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se；〃 said Amanda。 〃Except dog…fights；〃 said the elder cousin。 〃I thought I would just wander and think and sleep in the open air。 Have you ever tried to sleep in the open air？〃 〃In the summer we all do；〃 said the younger cousin。 〃Amanda makes us。 We go out on to the little lawn at the back。〃 〃You see Amanda has some friends at Limpsfield。 And there they all go ouda from imminent danger 〃she's always so RECKLESS with those dogs；〃 as though Amanda was not manifestly capable of taking care of herself； and when he had been Listerined and bandaged； they would have it that he should join them at their supper…dinner； which was already prepared and waiting。 They treated him as if he were still an undergraduate； they took his arrangements in hand as though he was a favourite nephew。 He must stay in Harting that night。 Both the Ship and the Coach and Horses were excellent inns； and over the Downs there would be nothing for miles and miles。 。 。 。 The house was a little long house with a verandah and a garden in front of it with flint…edged paths； the room in which they sat and ate was long and low and equipped with pieces of misfitting good furniture； an accidental…looking gilt tarnished mirror； and a sprinkling of old and middle…aged books。 Some one had lit a fire； which cracked and spurted about cheerfully in a motherly fireplace； and a lamp and some candles got lit。 Mrs。 Wilder； Amanda's aunt； a comfortable dark broad…browed woman； directed things； and sat at the end of the table and placed Benham on her right hand between herself and Amanda。 Amanda's mother remained undeveloped； a watchful little woman with at least an eyebrow like her daughter's。 Her name； it seemed； was Morris。 No servant appeared； but two cousins of a vague dark picturesqueness and with a stamp of thirty upon them； the first young women Benham had ever seen dressed in djibbahs； sat at the table or moved about and attended to the simple needs of the service。 The reconciled dogs were in the room and shifted inquiring noses from one human being to another。 Amanda's people were so easy and intelligent and friendly； and Benham after his thirty hours of silence so freshly ready for human association； that in a very little while he could have imagined he had known and trusted this household for years。 He had never met such people before； and yet there was something about them that seemed familiarand then it occurred to him that something of their easy…going freedom was to be found in Russian novels。 A photographic enlargement of somebody with a vegetarian expression of face and a special kind of slouch hat gave the atmosphere a flavour of Socialism； and a press and tools and stamps and pigments on an oak table in the corner suggested some suct and camp and sleep in the woods。〃 〃Of course；〃 reflected Mrs。 Wilder； 〃in April it must be different。〃 〃It IS different；〃 said Benham with feeling； 〃the night comes five hours too soon。 And it comes wet。〃 He described his experiences and his flight to Shere and the kindly landlord and the cup of coffee。 〃And after that I thought with a vengeance。〃 〃Do you write things？〃 asked Amanda abruptly； and it seemed to him with a note of hope。 〃No。 No； it was just a private puzzle。 It was something I couldn't get straight。〃 〃And you have got it straight？〃 asked Amanda。 〃I think so。〃 〃You were making up your mind about something？〃 〃Amanda DEAR！〃 cried her mother。 〃Oh！ I don't mind telling you；〃 said Benham。 They seemed such unusual people that he was moved to unusual confidences。 They had that effect one gets at times with strangers freshly met as though they were not really in the world。 And there was something about Amanda that made him want to explain himself to her completely。 〃What I wanted to think about was what I should do with my life。〃 〃Haven't you any WORK？〃 asked the elder cousin。 〃None that I'm obliged to do。〃 〃That's where a man has the advantage；〃 said Amanda with the tone of profound reflection。 〃You can choose。 And what are you going to do with your life？〃 〃Amanda；〃 her mother protested； 〃really you mustn't！〃 〃I'm going round the world to think about it；〃 Benham told her。 〃I'd give my soul to travel；〃 said Amanda。 She addressed her remark to the salad in front of her。 〃But have you no ties？〃 asked Mrs。 Wilder。 〃None that hold me；〃 said Benham。 〃I'm one of those unfortunates who needn't do anything at all。 I'm independent。 You see my riddles。 East and west and north and south； it's all my way for the taking。 There's not an indication。〃 〃If I were you；〃 said Amanda； and reflected。 Then she half turned herself to him。 