Nobody’sStateofMindIfArthurClennamhadnotarrivedatthatwisedecisionfirmlytorestrainhimselffromlovingPet，hewouldhavelivedoninastateofmuchperplexity，involvingdifficultstruggleswithhisownheart。Nottheleastofthesewouldhavebeenacontention，alwayswagingwithinit，betweenatendencytodislikeMrHenryGowan，ifnottoregardhimwithpositiverepugnance，andawhisperthattheinclinationwasunworthy。Agenerousnatureisnotpronetostrongaversions，andisslowtoadmitthemevendispassionately；butwhenitfindsill-willgaininguponit，andcandiscernbetween-whilesthatitsoriginisnotdispassionate，suchanaturebecomesdistressed。
　　ThereforeMrHenryGowanwouldhavecloudedClennam’smind，andwouldhavebeenfaroftenerpresenttoitthanmoreagreeablepersonsandsubjectsbutforthegreatprudenceofhisdecisionaforesaid。Asitwas，MrGowanseemedtransferredtoDanielDoyce’smind；atallevents，itsohappenedthatitusuallyfelltoMrDoyce’sturn，ratherthantoClennam’s，tospeakofhiminthefriendlyconversationstheyheldtogether。Thesewereoffrequentoccurrencenow；asthetwopartnerssharedaportionofaroomyhouseinoneofthegraveold-fashionedCitystreets，lyingnotfarfromtheBankofEngland，byLondonWall。
　　MrDoycehadbeentoTwickenhamtopasstheday。Clennamhadexcusedhimself。MrDoycewasjustcomehome。HeputinhisheadatthedoorofClennam’ssitting-roomtosayGoodnight。
　　’Comein，comein!’saidClennam。
　　’Isawyouwerereading，’returnedDoyce，asheentered，’andthoughtyoumightnotcaretobedisturbed。’
　　Butforthenotableresolutionhehadmade，Clennamreallymightnothaveknownwhathehadbeenreading；reallymightnothavehadhiseyesuponthebookforanhourpast，thoughitlayopenbeforehim。Heshutitup，ratherquickly。
　　’Aretheywell？’heasked。
　　’Yes，’saidDoyce；’theyarewell。Theyareallwell。’
　　Danielhadanoldworkmanlikehabitofcarryinghispocket-
　　handkerchiefinhishat。Hetookitoutandwipedhisforeheadwithit，slowlyrepeating，’Theyareallwell。MissMinnielookingparticularlywell，Ithought。’
　　’Anycompanyatthecottage？’
　　’No，nocompany。’
　　’Andhowdidyougeton，youfour？’askedClennamgaily。
　　’Therewerefiveofus，’returnedhispartner。’TherewasWhat’s-
　　his-name。Hewasthere。’
　　’Whoishe？’saidClennam。
　　’MrHenryGowan。’
　　’Ah，tobesure!’criedClennamwithunusualvivacity，’Yes!——I
　　forgothim。’
　　’AsImentioned，youmayremember，’saidDanielDoyce，’heisalwaysthereonSunday。’
　　’Yes，yes，’returnedClennam；’Iremembernow。’
　　DanielDoyce，stillwipinghisforehead，ploddinglyrepeated。
　　’Yes。Hewasthere，hewasthere。Ohyes，hewasthere。Andhisdog。Hewastheretoo。’
　　’MissMeaglesisquiteattachedto——the——dog，’observedClennam。
　　’Quiteso，’assentedhispartner。’MoreattachedtothedogthanIamtotheman。’
　　’YoumeanMr——？’
　　’ImeanMrGowan，mostdecidedly，’saidDanielDoyce。
　　Therewasagapintheconversation，whichClennamdevotedtowindinguphiswatch。
　　’Perhapsyouarealittlehastyinyourjudgment，’hesaid。’Ourjudgments——Iamsupposingageneralcase——’
　　’Ofcourse，’saidDoyce。
　　’Aresoliabletobeinfluencedbymanyconsiderations，which，almostwithoutourknowingit，areunfair，thatitisnecessarytokeepaguarduponthem。Forinstance，Mr——’
　　’Gowan，’quietlysaidDoyce，uponwhomtheutteranceofthenamealmostalwaysdevolved。
