Gertrude　looked　up；　as　if　she　thought　this　scarcely　ladylike。
  〃Yes；〃　said　Trefusis。　〃We　are　the　best　friends　in　the　worldas
  good　as　possible；　at　any　rate。　He　wanted　me　to　subscribe　to　a
  fund　for　relieving　the　poor　at　the　east　end　of　London　by
  assisting　them　to　emigrate。〃
  〃I　presume　you　subscribed　liberally；〃　said　Erskine。　〃It　was　an
  opportunity　of　doing　some　practical　good。〃
  〃I　did　not；〃　said　Trefusis；　grinning　at　the　sarcasm。　〃This
  Transcanadian　Railway　Company；　having　got　a　great　deal　of　spare
  land　from　the　Canadian　government　for　nothing；　thought　it　would
  be　a　good　idea　to　settle　British　workmen　on　it　and　screw　rent　out
  of　them。　Plenty　of　British　workmen；　supplanted　in　their
  employment　by　machinery；　or　cheap　foreign　labor；　or　one　thing　or
  another；　were　quite　willing　to　go；　but　as　they　couldn't　afford　to
  pay　their　passages　to　Canada；　the　Company　appealed　to　the
  benevolent　to　pay　for　them　by　subscription；　as　the　change　would
  improve　their　miserable　condition。　I　did　not　see　why　I　should　pay
  to　provide　a　rich　company　with　tenant　farmers；　and　I　told
  Jansenius　so。　He　remarked　that　when　money　and　not　talk　was
  required；　the　workmen　of　England　soon　found　out　who　were　their
  real　friends。〃
  〃I　know　nothing　about　these　questions；〃　said　Sir　Charles；　with　an
  air　of　conclusiveness；　〃but　I　see　no　objection　to　emigration〃　The
  fact　is；〃　said　Trefusis；　〃the　idea　of　emigration　is　a　dangerous
  one　for　us。　Familiarize　the　workman　with　it；　and　some　day　he　may
  come　to　see　what　a　capital　thing　it　would　be　to　pack　off　me；　and
  you；　with　the　peerage；　and　the　whole　tribe　of　unprofitable
  proprietors　such　as　we　are；　to　St。　Helena；　making　us　a　handsome
  present　of　the　island　by　way　of　indemnity！　We　are　such　a
  restless；　unhappy　lot；　that　I　doubt　whether　it　would　not　prove　a
  good　thing　for　us　too。　The　workmen　would　lose　nothing　but　the
  contemplation　of　our　elegant　persons；　exquisite　manners；　and
  refined　tastes。　They　might　provide　against　that　loss　by　picking
  out　a　few　of　us　to　keep　for　ornament's　sake。　No　nation　with　a
  sense　of　beauty　would　banish　Lady　Brandon；　or　Miss　Lindsay；　or
  Miss　Wylie。〃
  〃Such　nonsense！〃　said　Jane。
  〃You　would　hardly　believe　how　much　I　have　spent　in　sending
  workmen　out　of　the　country　against　my　own　view　of　the　country's
  interest；〃　continued　Trefusis；　addressing　Erskine。　〃When　I　make　a
  convert　among　the　working　classes；　the　first　thing　he　does　is　to
  make　a　speech　somewhere　declaring　his　new　convictions。　His
  employer　immediately　discharges　him'gives　him　the　sack'　is　the
  technical　phrase。　The　sack　is　the　sword　of　the　capitalist；　and
  hunger　keeps　it　sharp　for　him。　His　shield　is　the　law；　made　for
  the　purpose　by　his　own　class。　Thus　equipped；　he　gives　the　worst
  of　it　to　my　poor　convert；　who　comes　ruined　to　me　for　assistance。
  As　I　cannot　afford　to　pension　him　for　life；　I　get　rid　of　him　by
  assisting　him　to　emigrate。　Sometimes　he　prospers　and　repays　me；
  sometimes　I　hear　no　more　of　him；　sometimes　he　comes　back　with　his
  habits　unsettled。　One　man　whom　I　sent　to　America　made　his
  fortune；　but　he　was　not　a　social　democrat；　he　was　a　clerk　who　had
