that he would answer shortly because her father made it, and this
was not any more satisfactory. So she only looked at him with wistful eyes
that set many much harder ones, and was silent. Jock himself was too
philosophical to be satisfied with his own reply.

"You see," he said condescendingly, "Money is the easiest explanation.
If you were to ask me why Sir Tom should be Sir Tom, and that man sweep
a crossing, I could not tell you."

"Oh," cried Lucy, "I don't see any difficulty about that at all, for Tom
was born to it. You might as well say why should baby be born to be the
heir."

Jock did not know whether to be indignant or to laugh at this feminine
begging of the question. He stared at her for a moment uncertain, and
then went on as if she had not spoken. "But money is always
intelligible. That's political economy. If you have money, as a matter
of course you have everything that money can buy; and I suppose it can
buy almost everything?" Jock said, reflectively.

"It cannot buy a moment's happiness," cried Lucy, "nor one of those
things one wishes most for. Oh Jock, at your age don't be deceived like
that. For my part," she cried, "I think it is just the trouble of life.
If it was not for this horrible money----"

She stopped short, the tears were in her eyes, but she would not betray
to Jock how great was the difficulty in which she found herself. She
turned her head away and was glad to wave her hand to a well known face
that was passing, an acquaintance of old times, who was greatly elated
to find that Lady Randolph in her grandeur still remembered her. Jock
looked on upon all this with a partial comprehension, mingled with
disapproval. He did not quite understand what she meant, but he
disapproved of her for meaning it all the same.

"Money can't be horrible," he said, "unless it's badly spent: and to say
you can't buy happiness with it is nonsense. If it don't make _you_
happy to save people from poverty it will make them happy, so somebody
will always get the advantage. What are you so silly about, Lucy? I
don't say money is so very fine a thing. I only say it's intelligible.
If you ask me why a man should be a great deal better than you or me,
only because he took the trouble to be born----"

"I am not so silly, though you think me so silly, as to ask that," said
Lucy; "that is so easy to understand. Of course you can only be who you
are. You can't make yourself into another person; I hope I unders