r presence,
as Undershaw has no doubt told you--of course he has told you, small
blame to him--was extremely distasteful to me. I am a recluse. I like no
women--and d----d few men. I can do without them, that's all; their
intimate company, anyway: and my pursuits bring me all the amusement I
require. Such at any rate was my frame of mind up to a few weeks ago. I
don't apologize for it in the least. Every man has a right to his own
idiosyncrasies. But I confess that your society during the last few
weeks--I am in no mood for mere compliment--has had a considerable
effect upon me. It has revealed to me that I am no longer so young as
I was, or so capable--apparently--of entertaining myself. At any rate
your company--I put it quite frankly--instead of being a nuisance--has
been a godsend. It has turned out that we have many of the same tastes;
and your inheritance of the treasures collected by my old friend
Mackworth"--("Ah!" thought Faversham, "now we come to it!")--"has made
from the first, I think, a link between us. Have I your assent?"

"Certainly."

Melrose paused a moment, and then resumed. The impression he made was
that of one rehearsing, point by point, a prepared speech.

"At the same time, I have become more aware than usual of the worries and
annoyances connected with the management of my estates. We live, sir, in
a world of robbers"--Melrose suddenly rounded on his companion, his
withered face aflame--"a world of robbers, and of rapine! Not a single
Tom, Dick, and Harry in these parts that doesn't think himself my equal
and more. Not a single tenant on my estate that doesn't try at every
point to take advantage of his landlord! Not a single tramp or poacher
that doesn't covet my goods--that wouldn't murder me if he could, and
sleep like a baby afterward. I tell you, sir, we shall see a _jacquerie_
in England, before we are through with these ideas that are now about
us like the plague; that every child imbibes from our abominable
press!--that our fools of clergy--our bishops even--are not ashamed to
preach. There is precious little sense of property, and not a single
rag of loyalty or respect left in this country! But when you think of the
creatures that rule us--and the fanatics who preach to us--and the fools
who bring up our children, what else can you expect! The whole state is
rotten! The men in our great towns are ripe for any revolutionary
villainy. We shall come to blood, Faversham!"--he struck his