New Grub Street

into certain meadows forming a compact little valley. One recommendation of this retreat was that it lay sheltered from all winds; to Jasper a wind was objectionable. Along the bottom ran a clear, sh

e along this path, save farm

pleasure there was in watching the sun-flecked sparkle of the water as it flowed over the clean sand and stones. A girl in a yellow-straw hat; yes, and precisely the person he had hoped,

the rail. After the exchange of ordinary greetings, Jasper leaned

said, 'this ash was only just budding, th

s the only tree I can distinguish. Yet,' she added quickly, 'I kne

are t

as the tend

lf when all the

in the "

on't pretend to - though

ly, and seemed about

xperience of the count

I think, have known

. But I am not very rural in temperament. I have really no friends here; either they

ut with perfect simpli

be difficult for her to answer. 'I want to persuade them to try their hands

ss - burdensome?' said Mar

ore so, y

hesi

course, on - on

inly haven't for teaching, that doesn't matter. It's a question of learning a business. I am going throug

her eyes upon the stream, 'm

y career; principally because to have money is to have friends. Year by year, such influence grows of more account. A lucky man will still occasionally succeed by dint of his own honest per

o-day, really good work will

ry work. The quantity turned out is so great that there's no hope for the special attention of the public unless one can afford to advertise hugely. Take the instanc

h

er, prolific man; so are they. But he began with money and friends; he came from Oxford into the thick of advertised people; his name was mentioned in print six times a week before he had wri

true,' said Maria

ere was his opportunity. But he couldn't use it; he had no friends, because he had no money. A book of half that merit, if written by a man in the position of Warbury when he started, would have established the reputation of a lifetime. His influential friends would have referred to it in leaders, in magazine arti

a hesitatin

it in the author's power to make fri

ossibly have got into the right circles, though his character w

out entertaining in return. Now if his wife had brought him only a couple of thousand pounds all might have been well. I should have advised him, in sober seriousness, t

rha

he average man of letters would be

name had escap

an, looking up. 'You

rayed mysel

tter? You have only

me might affect

elayed h

usin's family. I have never met Mr Reardon. But I shouldn't like

acquainted with Mrs Edmund Yule, and that Reardon is my friend. Yet I d

ng about it; I mean, as you ut

lly, and Marian seemed to become suddenly aware of an oddness in the situati

l,' said Jasper. 'May I walk ba

u; I shal

or a few minut

with your signature, Miss Yul

nly help fath

n followed was broken

ffident smile in which lay that suggestion of humour so delightful u

e from school and had an exciting story to tell, with preservation of anonymities. Of course I blurted out a name in the first minute

t w

that I am one of the men who do succeed. But I beg your pardon; you asked me a question. Really, I was only

is marriage with my cousin which

n, averting his look, 'would

think he has bu

being estimated at his right value. It

e children,' said Marian, present

e is bea

woman to be of help

Jasper, looking frankly at her. 'Perhaps I had

ast down

its existence accounts even for the ills that arise from wealth. The poor man is a man labouring

the bridge over the railway li

less than five minutes a London express goes by; I have often

to,' she replie

er trees. Leaning upon the parapet of the bridge, Jasper kept his eye in the westward directi

u h

read force and speed. A blinding rush, and there burst against the bridge a great volley of sunlit steam. Milvain and his companion ran to the opposite parapet, but already the whole tr

should say that was jolly! It enspirits me. It makes me

pposite effect,' fell from

ugh holiday yet. I have been in the country more than a week; a f

re than a we

orrow,' Jasper remarked a propos of nothing. Then he

irst time; I mean when I went to live there, seven years ago. What spirits I

straight f

rly half a year at home. I was meant to be a teacher, but the prospect of entering a school by no means appealed to me. A

ou suc

gone to the dogs, you know; but by when I had been in London a year a pretty clear purpose began to form in me.

n lau

see you at the Brit

ll upon Marian's father, who was walking in t

he moment paying no attention to Jasper. 'I wondered whether I

e Jasper explained how he cam

father?' Marian asked, scru

at I should have gone much further.

Mr Yule; at once he offered leave-taking in the most natura

idly hither and thither, now and then standing to observe a poor worn-out beast, all skin and bone, which had presumably been sent here in the hope that a little more labour might still be exacted fr

by a familiar headache, kept her room; so Jasper and Dora sat down together. Each

sper suggested when they had

you

adly, but an absentmindedness which was commonly observable in her had its effect upon the music. She at length broke

what you said about

ef publishers of that kind of thing, you know; I must look him up - what a mistake it is to neglect any acquaintance! - and get some information out of him. But it's obvious what an immense field there is for a

he characteristics of that new generation; it may br

about the subject?'