　　’Isyoungandhandsome，easyandquick，hastalent，andhasseenagooddealofvariouskindsoflife。Itmightbedifficulttogiveanunselfishreasonforbeingprepossessedagainsthim。’
　　’Notdifficultforme，Ithink，Clennam，’returnedhispartner。’I
　　seehimbringingpresentanxiety，and，Ifear，futuresorrow，intomyoldfriend’shouse。Iseehimwearingdeeperlinesintomyoldfriend’sface，thenearerhedrawsto，andtheoftenerhelooksat，thefaceofhisdaughter。Inshort，Iseehimwithanetabouttheprettyandaffectionatecreaturewhomhewillnevermakehappy。’
　　’Wedon’tknow，’saidClennam，almostinthetoneofamaninpain，’thathewillnotmakeherhappy。’
　　’Wedon’tknow，’returnedhispartner，’thattheearthwilllastanotherhundredyears，butwethinkithighlyprobable。’
　　’Well，well!’saidClennam，’wemustbehopeful，andwemustatleasttrytobe，ifnotgenerouswhich，inthiscase，wehavenoopportunityofbeing，just。Wewillnotdisparagethisgentleman，becauseheissuccessfulinhisaddressestothebeautifulobjectofhisambition；andwewillnotquestionhernaturalrighttobestowherloveononewhomshefindsworthyofit。’
　　’Maybe，myfriend，’saidDoyce。’Maybealso，thatsheistooyoungandpetted，tooconfidingandinexperienced，todiscriminatewell。’
　　’That，’saidClennam，’wouldbefarbeyondourpowerofcorrection。’
　　DanielDoyceshookhisheadgravely，andrejoined，’Ifearso。’
　　’Therefore，inaword，’saidClennam，’weshouldmakeupourmindsthatitisnotworthyofustosayanyillofMrGowan。Itwouldbeapoorthingtogratifyaprejudiceagainsthim。AndIresolve，formypart，nottodepreciatehim。’
　　’Iamnotquitesosureofmyself，andthereforeIreservemyprivilegeofobjectingtohim，’returnedtheother。’But，ifIamnotsureofmyself，Iamsureofyou，Clennam，andIknowwhatanuprightmanyouare，andhowmuchtoberespected。Goodnight，MY
　　friendandpartner!’Heshookhishandinsayingthis，asiftherehadbeensomethingseriousatthebottomoftheirconversation；andtheyseparated。
　　Bythistimetheyhadvisitedthefamilyonseveraloccasions，andhadalwaysobservedthatevenapassingallusiontoMrHenryGowanwhenhewasnotamongthem，broughtbackthecloudwhichhadobscuredMrMeagles’ssunshineonthemorningofthechanceencounterattheFerry。IfClennamhadeveradmittedtheforbiddenpassionintohisbreast，thisperiodmighthavebeenaperiodofrealtrial；undertheactualcircumstances，doubtlessitwasnothing——nothing。
　　Equally，ifhishearthadgivenentertainmenttothatprohibitedguest，hissilentfightingofhiswaythroughthementalconditionofthisperiodmighthavebeenalittlemeritorious。Intheconstanteffortnottobebetrayedintoanewphaseofthebesettingsinofhisexperience，thepursuitofselfishobjectsbylowandsmallmeans，andtoholdinsteadtosomehighprincipleofhonourandgenerosity，theremighthavebeenalittlemerit。IntheresolutionnoteventoavoidMrMeagles’shouse，lest，intheselfishsparingofhimself，heshouldbringanyslightdistressuponthedaughterthroughmakingherthecauseofanestrangementwhichhebelievedthefatherwouldregret，theremighthavebeenalittlemerit。InthemodesttruthfulnessofalwayskeepinginviewthegreaterequalityofMrGowan’syearsandthegreaterattractionsofhispersonandmanner，theremighthavebeenalittlemerit。Indoingallthisandmuchmore，inaperfectlyunaffectedwayandwithamanfulandcomposedconstancy，whilethepainwithinhimpeculiarashislifeandhistorywasverysharp，theremighthavebeensomequietstrengthofcharacter。But，aftertheresolutionhehadmade，ofcoursehecouldhavenosuchmeritsasthese；andsuchastateofmindwasnobody’s——nobody’s。
