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moment； and she said nothing； so he added： 〃I've tried to turn off
some little sketches； but the magazines won't have them … they're
declined with thanks。〃
〃You see then you're not such a phoenix；〃 his visitor pointedly
smiled … 〃to pretend to abilities you're sacrificing for our sake。〃
〃I haven't time to do things properly；〃 he ruefully went on。 Then
as it came over him that he was almost abjectly good…natured to
give these explanations he added： 〃If I stay on longer it must be
on one condition … that Morgan shall know distinctly on what
footing I am。〃
Mrs。 Moreen demurred。 〃Surely you don't want to show off to a
child？〃
〃To show YOU off； do you mean？〃
Again she cast about； but this time it was to produce a still finer
flower。 〃And YOU talk of blackmail！〃
〃You can easily prevent it；〃 said Pemberton。
〃And YOU talk of practising on fears；〃 she bravely pushed on。
〃Yes； there's no doubt I'm a great scoundrel。〃
His patroness met his eyes … it was clear she was in straits。 Then
she thrust out her money at him。 〃Mr。 Moreen desired me to give
you this on account。〃
〃I'm much obliged to Mr。 Moreen； but we HAVE no account。〃
〃You won't take it？〃
〃That leaves me more free；〃 said Pemberton。
〃To poison my darling's mind？〃 groaned Mrs。 Moreen。
〃Oh your darling's mind …！〃 the young man laughed。
She fixed him a moment； and he thought she was going to break out
tormentedly； pleadingly： 〃For God's sake； tell me what IS in it！〃
But she checked this impulse … another was stronger。 She pocketed
the money … the crudity of the alternative was comical … and swept
out of the room with the desperate concession： 〃You may tell him
any horror you like！〃
CHAPTER VI
A couple of days after this； during which he had failed to profit
by so free a permission； he had been for a quarter of an hour
walking with his charge in silence when the boy became sociable
again with the remark： 〃I'll tell you how I know it； I know it
through Zenobie。〃
〃Zenobie？ Who in the world is SHE？〃
〃A nurse I used to have … ever so many years ago。 A charming
woman。 I liked her awfully； and she liked me。〃
〃There's no accounting for tastes。 What is it you know through
her？〃
〃Why what their idea is。 She went away because they didn't fork
out。 She did like me awfully； and she stayed two years。 She told
me all about it … that at last she could never get her wages。 As
soon as they saw how much she liked me they stopped giving her
anything。 They thought she'd stay for nothing … just BECAUSE；
don't you know？〃 And Morgan had a queer little conscious lucid
look。 〃She did stay ever so long … as long an she could。 She was
only a poor girl。 She used to send money to her mother。 At last
she couldn't afford it any longer； and went away in a fearful rage
one night … I mean of course in a rage against THEM。 She cried
over me tremendously； she hugged me nearly to death。 She told me
all about it；〃 the boy repeated。 〃She told me it was their idea。
So I guessed； ever so long ago； that they have had the same idea
with you。〃
〃Zenobie was very sharp；〃 said Pemberton。 〃And she made you so。〃
〃Oh that wasn't Zenobie； that was nature。 And experience！〃 Morgan
laughed。
〃Well； Zenobie was a part of your experience。〃
〃Certainly I was a part of hers； poor dear！〃 the boy wisely sighed。
〃And I'm part of yours。〃
〃A very important part。 But I don't see how you know that I've
been treated like Zenobie。〃
〃Do you take me for the biggest dunce you've known？〃 Morgan asked。
〃Haven't I been conscious of what we've been through together？〃
〃What we've been through？〃
〃Our privations … our dark days。〃
〃Oh our days have been bright enough。〃
Morgan went on in silence for a moment。 Then he said： 〃My dear
chap； you're a hero！〃
〃Well； you're another！〃 Pemberton retorted。
〃No I'm not； but I ain't a baby。 I won't stand it any longer。 You
must get some occupation that pays。 I'm ashamed； I'm ashamed！〃
quavered the boy with a ring of passion； like some high silver note
from a small cathedral cloister； that deeply touched his friend。
〃We ought to go off and live somewhere together；〃 the young man
said。
〃I'll go like a shot if you'll take me。〃
〃I'd get some work that would keep us both afloat；〃 Pemberton
continued。
〃So would I。 Why shouldn't I work？ I ain't such a beastly little
muff as that comes to。〃
〃The difficulty is that your parents wouldn't hear of it。 They'd
never part with you； they worship the ground you tread on。 Don't
you see the proof of it？〃 Pemberton developed。 〃They don't dislike
me； they wish me no harm； they're very amiable people； but they're
perfectly ready to expose me to any awkwardness in life for your
sake。〃
The silence in which Morgan received his fond sophistry struck
Pemberton somehow as expressive。 After a moment the child
repeated： 〃You are a hero！〃 Then he added： 〃They leave me with
you altogether。 You've all the responsibility。 They put me off on
you from morning till night。 Why then should they object to my
taking up with you completely？ I'd help you。〃
〃They're not particularly keen about my being helped； and they
delight in thinking of you as THEIRS。 They're tremendously proud
of you。〃
〃I'm not proud of THEM。 But you know that；〃 Morgan returned。
〃Except for the little matter we speak of they're charming people；〃
said Pemberton； not taking up the point made for his intelligence；
but wondering greatly at the boy's own； and especially at this
fresh reminder of something he had been conscious of from the first
… the strangest thing in his friend's large little composition； a
temper； a sensibility； even a private ideal； which made him as
privately disown the stuff his people were made of。 Morgan had in
secret a small loftiness which made him acute about betrayed
meanness； as well as a critical sense for the manners immediately
surrounding him that was quite without precedent in a juvenile
nature； especially when one noted that it had not made this nature
〃old…fashioned；〃 as the word is of children … quaint or wizened or
offensive。 It was as if he had been a little gentleman and had
paid the penalty by discovering that he was the only such person in
his family。 This comparison didn't make him vain； but it could
make him melancholy and a trifle austere。 While Pemberton guessed
at these dim young things； shadows of shadows； he was partly drawn
on and partly checked； as for a scruple； by the charm of attempting
to sound the little cool shallows that were so quickly growing
deeper。 When he tried to figure to himself the morning twilight of
childhood； so as to deal with it safely； he saw it was never fixed；
never arrested； that ignorance； at the instant he touched it； was
already flushing faintly into knowledge； that there was nothing
that at a given moment you could say an intelligent child didn't
know。 It seemed to him that he himself knew too much to imagine
Morgan's simplicity and too little to disembroil his tangle。
The boy paid no heed to his last remark； he only went on： 〃I'd
have spoken to them about their idea； as I call it； long ago； if I
hadn't been sure what they'd say。〃
〃And what would they say？〃
〃Just what they said about what poor Zenobie told me … that it was
a horrid dreadful story； that they had paid her every penny they
owed her。〃
〃Well； perhaps they had；〃 said Pemberton。
〃Perhaps they've paid you！〃
〃Let us pretend they have； and n'en parlons plus。〃
〃They accused her of lying and cheating〃 … Morgan stuck to historic
truth。 〃That's why I don't want to speak to them。〃
〃Lest they should accuse me； too？〃 To this Morgan made no answer；
and his companion； looking down at him … the boy turned away his
eyes； which had filled … saw what h