es come down with his old gun? Good then
too--if it isn't, as he takes you by the way, to shoot YOU. You've got
it all shipshape and arranged, in other words, and have only, if the
fancy does move you, to clear out. You clear out--you make all sorts of
room. It IS interesting," Mitchy exclaimed, "arriving thus with you at
the depths! I look all round and see every one squared and every one but
one or two suited. Why then reflexion and delay?"

"You don't, dear Mr. Mitchy," Nanda took her time to return, "know
nearly as much as you think."

"But isn't my question absolutely a confession of ignorance and a
renunciation of thought? I put myself from this moment forth with you,"
Mitchy declared, "on the footing of knowing nothing whatever and of
receiving literally from your hands all information and all life. Let my
continued attitude of dependence, my dear Nanda, show it. Any hesitation
you may yet feel, you imply, proceeds from a sense of duties in London
not to be lightly renounced? Oh," he thoughtfully said, "I do at least
know you HAVE them."

She watched him with the same mildness while he vaguely circled about.
"You're wild, you're wild," she insisted. "But it doesn't in the least
matter. I shan't abandon you."

He stopped short. "Ah that's what I wanted from you in so many clear-cut
golden words--though I won't in the least of course pretend that I've
felt I literally need it. I don't literally need the big turquoise in
my neck-tie; which incidentally means, by the way, that if you should
admire it you're quite welcome to it. Such words--that's my point--are
like such jewels: the pride, you see, of one's heart. They're mere
vanity, but they help along. You've got of course always poor Tishy," he
continued.

"Will you leave it all to ME?" Nanda said as if she had not heard him.

"And then you've got poor Carrie," he went on, "though HER of course you
rather divide with your mother."

"Will you leave it all to ME?" the girl repeated.

"To say nothing of poor Cashmore," he pursued, "whom you take ALL, I
believe, yourself?"

"Will you leave it all to ME?" she once more repeated.

This time he pulled up, suddenly and expressively wondering. "Are you
going to do anything about it at present?--I mean with our friend?"

She appeared to have a scruple of saying, but at last she produced it.
"Yes--he doesn't mind now."

Mitchy again laughed out. "You ARE, as a family--!" But he had already
checked himself. "Mr