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Shelton replied that his mother was all right。
〃Tell her that I'm going to sell her Easterns after all； and put into
this Brass thing。 You can say it's safe； from me。〃
Shelton made a face。
〃Mother；〃 said he； 〃always believes things are safe。〃
His uncle looked through him with his keen； half…suffering glance；
and up went the corners of his mouth。
〃She's splendid；〃 he said。
〃Yes；〃 said Shelton； 〃splendid。〃
The transaction； however； did not interest him； his uncle's judgment
in such matters had a breezy soundness he would never dream of
questioning。
〃Well； about your settlement〃； and； touching a bell three times； Mr。
Paramor walked up and down the room。 〃Bring me the draft of Mr。
Richard's marriage settlement。〃
The stalwart commissionaire reappearing with a document〃Now then；
Dick；〃 said Mr。 Paramor。 〃She 's not bringing anything into
settlement； I understand； how 's that？〃
〃I did n't want it；〃 replied Shelton； unaccountably ashamed。
Mr。 Paramor's lips quivered； he drew the draft closer； took up a blue
pencil； and； squeezing Shelton's arm； began to read。 The latter；
following his uncle's rapid exposition of the clauses； was relieved
when he paused suddenly。
〃If you die and she marries again；〃 said Mr。 Paramor； 〃she forfeits
her life interestsee？〃
〃Oh！〃 said Shelton； 〃wait a minute； Uncle Ted。〃
Mr。 Paramor waited； biting his pencil； a smile flickered on his
mouth； and was decorously subdued。 It was Shelton's turn to walk
about。
〃If she marries again；〃 he repeated to himself。
Mr。 Paramor was a keen fisherman； he watched his nephew as he might
have watched a fish he had just landed。
〃It's very usual；〃 he remarked。
Shelton took another turn。
〃She forfeits；〃 thought he； 〃exactly。〃
When he was dead； he would have no other way of seeing that she
continued to belong to him。 Exactly！
Mr。 Paramor's haunting eyes were fastened on his nephew's face。
〃Well； my dear；〃 they seemed to say； 〃what 's the matter？〃
Exactly！ Why should she have his money if she married again？ She
would forfeit it。 There was comfort in the thought。 Shelton came
back and carefully reread the clause； to put the thing on a purely
business basis； and disguise the real significance of what was
passing in his mind。
〃If I die and she marries again；〃 he repeated aloud； 〃she forfeits。〃
What wiser provision for a man passionately in love could possibly
have been devised？ His uncle's eye travelled beyond him； humanely
turning from the last despairing wriggles of his fish。
〃I don't want to tie her；〃 said Shelton suddenly。
The corners of Mr。 Paramour's mouth flew up。
〃You want the forfeiture out？〃 he asked。
The blood rushed into Shelton's face； he felt he had been detected in
a piece of sentiment。
〃Ye…es；〃 he stammered。
〃Sure？〃
〃Quite！〃 The answer was a little sulky。
Her uncle's pencil descended on the clause； and he resumed the
reading of the draft； but Shelton could not follow it； he was too
much occupied in considering exactly why Mr。 Paramor had been amused；
and to do this he was obliged to keep his eyes upon him。 Those
features； just pleasantly rugged； the springy poise of the figure；
the hair neither straight nor curly； neither short nor long； the
haunting look of his eyes and the humorous look of his mouth； his
clothes neither shabby nor dandified； his serviceable； fine hands；
above all； the equability of the hovering blue pencil； conveyed the
impression of a perfect balance between heart and head； sensibility
and reason； theory and its opposite。
〃'During coverture；'〃 quoted Mr。 Paramor； pausing again； 〃you
understand； of course； if you don't get on； and separate； she goes on
taking？〃
If they didn't get on！ Shelton smiled。 Mr。 Paramor did not smile；
and again Shelton had the sense of having knocked up against
something poised but firm。 He remarked irritably：
〃If we 're not living together； all the more reason for her having
it。〃
This time his uncle smiled。 It was difficult for Shelton to feel
angry at that ironic merriment； with its sudden ending； it was too
impersonal to irritate： it was too concerned with human nature。
〃Ifhumit came to the other thing；〃 said Mr。 Paramor； 〃the
settlement's at an end as far as she 's concerned。 We 're bound to
look at every case； you know； old boy。〃
