattherewasnooneintheadjoiningbedroom。Then，unburdeninghimselfwithanothersigh，hetossedasidehishat，andlookedkeenlyupatthebigman。"There'sthedeviltopay，"
hesaidbriefly。
Thorpehadafleetingprideinthelethargic，composedfronthewasabletopresent。"Allright，"
hesaidwithforcedplacidity。"Ifhe'sgottobepaid，we'llpayhim。"Hecontinuedtosmilealittle。
"It'snahjoke，"theotherhastenedtowarnhim。
"Ihaveitfromtwodifferentquarters。AnapplicationhasbeenmadetotheStockExchangeCommittee，thisafternoon，tointerveneandstopourbusiness，onthegroundoffraud。
Itcomesverrastraighttome。"
ThorperegardedhisBrokercontemplatively。Thenewsfittedwithprecisionintowhathehadpreviouslyknown；
itwasrenderedaltogetherharmlessbytheprecautionshehadalreadytaken。"Well，keepyourhairon，"
hesaid，quietly。"Iftherewerefiftyapplications，theywouldn'tmattertheworthofthatsoda-watercork。
Won'tyouhaveadrink？"
Semple，uponreflection，saidhewould。Theunmovedequipoiseofthebigmanvisiblyreassuredhim。Hesippedathisbubblingtumblerandsmackedhisthinlips。
"Man，I'vehadanawfulfright，"hesaidatlast，inthetoneofonewhoseeaseofmindisreturning。
"Igaveyoucreditformorenerve，"observedtheother，eyeinghiminnotunkindlyfashionoverhisglass。
"You'vebeensoplumbfullofsandallthewhile——Ididn'tthinkyou'dweakennow。Why，we'rewithintwodaysofhome，now——andforyoutogetrattledatthislatehour——yououghttobeashamedofyourself"
TheScotchmanlookedintothebottomofhisglass，asheturneditthoughtfullyround。"I'mrelievedtoseethewayyoutakeit，"hesaid，afterapause。
Withincreasedhesitationhewentdrylyon："I'veneverenquiredminutelyintothecircumstancesoftheflotation。
Ithasnotseemedtobemybusinesstodoso，anduponadviceImaysaythattheCommitteewouldnotholdthatsuchwasmybusiness。Mypositionisquiteclear，uponthatpoint。"
"Oh，perfectly，"Thorpeassented。"Itcouldn'tpossiblybeanyofyourbusiness——eitherthen，ornow。"Hegaveasignificanttouchofemphasistotheselasttwowords。
"Precisely，"saidSemple，withaglanceofswiftcomprehension。
"YoumustnotthinkIamaskinganyintrusivequestions。
Ifyoutellmethat——thatthereisnogroundforuneasiness——I
amverrapleasedindeedtoaccepttheassurance。
Thatisampleinformationformypurposes。"
"Youcantakeitfromme，"Thorpetoldhim。Hepickeduparedbookfromasidetable，andturnedoveritspageswithhisthickthumb。"ThisiswhatRule59says，"
hewenton："'NOAPPLICATIONWHICHHASFORITSOBJECTTO
ANNULANYBARGAININTHESTOCKEXCHANGESHALLBEENTERTAINED
BYTHECOMMITTEE，UNLESSUPONASPECIFICALLEGATIONOF
FRAUDORWILFULMISREPRESENTATION。'Shallbeentertained，d'yesee？Theycan'tevenconsideranythingofthesort，becauseitsays'specific，'andItellyouplainlythatanything'specific'isentirelyoutofthequestion。"
TheBrokerliftedhissandybrowsinmomentaryapprehension。
"Ifitturnsupontheprecisedefinitionofaword，"
heremarked，doubtingly。
"Ah，yes，——butitdoesn't，"Thorpereassuredhim。
"Seehere——I'lltellyousomething。You'renotaskinganyquestions。That'sasitshouldbe。AndI'mnotforcinginformationuponyouwhichyoudon'tneedinyourbusiness。
That'sasitshouldbe，too。Butinbetweenthesetwo，there'sacertainmarginoffactsthatthere'snoharminyourknowing。Aschemetoblackmailmeisonfoot。
It'sratherafool-scheme，ifyouaskme，butitmighthavebeenanuisanceifithadbeensprungonusunawares。
Ithappened，however，thatItwiggedthisschemeabouttwohoursago。Itwasthedamnedestbitofluckyoueverheardof——"
"Youdon'thaveluck，"putinSemple，appreciatively。
"Othermenhaveluck。Youhavesomethingelse——Idon'tgiveitaname。"
Thorpesmileduponhim，andwenton。"Itwiggedit，anyway。
Iwentout，andIdrovethebiggestkindofspikethroughthatfool-scheme——plumbthroughitsheart。
Tomorrowacertainmanwillcometome——oh，Icouldalmosttellyouthekindofneck-tiehe'llwear——andhe'llputuphisblufftome，andI'llhearhimout——andthen——thenI'llletthefloordropoutfromunderhim。"
"Aye！"saidSemple，withrelish。
"Stayanddinewithmetonight，"Thorpeimpulsivelysuggested，"andwe'llgotosomeMusicHallafterward。There'saknock-aboutpantomimeoutfitattheCanterbury——MartinettiIthinkthenameis——that'sdamnedgood。Yougetplentyoflaugh，andnotiresomeblabtolistento。TheolderIget，themoreIthinkofpeoplethatkeeptheirmouthsshut。"
"Aye，"observedSempleagain。
CHAPTERXX
INtheBoardRoom，nextday，ThorpeawaitedthecomingofLordPlowdenwiththesereneconfidenceofaprophetwhonotonlyknowsthatheisinspired，buthashadanillicitglimpseintotheworkingsofthemachineryofevents。
