need？'
Dare guessed； for he had seen a little way into Havill's soul
during the brief period of their confederacy。 But he was very
far from saying what he guessed。 Yet he unconsciously
revealed by other words the nocturnal shades in his character
which had made that confederacy possible。
'Somerset coming after all！' he replied。 'By God！ that little
six…barrelled friend of mine； and a good resolution； and he
would never arrive！'
'What！' said Captain De Stancy； paling with horror as he
gathered the other's sinister meaning。
Dare instantly recollected himself。 'One is tempted to say
anything at such a moment；' he replied hastily。
'Since he is to come； let him come； for me；' continued De
Stancy； with reactionary distinctness； and still gazing
gravely into the young man's face。 'The battle shall be
fairly fought out。 Fair play； even to a rivalremember that；
boy。 。 。 。 Why are you here？unnaturally concerning yourself
with the passions of a man of my age； as if you were the
parent； and I the son？ Would to heaven； Willy； you had done
as I wished you to do； and led the life of a steady；
thoughtful young man！ Instead of meddling here； you should
now have been in some studio； college； or professional man's
chambers； engaged in a useful pursuit which might have made
one proud to own you。 But you were so precocious and
headstrong； and this is what you have come to： you promise to
be worthless！'
'I think I shall go to my lodgings to…day instead of staying
here over these pictures；' said Dare； after a silence during
which Captain De Stancy endeavoured to calm himself。 'I was
going to tell you that my dinner to…day will unfortunately be
one of herbs； for want of the needful。 I have come to my last
stiver。You dine at the mess； I suppose； captain？'
De Stancy had walked away； but Dare knew that he played a
pretty sure card in that speech。 De Stancy's heart could not
withstand the suggested contrast between a lonely meal of
bread…and…cheese and a well…ordered dinner amid cheerful
companions。 'Here；' he said； emptying his pocket and
returning to the lad's side。 'Take this； and order yourself a
good meal。 You keep me as poor as a crow。 There shall be
more to…morrow。'
The peculiarly bifold nature of Captain De Stancy； as shown in
his conduct at different times； was something rare in life；
and perhaps happily so。 That mechanical admixture of black
and white qualities without coalescence； on which the theory
of men's characters was based by moral analysis before the
rise of modern ethical schools； fictitious as it was in
general application； would have almost hit off the truth as
regards Captain De Stancy。 Removed to some half…known
century； his deeds would have won a picturesqueness of light
and shade that might have made him a fascinating subject for
some gallery of illustrious historical personages。 It was
this tendency to moral chequer…work which accounted for his
varied bearings towards Dare。
Dare withdrew to take his departure。 When he had gone a few
steps； despondent； he suddenly turned； and ran back with some
excitement。
'Captainhe's coming on the tenth； don't they say？ Well；
four days before the tenth comes the sixth。 Have you
forgotten what's fixed for the sixth？'
'I had quite forgotten！'
'That day will be worth three months of quiet attentions：
with luck； skill； and a bold heart； what mayn't you do？'
Captain De Stancy's face softened with satisfaction。
'There is something in that； the game is not up after all。
The sixthit had gone clean out of my head； by gad！'
V。
The cheering message from Paula to Somerset sped through the
loophole of Stancy Castle keep； over the trees； along the
railway； under bridges； across four countiesfrom extreme
antiquity of environment to sheer modernismand finally
landed itself on a table in Somerset's chambers in the midst
of a cloud of fog。 He read it and； in the moment of reaction
from the depression of his past days； clapped his hands like a
child。
Then he considered the date at which she wanted to see him。
Had she so worded her despatch he would have gone that very
day； but there was nothing to complain of in her giving him a
week's notice。 Pure maiden modesty might have checked her
indulgence in a too ardent recall。
Time； however； dragged somewhat heavily along in the interim；
and on the second day he thought he would call on his father
and tell him of his success in obtaining the appointment。
The elder Mr。 Somerset lived in a detached house in the north…
west part of fashionable London； and ascending the chief
staircase the young man branched off from the first landing
and entered his father's painting…room。 It was an hour when
he was pretty sure of finding the well…known painter at work；
and on lifting the tapestry he was not disappointed； Mr。
Somerset being busily engaged with his back towards the door。
Art and vitiated nature were struggling like wrestlers in that
apartment； and art was getting the worst of it。 The
overpowering gloom pervading the clammy air； rendered still
