Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich

u may see little Mr. Spillikins out walking with his

l accident, their mother forgot them. This was at a time when the boys were all at Mr. Wackem's Academy for Exceptional Youths in the foothills of Tennessee, and

e Mrs. Everleigh-Spillikins there is no need to keep them at Mr.

-Spillikins feels that the day will come some day-say fifteen years hence-when the boys will no longer be children, and meantime it is so nice to feel that they are still mere boys. Bob is the eldest, but Sib the youngest is the t

the navy, is compelled to be at sea for perhaps a whole afternoon or even several days; in which case Mrs. Everleigh-Spillikins is very generally taken to the Hunt Club or the Country Club by Lieutenant Hawk, which Mr. Spillikins regards as awfully thoughtf

hear the four boys addressing Mr. Spillikins a

ob, "couldn't we all

ll go back to the house and play f

e may see them all hustling up the steps of the Everleigh-Spilliki

outcome of the tangled love story of Mr. Spillikins, which culminated during the s

ter Spillikins used to walk on Plutoria Avenue alone, or sit in the Mausoleum Club

eet he said to himself, "I say!" Even when he met a moderately beautiful one he murmured, "By Jove!" When an Easter hat went sailing past, or a group of summer pa

girl," or would exclaim, "I say, don't look, but isn't that an awfully pretty girl across the street?" or

s a consequence he lived in a world of amazingly beautiful women. And as his mind was focused in the same way as his eyes he endow

ven't the ear to appreciate it-I'm not musical, you know-but even with the little that I know, it's great; it absolutely puts me to sleep." And of each new novel that he bought he said, "It's a perfectly wonderful book! Of course I haven't the head to

st to spread abroad the idea that a university education was perfectly suitable even for the rich; that it didn't follow that because a man was a university graduate he need either work or pursue his studies any further; that what the university aimed to do was merely to put a certain stamp upon a man. That was all. A

ated with his studies. The profes

ard. You can't understand a word of it." He hardly knew which of his studies he liked best. "Physics," he said, "is a wond

or academic reasons, to abandon his life work. His last words about it were, "Gad! I nearly passed in

ne of the many enterprises for which Mr. Spillikins, ever since he was twenty-one, had already been signing documents and countersigning cheques.

fice would say, "that we can't meet you at five dollars.

ter all, thirty cents isn't much, eh what? Dash it, old ma

nty we'll take twen

Gad! you want a lot, don't you? Pretty big sale, eh, for

r. Boulder urged Mr. Spillikins to retire, and wrote off

d him so-namely to get married. "Spillikins," said his friends at the club after t

" said Mr.

s point Mr. Spillikins's whole existence had been one lo

ction towards the seats on the right-hand side of the class room, where the girls

Mr. Spillikins knew this and it kept him silent. And even when the most beautiful girl in the class married the demonstrator and thus term

ive sermons on hell. But the affair got no further than that. Once or twice, indeed, Spillikins walked home with Georgiana from church and talked about hell with her; and once her uncle asked him into the manse for cold supper after evening service, and they had a long talk about hell all through the meal and upstairs in the sitting-room after

ant to have him that he began bringing his greatest friend, Edward Ruff of the college football team, of whom Spillikins was very proud, up to the Lightleighs' residence. He specially wanted Adelina and Edward to be great friends, so that Adelina and he might ask Edward up to the house after he was married. And they got to b

dha and a translation of the Upanishads so as to fit himself to aspire to live with her. Even when the society ended in disaster Mr. Spillikins's love only burned the stronger. Consequently, as soon as he knew that Mr. and Mrs. Ras

ased if you can come out and spend a week or two with us here. We will send the car down to the Thursday train to meet you. We live here in the simplest fashion p

as written on heavy cream paper with a silver

ill in business, after a fashion, it would not have looked well for him to remain in town throug

own. The few who ever revisited the place in August

thrown out her broad plank walks and her long piers and her vaudeville shows. Others sought it in the heart of the country, where nature ha

