unwarrantably this morningtelling a lie； in fact。 I happened to
be skating when the young ladies came down； and as they needed
some assistance which they would hardly have accepted from a
common manexcuse my borrowing that tiresome expression from our
acquaintance SmilashI set their minds at ease by saying that
you had sent for me。 Otherwise； as you have given me a bad
characterthough not worse than I deservethey would probably
have refused to employ me； or at least I should have been
compelled to accept payment； which I； of course； do not need。〃
Miss Wilson affected surprise。 〃I do not understand you；〃 she
said。
〃Not altogether；〃 he said smiling。 〃But you understand that I am
what is called a gentleman。〃
〃No。 The gentlemen with whom I am conversant do not dress as you
dress； nor speak as you speak； nor act as you act。〃
He looked at her； and her countenance confirmed the hostility of
her tone。 He instantly relapsed into an aggravated phase of
Smilash。
〃I will no longer attempt to set myself up as a gentleman；〃 he
said。 〃I am a common man； and your ladyship's hi recognizes me as
such and is not to be deceived。 But don't go for to say that I am
not candid when I am as candid as ever you will let me be。 What
fault； if any； do you find with my putting the skates on the
young ladies； and carryin' the campstool for them？〃
〃If you are a gentleman；〃 said Miss Wilson； reddening； 〃your
conduct in persisting in these antics in my presence is insulting
to me。 Extremely so。〃
〃Miss Wilson；〃 he replied； unruffled； 〃if you insist on Smilash；
you shall have Smilash； I take an insane pleasure in personating
him。 If you want Sidneymy real Christian nameyou can command
him。 But allow me to say that you must have either one or the
other。 If you become frank with me； I will understand that you
are addressing Sidney。 If distant and severe； Smilash。〃
〃No matter what your name may be；〃 said Miss Wilson； much
annoyed； 〃I forbid you to come here or to hold any communication
whatever with the young ladies in my charge。〃
〃Why？〃
〃Because I choose。〃
〃There is much force in that reason； Miss Wilson； but it is not
moral force in the sense conveyed by your college prospectus；
which I have read with great interest。〃
Miss Wilson； since her quarrel with Agatha； had been sore on the
subject of moral force。 〃No one is admitted here；〃 she said；
〃without a trustworthy introduction or recommendation。 A disguise
is not a satisfactory substitute for either。〃
〃Disguises are generally assumed for the purpose of concealing
crime；〃 he remarked sententiously。
〃Precisely so；〃 she said emphatically。
〃Therefore； I bear； to say the least； a doubtful character。
Nevertheless； I have formed with some of the students here a
slight acquaintance； of which； it seems； you disapprove。 You have
given me no good reason why I should discontinue that
acquaintance； and you cannot control me except by your wisha
sort of influence not usually effective with doubtful characters。
Suppose I disregard your wish； and that one or two of your pupils
come to you and say： 'Miss Wilson； in our opinion Smilash is an
excellent fellow； we find his conversation most improving。 As it
is your principle to allow us to exercise our own judgment； we
intend to cultivate the acquaintance of Smilash。' How will you
act in that case？〃
〃Send them home to their parents at once。〃
〃I see that your principles are those of the Church of England。
You allow the students the right of private judgment on condition
that they arrive at the same conclusions as you。 Excuse my saying
that the principles of the Church of England； however excellent；
are not those your prospectus led me to hope for。 Your plan is
coercion； stark and simple。〃
〃I do not admit it；〃 said Miss Wilson； ready to argue； even with
Smilash； in defence of her system。 〃The girls are quite at
liberty to act as they please； but I reserve my equal liberty to
exclude them from my college if I do not approve of their
behavior。〃
〃Just so。 In most schools children are perfectly at liberty to
learn their lessons or not； just as they please； but the
principal reserves an equal liberty to whip them if they cannot
repeat their tasks。〃
〃I do not whip my pupils；〃 said Miss Wilson indignantly。 〃The
comparison is an outrage。〃
〃But you expel them； and； as they are devoted to you and to the
place； expulsion is a dreaded punishment。 Yours is the old system
of making laws and enforcing them by penalties； and the
superiority of Alton College to other colleges is due； not to any
difference of system； but to the comparative reasonableness of
its laws and the mildness and judgment with which they are
enforced。〃
〃My system is radically different from the old one。 However； I
will not discuss the matter with you。 A mind occupied with the
prejudices of the old coercive despotism can naturally only see
in the new a modification of the old； instead of； as my system
is； an entire reversal or abandonment of it。〃
He shook his head sadly and said： 〃You seek to impose your ideas
on others； ostracizing those who reject them。 Believe me； mankind