　　MrGowanmadeitnoconcernofhiswhetheritwasnobody’sorsomebody’s。Hepreservedhisperfectserenityofmanneronalloccasions，asifthepossibilityofClennam’spresumingtohavedebatedthegreatquestionweretoodistantandridiculoustobeimagined。HehadalwaysanaffabilitytobestowonClennamandaneasetotreathimwith，whichmightofitselfinthesupposititiouscaseofhisnothavingtakenthatsagaciouscourse
　　havebeenaveryuncomfortableelementinhisstateofmind。
　　’Iquiteregretyouwerenotwithusyesterday，’saidMrHenryGowan，callingonClennamthenextmorning。’Wehadanagreeabledayuptheriverthere。’
　　Sohehadheard，Arthursaid。
　　’Fromyourpartner？’returnedHenryGowan。’Whatadearoldfellowheis!’
　　’Ihaveagreatregardforhim。’
　　’ByJove，heisthefinestcreature!’saidGowan。’Sofresh，sogreen，trustsinsuchwonderfulthings!’
　　HerewasoneofthemanylittleroughpointsthathadatendencytograteonClennam’shearing。HeputitasidebymerelyrepeatingthathehadahighregardforMrDoyce。
　　’Heischarming!Toseehimmooningalongtothattimeoflife，layingdownnothingbythewayandpickingupnothingbytheway，isdelightful。Itwarmsaman。Sounspoilt，sosimple，suchagoodsoul!UponmylifeMrClennam，onefeelsdesperatelyworldlyandwickedincomparisonwithsuchaninnocentcreature。Ispeakformyself，letmeadd，withoutincludingyou。Youaregenuinealso。’
　　’Thankyouforthecompliment，’saidClennam，illatease；’youaretoo，Ihope？’
　　’Soso，’rejoinedtheother。’Tobecandidwithyou，tolerably。
　　Iamnotagreatimpostor。Buyoneofmypictures，andIassureyou，inconfidence，itwillnotbeworththemoney。Buyoneofanotherman’s——anygreatprofessorwhobeatsmehollow——andthechancesarethatthemoreyougivehim，themorehe’llimposeuponyou。Theyalldoit。’
　　’Allpainters？’
　　’Painters，writers，patriots，alltherestwhohavestandsinthemarket。GivealmostanymanIknowtenpounds，andhewillimposeuponyoutoacorrespondingextent；athousandpounds——toacorrespondingextent；tenthousandpounds——toacorrespondingextent。Sogreatthesuccess，sogreattheimposition。Butwhatacapitalworlditis!’criedGowanwithwarmenthusiasm。’Whatajolly，excellent，lovableworlditis!’
　　’Ihadratherthought，’saidClennam，’thattheprincipleyoumentionwaschieflyactedonby——’
　　’BytheBarnacles？’interruptedGowan，laughing。
　　’BythepoliticalgentlemenwhocondescendtokeeptheCircumlocutionOffice。’
　　’Ah!Don’tbehardupontheBarnacles，’saidGowan，laughingafresh，’theyaredarlingfellows!EvenpoorlittleClarence，thebornidiotofthefamily，isthemostagreeableandmostendearingblockhead!AndbyJupiter，withakindofclevernessinhimtoothatwouldastonishyou!’
　　’Itwould。Verymuch，’saidClennam，drily。
　　’Andafterall，’criedGowan，withthatcharacteristicbalancingofhiswhichreducedeverythinginthewideworldtothesamelightweight，’thoughIcan’tdenythattheCircumlocutionOfficemayultimatelyshipwreckeverybodyandeverything，still，thatwillprobablynotbeinourtime——andit’saschoolforgentlemen。’