ou go as far as St. Petersburg, and see if
that does you any good. If it don't, you needn't go on, because it
will be hopeless. If it does,--why, you can come back, because the
second journey will do the rest."

"There never was anything, John, that wasn't matter for chaff with
you."

"And I hope there never will be. People understand it when logic
would be thrown away. I suppose the truth is the girl cares for
somebody else." Arthur nodded his head. "Who is it? Any one I know?"

"I think not."

"Any one you know?"

"I have met the man."

"Decent?"

"Disgustingly indecent, I should say." John looked very black, for
even with him the feeling about the Whartons and the Vaughans and the
Fletchers was very strong. "He's a man I should say you wouldn't let
into Longbarns."

"There might be various reasons for that. It might be that you
wouldn't care to meet him."

"Well;--no,--I don't suppose I should. But without that you wouldn't
like him. I don't think he's an Englishman."

"A foreigner!"

"He has got a foreign name."

"An Italian nobleman?"

"I don't think he's noble in any country."

"Who the d---- is he?"

"His name is--Lopez."

"Everett's friend?"

"Yes;--Everett's friend. I ain't very much obliged to Master Everett
for what he has done."

"I've seen the man. Indeed, I may say I know him,--for I dined with
him once in Manchester Square. Old Wharton himself must have asked
him there."

"He was there as Everett's friend. I only heard all this to-day, you
know;--though I had heard about it before."

"And therefore you want to set out on your travels. As far as I saw I
should say he is a clever fellow."

"I don't doubt that."

"And a gentleman."

"I don't know that he is not," said Arthur. "I've no right to say a
word against him. From what Wharton says I suppose he's rich."

"He's good looking too;--at least he's the sort of man that women
like to look at."

"Just so. I've no cause of quarrel with him,--nor with her. But--."

"Yes, my friend, I see it all," said the elder brother. "I think
I know all about it. But running away is not the thing. One may
be pretty nearly sure that one is right when one says that a man
shouldn't run away from anything."

"The thing is to be happy if you can," said Arthur.

"No;--that is not the thing. I'm not much of a philosopher, but as
far as I can see there are two philosophies in the world. The one
is to make one's self happy, and the other is