more intense by the height of the window from the floor；
reduced all the pictures that were standing around to the
wizened feebleness of corpses on end。 The shadowy parts of
the room behind the different easels were veiled in a brown
vapour； precluding all estimate of the extent of the studio；
and only subdued in the foreground by the ruddy glare from an
open stove of Dutch tiles。 Somerset's footsteps had been so
noiseless over the carpeting of the stairs and landing； that
his father was unaware of his presence； he continued at his
work as before； which he performed by the help of a
complicated apparatus of lamps； candles； and reflectors； so
arranged as to eke out the miserable daylight； to a power
apparently sufficient for the neutral touches on which he was
at that moment engaged。
The first thought of an unsophisticated stranger on entering
that room could only be the amazed inquiry why a professor of
the art of colour； which beyond all other arts requires pure
daylight for its exercise； should fix himself on the single
square league in habitable Europe to which light is denied at
noonday for weeks in succession。
'O！ it's you； George； is it？' said the Academician； turning
from the lamps； which shone over his bald crown at such a
slant as to reveal every cranial irregularity。 'How are you
this morning？ Still a dead silence about your grand castle
competition？'
Somerset told the news。 His father duly congratulated him；
and added genially； 'It is well to be you； George。 One large
commission to attend to； and nothing to distract you from it。
I am bothered by having a dozen irons in the fire at once。
And people are so unreasonable。Only this morning； among
other things； when you got your order to go on with your
single study； I received a letter from a woman； an old friend
whom I can scarcely refuse； begging me as a great favour to
design her a set of theatrical costumes； in which she and her
friends can perform for some charity。 It would occupy me a
good week to go into the subject and do the thing properly。
Such are the sort of letters I get。 I wish； George； you could
knock out something for her before you leave town。 It is
positively impossible for me to do it with all this work in
hand； and these eternal fogs to contend against。'
'I fear costumes are rather out of my line；' said the son。
'However； I'll do what I can。 What period and country are
they to represent？'
His father didn't know。 He had never looked at the play of
late years。 It was 'Love's Labour's Lost。' 'You had better
read it for yourself；' he said； 'and do the best you can。'
During the morning Somerset junior found time to refresh his
memory of the play； and afterwards went and hunted up
materials for designs to suit the same； which occupied his
spare hours for the next three days。 As these occupations
made no great demands upon his reasoning faculties he mostly
found his mind wandering off to imaginary scenes at Stancy
Castle： particularly did he dwell at this time upon Paula's
lively interest in the history； relics； tombs； architecture；
nay； the very Christian names of the De Stancy line； and her
'artistic' preference for Charlotte's ancestors instead of her
own。 Yet what more natural than that a clever meditative
girl； encased in the feudal lumber of that family； should
imbibe at least an antiquarian interest in it？ Human nature
at bottom is romantic rather than ascetic； and the local
habitation which accident had provided for Paula was perhaps
acting as a solvent of the hard； morbidly introspective views
thrust upon her in early life。
Somerset wondered if his own possession of a substantial
genealogy like Captain De Stancy's would have had any
appreciable effect upon her regard for him。 His suggestion to
Paula of her belonging to a worthy strain of engineers had
been based on his content with his own intellectual line of
descent through Pheidias； Ictinus and Callicrates；
Chersiphron； Vitruvius； Wilars of Cambray； William of Wykeham；
and the rest of that long and illustrious roll； but Miss
Power's marked preference for an animal pedigree led him to
muse on what he could show for himself in that kind。
These thoughts so far occupied him that when he took the
sketches to his father； on the morning of the fifth； he was
led to ask： 'Has any one ever sifted out our family
pedigree？'
'Family pedigree？'
'Yes。 Have we any pedigree worthy to be compared with that of
professedly old families？ I never remember hearing of any
ancestor further back than my great…grandfather。'
Somerset the elder reflected and said that he believed there
was a genealogical tree about the house somewhere； reaching
back to a very respectable distance。 'Not that I ever took
much interest in it；' he continued； without looking up from
his canvas； 'but your great uncle John was a man with a taste
for those subjects； and he drew up such a sheet： he made
several copies on parchment； and gave one to each of his
brothers and sisters。 The one he gave to my father is still
in my possession； I think。'
Somerset said that he should li