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madness； Madame Pratolungo； and you have reached it。 Shall we have some
music？〃
She spoke a little sharply。 Mr。 Dubourg was the hero of her romance。 She
resentedseriously resentedany attempt on my part to lower him in her
estimation。
I persisted in my unfavorable opinion of him； nevertheless。 The question
between us （as I might have told her） was a question of believing； or not
believing； in the merchant of London。 To her mind； it was a sufficient
guarantee of his integrity that he was a rich man。 To my mind （speaking
as a good Socialist）； that very circumstance told dead against him。 A
capitalist is a robber of one sort； and a coiner is a robber of another
sort。 Whether the capitalist recommends the coiner； or the coiner the
capitalist； is all one to me。 In either case （to quote the language of an
excellent English play） the honest people are the soft easy cushions on
which these knaves repose and fatten。 It was on the tip of my tongue to
put this large and liberal view of the subject to Lucilla。 But （alas！） it
was easy to see that the poor child was infected by the narrow prejudices
of the class amid which she lived。 How could I find it in my heart to run
the risk of a disagreement between us on the first day？ Noit was not to
be done。 I gave the nice pretty blind girl a kiss。 And we went to the
piano together。 And I put off making a good Socialist of Lucilla till a
more convenient opportunity。
We might as well have left the piano unopened。 The music was a failure。
I played my best。 From Mozart to Beethoven。 From Beethoven to Schubert。
From Schubert to Chopin。 She listened with all the will in the world to
be pleased。 She thanked me again and again。 She tried； at my invitation；
to play herself； choosing the familiar compositions which she knew by
ear。 No！ The abominable Dubourg； having got the uppermost place in her
mind； kept it。 She tried； and tried； and triedand could do nothing。 His
voice was still in her earsthe only music which could possess itself of
her attention that night。 I took her place； and began to play again。 She
suddenly snatched my hands off the keys。 〃Is Zillah here？〃 she whispered。
I told her Zillah had left the room。 She laid her charming head on my
shoulder； and sighed hysterically。 〃I can't help thinking of him；〃 she
burst out。 〃I am miserable for the first time in my lifeno！ I am happy
for the first time in my life。 Oh； what must you think of me！ I don't
know what I am talking about。 Why did you encourage him to speak to us？ I
might never have heard his voice but for you。〃 She lifted her head again
with a little shiver； and composed herself。 One of her hands wandered
here and there over the keys of the piano； playing softly。 〃His charming
voice！〃 she whispered dreamily while she played。 〃Oh； his charming
voice！〃 She paused again。 Her hand dropped from the piano； and took mine。
〃Is this love？〃 she said； half to herself； half to me。
My duty as a respectable woman lay clearly before memy duty was to tell
her a lie。
〃It is nothing； my dear； but too much excitement and too much fatigue；〃 I
said。 〃To…morrow you shall be my young lady again。 To…night you must be
only my child。 Come； and let me put you to bed。〃
She yielded with a weary sigh。 Ah； how lovely she looked in her pretty
night…dress； on her knees at the bed…sidethe innocent； afflicted
creaturesaying her prayers！
I am； let me own； an equally headlong woman at loving and hating。 When I
had left her for the night； I could hardly have felt more tenderly
interested in her if she had been really a child of my own。 You have met
with people of my sortunless you are a very forbidding person
indeedwho have talked to you in the most confidential manner of all
their private affairs； on meeting you in a railway carriage； or sitting
next to you at a table…d'ho^te。 For myself； I believe I shall go on
running up sudden friendships with strangers to my dying day。 Infamous
Dubourg！ If I could have got into Browndown that night； I should have
liked to have done to him what a Mexican maid of mine （at the Central
American period of my career） did to her drunken husbandwho was a kind
of peddler； dealing in whips and sticks。 She sewed him strongly up one
night in the sheet； while he lay snoring off his liquor in bed； and then
she took his whole stock…in…trade out of the corner of the room； and
broke it on him； to the last article on sale； until he was beaten to a
jelly from head to foot。
Not having this resource open to me； I sat myself down in my bedroom； to
considerif the matter of Dubourg went any furtherwhat it was my
business to do next。
I have already mentioned that Lucilla and I had idled away the whole
afternoon； woman…like； in talking of ourselves。 You will best understand
what course my reflections took； if I here relate the chief particulars
which Lucilla communicated to me； concerning her own singular position in
her father's house。
CHAPTER THE SIXTH
A Cage of Finches
LARGE families areas my experience goesof two sorts。 We have the
families whose members all admire each other。 And we have the families
whose members all detest each other。 For myself； I prefer the second
sort。 Their quarrels are their own affair； and they have a merit which
the first sort are never known to possessthe merit of being sometimes
able to see the good qualities of persons who do not possess the
advantage of being related to them by blood。 The families whose members
all admire each other； are families saturated with insufferable conceit。
You happen to speak of Shakespeare； among these people； as a type of
supreme intellectual capacity。 A female member of the family will not
fail to convey to you that you would have illustrated your meaning far
more completely if you had referred her to 〃dear Papa。〃 You are out
walking with a male member of the household； and you say of a woman who
passes； 〃What a charming creature！〃 Your companion smiles at your
simplicity； and wonders whether you have ever seen his sister when she is
dressed for a ball。 These are the families who cannot be separated
without corresponding with each other every day。 They read you extracts
from their letters； and say； 〃Where is the writer by profession who can
equal this？〃 They talk of their private affairs； in your presenceand
appear to think that you ought to be interested too。 They enjoy their own
jokes across you at tableand wonder how it is that you are not amused。
In domestic circles of this sort the sisters sit habitually on the
brothers' knees； and the husbands inquire into the wives' ailments； in
public； as unconcernedly as if they were closeted in their own room。 When
we arrive at a more advanced stage of civilization； the State will supply
cages for these intolerable people； and notices will be posted at the
corners of streets； 〃Beware of Number Twelve： a family in a state of
mutual admiration is hung up there！〃
I gathered from Lucilla that the Finches were of the second order of
large families； as mentioned above。 Hardly one of the members of this
domestic group was on speaking terms with the other。 And some of them had
been separated for years； without once troubling Her Majesty