The Outcry

ood good-humouredly passive to his approach: “I’ve been round, by your kind permission and the light of nature, and haven’t required support; though if I had there’s a gentleman there who seemed pre

rs too?” he ask

ic. “No, the gentleman is no fri

rd Theign easily explained. “I

were so good as to move something,” Mr. Bender conscientiously added,

appeared to affect Lord John unf

hese lines that Mr. Bender continued to advance. “I take it that your biggest value, however, Lord Theign, is your splendid Sir Joshua. Our friend there has a great deal to say about that too — but it didn’t lead to our moving any m

to speak for themselves. “To the effect that I part to you with ‘The Beautiful Duche

d a more headlong cry. “My

face each other searchingly and firmly: “What I allude to is an overture of a strong and simple stamp — such as perhaps would shed a softer lig

Theign, not less evidently, saw this, and it permitted him amusement. “As rich man to poor man is how I’m to understand it?

erbridge,’ Mr. Bender, is a golden apple of one of those great family trees of which respectable people

levant caper. “Then if they don’t sell their ancest

er your question,” Lord Theign asked, “that

which shows how little you understand. I’d be ashamed — with the lovely ideas I have — if I didn’t ma

e, in spite of his cultivated levity, allowed an intenser and more sustained l

rd Theign had been reached by his f

. Bender?” Lor

sharply fix him. “Why, have

such it was, referred it to Lord Theign. “Do you autho

ion, and then appeared rather sharply to turn away from them. “M

expense,” Lord John laughe

any desire that doesn’t already exist in the germ. The attempt has often been made, over here — has in fact been organised on a considerable scale; but I guess I’ve got some

ticular sense with Lord Theign. “He thin

in his restlessness, toward the door that opened to the terrace, only stopping on his way to light a cigarette from a matc

, sir,” said his visitor, “no

put you, Bender, the question of whether you wou

mmensurate gaze. “As I say? I ha

ou know,” Lord John

e — I can love or not as I like. The trouble with that Moret

sting surface of things, and was concerned doubtless in Lord John’s speaking aga

the terrace the cigarette he had but just lighted. Yet he faced round to reply: “It’s the very first time in t

Mr. Bender mightn’t have been markedly impressed. “Then

e least press it!” Lord The

a cue for further humorous license, went so far as to emulate, though sympathetically enough, th

ime to reply. “Well, if you had seen me u

epped down from the ch

uite impressed wi

Lord John. “With his opinion, really? Then

ask him,” Mr.

ere on the Mr. Crimble

look at him. “Are you awa

sement of the thing, to their entertainer

arette, appeared, a bit extravagantly smoking, to

us — when I see how much Mr.

young man puts it at.” And then as the oth

e owner of the wor

n Mr. Bender’s style, “what’s

considered. “There’s nothing

, “is there anything the

— I guess

his lordship’s eyebrows. “

’s just the

“Does he pretend there’s a quest

was up there try

according to himsel

id Mr. Bender, “it’s

ood-naturedly out, “what’s th

e matter with me, Lord Theign, is that

d an oddity. “But what’s it yo

ed, “that a picture of that

aking thus, under pressure, commerciall

th. “The matter with Mr. Bender is

their compa

Bender is that he wan

h a smile. “Well, there would be n

u know the basis, sir, on

ir Joshua,” Lord John inqui

reduced to a moiety by its conditional form he could

d John elucidated, “an i

ant spirit of this; which he did by addressing his younger friend. “T

ohn had time to speak. And conscious at this moment of the reappearance of his fellow-explorer, he