lady," Evelyn flashed; she bit her underlip. "Just
because I like splendid things you laugh at me. Why are there no men
like Garibaldi now?" she demanded.

"Look here," said Mr. Perrott, "you don't give me a chance. You think we
ought to begin things fresh. Good. But I don't see precisely--conquer a
territory? They're all conquered already, aren't they?"

"It's not any territory in particular," Evelyn explained. "It's the
idea, don't you see? We lead such tame lives. And I feel sure you've got
splendid things in you."

Hewet saw the scars and hollows in Mr. Perrott's sagacious face relax
pathetically. He could imagine the calculations which even then went on
within his mind, as to whether he would be justified in asking a woman
to marry him, considering that he made no more than five hundred a
year at the Bar, owned no private means, and had an invalid sister to
support. Mr. Perrott again knew that he was not "quite," as Susan stated
in her diary; not quite a gentleman she meant, for he was the son of a
grocer in Leeds, had started life with a basket on his back, and now,
though practically indistinguishable from a born gentleman, showed his
origin to keen eyes in an impeccable neatness of dress, lack of freedom
in manner, extreme cleanliness of person, and a certain indescribable
timidity and precision with his knife and fork which might be the relic
of days when meat was rare, and the way of handling it by no means
gingerly.

The two parties who were strolling about and losing their unity now
came together, and joined each other in a long stare over the yellow and
green patches of the heated landscape below. The hot air danced across
it, making it impossible to see the roofs of a village on the plain
distinctly. Even on the top of the mountain where a breeze played
lightly, it was very hot, and the heat, the food, the immense space, and
perhaps some less well-defined cause produced a comfortable drowsiness
and a sense of happy relaxation in them. They did not say much, but felt
no constraint in being silent.

"Suppose we go and see what's to be seen over there?" said Arthur to
Susan, and the pair walked off together, their departure certainly
sending some thrill of emotion through the rest.

"An odd lot, aren't they?" said Arthur. "I thought we should never
get 'em all to the top. But I'm glad we came, by Jove! I wouldn't have
missed this for something."

"I don't _like_ Mr. Hirst," said Susan inconsequently.