The memory of the play and his conversation with Halidome was still
strong in Shelton。 He was not one of those who could not face the
notion of transferred affectionsat a safe distance。
〃All right； Uncle Ted；〃 said he。 For one mad moment he was attacked
by the desire to 〃throw in〃 the case of divorce。 Would it not be
common chivalry to make her independent； able to change her
affections if she wished； unhampered by monetary troubles？ You only
needed to take out the words 〃during coverture。〃
Almost anxiously he looked into his uncle's face。 There was no
meanness there； but neither was there encouragement in that
comprehensive brow with its wide sweep of hair。 〃Quixotism；〃 it
seemed to say； 〃has merits； but〃 The room； too； with its wide
horizon and tall windows； looking as if it dealt habitually in
common…sense； discouraged him。 Innumerable men of breeding and the
soundest principles must have bought their wives in here。 It was
perfumed with the atmosphere of wisdom and law…calf。 The aroma of
Precedent was strong； Shelton swerved his lance； and once more
settled down to complete the purchase of his wife。
〃I can't conceive what you'rein such a hurry for； you 're not going
to be married till the autumn；〃 said Mr。 Paramor； finishing at last。
Replacing the blue pencil in the rack； he took the red rose from the
glass； and sniffed at it。 〃Will you come with me as far as Pall
Mall？ I 'm going to take an afternoon off； too cold for Lord's； I
suppose？〃
They walked into the Strand。
〃Have you seen this new play of Borogrove's？〃 asked Shelton； as they
passed the theatre to which he had been with Halidome。
〃I never go to modern plays；〃 replied Mr。 Paramor； 〃 too d…d
gloomy。〃
Shelton glanced at him； he wore his hat rather far back on his head；
his eyes haunted the street in front； he had shouldered his umbrella。
〃Psychology 's not in your line； Uncle Ted？〃
〃Is that what they call putting into words things that can't be put
in words？〃
〃The French succeed in doing it；〃 replied Shelton； and the Russians；
why should n't we？〃
Mr。 Paramor stopped to look in at a fishmonger's。
〃What's right for the French and Russians； Dick；〃 he said 〃is wrong
for us。 When we begin to be real； we only really begin to be false。
I should like to have had the catching of that fellow； let's send him
to your mother。〃 He went in and bought a salmon：
〃Now； my dear；〃 he continued； as they went on； 〃do you tell me that
it's decent for men and women on the stage to writhe about like eels？
Is n't life bad enough already？〃
It suddenly struck Shelton that； for all his smile； his uncle's face
had a look of crucifixion。 It was； perhaps； only the stronger
sunlight in the open spaces of Trafalgar Square。
〃I don't know；〃 he said； 〃I think I prefer the truth。〃
〃Bad endings and the rest；〃 said Mr。 Paramor； pausing under one of
Nelson's lions and taking Shelton by a button。 〃Truth 's the very
devil！〃
He stood there； very straight； his eyes haunting his nephew's face；
there seemed to Shelton a touching muddle in his optimisma muddle
of tenderness and of intolerance； of truth and second…handedness。
Like the lion above him； he seemed to be defying Life to make him
look at her。
〃No； my dear；〃 he said； handing sixpence to a sweeper； 〃feelings are
snakes！ only fit to be kept in bottles with tight corks。 You won't
come to my club？ Well； good…bye； old boy； my love to your mother
when you see her〃； and turning up the Square； he left Shelton to go
on to his own club； feeling that he had parted； not from his uncle；
but from the nation of which they were both members by birth and
blood and education。
CHAPTER VII
THE CLUB
He went into the library of his club； and took up Burke's Peerage。
The words his uncle had said to him on hearing his engagement had
been these： 〃Dennant！ Are those the Holm Oaks Dennants ？ She was a
Penguin。〃
No one who knew Mr。 Paramor connected him with snobbery； but there
had been an 〃Ah！ that 's right； this is due to us〃 tone about the
saying。
Shelton hunted for the name of Baltimore： 〃Charles Penguin； fifth
Baron Baltimore。 Issue： Alice； b。 184…； m。 186… Algernon Dennant；
Esq。； of Holm Oaks； Cross Eaton； Oxfordshire。〃 He put down the
Peerage and took up the 'Landed Gentry'： 〃Dennant； Algernon Cuffe；
eldest son of the late Algernon Cuffe Dennant； Esq。； J。 P。； and
Irene； 2nd daur。 of the