Marriage à la mode | Page 2

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they teach American school-children about them is a poisoning of the
wells! Franklin was a man of profligate life, whom I would never have

admitted inside my doors! And as for the Adamses--intriguers--canting
fellows!--both of them."
"Well, at least you'll give them George Washington." As he spoke,
Barnes concealed a yawn, followed immediately afterwards by a look
of greater alertness, caused by the discovery that a girl sitting not far
from the doorway in the crowd outside was certainly pretty.
The red-faced, white-haired General paused a moment before replying,
then broke out: "What George Washington might have been if he had
held a straight course I am not prepared to say. As it is, I don't hesitate
for a moment! George Washington was nothing more nor less than a
rebel--a damned rebel! And what Englishmen mean by joining in the
worship of him I've never been able to understand."
"I say, uncle, take care," said the young man, looking round him, and
observing with some relief that they seemed to have the saloon to
themselves. "These Yankees will stand most things, but----"
"You needn't trouble yourself, Roger," was the testy reply; "I am not in
the habit of annoying my neighbours. Well now, look here, what I want
to know is, what is the meaning of this absurd journey of yours?"
The young man's frown increased. He began to poke the floor with his
stick. "I don't know why you call it absurd?"
"To me it seems both absurd and extravagant," said the other with
emphasis. "The last thing I heard of you was that Burdon and Co. had
offered you a place in their office, and that you were prepared to take it.
When a man has lost his money and becomes dependent upon others,
the sooner he gets to work the better."
Roger Barnes reddened under the onslaught, and the sulky expression
of his handsome mouth became more pronounced. "I think my mother
and I ought to be left to judge for ourselves," he said rather hotly. "We
haven't asked anybody for money yet, Uncle Archie. Burdon and Co.
can have me in September just as well as now; and my mother wished
me to make some friends over here who might be useful to me."

"Useful to you. How?"
"I think that's my affair. In this country there are always
openings--things turning up--chances--you can't get at home."
The General gave a disapproving laugh. "The only chance that'll help
you, Roger, at present--excuse me if I speak frankly--is the chance of
regular work. Your poor mother has nothing but her small fixed income,
and you haven't a farthing to chuck away on what you call chances.
Why, your passage by the Lucania alone must have cost a pretty penny.
I'll bet my hat you came first class."
The young man was clearly on the brink of an explosion, but controlled
himself with an effort. "I paid the winter rate; and mother who knows
the Cunard people very well, got a reduction. I assure you, Uncle
Archie, neither mother nor I is a fool, and we know quite well what we
are about."
As he spoke he raised himself with energy, and looked his companion
in the face.
The General, surveying him, was mollified, as usual, by nothing in the
world but the youth's extraordinary good looks. Roger Barnes's good
looks had been, indeed, from his childhood upward the distinguishing
and remarkable feature about him. He had been a king among his
schoolfellows largely because of them, and of the athletic prowess
which went with them; and while at Oxford he had been cast for the
part of Apollo in "The Eumenides," Nature having clearly designed him
for it in spite of the lamentable deficiencies in his Greek scholarship,
which gave his prompters and trainers so much trouble. Nose, chin,
brow, the poising of the head on the shoulders, the large blue eyes,
lidded and set with a Greek perfection, the delicacy of the lean, slightly
hollow cheeks, combined with the astonishing beauty and strength of
the head, crowned with ambrosial curls--these possessions, together
with others, had so far made life an easy and triumphant business for
their owner. The "others," let it be noted, however, had till now always
been present; and, chief amongst them, great wealth and an important
and popular father. The father was recently dead, as the black band on

the young man's arm still testified, and the wealth had suddenly
vanished, wholly and completely, in one of the financial calamities of
the day. General Hobson, contemplating his nephew, and mollified, as
we have said, by his splendid appearance, kept saying to himself: "He
hasn't a farthing but what poor Laura allows him; he has the tastes of
forty thousand a year; a very indifferent education; and