Hesatmotionlessathisdesk，likeabigspiderforwhotimehasnomeaning。Beforehimlaytwonewspapers，foldedsoastoexposeparagraphsheavilyindicatedbybluepencil-marks。Theywerenotfinancialjournals，andforthatreasonitwasimprobablethathewouldhaveseentheseparagraphs，iftheSecretaryoftheCompanyhadnotmarkedthem，andbroughtthemtohim。
Thatofficialhadbeenvastlymoreflutteredbythemthanhefounditpossibletobe。Inslightly-varyinglanguage，thesetwoitemsembeddedinso-calledmoneyarticlesreportedtherumourthatachargeoffraudhadariseninconnectionwiththeRubberConsolscorner，andthatsensationaldisclosureswerebelievedtobeimpending。
Thorpelookedwithadulled，abstractedeyeatthesepapers，lyingonthedesk，andespeciallyatthebluepencil-linesuponthem，asheponderedmanythings。Theirstatement，thusscatteredbroadcasttothepublic，seemedatoncetointroduceanewelementintothesituation，andtoleaveitunchanged。Thatinfluenceofsomesorthadbeenexertedtogetthisstoryintothesepapers，itdidnotoccurtohimforaninstanttodoubt。
Tohisview，allthingsthatwereputintopaperswereputthereforapurpose——itwouldexpresshisnotionmoreclearly，perhaps，tosayforaprice。
OfthemethodsofFleetStreet，hewasprofoundlyignorant，buthisimpressionsofthemwereallcynical。
Uponreflection，however，itseemedunlikelytohimthatLordPlowdenhadsecuredtheinsertionoftheserumours。
SofarasThorpecouldfathomthatnobleman'sgame，itsaimswouldnotbeservedbyprematurepublicityofthiskind。
Gradually，theoutlinesofamoreprobablecombinationtookshapeinhisthoughts。Therewereleftinthegripofthe"corner"nowonlytwovictims，——RostockerandAronson。
Theyowedthisinvidiousdifferentiationtoanumberofcauses：theyhadbeenthechiefsellersofstock，beingbetweenthemresponsibleforthedeliveryof8，500RubberConsolsshares，whichtheycouldnotget；
theyweremenoflargerfortunethantheother"shorts，"
andthereforecouldwithsafetybesqueezedlongest；
whatwasfortunateforhimunderthecircumstances，theywerethetwomenagainstwhomThorpe'spersonalgrudgeseemedabletomaintainitselfmosteasily。
Forthesereasons，theyhadalreadybeenmulctedindifferencestotheextentof，inroundnumbers，165，000pounds。
Onthemorrow，thetwelfthofSeptember，itwasThorpe'splantoallowthemtobuyinthesharestheyneeded，at22or23poundspershare——whichwouldtakefromthemnearly200，000poundsmore。Hehadsatisfiedhimselfthattheycould，andwouldifnecessary，paythisenormousransomfortheirfinalescapefromthe"corner。"Partlybecauseitwasnotsocertainthattheycouldpaymore，partlybecausehewassatiatedwithspoilsandtiredofthestrainofthebusiness，hehaddecidedtopermitthisescape。
Herealizednow，however，thattheyontheirsidehadplannedtoescapewithoutpayinganyfinalransomatall。
Thatwasclearlythemeaningoftheseparagraphs，andoftherepresentationswhichhadyesterdaybeenmadetotheStockExchangeCommittee。Hehadadditionalknowledgetodayofthecharacteroftheserepresentations。
Nothingdefinitehadbeenalleged，butsomeofthemembersoftheCommitteehadbeeninformallynotified，soSemplehadthismorninglearned，thataspecificchargeoffraud，supportedbyunanswerableproof，wastobebroughtagainsttheRubberConsolsmanagementonthemorrow。
Thorpereasonedoutnow，stepbystep，whatthatmeant。
LordPlowdenhadsoughtoutRostockerandAronson，andhadtoldthemthathehaditinhispowerignominiouslytobreakthe"corner。"Hecouldhardlyhavetoldthemtheexactnatureofhispower，becauseuntilheshouldhaveseenTavenderhedidnothimselfknowwhatitwas。Buthehadgiventhemtounderstandthathecouldprovefraud，andthey，scentinginthisthechanceofsaving200，000pounds，andseeingthattimewassoterriblyshort，hadhastenedtotheCommitteemenwiththisvaguedeclarationthat，onthemorrow，theycouldprove——theydidnotpreciselyknowwhat。Yes——plainlyenough——thatwaswhathadhappened。
AnditwouldbethesetwoJew"wreckers，"eagertoinvesttheirspeculativenotificationtotheCommitteewithasmuchofanairofformalityaspossible，whohadcausedtheallusionstoittobepublishedinthesepapers。
Thorpe'slustrelesseyesuddenlytwinkledwithmirthashereachedthisconclusion；hisheavyfacebrightenedintoagrinofdelight。AvisionofLordPlowden'sabsurdpredicamentrosevividlybeforehim，andhechuckledaloudatit。
Itseemedonlythemostnaturalthingintheworldthat，atthisinstant，aclerkshouldopenthedoorandnodwithmeaningtothemaster。Thevisitorwhomhehadwarnedthepeopleintheouterofficeheexpected，hadarrived。
ThorpewasstilllaughingtohimselfwhenLordPlowdenentered。
"Hallo！Howd'yedo！"hecalledouttohimfromwherehesatathisdesk。
Thehilarityofthemannerintowhichhehadbeenbetrayed，upontheinstantsurprisedandratherconfusedhim。
