behind him, and Paul was left alone
feeling strangely mean and foolish. It seemed that Darco had come to an
explanation of his movement, and Paul did not care to think that he had
found the real reason for it The real reason was a sacred thing whilst
it was hidden away in his own breast; but, held out to the inspection
of others, it had a gawky, unfledged sort of look. It lost dignity. The
dove that cooed in his bosom was a live bird; but once under Darco's
eyes, and it was a moulted rag--a thing dead and despicable.

He had to face Darco again, and he had little taste for the meeting.

'I haf found oudt vat you are coing to London for,' said Darco. 'You
are a tarn fool. I haf never seen such a tarn fool in all my tays ant
years--nefer: nefer since I gave up peing a tarn fool myself. You can
vork; you haf got prains; you haf cot a gareer in front of you; you are
one-ant-dwenty. My Cott! you are one-and-dwenty; ant you haf prains, ant
intustry, ant jances, and you juck them all into the gudder for liddle
Jarlie Prown.'

'Who is Jarlie Prown?' asked Paul.

'Jarlie Prown is Glautia Pelmond,' said Darco. 'She has kebt her
initials. C stands for Glautia, just as veil as it stands for Jarlie;
and P stands both for Prown and Pelmond. She has ruint as many men as
she has does and vingers. It is no pusiness of mine. Co your vays, you
silly itiot 'Id is your dime of life to be an itiot, and it is my dime
of life to laugh at you.'

'I have never heard a man breathe a word till now against Miss Belmont's
virtue,'cried Paul.

'Firtue?' cried Darco, with a snorting laugh; 'what is firtue? Let me
dell you this: Your Miss Glautia Pelmond is a volubtuous ice-woman; ant
that is the most tangerous of all the taughters of the horse-leedge. Ant
zo, my younk donkey, goot-night ant goot-bye. I am Cheorge Dargo, ant I
nefer forgive an incratitude.'

This contemptuous parting wounded Paul to the quick, and the strange
statements about Claudia maddened him. In one respect, at least, Darco,
in his treatment of women, was chivalry incarnate; he would speak no
scandal--no, nor listen to it. Paul tossed and tumbled throughout the
night--a prey to shame and passion and cold doubt. Darco, who had so
well deserved his gratitude, had accused him of the contrary--the one
vice of all others which had seemed most repugnant to his nature. Darco
was right, and Paul was bitten by shame. Then his mind flew to Claudia,
and he thought how tender she had