s most people, went for medical reasons, being sent away by their doctors. Not that they were ill; but the doctors of Plutoria Avenue, such as Doctor Slyder, always preferred to send all their patients out of tow

verything and going away. Now why don't you go for a month or two to some quiet place, where you will simply do nothing?" (She never, as he knew, did anything, anyway.) "What do you say to Hot Springs, Virginia?-absolute quiet, good g

aged to slip away themselves for a month or two, heading straight for Paris and Vienna. There they we

ion. Mrs. Rasselyer-Brown's distressing experience with Yahi-Bahi had left her in a condition in which she was ut

into Dr. Slyder's hands. The doctor had examined him, questioned him searchingly as to what he drank, and ended by prescribing port wine to be taken firmly and unflinchingly during the evening,

n to Nagahakett on th

" said Mr. Rassely

da; excellent place, most liberal licence laws; first class cuisine and a bar in

icular moment of which we speak, was declared by the Boudoir and Society column of the Plutorian

the simple life. Mr. Newberry himself said that his one idea of a vacation was to g

was by the motor road that wound its way among leafy hills from the railway station fifteen miles away. Every foot of the road was private property, as all nature ought to be. The whole country about Castel Casteggio was absolutely primeval, or at any rate as primeval as Scotch

ng lawns broken with flower-beds as the ground sloped to the lake, was perhaps the most beautiful house of all; at any rate, it was an ideal spot to

d, for a time they had thought of giving it a Welsh name, or a Scotch. But the beautiful country residence of the Asterisk-Thomsons had stood close by in the same primeval country was already called Penny-gw-rydd, and

ng, how awfully good

roadside station. Mr. Spillikins had alighted, and there was Miss Philippa Furlong sitting behind the chauffeur in the Newberrys' motor. She was looking as b

immediate neighbourhood of the High Church clergy. It was admitted by all who envied or admired her that she could

ith her parasol nodding above her head, realized that after all, religion, as embodi

peated, "how awf

Dulphemia was coming, but she could

g loaded, together with his suit-case, tennis racket, and golf kit, on to the fore part of the motor. Mr. Spilli

most swished in their faces, and rounding and twisting among curves of the hills as it carried Spillikins and Philippa away from the lower

; and he was so pleased at her coming to meet him that Philippa never even hinted that the truth was that she had expected somebody else

ner, it was not long before Mr. Spillikins h

I have pretty good hope. The other day, or at least about two months ago, at on

nning," said Philippa;

cially on Ram Spudd. I liked him. I sent him two pounds of tobacco to the pe

ou going to say?

topic of Dulphemia, a thing that had never happened to him before. "I was going to s

he say to that?

I called her. So I think that

ood," said

r home herself in his car, but I took her slippers. She'd forgotten them. I thought that a pretty good sign, wasn'

pa. This of course, was a standing

hearst's musical, and we'd only just started along the street, when she stopped and sen

peak volumes,"

"You don't mind my telling you all

sister who was really Miss Furlong, so it would have been quite wrong, as Mr. Spillikins realized,

lippa. "I think it's awfully n

hat she knew all

o talk to you. With other girls, especially with clever ones, even with Dulphemia. I

honest admiration in Mr. Spillikin's prot

d my saying it, but you look awfully well in white-stunning." He felt that a man who was a

u know, we just wear anything." She didn't say that this old thing was only two weeks old and ha

irl Philippa had grown to be since she went to Bermuda-the effect, no doubt, of the climate of those fortunate islands-when quite suddenly they rounded a

ippa, "and there's Mr. N

le later, waving his hand, "is where you ge

otted with great trees, to the banks of the little lake, and

plain white flannel trousers, not worth more than six dollars a leg, an ordinary white silk shirt with a rolled co

about him at the house and the beautiful lawn

To make the motor road alone I had to dynamite out about a hundred yards of rock, and

Spillikins, looking at Mr.

