, and all charges would be gladly defrayed by
her. She wanted him to be a dandy, _repandu_ in society, a member of
the Coaching Club, well known at Prince's, at Hurlingham, at Lord's;
sought after by dowagers; intimate with royalties; she would not have
seriously resented a reputation for a little wickedness, provided he
erred in the right direction--with people of the blue blood, that is
to say--and the scandal did not go too far.

Unhappily, Harold's tastes and inclinations lay all in the opposite
direction. In external appearance he favoured his mother, in
disposition he was his father's son. Like him reserved--he would have
been shy but for his training at school and college, which had rubbed
the sensitive skin off his self-consciousness; like him studious too,
thoughtful, quiet, with scientific tastes and proclivities. His
friends in familiar talk called him "Old Steady"; he had never got
into debt or serious trouble. Even in the midst of the whirling maze
of London life he continued steadfastly sober and sedate.

Here at once was to be found the germ of discord between mother and
son, the first gap or chink in their friendly relations, which might
widen some day into a yawning breach. But yet Mrs. Purling could find
no fault with her son. She might resent the staid sober-mindedness of
his conduct; but she was perforce compelled to confess that he was a
dear good son, affectionate, devoted, considerate; and there was much
solid comfort in the thought that the good name of the Purlings, as
well as their substantial wealth, could be safely intrusted to his
hands. This she readily allowed; and, had he continued obedient and
tractable until he was grey-haired, Mrs. Purling might have gone down
into her grave without a shadow of excuse for quarreling with her
son.

It was when he was past five-and-twenty that there arose between them
misunderstanding, at first only a small cloud no bigger than a man's
hand. Harold suddenly declared that he was sick of gallivanting about
the fashionable world; sick of idleness--sick of the silly purposeless
existence he led; and thereupon announced his intention of studying
medicine seriously and as a profession. Mrs. Purling was at first
aghast, then argumentative, finally indignant. But Harold remained
inflexible, and she grew more and more wrathful. It led at length to
something like a rupture between them. She received the news of his
success in the schools with grim contempt, con