has been doing nothing else ever since it began to pay some
attention to ideas。 It has been said that a benevolent despotism
is the best possible form of government。 I do not believe that
saying； because I believe another one to the effect that hell is
paved with benevolence； which most people； the proverb being too
deep for them； misinterpret as unfulfilled intentions。 As if a
benevolent despot might not by any error of judgment destroy his
kingdom； and then say； like Romeo when he got his friend killed；
'I thought all for the best！' Excuse my rambling。 I meant to say；
in short； that though you are benevolent and judicious you are
none the less a despot。〃
Miss Wilson； at a loss for a reply； regretted that she had not；
before letting him gain so far on her； dismissed him summarily
instead of tolerating a discussion which she did not know how to
end with dignity。 He relieved her by adding unexpectedly：
〃Your system was the cause of my absurd marriage。 My wife
acquired a degree of culture and reasonableness from her training
here which made her seem a superior being among the chatterers
who form the female seasoning in ordinary society。 I admired her
dark eyes； and was only too glad to seize the excuse her
education offered me for believing her a match for me in mind as
well as in body。〃
Miss Wilson； astonished； determined to tell him coldly that her
time was valuable。 But curiosity took possession of her in the
act of utterance； and the words that came were； 〃Who was she？〃
〃Henrietta Jansenius。 She is Henrietta Trefusis； and I am Sidney
Trefusis； at your mercy。 I see I have aroused your compassion at
last。〃
〃Nonsense！〃 said Miss Wilson hastily； for her surprise was indeed
tinged by a feeling that he was thrown away on Henrietta。
〃I ran away from her and adopted this retreat and this disguise
in order to avoid her。 The usual rebuke to human forethought
followed。 I ran straight into her armsor rather she ran into
mine。 You remember the scene； and were probably puzzled by it。〃
〃You seem to think your marriage contract a very light matter；
Mr。 Trefusis。 May I ask whose fault was the separation？ Hers； of
course。〃
〃I have nothing to reproach her with。 I expected to find her
temper hasty； but it was not soher behavior was
unexceptionable。 So was mine。 Our bliss was perfect； but
unfortunately； I was not made for domestic blissat all events I
could not endure itso I fled； and when she caught me again I
could give no excuse for my flight； though I made it clear to her
that I would not resume our connubial relations just yet。 We
parted on bad terms。 I fully intended to write her a sweet letter
to make her forgive me in spite of herself； but somehow the weeks
have slipped away and I am still fully intending。 She has never
written； and I have never written。 This is a pretty state of
things； isn't it； Miss Wilson； after all her advantages under the
influence of moral force and the movement for the higher
education of women？〃
〃By your own admission； the fault seems to lie upon your moral
training and not upon hers。〃
〃The fault was in the conditions of our association。 Why they
should have attracted me so strongly at first； and repelled me so
horribly afterwards； is one of those devil's riddles which will
not be answered until we shall have traced all the yet
unsuspected reactions of our inveterate dishonesty。 But I am
wasting your time； I fear。 You sent for Smilash； and I have
responded by practically annihilating him。 In public； however；
you must still bear with his antics。 One moment more。 I had
forgotten to ask you whether you are interested in the shepherd
whose wife you sheltered on the night of the storm？〃
〃He assured me； before he took his wife away； that he was
comfortably settled in a lodging in Lyvern。〃
〃Yes。 Very comfortably settled indeed。 For half…a…crown a week he
obtained permission to share a spacious drawing…room with two
other families in a ten…roomed house in not much better repair
than his blown…down hovel。 This house yields to its landlord over
two hundred a year； or rather more than the rent of a commodious
mansion in South Kensington。 It is a troublesome rent to collect；
but on the other hand there is no expenditure for repairs or
sanitation； which are not considered necessary in tenement
houses。 Our friend has to walk three miles to his work and three
miles back。 Exercise is a capital thing for a student or a city
clerk； but to a shepherd who has been in the fields all day； a
long walk at the end of his work is somewhat too much of a good
thing。 He begged for an increase of wages to compensate him for
the loss of the hut； but Sir John pointed out to him that if he
was not satisfied his place could be easily filled by less
exorbitant shepherds。 Sir John even condescended to explain that
the laws of political economy bind employers to buy labor in the
cheapest market； and our poor friend； just as ignorant of
economics as Sir John； of course did not know that this was
untrue。 However； as labor is actually so purchased everywhere