HehadnotbeenaltogetherclearastohowheshouldreceivePlowden，butcertainlyawarmjovialityhadnotoccurredtohimasappropriate。
Thenoblemanwasevenmoretakenaback。Hestaredmomentarilyatthebigman'sbeamingmask，andthen，withnervousawkwardness，executedaseriesofchangesinhisownfacialexpressionanddemeanour。Heflushedred，openedhislipstosay"Ah！"andthentwistedthemintoadoubtingandseeminglypainfulsmile。Helookedwithverybright-eyedintentnessatThorpe，asheadvanced，andsomewhatspasmodicallyputouthishand。
ItoccurredtoThorpenottoseethishand。"Howareyou！"
herepeatedinamoremechanicalvoice，andwithdrewhissmile。LordPlowdenfidgetedonhisfeetforabrief，embarrassedintervalbeforethedesk，andthendroppedintoachairatitsside。Withadeliberateeffortatnonchalance，hecrossedhislegs，andcaressedtheankleonhiskneewithacarelesshand。"Anythingnew？"
heasked。
Thorpelolledbackinhisarm-chair。"I'mgoingtobeabletogetawayinafewdays'time，"hesaid，indifferently。
"IexpecttofinallywindupthebusinessontheStockExchangetomorrow。"
"Ah——yes，"commentedPlowden，vacantly。Heseemedtobesearchingafterthoughtswhichhadwanderedastray。
"Yes——ofcourse。"
"Yes——ofcourse，"Thorpesaidafterhim，withalatenttouchofsignificance。
Theotherlookedupquickly，thenglancedawayagain。
"It'sallgoingasyouexpected，isit？"heasked。
"BetterthanIexpected，"Thorpetoldhim，energetically。
"Muchbetterthananybodyexpected。"
"Hah！"saidPlowden。Afteramoment'sreflectionhewentonhesitatingly："Ididn'tknow。Isawsomethinginoneofthepapersthismorning，——oneofthemoneyarticles，——whichspokeasifthereweresomedoubtabouttheresult。
That'swhyIcalled。"
"Well——it'sdamnedgoodofyoutocomeround，andshowsuchafriendlyinterest。"Thorpe'svoiceseemedcandidenough，buttherewasanenigmaticsomethinginhisglancewhicharousedtheother'sdistrust。
"I'mafraidyoudon'ttakeverymuchstockinthe'friendlyinterest，'"hesaid，withaconstrainedlittlelaugh。
"I'mnottakingstockinanythingnewjustnow，"
repliedThorpe，lendinghimselflazilytotheother'smetaphor。
"I'mloadeduptothegunnelsalready。"
Aminuteofratheroppressivesilenceensued。
ThenPlowdenventureduponanopening。"Allthesame，itWASwithanideaof，——perhapsbeingofusetoyou，——
thatIcamehere，"heaffirmed。"Inwhatway？"Thorpeputthequeryalmostlistlessly。
LordPlowdenturnedhishandsandlethisdarkeyessparkleinagestureofamiableuncertainty。
"Thatdependeduponwhatwasneeded。Igottheimpressionthatyouwereintrouble——thepaperspokeasiftherewerenodoubtofit——andIimaginedthatquiteprobablyyouwouldbegladtotalkwithmeaboutit。"
"Quiteright，"saidThorpe。"SoIshould。"
Thiscomprehensiveassuranceseemednot，however，tofacilitateconversation。Thenoblemanlookedatthepatternofthesockontheanklehewasnursing，andknittedhisbrowsinperplexity。"WhatiftheCommitteeoftheStockExchangedecidetointerfere？"heaskedatlast。
"Oh，thatwouldknockmesky-high，"Thorpeadmitted。
"Approximately，howmuchmayonetake'sky-high'tomean？"
Thorpeappearedtocalculate。"Almostanythinguptoaquarterofamillion，"heanswered。
"Hah！"saidLordPlowdenagain。"Well——Iunderstand——
I'mgiventounderstand——thatverylikelythatiswhattheCommitteewilldecide。"
"Doesitsaythatinthepapers？"askedThorpe。
Heessayedaneffectofconcern。"Wheredidyouseethat？"
"Ididn'tseeit，"theotherexplained。"It——itcametome。"
"God！"saidThorpe。"That'llbeawful！Butareyoureallyinearnest？Isthatwhatyouhear？Anddoesitcomeatallstraight？"
LordPlowdennoddedportentously。"Absolutelystraight，"
hesaid，withgravity。
Thorpe，afteramomentarystareofwhatlookedlikebewilderment，wasseentoclutchatastraw。"Butwhatwasityouweresaying？"hedemanded，witheagerness。
"Youtalkedabouthelp——aminuteago。Didyoumeanit？Haveyougotaplan？Istheresomethingthatyoucando？"
Plowdenweighedhiswords。"Itwouldbenecessarytohaveaverycompleteunderstanding，"heremarked。
"Whateveryoulike，"exclaimedtheother。
"Pardonme——itwouldhavetobeagooddealmoredefinitethanthat，"Plowdendeclared。"A'burntchild'——youknow。"
Thebigmantappedmusinglywithhisfinger-nailsonthedesk。"Wewon'tquarrelaboutthat，"hesaid。
"ButwhatI'dliketoknowfirst，——youneedn'tgiveanythingawaythatyoudon'twantto，——butwhat'syourplan？Yousaythatthey'vegotmeinahole，andthatyoucangetmeout。""Ineffect——yes。"
"ButhowdoyouknowthatIcan'tgetmyselfout？Whatdoyouknowaboutthewholethinganyway？SupposingI
tellyouthatIlaughatit——thatthere'snomoregroundforraisingthesuspicionoffraudthanthereisfor——forsuspectingthatyou'vegotwingsandcanfly。"