d in eight feet of water. I had to pump it out; I think I took out a thousand gallons before I got clear down to the rock. Then I took my solid steel beams in fifty-foot lengths," here Mr. Newberry imitated with his arms the action of a man setting up a stee

arms the action of a huge house being

lost in amazement at the wonderful phys

y, "while I smooth out the gravel where you're s

y sorry," said

is host. "I don't mind in the least.

ked Mr. S

walk on the gravel paths. It scuffs up

s. All of them, it goes without saying, had been brought from Great Britain. The comfort they gave to Mr. and Mrs. Newb

ply won't allow us to pick the roses; and if any of us walk across the grass he is furious. And he positively refuses to let us use the vegetables. He told

ent from servants on this side of the water. Just imagine, my dear, my chauffeur, when I was in Colorado, actual

He is always accustomed to have a quart of beer every morning at half-past ten-the maids are told to bring it out to him, and after that he goes to sleep in the little arbour beside the tulip bed. And the othe

ld you ha

nown and that of course it wouldn't occur again. After that he was softened a little, but he went off muttering to himself, a

er lady; "if you had yo

possibly get another man like him; at

usting the gravel with his foot, "there are Mrs. Newberr

t they thus made, with their heads close together, Dulphemia's hair being golden and Philippa's chestnut-brown, was such that Mr. Spillikins had no eyes for Mrs. Newberry nor for Castel Casteggio nor for anything. So much so that he practically didn't see

rs wer

ide eyes, and when she looked at him she saw all at once suc

ee how manly and brave he must be; and of course there was firmness and strength written all over him. In short, she saw as she looked such a Pe

lub or to any other club, and who lived, with Norah, on a street that nobody who was anybody lived upon. Norah had been asked up a few days before out of the City to give her air-which is the only thing that can be safely and freely given to poor relations. Thus she had arrived at Castel Casteggio with one diminutive trunk, so small and sha

ah looking at

trariety of human things, h

ying. He always said this on such occasions, but it seemed to th

ed); "you've no idea what work it has been. This year we put in all this new gla

blasting out the motor road. You can see the gap where it lies better from here

"it must be dangerous work eh? I

course it is dangerous. I blew up two Italians on the last job." He paused a minute and ad

up yourself?" ask

We go to town. But I had to foot the bill for them all the same. Quite right, too. The risk

our butler," she went on, seeing that Mr. Spillikins didn't understand the reference, "and as we brought him out from England we have to

ht?" asked Mr

we had had nearly everything (we dine very simply here, Mr. Spillikins), Mr. Newberry, who was thirsty and who wasn't really thinking what he w

u know. We were afraid that there might be trouble, but Mr. Newberry went and saw Franklin afterwards and h

any Mr. Spillikins spe

ourt. Lunch itself was a perfectly plain midday meal, lasting till about 1.30, and consisting simply of cold meats (say four kinds) and salads, with perhaps a made dish or two, and, for anybody who cared for it, a hot steak or a chop, or both. After that one had coffee and cigarettes in the s

uptions of people in motors or motor boats

ew of Mr. Spillikins or Dulphemia or

en she had four glasses to drink out of and used to wonder over such problems as whether you were supposed, when Franklin poured out wine, to tell him

spent part of his time walking up and down under the trees with Philippa Furlong and discussing with her th

on the third day of his visit, that Dulphemia was to g

ve to speak, and the proposal in almost

what I was going to say? But at any rate she was awfully nice-let me say everything I wanted, and when I explained what a fool I was, she said she didn't think I was half such a

to the station, Mr. Spillikins, without exactly being aware h

y wonderful creature. There is no doubt that, but for a slight shift of circumstances, Mr. Spillikins would have proposed to Miss Furlong. Indeed, he spent a good part o

f them ever w

the station in the motor. And when she came back there was another passenger with her, a tall young man

the two descended and carried Tom's valises to the verandah, that Mr. Spillikins felt as suddenly and completely out of it as the Little Gir

n the verandah, that Philippa and Tom had been engaged already for ever so long-in fact, nearly two weeks, onl

t that Philippa had met Tom in Bermuda, and that she hadn't known that he even knew the Newberry's nor any other of the exuberant disclosures of the mom

om and Philippa v

wberry; "in fact, quite by ourselves till Mrs. Ever

been afraid that other girls might be coming, whereas she knew that Mrs.

