The Fortunate Youth

ange men and women of the aristocratic caste like one in a dream of bliss. Much of their talk, sport and personalities, was unintelligible; every man seemed to have killed everything everywh

asked him whence he came and whither he was going. They took him for granted, as a guest of the Winwoods. Of course if Paul had seen himself on the way to rival the famous actor whose photograph in the window of the London Stereoscopic Company had inspired him with histrionic ambitions, he would have been at no pains to hide his profession. But between the darling of the London stage and a seedy member

ty of his room. But it was too late. The procession was formed immediately, and he found himself in his place with his partner on his arm. Dinner was torture. What he said to his neighbours he knew not. He dared not look up the table where Lady Chudley sat in full view. Every moment he expected-ridiculous apprehension of an accusing conscie

nt to introduce yo

peril like a man. Lady Chudley smiled on him graciously-how well he remembered her smile!-and made him sit by her side. She was a dark, stately woman of forty, giving the

Savelli," she said pleasantly. "Now, whenever I hear of people having

of you, Lady Chu

rly died of it once myself. I

th returning every day

n't

lescence. It was a 'wonderful springtide

ouse to be ill in. I was in a stone-cold palazzo in Florence-in winter. Ugh!

louder than was necessary, for, as it suddenly dawned upon him that he did not in the least recall to her mind the grimy little Bludston

't I abuse

; and, seeing approval in her eyes, he yielded to an odd

ou like to do

with the same fine enthusiasm. "She seems to be losing it, letting the smaller nations assert theirs to such an extent that she is running the risk of becoming a mere geographical expression. She has m

hudley. "And you would

Paul-"wha

m worth calling a dream

" he asked delightedly. "I

f bridge tables had been arranged, approached slowly. Lady Chudley gave him a laughing glance of dismissal. Paul's sp

your life of being the

anxious not to commit himself. For, truth to say,

however, like Pallas Athe

have all c

ly head bent ever so slightly. "Th

to an early bed he was wishing Miss Winwood go

He looked sm

e woman in England for a young m

cognized it in the grown man. She had all but said that, if he chose, he could be the Awakener of England

r three weeks' credit. But he had to get to London-to get there gloriously; so that when the turn of Fortune's wheel enabled him to seek again these wonderful friends in the aristocratic sphere to which he belonged, he could come among them untarnished, the conquering prince. But that miserable guinea! He racked his brains. There was his gold watch and chain, a symbol, to his young mind, of high estate. When he had bought it there crossed his mind the silly thought of its signification of the infinite leagues that lay between him and Billy Goodge. He could pawn it for ten pounds-it would be like pawning his heart's blood-but where? Not in Morebury, even suppo

-in a curious way dishonoured. There only remained his cornelian talisman. He got back in time for tea and kept his jacket closely buttoned. But in the evening he had perforce to appear stark and ungirt-in those days Fashion had not yet decreed, as it does now, the absence of watchchain on evening dress-and Paul shambled into the drawing-room like a guest without a wedding garment. There we

! To be twenty, in a garret, with the freedom and the joy of it! Yes; the dear poet was rig

gesse to menials and showing to hosts the reflected glow of the golden prospects before him; but for this evening the

t, and the men about to accompany Colonel Winwood to the library f

id, "if you take the early train.

t," sa

ess." She moved to a bridge table and caught up the marking bl

lose by his side, it should fall, unperceived by him, on the folds of her grey velvet train. He wrote the Bloomsbury address and handed her the leaf torn from the pad. She folded it up, moved away, turning back to smile. As she turned she happened to look downward; then she stooped and p

n than instant death. He felt sick with humiliation. The brightly lit room grew black. It was in

while she joined the lingering group by the door. The two or three

on his arm. Paul hung his head and looked into the fire. "My poor b

o answer. Boyish, hateful tears stood in his eyes and, in spite of anguished effort of will, threatened to fall. He continued

are not very b

don't!" he cried, shivering. "You have been so good to me.

and your brave attitude towards life. Indeed I do. I respect you for it. Do you remember the old Italian story of Ser Federigo

lead balm of inst

ng

motion he turned blindly, seized her ha

eman's show to the end-until I come, in a perfectly brutal way, and try to upset it. Tell me-I'm old enough to be your mother, and you must know b

silly story of losses and what-not-I needn't bother you with it. I thought I would walk to London, with the trad

th, you propose in the same debonair

he fighting and aristocratic

uminous fearlessness at Miss Winwood. He drew a chair to th

he played with her fan rather roughly-more or less as a m

d Paul. He had in

ou any

"But that's the oyst

first place, I'm a severely business woman, and in the next I've got an uncle and a brother with cross-examining instincts, and, though I loathe them-the instincts, I mean-I can't get away from the

ms in a wide gesture.

ame. "Forgive me-I knew it-there are doubting Thomases everywhere-and I'm a woman who deals with facts, so t

se, what is the good of her? She longed to prove that her polyhedral crystal of a paragon radiated pure light from every one of his innumerable facets. It was a matter of intense joy to turn him round and find each fac

s your friend, too," she said, resuming her seat.

do you mean?" he asked breathlessly, for the h

to think, for he sat staring at her, openmouthed, bewildered, his breath coming quickly-"I shouldn't suggest it to you if there were no chances for you in it. You would be in the thick of public affairs, and an ambitious man might find a path in them that would lead him anywhere. I've had the idea in my head," she smiled, "for-some time. But I've only spoken to my br

looked again into the fire. "What can I say?

he laughed. "Anyhow, it's settled. Tomorrow we can discuss

d he in a low voice, and went and he

was guiding him upward. In every way Chance had worked for him. His poverty had been a cloak of honour; the thrice-blessed pawn ticket a patent of nobility. His kingdom lay before him, its purple mountains looming through the mists of dawn. And he would enter into it as the Awakener of England. He stood thrilled. The ambition was no longer the wild dream o

years ago. What had become of her? He did not even know her name. But what happiness, he thought, to meet her in the plenitu

.. Well, well! It was time for bed. He rose and switched off the lights and went to his room. But as he walked through the great, noiseless house, he felt, in spite of Fortune's bounty, a loneliness of soul; also irritation a