"I——Idon'tthinkyou'lltellmethat，"saidPlowden，placidly。
"Wellthen，supposingIdon'ttellyouthat，"
theotherresumed，argumentatively。"SupposingIsayinsteadthatitcan'tbeproved。IftheCommitteedoesn'thaveproofNOW，——withintwenty-oneortwenty-twohours，——
theycan'tdoanythingatail。Tomorrowissettlingday。
Allalong，I'vesaidIwouldwindupthethingtomorrow。
Themarket-pricehasbeenmadeformebythejobbersyesterdayandtoday。I'mallreadytoendthewholebusinesstomorrow——closeitallout。Andafterthat'sdone，whatdoIcareabouttheStockExchangeCommittee？Theycaninvestigateandbedamned！Whatcouldtheydotome？"
"Ithinkamancanalwaysbearrestedandindicted，andsenttopenalservitude，"saidLordPlowden，withacertainsolemnityoftone。"Thereareevenwell-knowninstancesofextradition。"
Thorpeburiedhischindeepinhiscollar，andregardedhiscompanionwithafixedgaze，inwhichthelatterdetectedsignsoftrepidation。"ButabouttheCommittee——andtomorrow，"hesaidslowly。"Whatdoyousayaboutthat？Howcantheyactinthatlightningfashion？
Andevenifproofscouldbegot，howdoyousupposetheyaretobegotonthedropofthehat，ataminute'snotice？"
"Thecaseisofsufficientimportancetowarrantaspecialmeetingtomorrowmorning，"theotherrejoined。
"Onehour'snotice，postedintheHouse，issufficient，Ibelieve。AnythreemembersoftheCommitteecancallsuchameeting，andIunderstandthatsevenmakeaquorum。
Youwillseethatameetingcouldbeheldatnoontomorrow，andwithinhalfanhourcouldmakeyouaruinedman。"
"Idon'tknow——wouldyoucallitquiteruined？"
commentedThorpe。"Ishouldstillhaveafewsovereignstogoonwith。"
"Acriminalprosecutionwouldbepracticallyinevitable——aftersuchadisclosure，"Plowdenremindedhim，withaugmentedseverityoftone。
"Don'tmixthetwothingsup，"theotherurged。
Thereseemedtothelistenertobesupplicationinthevoice。
"It'stheactionoftheCommitteethatyousaidyoucouldinfluence。That'swhatweweretalkingabout。
Yousaytherewillbeaspecialmeetingatnoontomorrow——
"Isaidtherecouldbeone，"Plowdencorrectedhim。
"Allright。ThereCANbeone。Anddoyousaythattherecanbeproof，——proofagainstmeoffraud，——producedatthatmeeting？"
"Yes——Isaythat，"thenoblemanaffirmed，quietly。
"Andfurtherstill——doyousaythatitrestswithyouwhetherthatproofshallbeproducedornot？"
LordPlowdenlookedintotheimpassive，deep-eyedgazewhichcoveredhim，andlookedawayfromitagain。
"Ihaven'tputitinjustthatform，"hesaid，hesitatingly。
"Butinessentials——yes，thatmaybetakenastrue。"
"Andwhatisyourfigure？Howmuchdoyouwantforholdingthisproofofyoursback，andlettingmefinishscoopingthemoneyofyourHebrewfriendsAronsonandRostocker？"
Thepeerraisedhishead，andshotakeenlyenquiringglanceattheother。"Aretheymyfriends？"heasked，withchallenginginsolence。
"I'mboundtoassumethatyouhavebeendealingwiththem，justasyouaredealingwithme。"Thorpeexplainedhismeaningdispassionately，asifthetransactionwereentirelycommonplace。"Youtellthemthatyou'reinapositiontoproduceproofagainstme，andaskthemwhatthey'llgiveforit。Thennaturallyenoughyoucometome，andaskwhatI'llbewillingtopaytohavetheproofsuppressed。
IquiteunderstandthatImustbidagainstthesemen——andofcourseItakeitforgrantedthat，sinceyouknowtheirfigure，you'vearrangedinyourmindwhatmineistobe。Iquiteunderstand，too，thatIamtopaymorethantheyhaveoffered。Thatisonaccountof'friendlyinterest。'"
"Sinceyoualludetoit，"LordPlowdenobserved，withacertaincalmloftinessoftone，"thereisnoharminsayingthatyouWILLpaysomethingonthatoldscore。
Onceyouthrustthepromiseofsomethinglikeahundredthousandpoundspositivelyuponme。Youinsistedonmybelievingit，andIdidso，likeafool。Icametoyoutoredeemthepromise，andyoulaughedinmyface。
Verywell。Itismyturnnow。Iholdthewhip-hand，andI
shouldbeanassnottorememberthings。Ishallwantthatentireonehundredthousandpoundsfromyou，andfiftythousandaddedtoit'onaccountofthe'friendlyinterest，'
asyousointelligentlyexpressedit。"
Thorpe'schinburrowedstilldeeperuponhisbreast。
"It'sanoutrage，"hesaidwithfeeling。Thenheadded，intonesofdejectedresignation："Whenwillyouwantit？"
"AtthemomentwhenthepaymentsofRostockerandAronsonaremadetoyou，ortoyourbankersoragents，"LordPlowdenreplied，withpreparedfacility。Hehadevidentlygivenmuchthoughttothispartoftheproceedings。"AndofcourseIshallexpectyoutodrawupnowanagreementtothateffect。
Ihappentohaveastampedpaperwithmethistime。
Andifyoudon'tmind，wewillhaveitproperlywitnessed——
thistime。"
