"What's the matter? It was so good--so good."

"It wasn't good enough for Julia," Nick declared.

"For Julia? Is Julia so great as that? She told me she had the greatest
regard for you. You're good enough for the best, my dear boy," Mr.
Carteret pursued.

"You don't know me: I _am_ disappointing. She had, I believe, a great
regard for me, but I've forfeited her good opinion."

The old man stared at this cynical announcement: he searched his
visitor's face for some attenuation of the words. But Nick apparently
struck him as unashamed, and a faint colour coming into his withered
cheek indicated his mystification and alarm. "Have you been unfaithful
to her?" he still considerately asked.

"She thinks so--it comes to the same thing. As I told you a year ago,
she doesn't believe in me."

"You ought to have made her--you ought to have made her," said Mr.
Carteret. Nick was about to plead some reason when he continued: "Do you
remember what I told you I'd give you if you did? Do you remember what I
told you I'd give you on your wedding-day?"

"You expressed the most generous intentions; and I remember them as much
as a man may do who has no wish to remind you of them."

"The money's there--I've put it aside."

"I haven't earned it--I haven't earned a penny of it. Give it to those
who deserve it more," said Nick.

"I don't understand, I don't understand," Mr. Carteret whimpered, the
tears of weakness in his eyes. His face flushed and he added: "I'm not
good for much discussion; I'm very much disappointed."

"I think I may say it's not my fault--I've done what I can," Nick
declared.

"But when people are in love they do more than that."

"Oh it's all over!" said our young man; not caring much now, for the
moment, how disconcerted his companion might be, so long as he disabused
him of the idea that they were partners to a bargain. "We've tormented
each other and we've tormented you--and that's all that has come of it."

His companion's eyes seemed to stare at strange things. "Don't you care
for what I'd have done for you--shouldn't you have liked it?"

"Of course one likes kindness--one likes money. But it's all over," Nick
repeated. Then he added: "I fatigue you, I knock you up, with telling
you these troubles. I only do so because it seems to me right you should
know. But don't be worried--everything's for the best."

He patted the pale hand reassuringly, inclined himself affectionately,
but Mr. Carteret wa