nder any strong debt
of gratitude to Sir Thomas, though he had been invited to lunch.
He was aware that the Tringles had despised him, and he repaid
the compliment with all his heart by despising the Tringles. They
were to him samples of the sort of people which he thought to be of
all the most despicable. They were not only vulgar and rich, but
purse-proud and conceited as well. To his thinking there was nothing
of which such people were entitled to be proud. Of course they
make money,--money out of money, an employment which he regarded
as vile,--creating nothing either useful or beautiful. To create
something useful was, to his thinking, very good. To create something
beautiful was almost divine. To manipulate millions till they should
breed other millions was the meanest occupation for a life's energy.
It was thus, I fear, that Mr. Hamel looked at the business carried on
in Lombard Street, being as yet very young in the world and seeing
many things with distorted eyes.

He was aware that some plan would be proposed to him which might
probably accelerate his marriage, but was aware also that he would be
very unwilling to take advice from Sir Thomas. Sir Thomas, no doubt,
would be coarse and rough, and might perhaps offer him pecuniary
assistance in a manner which would make it impossible for him to
accept it. He had told himself a score of times that, poor as he was,
he did not want any of the Tringle money. His father's arbitrary
conduct towards him had caused him great misery. He had been brought
up in luxury, and had felt it hard enough to be deprived of his
father's means because he would not abandon the mode of life that
was congenial to him. But having been thus, as it were, cast off
by his father, he had resolved that it behoved him to depend only
on himself. In the matter of his love he was specially prone to be
indignant and independent. No one had a right to dictate to him,
and he would follow the dictation of none. To Lucy alone did he
acknowledge any debt, and to her he owed everything. But even for
her sake he could not condescend to accept Sir Thomas's money, and
with his money his advice. Lucy had begged him in her letter to tell
everything to her uncle. He would tell Sir Thomas everything as to
his income, his prospects, and his intentions, because Sir Thomas as
Lucy's uncle would be entitled to such information. But he thought it
very improbable that he should accept any counsel from Sir Thomas.