Thorpelookedathimwithadisconcertinglyleadenstare，thewhilehethoughtoverwhathadbeenproposed。
"That'srightenough，"heannouncedatlast，"butIshallexpectyoutodosomewritingtoo。Sincewe'redealingonthisbasis，theremustbenodoubtabouttheguaranteethatyouwillperformyourpartofthecontract。"
"Theperformanceitself，sincepaymentisconditionaluponit——"beganPlowden，buttheotherinterruptedhim。
"No，Iwantsomethingbetterthanthat。Here——givemeyourstampedpaper。"Hetookthebluishsheet，and，withouthesitation，wroteseverallinesrapidly。"Here——thisismypromise，"
hesaid，"topayyou150，000pounds，uponyoursatisfactoryperformanceofacertainundertakingtobeseparatelynominatedinadocumentcalled'A，'whichwewilljointlydrawupandagreetoandsign，anddepositwhereveryoulike——forsafekeeping。Now，ifyou'llsithere，andwriteoutformeasimilarthing——thatinconsiderationofmypromiseof150，000pounds，youcovenanttoperformtheundertakingtobenominatedinthedocument'A'——andsoon。"
LordPlowdentreatedasamatterofcoursethereadyandbusiness-likesuggestionoftheother。Takinghisplaceatthedeskinturn，hewroteoutwhathadbeensuggested。
Thorpetouchedabell，andtheclerkwhocameinperfunctorilyattestedthesignaturesuponbothpapers。
Eachprincipalfoldedandpocketedthepledgeoftheother。
"Now，"saidThorpe，whenhehadseatedhimselfagainatthedesk，"weareallrightsofarasprotectionagainsteachothergoes。Ifyoudon'tmind，Iwilldrawupasuggestionofwhattheseparatedocument'A'shouldsetforth。Ifyoudon'tlikeit，youcanwriteone。"
Hetookmoretimetothistask，frowninglaboriouslyoverthefreshsheetoffoolscap，andscreeningfromobservationwithhishandwhathewaswriting。Finally，thetaskseemedfinishedtohismind。Hetookupthepaper，glancedthroughitoncemore，andhandeditinsilencetotheother。
Insilencealso，andwithanexpressionofarrestedattention，LordPlowdenreadtheselines：
"Theundertakingreferredtointhetwodocumentsofevendate，signedrespectivelybyLordPlowdenandStormontThorpe，istotheeffectthatatsomehourbetweenelevenA。M。
andthreeP。M。ofSeptember12th，instant，LordPlowdenshallproducebeforeaspecialmeetingoftheCommitteeoftheStockExchange，thepersonofoneJeromeP。Tavender，toexplaintosaidCommitteehisshareintheblackmailingschemeofwhichLordPlowden，overhisownsignature，hasfurnisheddocumentaryevidence。"
Thenoblemancontinuedtolookdownatthepaper，afterthepowertoholditwithoutshakinghadlefthishand。
Therecameintohisface，minglingwithandvitiatingitsrichnaturalhuesofhealth，akindofgreyshadow。
Itwasasifclaywasrevealingitselfbeneathfadedpaint。
Hedidnotlifthiseyes。
Thorpehadbeenpreparedtohailthisconsummationofhistrickwithboisterousandscornfulmirth。
Evenwhilethevictimwasdecipheringthefatalpaper，hehadrestrainedwithimpatiencethedesiretoburstoutintobitterlaughter。ButnowtherewassomethingintheaspectofPlowden'scollapsewhichseemedtoforbidtriumphantderision。Hewastakinghisblowsolikeagentleman，——ashen-paleandquivering，butclingingtoahigh-breddignityofsilence，——thattheimpulsetoexhibitequallygoodmannerspossessedThorpeupontheinstant。
"Well——youseehowlittlebusinessyou'vegot，settingyourselftobuckagainstagrown-upman。"
Heofferedtheobservationinthetoneoftheschool-
teacher，affectedlyphilosophicalbutsecretlyjubilant，whoharanguesadefeatedandhumiliatedurchinuponhisfolly。
"Oh，chuckit！"growledLordPlowden，staringstillatthecalamitouspaper。
Thorpeacceptedingoodparttheintimationthatsilencewasafterallmostdecorous。Heputhisfeetuponthecornerofthedesk，andtippingbackhischair，surveyedthediscomfitedViscountimpassively。
Heforboreeventosmile。
"SothisswineofaTavendercamestraighttoyou！"
LordPlowdenhadfoundwordsatlast。Ashespoke，heliftedhisface，andmadeashowoflookingtheotherintheeye。
"Oh，thereareahundredthingsinyourowngame，even，thatyouhaven'taninklingof，"Thorpetoldhim，lightly。"I'vebeenwatchingeverymoveyou'vemade，seeingfurtheraheadinyourowngamethanyoudid。
Why，itwastooeasy！Itwaslikeplayingdraughtswithagirl。Iknewyouwouldcometoday，forexample。
ItoldthepeopleouttherethatIexpectedyou。"
"Yes-s，"saidtheother，withruefulbewilderment。
"Youseemtohavebeenratheronthespot——Iconfess。"
"Onthespot？Allovertheplace！"Thorpeliftedhimselfslightlyinhischair，andputmoreanimationintohisvoice。
"It'sthemistakeyoupeoplemake！"hedeclaredoracularly。
"YouthinkthatamancancomeintotheCitywithoutapenny，andformgreatcombinationsandcarrythroughagreatscheme，andwageafightwiththesmartestsetofscoundrelsontheLondonStockExchangeandbeat'em，andmakeforhimselfabigfortune——andstillbeafool！Youimaginethatamanlikethatcanbeplayedwith，andhoodwinkedbyamateurslikeyourself。It'stooridiculous！"
