have desired me to be," said his
father.

"Why did they lie to me?" the young man wrathfully exclaimed.

"I think, Richard, you can best answer that," rejoined Sir Austin,
kindly severe.

Dread of being signalized as the Foolish Young Fellow prevented Richard
from expostulating further. Sir Austin saw him grinding his passion
into powder for future explosion, and thought it best to leave him for
awhile.

CHAPTER XXII

For three weeks Richard had to remain in town and endure the teachings
of the System in a new atmosphere. He had to sit and listen to men of
science who came to renew their intimacy with his father, and whom
of all men his father wished him to respect and study; practically
scientific men being, in the baronet's estimation, the only minds
thoroughly mated and enviable. He had to endure an introduction to the
Grandisons, and meet the eyes of his kind, haunted as he was by the
Foolish Young Fellow. The idea that he might by any chance be identified
with him held the poor youth in silent subjection. And it was horrible.
For it was a continued outrage on the fair image he had in his heart.
The notion of the world laughing at him because he loved sweet Lucy
stung him to momentary frenzies, and developed premature misanthropy in
his spirit. Also the System desired to show him whither young women of
the parish lead us, and he was dragged about at nighttime to see the
sons and daughters of darkness, after the fashion prescribed to Mr.
Thompson; how they danced and ogled down the high road to perdition. But
from this sight possibly the teacher learnt more than his pupil, since
we find him seriously asking his meditative hours, in the Note-book:
"Wherefore Wild Oats are only of one gender?" a question certainly
not suggested to him at Raynham; and again--"Whether men might not be
attaching too rigid an importance?"...to a subject with a dotted
tail apparently, for he gives it no other in the Note-book. But, as I
apprehend, he had come to plead in behalf of women here, and had deduced
something from positive observation. To Richard the scenes he witnessed
were strange wild pictures, likely if anything to have increased his
misanthropy, but for his love.

Certain sweet little notes from Lucy sustained the lover during the
first two weeks of exile. They ceased; and now Richard fell into such
despondency that his father in alarm had to take measures to hasten
their return to Raynham. At the close of the t