g
in a desirable land hard by a garden, like to that of the isle near
Puna, which had herbs and flowers and trees of gold and silver, one
who was an honoured guest in the emperor's house where the meanest
utensils were of silver and copper for strength. At first, when only
he and his mother were left, he had spoken to her of these fancies;
but she had shown herself more and more averse to their mention, so he
had learnt to keep his longings to himself.

His mother was a practical woman, born of a race of lawyers and
diplomatists. Hence she coveted above all things for her son, as she
had done for his father before him, the certainties of life--social
recognition and a banking-account; she had no sympathy with theories,
however heroic, or with any kind of success which was not obvious and
within hand-stretch. She was one of those safe people who always
choose to-day's salary, if it be promptly paid, in preference to the
more generous triumph of a to-morrow which may never come. She was
wisely parsimonious in all things and, daring nothing herself, had no
patience with natures which were more courageous. Much of her own
money, and all of her husband's, had been spent by him in his
fruitless explorations of Guiana. Now that he was gone, she discreetly
invested what was left of her fortune, and deprived herself of all
luxuries, so that when the time should come, her boy should have his
chance in life unembarrassed by his father's previous reckless
expenditures. She was proud of her son, for he was handsome; but she
never realised that half a day of spoken love and sympathy can
purchase more friendship than twenty years of benefits punctually and
dutifully conferred--still less did she recognise the necessity for a
mother consciously to cultivate a friendship with her boy. Not that
she was ungentle; she craved his affection, but she made the mistake
of demanding it as her right--all of which is the same as saying that
she was mentally insensitive, and was unaware that with thoughtful
people the road to the heart must first lead through the mind; of
people's minds she was incurious. She gave her son the kind of
education which befits men to inherit rather than to earn. His wishes
were never consulted; nor even when he went to university was he given
any choice. Like a dumb brute beast he was goaded forward without
knowledge of his destination, and was expected to be grateful to the
hand which kept him moving, and prevented h