TheperceptionthatapparentlyThorpeborelittleornomalicehadbeguntospreadthroughPlowden'sconsciousness。
Itwasalmostmoresurprisingtohimthantherevelationofhisfailurehadbeen。Heaccustomedhimselftothethoughtgradually，andashedidsothecouragecreptbackintohisglance。Hebreathedmoreeasily。
"Youareright！"headmitted。Itcosthimnothingtogiveamaximumoffervidconvictiontothetoneofhiswords。
Thebigbrute'sprideinhisownbrainsandpowerwasstillhisweakestpoint。"Youareright！Ididplaythefool。
Anditwasallthemorestupid，becauseIwasthefirstmaninLondontorecognizetheimmenseforcesinyou。
Isaidtoyouattheveryoutset，'Youaregoingtogofar。
Youaregoingtobeagreatman。'Yourememberthat，don'tyou？"
Thorpenodded。"Yes——Irememberit。"
Thenobleman，uponreflection，drewalittlesilverboxfromhispocket，andextractedamatch。"Doyoumind？"
heasked，andscarcelywaitingforatokenofreply，struckaflameuponthesoleofhisshoe，andappliedittothesheetoffoolscaphestillheldinhishand。
Thetwomenwatcheditcurlandblackenafterithadbeentossedinthegrate，withoutaword。
ThisincidenthadtheeffectofrecallingtoThorpetheessentialsofthesituation。Hehadallowedthetalktodrifttoapointwhereitbecamealmostaffable。
Hesatuprightwithasuddendetermination，andputhisfeetfirmlyonthefloor，andknittedhisbrowsinausterity。
"Itwasnotonlyadirtytrickthatyoutriedtoplayme，"hesaid，inanaltered，harshtone，"butitwasafool-trick。ThatdrunkenoldbumofaTavenderwritessomelunaticnonsenseorothertoGafferson，andhe'saworseidioteventhanTavenderis，andonthestrengthofwhatoneoftheseclownsthinkshesurmisestheotherclownmeans，yougoandspendyourmoney，——moneyI
gaveyou，bytheway，——inbringingTavenderoverhere。
Youdothisonthedoublechance，we'llsay，ofusinghimagainstmeforrevengeandprofitcombined，orofpeddlinghimtomeforastillbiggerprofit。
Youseeit'sallatmyfingers'ends。"
LordPlowdennoddedanunqualifiedassent。
"Wellthen——Tavenderarrives。Whatdoyoudo？Areyouatthewharftomeethim？Haveyousaidtoyourself：'I'vesetouttofightoneofthesmartestandstrongestmeninEngland，andI'vegottokeepeveryatomofwitsaboutme，andstraineverynervetotheutmost，andwatcheverypointofthegameasatigerwatchesasnake'？Notabitofit！
Yousnoozeinbed，andyousendGafferson——Gafferson！——themud-headoftheearth！tomeetyourTavender，andloafaboutwithhiminLondon，andbringhimdownbyaslowtraintoyourplaceintheevening。MyGod！You'veonlygottwocleardayslefttodothewholethingin——andyoudon'tevencomeuptotowntogetreadyforthem！YousendGafferson——andhegoesofftoseeaflower-show——
MotherofMoses！thinkofit！aFLOWER-show！——andyourTavenderaudIarelefttotakeastrolltogether，andtalkoveroldtimesandarrangeaboutnewtimes，andsoon，toourhearts'content。Really，it'stooeasy！Youmakemetired！"
Thenoblemanofferedawan，appealingshadowofasmile。
"Iconfesstoacertaindegreeofwearinessmyself，"
hesaid，humbly。
Thorpelookedathiminhisoldapathetic，leadenfashionforalittle。"ImaytellyouthatifyouHADgotholdofTavender，"hedecidedtotellhim，"heshouldn'thavebeenofthefaintestusetoyou。IknowwhatitwasthathewrotetoGafferson，——Icouldn'tunderstanditwhenhefirsttoldme，butafterwardsIsawthroughit，——anditwasmerelyamaudlinmisapprehensionofhis。
He'dgotthreeorfourthingsallmixeduptogether。
You'venevermetyourfriendTavender，Ibelieve？You'denjoyhimatHadlowHouse。Hesmellsofrumahundredyardsoff。Whatlittlebrainhe'sgotleftissoakedinit。
ThefirsttimeIwasevercampingwithhim，Ihadtolickhimfordrinkingthemethylatedspiritswewereusingwithourtinstove。Oh，you'dhavelikedhim！"
"Evidently，"saidLordPlowden，uponreflection，"itwasallamostunfortunateand——ah——mostdeplorablemistake。"
Withinspiration，hemadeboldtoadd："Themostamazingthing，though——tomymind——isthatyoudon'tseem——whatshallIsay？——particularlyenragedwithmeaboutit。"
"Yes——thatsurprisesme，too，"Thorpemeditativelyadmitted。
"Iwasentitledtokillyou——crushyoutojelly。
AnyothermanIwould。Butyou，——Idon'tknow，——Idofunnythingswithyou。"
"Iwishyouwouldgivemeadrink，now——asoneofthem，"
Plowdenventuredtosuggest，withuneasypleasantry。
Thorpesmiledalittleasherose，andheavilymovedacrosstheroom。Hesetoutuponthebigofficialtableinthemiddle，thatmockinglypretentiousreminderofaBoardwhichnevermet，adecanterandtwoglassesandsomerecumbent，round-bottomedbottles。HehandedoneoftheselasttoPlowden，asthelatterstrolledtowardthetable。