  embezzled；　and　who　applied　to　me　for　assistance　under　the
  impression　that　I　considered　it　rather　meritorious　to　rob　the
  till　of　a　capitalist。〃
  〃He　was　a　practical　Socialist；　in　fact；〃　said　Erskine。
  〃On　the　contrary；　he　was　a　somewhat　too　grasping　Individualist。
  Howbeit；　I　enabled　him　to　make　good　his　defalcationin　the　city
  they　consider　a　defalcation　made　good　when　the　money　is
  replacedand　to　go　to　New　York。　I　recommended　him　not　to　go
  there；　but　he　knew　better　than　I；　for　he　made　a　fortune　by
  speculating　with　money　that　existed　only　in　the　imagination　of
  those　with　whom　he　dealt。　He　never　repaid　me；　he　is　probably　far
  too　good　a　man　of　business　to　pay　money　that　cannot　be　extracted
  from　him　by　an　appeal　to　the　law　or　to　his　commercial　credit。　Mr。
  Erskine；〃　added　Trefusis；　lowering　his　voice；　and　turning　to　the
  poet；　〃you　are　wrong　to　take　part　with　hucksters　and
  money…hunters　against　your　own　nature；　even　though　the　attack
  upon　them　is　led　by　a　man　who　prefers　photography　to　etching。〃
  〃But　I　assure　youYou　quite　mistake　me；〃　said　Erskine；　taken
  aback。　〃I〃
  He　stopped；looked　to　Sir　Charles　for　support；　and　then　said
  airily：　〃I　don't　doubt　that　you　are　quite　right。　I　hate　business
  and　men　of　business；　and　as　to　social　questions；　I　have　only　one
  article　of　belief；　which　is；　that　the　sole　refiner　of　human
  nature　is　fine　art。〃
  〃Whereas　I　believe　that　the　sole　refiner　of　art　is　human　nature。
  Art　rises　when　men　rise；　and　grovels　when　men　grovel。　What　is
  your　opinion？〃
  〃I　agree　with　you　in　many　ways；〃　replied　Sir　Charles　nervously；
  for　a　lack　of　interest　in　his　fellow…creatures；　and　an　excess　of
  interest　in　himself；　had　prevented　him　from　obtaining　that　power
  of　dealing　with　social　questions　which；　he　felt；　a　baronet　ought
  to　possess；　and　he　was　consequently　afraid　to　differ　from　anyone
  who　alluded　to　them　with　confidence。　〃If　you　take　an　interest　in
  art；　I　believe　I　can　show　you　a　few　things　worth　seeing。〃
  〃Thank　you。　In　return　I　will　some　day　show　you　a　remarkable
  collection　of　photographs　I　possess；　many　of　them　taken　by　me。　I
  venture　to　think　they　will　teach　you　something。〃
  〃No　doubt；〃　said　Sir　Charles。　〃Shall　we　return　to　the　gallery？　I
  have　a　few　treasures　there　that　photography　is　not　likely　to
  surpass　for　some　time　yet。〃
  〃Let's　go　through　the　conservatory；〃　said　Jane。　〃Don't　you　like
  flowers；　Mr。　SmiI　never　can　remember　your　proper　name。〃
  〃Extremely；〃　said　Trefusis。
  They　rose　and　went　out　into　a　long　hothouse。　Here　Lady　Brandon；
  finding　Erskine　at　her　side；　and　Sir　Charles　before　her　with
  Gertrude；　looked　round　for　Trefusis；　with　whom　she　intended　to
  enjoy　a　trifling　flirtation　under　cover　of　showing　him　the
  flowers。　He　was　out　of　sight；　but　she　heard　his　footsteps　in　the
  passage　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　greenhouse。　Agatha　was　also
  invisible。　Jane；　not　daring　to　rearrange　their　procession　lest
  her　design　should　become　obvious；　had　to　walk　on　with　Erskine。
  Agatha　had　turned　unintentionally　into　the　opposite　alley　to　that
  which　the　others　had　chosen。　When　she　saw　what　she　had　done；　and
