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Notting Hill Gate； and been the father of a long string of pale；
clever useless children； who would have had birthdays and the sort
of illnesses that one is expected to send grapes to； and who would
have painted fatuous objects in a South Kensington manner as
Christmas offerings to an aunt whose cubic space for lumber was
limited。 Instead of committing these unbrotherly actions； which
are so frequent in family life that they might almost be called
brotherly； Henry had married a woman who had both money and a sense
of repose； and their one child had the brilliant virtue of never
saying anything which even its parents could consider worth
repeating。 Then he had gone into Parliament； possibly with the
idea of making his home life seem less dull； at any rate it
redeemed his career from insignificance； for no man whose death can
produce the item 〃another by…election〃 on the news posters can be
wholly a nonentity。 Henry； in short； who might have been an
embarrassment and a handicap； had chosen rather to be a friend and
counsellor； at times even an emergency bank balance； Francesca on
her part； with the partiality which a clever and lazily…inclined
woman often feels for a reliable fool； not only sought his counsel
but frequently followed it。 When convenient； moreover； she repaid
his loans。
Against this good service on the part of Fate in providing her with
Henry for a brother； Francesca could well set the plaguy malice of
the destiny that had given her Comus for a son。 The boy was one of
those untameable young lords of misrule that frolic and chafe
themselves through nursery and preparatory and public…school days
with the utmost allowance of storm and dust and dislocation and the
least possible amount of collar…work； and come somehow with a laugh
through a series of catastrophes that has reduced everyone else
concerned to tears or Cassandra…like forebodings。 Sometimes they
sober down in after…life and become uninteresting； forgetting that
they were ever lords of anything； sometimes Fate plays royally into
their hands； and they do great things in a spacious manner； and are
thanked by Parliaments and the Press and acclaimed by gala…day
crowds。 But in most cases their tragedy begins when they leave
school and turn themselves loose in a world that has grown too
civilised and too crowded and too empty to have any place for them。
And they are very many。
Henry Greech had made an end of biting small sandwiches； and
settled down like a dust…storm refreshed； to discuss one of the
fashionably prevalent topics of the moment； the prevention of
destitution。
〃It is a question that is only being nibbled at； smelt at； one
might say； at the present moment；〃 he observed； 〃but it is one that
will have to engage our serious attention and consideration before
long。 The first thing that we shall have to do is to get out of
the dilettante and academic way of approaching it。 We must collect
and assimilate hard facts。 It is a subject that ought to appeal to
all thinking minds； and yet； you know； I find it surprisingly
difficult to interest people in it。〃
Francesca made some monosyllabic response； a sort of sympathetic
grunt which was meant to indicate that she was； to a certain
extent； listening and appreciating。 In reality she was reflecting
that Henry possibly found it difficult to interest people in any
topic that he enlarged on。 His talents lay so thoroughly in the
direction of being uninteresting； that even as an eye…witness of
the massacre of St。 Bartholomew he would probably have infused a
flavour of boredom into his descriptions of the event。
〃I was speaking down in Leicestershire the other day on this
subject；〃 continued Henry； 〃and I pointed out at some length a
thing that few people ever stop to consider … 〃
Francesca went over immediately but decorously to the majority that
will not stop to consider。
〃Did you come across any of the Barnets when you were down there？〃
she interrupted； 〃Eliza Barnet is rather taken up with all those
subjects。〃
In the propagandist movements of Sociology； as in other arenas of
life and struggle； the fiercest competition and rivalry is
frequently to be found between closely allied types and species。
Eliza Barnet shared many of Henry Greech's political and social
views； but she also shared his fondness for pointing things out at
some length； there had been occasions when she had extensively
occupied the strictly limited span allotted to the platform oratory
of a group of speakers of whom Henry Greech had been an impatient
unit。 He might see eye to eye with her on the leading questions of
the day； but he persistently wore mental blinkers as far as her
estimable qualities were concerned； and the mention of her name was
a skilful lure drawn across the trail of his discourse； if
Francesca had to listen to his eloquence on any subject she much
preferred that it should be a disparagement of Eliza Barnet rather
than the prevention of destitution。
〃I've no doubt she means well；〃 said Henry； 〃but it would be a good
thing if she could be induced to keep her own personality a little
more in the background； and not to imagine that she is the
necessary mouthpiece of all the progressive thought in the
countryside。 I fancy Canon Besomley must have had her in his mind
when he said that some people came into the world to shake empires
and others to move amendments。〃
Francesca laughed with genuine amusement。
〃I suppose she is really wonderfully well up in all the subjects
she talks about；〃 was her provocative comment。
Henry grew possibly conscious of the fact that he was being drawn
out on the subject of Eliza Barnet； and he presently turned on to a
more personal topic。
〃From the general air of tranquillity about the house I presume
Comus has gone back to Thaleby；〃 he observed。
〃Yes；〃 said Francesca； 〃he went back yesterday。 Of course； I'm
very fond of him； but I bear the separation well。 When he's here
it's rather like having a live volcano in the house； a volcano that
in its quietest moments asks incessant questions and uses strong
scent。〃
〃It is only a temporary respite；〃 said Henry； 〃in a year or two he
will be leaving school； and then what？〃
Francesca closed her eyes with the air of one who seeks to shut out
a distressing vision。 She was not fond of looking intimately at
the future in the presence of another person； especially when the
future was draped in doubtfully auspicious colours。
〃And then what？〃 persisted Henry。
〃Then I suppose he will be upon my hands。〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃Don't sit there looking judicial。 I'm quite ready to listen to
suggestions if you've any to make。〃
〃In the case of any ordinary boy；〃 said Henry； 〃I might make lots
of suggestions as to the finding of suitable employment。 From what
we know of Comus it would be rather a waste of time for either of
us to look for jobs which he wouldn't look at when we'd got them
for him。〃
〃He must do something；〃 said Francesca。
〃I know he must； but he never will。 At least； he'll never stick to
anything。 The most hopeful thing to do with him will be to marry
him to an heiress。 That would solve the financial side of his
problem。 If he had unlimited money at his disposal； he might go
into the wilds somewhere and shoot big game。 I never know what the
big game have done to deserve it； but they do help to deflect the
destructive energies of some of our social misfits。〃
Henry； who never killed anything larger or fiercer than a trout；
was scornfully superior on the subject of big game shooting。
Francesca brightened at the matrimonial suggestion。 〃I don't know
about an heiress；〃 she said reflectively。 〃There's Emmeline
Chetrof of course。 One could hardly call her an heiress； but she's
got a comfortable little income of her own and I suppose something
more will come to her from her grandmother。 Then； of course； you
know this house goes to her when she marries。〃
〃That would be very convenient；〃 said Henry； probably following a
line of thought that his sister had trodden many hundreds of times
before him。 〃Do she and Comus hit it off at all well together？〃
〃Oh； well enough in boy and girl fashion；〃 said Francesca。 〃I must
arrange for them to see more of each other in future。 By the way；
that little brother of hers that she dotes on； Lancelot； goes to
Thaleby this term。 I'll write and tell Comus to be specially kind
to him； that will be a sure way to Emmeline's heart。 Comus has
been made a prefect； you know。 Heaven knows why。〃
〃It can only be for prominence in games；〃 sniffed Henry； 〃I think
we may safely leave work and conduct out of the question。〃
Comus was not a favourite with his uncle。
Francesca had turned t