〃I should go first to India；〃 she said； 〃and I should shoot； one； two； three； yes； three tigers。 And then I would see Farukhabad SikriI was reading in a book about it yesterday where the jungle grows in the palaces； and then I would go right up the Himalayas； and then； then I would have a walking tour in Japan； and then I would sail in a sailing ship down to Borneo and Java and set myself up as a Ranee 。 。 。 And then I would think what I would do next。〃 〃All alone； Amanda？〃 asked Mrs。 Wilder。 〃Only when I shoot tigers。 You and mother should certainly come to Japan。〃 〃But Mr。 Benham perhaps doesn't intend to shoot tigers； Amanda？〃 said Amanda's mother。 〃Not at once。 My way will be a little different。 I think I shall go first through Germany。 And then down to Constantinople。 And then I've some idea of getting across Asia Minor and Persia to India。 That would take some time。 One must ride。〃 〃Asia Minor ought to be fun；〃 said Amanda。 〃But I should prefer India because of the tigers。 It would be so jolly to begin with the tigers right away。〃 〃It is the towns and governments and peoples I want to see rather than tigers；〃 said Benham。 〃Tigers if they are in the programme。 But I want to find out aboutother things。〃 〃Don't you think there's something to be found out at home？〃 said the elder cousin； blushing very brightly and speaking with the effort of one who speaks for conscience' sake。 〃Betty's a Socialist；〃 Amanda said to Benham with a suspicion of apology。 〃Well； we're all rather that；〃 Mrs。 Wilder protested。 〃If you are free； if you are independent； then don't you owe something to the workers？〃 Betty went on； getting graver and redder with each word。 〃It's just because of that；〃 said Benham； 〃that I am going round the world。〃
3
He was as free with these odd people as if he had been talking to Prothero。 They werealert。 And he had been alone and silent and full of thinking for two clear days。 He tried to explain why he found Socialism at once obvious and inadequate。 。 。 。 Presently the supper things got themselves put away and the talk moved into a smaller room with several armchairs and a fire。 Mrs。 Wilder and the cousins and Amanda each smoked a cigarette as if it were symbolical； and they were joined by a grave grey…bearded man with a hyphenated name and slightly Socratic manner； dressed in a very blue linen shirt and collar； a very woolly mustard…coloured suit and loose tie； and manifestly devoted to one of those branches of exemplary domestic decoration that grow upon Socialist soil in England。 He joined Betty in the opinion that the duty of a free and wealthy young man was to remain in England and give himself to democratic Socialism and the abolition of 〃profiteering。〃 〃Consider that chair；〃 he said。 But Benham had little feeling for the craftsmanship of chairs。 Under cross…examination Mr。 Rathbone…Sanders became entangled and prophetic。 It was evident he had never thought out his 〃democratic；〃 he had rested in some vague tangle of idealism from which Benham now set himself with the zeal of a specialist to rout him。 Such an argument sprang up as one meets with rarely beyond the happy undergraduate's range。 Everybody lived in the discussion； even Amanda's mother listened visibly。 Betty said she herself was certainly democratic and Mrs。 Wilder had always thought herself to be so； and outside the circle round the fire Amanda hovered impatiently； not quite sure of her side as yet； but eager to come down with emphasis at the first flash of intimation。 She came down vehemently on Benham's。 And being a very clear…cutting personality with an instinct for the material rendering of things； she also came and sat beside him on by the lamp and read the REPUBLIC very intently and very thoughtfully； occasionally turning over a page。
5
When Benham got back to London he experienced an unwonted desire to perform his social obligations to the utmost。 So soon as he had had some dinner at his club he wrote his South Harting friends a most agreeable letter of thanks for their kindness to him。 In a little while he hoped he should see them again。 His mother； too； was most desirous to meet them。 。 。 。 That done； he went on to his flat and to various aspects of life for which he was quite unprepared。 But here we may note that Amanda answered him。 Her reply came some four days later。 It was written in a square schoolgirl hand； it covered three sheets of notepaper； and it was a very intelligent essay upon the REPUBLIC of Plato。 〃Of course；〃 she wrote； 〃the Guardians are inhumanthe little square…cornered sofa。 〃Of course； Mr。 Rathbone…Sanders；〃 she said； 〃of course the world must be