  found　herself　virtually　alone　with　Trefusis；　who　had　followed
  her；　she　blamed　him　for　it；　and　was　about　to　retrace　her　steps
  when　he　said　coolly：
  〃Were　you　shocked　when　you　heard　of　Henrietta's　sudden　death？〃
  Agatha　struggled　with　herself　for　a　moment；　and　then　said　in　a
  suppressed　voice：　〃How　dare　you　speak　to　me？〃
  〃Why　not？〃　said　he；　astonished。
  〃I　am　not　going　to　enter　into　a　discussion　with　you。　You　know
  what　I　mean　very　well。〃
  〃You　mean　that　you　are　offended　with　me；　that　is　plain　enough。
  But　when　I　part　with　a　young　lady　on　good　terms；　and　after　a
  lapse　of　years；　during　which　we　neither　meet　nor　correspond；　she
  asks　me　how　I　dare　speak　to　her；　I　am　naturally　startled。〃
  〃We　did　not　part　on　good　terms。〃
  Trefusis　stretched　his　eyebrows；　as　if　to　stretch　his　memory。　〃If
  not；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　forgotten　it；　on　my　honor。　When　did　we
  part；　and　what　happened？　It　cannot　have　been　anything　very
  serious；　or　I　should　remember　it。〃
  His　forgetfulness　wounded　Agatha。　〃No　doubt　you　are　well
  accustomed　to〃　She　checked　herself；　and　made　a　successful
  snatch　at　her　normal　manner　with　gentlemen。　〃I　scarcely　remember
  what　it　was；　now　that　I　begin　to　think。　Some　trifle；　I　suppose。
  Do　you　like　orchids？〃
  〃They　have　nothing　to　do　with　our　affairs　at　present。　You　are　not
  in　earnest　about　the　orchids；　and　you　are　trying　to　run　away　from
  a　mistake　instead　of　clearing　it　up。　That　is　a　short…sighted
  policy；　always。〃
  Agatha　grew　alarmed；　for　she　felt　his　old　influence　over　her
  returning。　〃I　do　not　wish　to　speak　of　it；〃　she　said　firmly。
  Her　firmness　was　lost　on　him。　〃I　do　not　even　know　what　it　means
  yet；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　want　to　know；　for　I　believe　there　is　some
  misunderstanding　between　us；　and　it　is　the　trick　of　your　sex　to
  perpetuate　misunderstandings　by　forbidding　all　allusions　to　them。
  Perhaps；　leaving　Lyvern　so　hastily；　I　forgot　to　fulfil　some
  promise；　or　to　say　farewell；　or　something　of　that　sort。　But　do
  you　know　how　suddenly　I　was　called　away？　I　got　a　telegram　to　say
  that　Henrietta　was　dying；　and　I　had　only　time　to　change　my
  clothesyou　remember　my　disguiseand　catch　the　express。　And；
  after　all；　she　was　dead　when　I　arrived。〃
  〃I　know　that；〃　said　Agatha　uneasily。　〃Please　say　no　more　about
  it。〃
  〃Not　if　it　distresses　you。　Just　let　me　hope　that　you　did　not
  suppose　I　blamed　you　for　your　share　in　the　matter　or　that　I　told
  the　Janseniuses　of　it。　I　did　not。　Yes；　I　like　orchids。　A　plant
  that　can　subsist　on　a　scrap　of　board　is　an　instance　of　natural
  econ〃
  〃YOU　blame　ME！〃　cried　Agatha。　〃_I_　never　told　the　Janseniuses。
  What　would　they　have　thought　of　you　if　I　had？〃
  〃Far　worse　of　you　than　of　me；　however　unjustly。　You　were　the
  immediate　cause　of　the　tragedy；　I　only　the　remote　one。　Jansenius
  is　not　far…seeing　when　his　feelings　are　touched。　Few　men　are。〃
  〃I　don't　understand　you　in　the　least。　What　tragedy　do　you　mean？〃
  〃Henrietta's　death。　I　call　it　a　tragedy　conventionally。
  Seriously；　of　course；　it　was　commonplace　enough。〃
  Agatha　stopped　and　faced　him。　〃