The Emancipated | Page 6

to go. They will come here quite early. Miss Doran begged
hard to come with me now, but I wouldn't allow it."
"Is it the one instance in which your authority has prevailed?" inquired
Spence. "You seem to declare it in a tone of triumph."
"Well," replied the other, with a grim smile, leaning forward in his
chair, "I don't undertake to lay down rules for the young lady of
eighteen as I could for the child of twelve. But my age and sobriety of
character still ensure me respect."
He glanced at Mrs. Baske, and their eyes met. Miriam smiled rather
coldly, but continued to observe him after he had looked away again.
"You met them at Genoa?" she asked presently, in her tone of habitual
reserve.
"Yes. I came by sea from London, and had a couple of days to wait for
their arrival from Paris."
"And I suppose you also are staying at Mrs. Gluck's?"
"Oh no! I have a room at old quarters of mine high up in the town, Vico
Brancaccio. I shall only be in Naples a few days."
"How's that ?" inquired Spence.
"I'm going to work at Amalfi and Paestum."
"Then, as usual, we shall see nothing of you," said Mrs. Spence. "Pray,
do you dine at Mrs. Gluck's this evening?"
"By no means."
"May we, then, have the pleasure of your company? There is no need to
go back to Vico Brancaccio. I am sure Mrs. Baske will excuse you the
torture of uniform."
With a sort of grumble, the invitation was accepted. A little while after,
Spence proposed to his friend a walk before sunset.
"Yes; let us go up the hill," said Mallard, rising abruptly. "I need
movement after the railway."
They left the villa, and Mallard grew less restrained in his conversation.
"How does Mrs. Baske answer to your expectations?" Spence asked
him.
"I had seen her photograph, you know."
"Where?"
"Her brother showed it me--one taken at the time of her marriage."

"What is Elgar doing at present?"
"It's more than a year since we crossed each other," Mallard replied.
"He was then going to the devil as speedily as can in reason be
expected of a man. I happened to encounter him one morning at
Victoria Station, and he seemed to have just slept off a great deal of
heavy drinking. Told me he was going down to Brighton to see about
selling a houseful of furniture there--his own property. I didn't inquire
how or why he came possessed of it. He is beyond help, I imagine.
When he comes to his last penny, he'll probably blow his brains out;
just the fellow to do that kind of thing."
"I suppose he hasn't done it already? His sister has heard nothing of
him for two years at least, and this account of yours is the latest I have
received."
"I should think he still lives, He would be sure to make a coup de
theatre of his exit."
"Poor lad!" said the elder man, with feeling. "I liked him."
"Why, so did I; and I wish it had been in my scope to keep him in some
kind of order. Yes, I liked him much. And as for brains, why, I have
scarcely known a man who so impressed me with a sense of his ability.
But you could see that he was doomed from his cradle. Strongly like
his sister in face."
"I'm afraid the thought of him troubles her a good deal."
"She looks ill."
"Yes; we are uneasy about her," said Spence. Then, with a burst of
impatience: "There's no getting her mind away from that pestilent
Bartles. What do you think she is projecting now? It appears that the
Dissenters of Bartles are troubled concerning their chapel; it isn't large
enough. So Miriam proposes to pull down her own house, and build
them a chapel on the site, of course at her own expense. The ground
being her freehold, she can unfortunately do what she likes with it; the
same with her personal property. The thing has gone so far that a
Manchester firm of architects have prepared plans; they are lying about
in her room here."
Mallard regarded the speaker with humorous wonder.
"And the fact is," pursued Spence, "that such an undertaking as this will
impoverish her. She is not so wealthy as to be able to lay out thousands
of pounds and leave her position unaltered."

"I suppose she lives only for her religious convictions?"
"I don't profess to understand her. Her character is not easily sounded.
But no doubt she has the puritanical spirit in a rather rare degree. I daily
thank the fates that my wife grew up apart from that branch of the
family. Of all the accursed--But