"Youknowhowtoopenthese，don'tyou？"hesaid，languidly。
"SomehowInevercouldmanageit。"
Thenoblemansubmissivelytookthebottle，andpickedwithawkwardnessatitswireandcork，andallatonceachievedaprematureandnotover-successfulexplosion。
Hewipedhisdrippingcuffinsilence，whenthetumblersweresupplied。
"Well——here'sbetterlucktoyounexttime，"Thorpesaid，liftinghisglass。TheaudaciousironyofhiswordsfilledPlowdenwithaninstantpurpose。
"Whatonearthdidyouroundonmeinthatwayfor，Thorpe——whenIwasherelast？"Heputthequestionwithbraveryenough，butatsightoftheother'sunresponsivefacegrewsuddenlytimorousaudexplanatory。"NomanwasevermoreastoundedintheworldthanIwas。TothisdayI'masunabletoaccountforitasababeunborn。
WhatconceivablethinghadIdonetoyou？"
Thorpeslowlythoughtofsomethingthathadnotoccurredtohimbefore，andseizeduponitwithacertainsatisfaction。
"Thatdaythatyoutookmeshooting，"hesaid，withthetoneofonefinallyexposingalong-nursedgrievance，"youstayedinbedforhoursafteryouknewIwasupandwaitingforyou——andwhenwewentout，youhadaservanttocarryachairforyou，butI——byGod！——Ihadtostandup。"
"Heavensabove！"ejaculatedPlowden，inunfeignedamazement。
"Thesearelittlethings——meretrifles，"continuedThorpe，dogmatically，"butwithmenofmytemperandmake-upthosearejustthethingsthataggravateandrankleandhurt。
Maybeit'sfoolish，butthat'sthekindofmanIam。
Yououghttohavehadtheintelligencetoseethat——andnotletthesestupidlittlethingshappentoannoyme。
Whyjustthinkwhatyoudid。IwasgoingtodoGodknowswhatforyou——makeyourfortuneandeverythingelse，——andyoudidn'tshowconsiderationenoughformetogetoutofbedatadecenthour——muchlessseetoitthatIhadachairifyouweregoingtohaveone。"
"Uponmyword，Ican'ttellhowashamedandsorryIam，"
LordPlowdenassuredhim，withferventcontritioninhisvoice。
"Well，thosearethethingstoguardagainst，"
saidThorpe，approachingadismissalofthesubject。
"Peoplewhoshowconsiderationforme；peoplewhotakepainstodothelittlepleasantthingsforme，andseethatI'mnotannoyedandworriedbytrifles——they'rethepeoplethatI，onmyside，dothebigthingsfor。
Icanbethebestfriendintheworld，butonlytothosewhoshowthattheycareforme，anddowhattheyknowI'lllike。Idon'twanttoadiesaboutme，butIdowantpeoplewhofeelboundtome，andareaskeenaboutmeandmyfeelingsandinterestsastheyareabouttheirown。"
"Itisdelightfullyfeudal——allthis，"commentedthenobleman，smilinglyaddressingtheremarktonobodyinparticular。
ThenhelookedatThorpe。"Letmebeoneofthem——oneofthepeopleyouspeakof，"hesaid，withdirectness。
Thorpereturnedhislookwiththegood-naturedbeginningsofagrin。"Butwhatwouldyoubegoodfor？"
hequeried，inabanteringtone。"PeopleIhaveaboutmehavetobeofsomeuse。Theyrequiretohaveheadsontheirshoulders。Why——justthinkwhatyou'vedone。
Idon'tmeansomuchaboutyourlettingTavenderslipthroughyourfingers——althoughthatwasabouttheworstI
everheardof。Buthereinthisroom，atthatdeskthere，youallowedmetobounceyouintowritingandsigningapaperwhichyououghttohavehadyourhandcutoffratherthanwrite，muchlesssign。Youcomeheretryingtoworkthemostdifficultanddangerouskindofabluff，——knowingallthewhilethatthewitnessyoudependedentirelyuponhaddisappeared，youhadn'ttheremotestideawhere，——andyouactuallyletmeleadyouintogivingmeyoursignaturetoyourowndeclarationthatyouareblackmailingme！Thinkingitallover——youknow——I
can'tseethatyouwouldbeofmuchhelptomeintheCity。"
LordPlowdenjoinedperforceinthelaughterwithwhichthebigmanenjoyedhisownpleasantry。
Hismirthhadsomesuperficialsignsofshamefacedness，butitwashopefulunderneath。"TheCity！"heechoed，withmeaning。"That'sthecurseofit。WhatdoIknowabouttheCity？WhatbusinesshaveIintheCity？Asyousaid，I'mtheamateur。Astrongmanlikeyoucanmakemeseemanykindofaridiculousfoolhelikes，withtheturnofhishand。Iseethatrightenough。
ButwhatamItodo？Ihavetomakeashotatsomething。
I'msorottenpoor！"
Thorpehadretiredagainbehindthebarrierofdull-
eyedabstraction。Heseemednottohaveheardthisappealingexplanation。
Theotherpreservedsilenceinturn，andevenmadeapretenceoflookingatsomepamphletsonthetable，asatokenofhisboundlessdeferencetothemaster'smood。
"Idon'tknow。I'llsee，"thebigmanmutteredatlast，doubtfully。
LordPlowdenfeltwarrantedintakinganoptimisticviewofthesevaguewords。"It'sawfullygoodofyou"——
hebegan，lamely，andthenpaused。"Iwonder，"——hetookupanewthoughtwithamoresolicitoustone，——"IwonderifyouwouldmindreturningtomethatidioticpaperIsigned。"