ety of Norah. He thought them on the whole rather pleasant days, but slow.

o blame for it. For it had not always been theirs to command dynamite and control the forces of nature. There had been a time, now long ago, when the two Newberrys had lived, both of them, on twenty dollars a week, and Mrs. Newberry had made her own dresses, and Mr. Newberry had

en after dinner, in the evening, Mr. Newberry was very apt to c

t think we might cut down this elm, tear the stum

e minute, Edward; just

had grown to darkness, and they

g career at college; or presently they went indoors and Norah played the piano and Mr. Spillikins sat and smoked and listened. In such a house as the Newberry's, where dynamite and the greater explosive

shadow; very beautiful, Norah thought, though Mr. Spillikins explained that the spotted light put him off his game. In fact, it was owi

d them both-when he beat her six to nothing. She didn't know and didn't care that there was

ame, you know. I think you know, wit

lessons, which put Mr. Spillikins on a pedestal of superiority, and a

hem back to Mr. Spillikins. He let her do this, not from rudeness, for it wasn't in him, but because in such

modestly at his very elbow he did not recognize its presence. His mind had been fashioned, as it were, to connect love with

racquet so as to be able to give those magnificent backhand sweeps of his, by which he generally drove the ball halfway to the lake; and explaining this involved putting his hand right over Norah's on the handle of the racquet, so that for just half a second her hand was clasped tight i

pillikins looked up, and he s

ully good-looking woman

d. Norah looked over tow

h. I thought she wasn't

olden hair, eh?" "Why, it's-" Norah began, and then she stopped. It didn't seem right to explain that

p in the motor from town." "By Jove, how good of him!" said Spillikins; and this sentiment in

still less did she know, or anyone else, that the reason of Mrs. Everleigh's coming was because Mr. Spillikins was there. She

go up to the hou

Spillikins with grea

head, had decided instantly that she was the most beautiful woman in the world; and that impression is not easily corrected in the half-light of a shaded drawing-room; nor across a dinner-table lighted only with candles with deep red shades; nor even in the daytime throu

t must have been, ran swiftly to its goal. Each st

"so sympathetic. She always seems to

r she was maki

ng her about my having been in the oil business for a little while, and she thinks that I'd rea

the management of her money was of the form generally known as deficit financing. In f

igh must have had great sorrow, don't you? Yesterday she was showi

he didn't add that she knew

it is having him always away from her a

Spillikins was saying, with

that she'd have me, you know-a woman like her, with so much a

as just

s was on the verandah in the morning-that Norah had a hat a

aid, "are you

ou heard them speaking of it at dinner last nigh

aid Mr. Spillikins; "we sh

er hand there were tears brimming up into her eyes. But

ye," h

s certain things that might have been rose unformed and inarticulate before his mind.

rling, whe

d Mr. Spilliki

nt Mrs. Everleigh showed to Peter

y second little

then checked himself and said, "By Gad! what a fin

igh. "He's really rather taller than that now, b

rd boy," and on the day after that she said, "This

Spillikins. He loved him al

lowers, and bridesmaids in long veils, and tall ushers in frock-coats, and awnings at the church door, and strings of motors with wedding-favours on imported chauffeurs, and all that goes to invest marriage on Plutoria Avenue with its peculiar sacredness. The face of the young rector, Mr. Farefor

. They had thought of going-it was Mr. Spillikins's idea-to the coast of Maine. But Mrs. Everleigh-Spillikins sa

the anchor of that ship was once down it generally stayed there. So the captain was able to take the Everleigh-Spillikinses about in New York, and to give a tea for Mrs. Everleigh-

mong other things, "Did he kick up rough

eased to know that I haven't any. Do you know, Arthur, he's really an awfully good fellow,"

ptain, "don't get se

tone house, with a billiard-room in an extension on the second floor. Through the windows of it one can