ablishment in business Joseph
had become remarkably attentive to his father; he appeared to enter
with much zeal into all that concerned Jane; he conversed privately
with the old man for a couple of hours at a time, and these dialogues,
for some reason or other, he made a point of reporting to Sidney.
According to these reports--and Sidney did not wholly discredit
them--Michael was coming to have a far better opinion of his son than
formerly, was even disposed to speak with him gravely of his dearest
interests.

'We talked no end about you, Sidney, last night,' said Joseph on one
occasion, with the smile, whereby he meant to express the last degree
of friendly intelligence.

And Sidney, though anxiously desiring to know the gist of the
conversation, in this instance was not gratified. He could not bring
himself to put questions, and went away in a mood of vague annoyance
which Joseph had the especial power of exciting.

With the Byasses, Joseph was forming an intimacy; of this too Sidney
became aware, and it irritated him. The exact source of this irritation
he did not at first recognise, but it was disclosed at length
unmistakably enough, and that on the occasion of the visit recently
described. Bessie's pleasantry, which roused him in so unwonted a
manner, could bear, of course, but one meaning; as soon as he heard it,
Sidney saw as in a flash that one remaining aspect of his position
which had not as yet attracted his concern. The Byasses had learnt, or
had been put in the way of surmising, that Michael Snowdon was wealthy;
instantly they passed to the reflection that in marrying Jane their old
acquaintance would be doing an excellent stroke of business. They were
coarse-minded, and Bessie could even venture to jest with him on this
detestable view of his projects. But was it not very likely that they
derived their information from Joseph Snowdon? And if so, was it not
all but certain that Joseph had suggested to them this way of regarding
Sidney himself?

So when Jane's face appeared at the door he held himself in stubborn
disregard of her. A thing impossible to him, he would have said a few
minutes ago. He revenged himself upon Jane. Good; in this way he was
likely to make noble advances.

The next evening he was due at the Snowdons', and for the very first
time he voluntarily kept away. He posted a note to say that the
business of his removal had made him irregular; he would come next
week, when things were