ss to know something about every subject

ght to think very seriously about the future. You are aware, Jasp

nd confessing to you that the thought troubles me a little now and then; I shouldn't like to see you two going off governessing

and cultivate your writing faculty. Suppose you could both together earn about a

n't know what M

r than I did yesterday. I've had an

dee

What the help amounts to I can't say. There's something very attractive about her. She quoted a line

walking

to make a paying business of literature. Her qualities are personal. And it's pretty clear to me that the vall

rably. Do you think you will keep

woman that mother really is? Can't

about her, except that she

ecent manners. Of course there may be other obj

sat with a book in the garden, he was sur

d in high spirits, 'that you might like t

by the authoress of 'On the Boards,' and drew attention, with much expenditure of witticism, to the confli

at one e

letters on the sub

looks after the minor notices. Fadge,more suo, charged the other man with a desig

his peculiar

d for a turn along t

mother at the window; will

o a laboured account of the blunder just committed by The Study. It was Alfred's Yule's characteristic that he could do nothing lightha

ng contrast with the taciturn mood he had exhibited yesterday and the

ve him The Study - especially after a man like Henry Hawkridge - passes my comprehension. Did you read a paper of his, a few months back, in The Wayside, a preposterous rehabilitation of Elkanah Settle? Ha! ha! That's what such men are driven to. Elkanah Settle! And he hadn't even a competent acquaintance with his paltry subject. Will you credit that he twice or thrice referred to Settle's reply to "Absalom and Achitophel" by the title of "Absalom Transposed," when every schoolgirl knows that the thing was called "Achitophel Transposed"! This was monstrous enough, but there was something still more contemptible. He positively, I assure you, attributed the play o

ound, and the stoop in his shoulders grew more and more pronounced, until at a little distance one might have taken him for a hunchback. At one poin

the Malvern Hills? No? It contains a coup

evidence of c

I shall ever

rious poetry

tanding, and not without perception of humour. He had read vastly; his memory was a literary cyclopaedia. His failings, obvious

f the walk he made a few discreet inquiries regarding Milvain's literary achievements and prospects, and the frank self-confidence of the replies appeared to

ther and sisters at dinner. 'I suspect it's as much as he can do to keep a footing among th

large way of talking made him t

rom all sides. As likely as not Yule will mention my name to someone. "A young fellow who seems to see his way pretty clear before him." The other man will repeat it to somebody else, "A young fellow whose way is clear befo

the expected hour. Jasper purposely kept out of

ould have grown up to a very different, and in all probability a much happier, existence, for their education would have been limited to the strictly needful, and - certainly in the case of the girls - nothing would have encouraged them to look beyond the simple life possible to a poor man's offspring. But whilst Maud and Dora were still with their homely schoolmistress, Wattleborough saw fit to establish a Girls' High School, and the moderateness of the fees enabled these sisters to receive an intellectual training wholly incompatible with the material conditions of their life. To the relatively poor (who are so much worse off than the poor absolutely) education is in most cases a moc

impulse of both to receive her with unusual friendliness. The habit of reticence could not be at once overcome, and Marian's ow

to their visitor, as the three girls walked in

Marian's reply. 'I have no fr

on

t o

something, but in t

e pretty well, after all,' said Jasp

pate anything e

her to come here again before I go. But it's a pi

t always exhausted his capacity for enjoying the companionship of his mother and sisters, and this time he seemed anxious to get to the end of his holiday. For all that, there was no

ept silence through breakfast, and just as all were abou

to London th

ll exclaimed. 'But

this afternoon

Mrs Milvain and the

Sunday will be too wear

' Maud agree

the house for her engagements in Wattleborough, her

le way with you,

e road, he asked her

say good-bye to the Yul

thought you w

int of a wish on their part that I should see them in L

told them you were not going till Monday, and you do

he didn't,' replied

ind

won't do! You understand that I'm a practical man, and I shall keep clear of da

es down, and smi

ou think fit,' she

turn back. You'll b

the hill on which was John Yule's house. Even if he had purposed making a farewell call, it was still far too early; all he wanted to do was to pass an hour of the

She was in the dining-room; in the

ned lately, and my health, you know, grows so uncertain, and, all things considered, I have been feeling very anxious about the girls

rom his brother in Wattleborough, and this debt was still unpaid; for on the death of Jasper's father repayment of the loan was impossible for William, and since then it had seemed hopeless that the sum would ever be recovered. Th

by law now, you k

o the money, law or no

feeling, any more than of compassion. I'm sorry you wrote like that. You won't

this characteristic remark. Anxiety wei

r thoughtless. If it were only myself I would mak

my best to ask you for no more money. It may or may not be practicable, but I'll have a try. So don't worry. If uncle writes that he can't pay, jus

in drove him forth. Towards eleven o'clock he was again ascending in the direction of John Yule

. 'Just to prove I have complete command of mysel

e. That gentleman had gone in the carriage to W

s Yu

s in which Milvain had not yet seen her, and it had the effect of making him regard her attentively. The smile w

r began, in an animated voice. 'I wanted to say g

g sooner than

k the country air is doing you good; you certainly

better

you again. I shouldn't wonder i

e way as when Jasper spoke with her here before, the palms downward. The beautiful outli

ment, 'that they should come to know

ing at him with the slightest possible smile. 'But perhaps th

y girls are not often invited to corre

jocoseness as civility a

ance towards the window and then another towards the door. '

on the girl's face which, under other circu

y, 'he might just call, or

trouble. It's my own fault, for deciding

ered h

our name in the mag

nk you will ever

her a second time, and strode out of the

inner-time, he informed

o knows but you may live in London some day, and then she might be valuable - morally, I m

Yule's seamed visage should present itself; but no acquaintance approached him. Safe in the corner of his third-class carriage