Thorpeshookhishead。"Notjustnow，atanyrate，"
hesaid，stillmusingly。Withhisheadbowed，hetookafewrestlesssteps。
"Butyouaregoingto——tohelpme！"theotherremarked，withanairofconfidence。Hehadtakenuphishat，inresponsetothetacitwarningofhiscompanion'smanner。
Thorpelookedathimcuriously，andhesitatedoverhisanswer。Itwasasurprisingandalmostunaccountableconclusionfortheinterviewtohavereached。Hewasinsomevaguewayashamedofhimself，buthewasexplicitlyandcontemptuouslyashamedforPlowden，andtheimpulsetosaysowasstrongwithinhim。Thishandsomeyounggentlemanoftitleoughtnottobeescapingwiththisrestoredbuoyancyofmien，andthiscomplacencyofspirit。
Hehaddeservedtobepunishedwithaheavyhand，andherehewasblithelymakingcertainofnewbenefitsinstead。
"Idon'tknow——I'llsee，"Thorpemoodilyrepeated——andtherewasnomoretobesaid。
CHAPTERXXI
INthenoonhourofthefollowingdaywasenactedthebrieffinalsceneinthedramaofthe"RubberConsolscorner。"
Forlongweeks，Mr。StormontThorpehadgivenmuchthoughttothisapproachingclimaxofhisgreatadventure——lookingforwardtoitbothasthecrowningeventofhislife，andasthedawnofanewexistenceinsomenovel，enchantedworld。Itwastobringhistriumph，andevenmore，hisrelease。ItwasatoncetocrownhimasaheroandchieftainamongCitymen，andtransfigurehimintoabeingforwhomallCitythingswereanabomination。
Inhiswakinghours，theconflictbetweentheseaimsdidnotspeciallyforceitselfuponhisattention：hemusedupon，andspunfanciesabout，eitheroneindifferently，andtheyseemednotatallirreconcilable。Buthisdreamswerefullofwarfare，——wearilysaturatedwithstrife，andendlessendeavourtodothingswhichcouldnotbedone，andpanic-strickenterrorsbeforetheshadowofshapelesscalamities，——untilhedreadedtogotosleep。Thenhediscoveredthatanextratwoglassesofwhiskey-and-waterwouldsolvethatparticulardifficulty，andsendhimintoprompt，leadenslumber——buttheearlymorningsremainedastorturingasever。Inthetwilightheawokeoppressedandsickatheartwithgloom——andthendozedatintervalsthroughfantasticnewordealsofanguishandshameandfear，tillitwasdecentlypossibletogetup。
Then，indeed，thebigcoldspongeonhisheadandspinescatteredthesefoolishtroubleslikechaff，andrestoredtohimhiscitizenshipamongtherealities。Hedressedwithreturningequanimity，andwasalmostcheerfulbythetimehethrusthisrazorintothehotwater。
Yetincreasinglyhewasconsciousofthewearandstrainofitall，andincreasinglythedate，Septembertwelfth，loomedbeforehimwithaportentousindividualityofitsown。
Thisdaygrewtomeansomuchmoretohimthanhadalltheotherdaysofthedeadyearstogetherthathewokeinthedarknessofitsopeninghours，anddidnotgetsatisfactorilytosleepagain。Hisvigil，however，wasfortheoncefreefromgrief。Hedrowsilyawaitedthemorninginvaguementalcomfort；hehadrecurringhaphazardindolentglimpsesofaprotectingfactstandingguardjustoutsidetheportalsofconsciousness——thefactthatthegreatdaywashere。Heroseearly，breakfastedwell，andwalkedbytheEmbankmenttotheCity，whereattenhehadafewwordswithSemple，andafterwardcausedhimselftobedeniedtoordinarycallers。
HepacedupanddowntheBoardRoomforthebetterpartoftheensuingtwohours，luxuriatinginthegeneralsenseofsatisfactionintheproximityoftheclimax，ratherthanpretendingtohimselfthathewasthinkingoutitsdetails。
HehadprovidedinhisplansofthedayforavisitfromMessrs。RostockerandAronson，whichshouldconstitutethedramaticfinaleofthe"corner，"andhelookedforwardtothismeetingwithacertaineagernessofexpectation。
Yetevenherehethoughtbroadlyofthesceneasawhole，andaskedhimselfnoquestionsaboutwordsandphrases。
Itseemedtobetakenforgrantedinhismindthatthesceneitselfwouldbetheatricallyimpressive，evenspectacular。
Intheevent，thislong-awaitedculminationprovedtobedisappointinglyflatandcommonplace。ItwasoverbeforeThorpehadsaidanyconsiderableproportionofthethingshesawafterwardthathehadintendedtosay。
Thetwomencameashehadexpectedtheywould——
andtheyboughttheirwayoutofthetragic"corner"
atpreciselythepricehehadnominatedinhismind。
Buthardlyanythingelsewentashehaddimlyprefiguredit。
Mr。Rostockerwasayellow-hairedman，andMr。AronsonwasasdarkasaMoor，andnophysicalresemblanceoffeaturesorformsuggesteditselftothecomparingeye，yetThorpeevennow，whentheystoodbrusquelysilentbeforehim，withtheircarefully-brushedhatspulleddownovertheireyes，stucktoitinhisownmindthatitwashardtotellthemapart。Totheend，therewassomethingimpersonalinhisfeelingtowardthem。