He had doubtless done his very best to hate her, or to persuade himself that he did so, by fabricating the vilest falsehoods about her to his own mind; but the very pains he took to thrust her image and her influence from his heart showed how deeply lodged had been his first impressions. There was no necessary connection between his reading law with the father and his finding occasion for the display of his contempt (love?) towards the unoffending daughter; but there did rise to his agitated fancy a series of accidental encounters and set dinners in which his revenge would be gratified, by showing plainly how good-temperedly he could endure her society for Nathaniel's sake, and how little regard he entertained for her on her own account. The inflated opinion of his own merits, which had first been suggested to him by the almost officious kindness of that worthy family, very speedily settled down into habitual conceit; and he was about to enter the great world with that most serious disqualification for success in such a sphere - the remembrance of public disgrace combined with insufferable vanity. All preliminary matters being adjusted, the serious difficulties of the step began to make their appearance in connection with the question of lodgings; but even this difficulty was overcome by Charles himself deciding that he would not take chambers, like other candidates for the ermine, but just settle down as near the sacred precincts as he could, without being actually mixed up and confounded with the profession; for, secretly, he laboured under a fear that, if he tried to insinuate himself into the immediate society of the Temple, the Templars would soon find him out, and publicly drum him out into the common ranks of their clientela; and he had become exceedingly nervous on that score ever since he had drummed himself out of Oxford, and afterwards out of Mr. Drake's family circle. As near, then, as he could get to this forbidden paradise-as near, also, as he could get to that particular quarter of paradise where Mr. Drake (not to speak of Sarah) resided, without falling under any obligation to hang out a sign to show that he was of the law-so near did Mr. Charles establish himself for his new course of life. CHAPTER VI. MEPHISTOPHELES THE LESS. He had a man up from Oxford who knew his ways, just to put him to rights; and as he happened to be fully aware of the extent to which this man was in the habit of robbing him, he thought it better to retain him in his service than trust himself in the hands of a London valet, of whose appropriating habits he could know nothing beforehand, and might find after awhile both undiscoverable and immeasurable. So Mottram was duly installed in an office in which for some time he had nothing to do but amuse himself and improve his mind; whilst the extent of his opportunities for self-indulgence and self-aggrandisement was such as to reconcile his well-bred soul to a lengthened separation from his beloved and profitable Oxford. The farewell between father and son had been spoken. A momentary pang told the young heart how great was the loss he was about to experience; a long dull grief, that no hope appeared to relieve, bespoke the intensity of that love which had once been divided among so many, and was now all concentrated in one. There was a kind of relief to the mind of Charles in being thus left to himself; but, on the whole, his state of feeling harmonized with the outside world. It rained as if it intended never to leave off; and as he lingered at the window, peering across the narrow street, between the files of rain-drops, as straight and as heavy as grenadiers, he felt the force of the resemblance between the weather and his own fortunes and troubles. It might, he muttered, be extremely beneficial or otherwise, as it turned out; but it was very disagreeable, without a doubt. Life at that moment was at a discount; and he could not strike out any better diversion than calling up Mottram, and making him talk, while subjecting a bundle of quills to a curious tentative process, which might, for anything he knew, result in a bundle of indifferent pens. The young gentleman's man was accordingly summoned. He was rather longer in making his appearance than was ab solutely necessary to reach the door of the first-floor front, and the master almost managed to smile when he understood the reason (and he deduced it without any intentional assistance on the part of the individual he had summoned). The fact was, and Charles suspected it, and presently knew it, that Mottram had been very unnecessarily, but very quietly, re-arranging the contents of a wine-hamper in a dark little room on the same floor; and when he heard the unexpected summons, he set himself to calculate how long it ought to take a man of his years to climb from a cellar-kitchen to a first-floor front; went up the several steps mentally, while he was wiping his mouth on his coat-skirts and flattening his wiry hair with his hand. But it is a difficult problem to calculate. He had got, in his imagination, to the last step on the stairs, but he was afraid of being too soon; the draught made him sneeze, or his miscalculation would have been even yet more palpable. Mr. Charles betook himself to his penmaking with precipitation, as the handle of the door rattled in the grasp of the hesitating gyp; and he hoped, by the aid of such occupation, to suppress the smile which was still creaming on his face, but which he felt to be indecorous in one who had just parted from his father, and altogether unsuited to the character of one who had just passed through such heavy trials, and had made up his mind to misanthropy. With a lame start, he acknowledged the presence of his servant, and exclaimed, with a tone of surprise :-" Oh, Mottram, it's you, is it? Well, what do you want?" "I thought you rang for me, sir." "Did I? Well, I believe I did-I don't know what for, though were you busy about anything? Better finish what you were doing till I think of what it was." - "Very well, sir; I wasn't particularly engaged-just arranging a few little matters about dinner, down in the kitchen." "Stop a minute-is it raining yet? "Like anything, sir; it's pouring in at the cellar window like a mill-stream-at least, it was just now when I came up -in fact, it was as much as cook and me could do to mop it up as it came in-perhaps she'll not get through it if I leave solutely necessary to reach the door of the first-floor front, and the master almost managed to smile when he understood the reason (and he deduced it without any intentional assistance on the part of the individual he had summoned). The fact was, and Charles suspected it, and presently knew it, that Mottram had been very unnecessarily, but very quietly, re-arranging the contents of a wine-hamper in a dark little room on the same floor; and when he heard the unexpected summons, he set himself to calculate how long it ought to take a man of his years to climb from a cellar-kitchen to a first-floor front; went up the several steps mentally, while he was wiping his mouth on his coat-skirts and flattening his wiry hair with his hand. But it is a difficult problem to calculate. He had got, in his imagination, to the last step on the stairs, but he was afraid of being too soon; the draught made him sneeze, or his miscalculation would have been even yet more palpable. Mr. Charles betook himself to his penmaking with precipitation, as the handle of the door rattled in the grasp of the hesitating gyp; and he hoped, by the aid of such occupation, to suppress the smile which was still creaming on his face, but which he felt to be indecorous in one who had just parted from his father, and altogether unsuited to the character of one who had just passed through such heavy trials, and had made up his mind to misanthropy. With a lame start, he acknowledged the presence of his servant, and exclaimed, with a tone of surprise :-"Oh, Mottram, it's you, is it? Well, what do you want?” "I thought you rang for me, sir.” "Did I? Well, I believe I did-I don't know what for, though were you busy about anything? Better finish what you were doing till I think of what it was." "Very well, sir; I wasn't particularly engaged-just arranging a few little matters about dinner, down in the kitchen." 66 Stop a minute-is it raining yet? "Like anything, sir; it's pouring in at the cellar window like a mill-stream-at least, it was just now when I came up -in fact, it was as much as cook and me could do to mop it up as it came in—perhaps she'll not get through it if I leave |