pgw.uneasymoney-第3部分

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　popular　man　like　you；　and　Mr　Breitstein　asked　you　personally　to　use　your　influenceyou　told　me　so。'
　'But；　my　dear　girlI　mean　my　darlingBreitstein！　He's　the　limit！　He's　the　worst　bounder　in　London。'
　'He's　also　one　of　the　richest　men　in　London。　He　would　have　done　anything　for　you。　And　you　let　him　go！　You　insulted　him！'
　'Insulted　him？'
　'Didn't　you　send　him　an　admission　ticket　to　the　Zoo？'
　'Oh；　well；　yes；　I　did　do　that。　He　thanked　me　and　went　the　following　Sunday。　Amazing　how　these　rich　Johnnies　love　getting　something　for　nothing。　There　was　that　old　American　I　met　down　at　Marvis　Bay　last　year'
　'You　threw　away　a　wonderful　chance　of　making　all　sorts　of　money。　Why；　a　single　tip　from　Mr　Breitstein　would　have　made　your　fortune。'
　'But；　Claire；　you　know；　there　are　some　thingswhat　I　mean　is；　if　they　like　me　at　Brown's；　it's　awfully　decent　of　them　and　all　that；　but　I　couldn't　take　advantage　of　it　to　plant　a　fellow　like　Breitstein　on　them。　It　wouldn't　be　playing　the　game。'
　'Oh；　nonsense！'
　Lord　Dawlish　looked　unhappy；　but　said　nothing。　This　matter　of　Mr　Breitstein　had　been　touched　upon　by　Claire　in　previous　conversations；　and　it　was　a　subject　for　which　he　had　little　liking。　Experience　had　taught　him　that　none　of　the　arguments　which　seemed　so　conclusive　to　himto　wit；　that　the　financier　had　on　two　occasions　only　just　escaped　imprisonment　for　fraud；　and；　what　was　worse；　made　a　noise　when　he　drank　soup；　like　water　running　out　of　a　bathtubhad　the　least　effect　upon　her。　The　only　thing　to　do　when　Mr　Breitstein　came　up　in　the　course　of　chitchat　over　the　festive　board　was　to　stay　quiet　until　he　blew　over。
　'That　old　American　you　met　at　Marvis　Bay；'　said　Claire；　her　memory　flitting　back　to　the　remark　which　she　had　interrupted；　'well；　there's　another　case。　You　could　easily　have　got　him　to　do　something　for　you。'
　'Claire；　really！'　said　his　goaded　lordship；　protestingly。　'How　on　earth？　I　only　met　the　man　on　the　links。'
　'But　you　were　very　nice　to　him。　You　told　me　yourself　that　you　spent　hours　helping　him　to　get　rid　of　his　slice；　whatever　that　is。'
　'We　happened　to　be　the　only　two　down　there　at　the　time；　so　I　was　as　civil　as　I　could　manage。　If　you're　marooned　at　a　Cornish　seaside　resort　out　of　the　season　with　a　man；　you　can't　spend　your　time　dodging　him。　And　this　man　had　a　slice　that　fascinated　me。　I　felt　at　the　time　that　it　was　my　mission　in　life　to　cure　him；　so　I　had　a　dash　at　it。　But　I　don't　see　how　on　the　strength　of　that　I　could　expert　the　old　boy　to　adopt　me。　He　probably　forgot　my　existence　after　I　had　left。'
　'You　said　you　met　him　in　London　a　month　or　two　afterwards；　and　he　hadn't　forgotten　you。'
　'Well；　yes；　that's　true。　He　was　walking　up　the　Haymarket　and　I　was　walking　down。　I　caught　his　eye；　and　he　nodded　and　passed　on。　I　don't　see　how　I　could　construe　that　into　an　invitation　to　go　and　sit　on　his　lap　and　help　myself　out　of　his　pockets。'
　'You　couldn't　expect　him　to　go　out　of　his　way　to　help　you；　but　probably　if　you　had　gone　to　him　he　would　have　done　something。'
　'You　haven't　the　pleasure　of　Mr　Ira　Nutbe's　acquaintance；　Claire；　or　you　wouldn't　talk　like　that。　He　wasn't　the　sort　of　man　you　could　get　things　out　of。　He　didn't　even　tip　the　caddie。　Besides；　can't　you　see　what　I　mean？　I　couldn't　trade　on　a　chance　acquaintance　of　the　golf　links　to'
　'That　is　just　what　I　plain　of　in　you。　You're　too　diffident。'
　'It　isn't　diffidence　exactly。　Talking　of　old　Nutbe；　I　was　speaking　to　Gates　again　the　other　night。　He　was　telling　me　about　America。　There's　a　lot　of　money　to　be　made　over　there；　you　know；　and　the　mittee　owes　me　a　holiday。　They　would　give　me　a　few　weeks　off　any　time　I　liked。
　'What　do　you　say？　Shall　I　pop　over　and　have　a　look　round？　I　might　happen　to　drop　into　something。　Gates　was　telling　me　about　fellows　he　knew　who　had　dropped　into　things　in　New　York。'
　'What's　the　good　of　putting　yourself　to　all　the　trouble　and　expense　of　going　to　America？　You　can　easily　make　all　you　want　in　London　if　you　will　only　try。　It　isn't　as　if　you　had　no　chances。　You　have　more　chances　than　almost　any　man　in　town。　With　your　title　you　could　get　all　the　directorships　in　the　City　that　you　wanted。'
　'Well；　the　fact　is；　this　business　of　taking　directorships　has　never　quite　appealed　to　me。　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　game；　and　I　should　probably　run　up　against　some　wildcat　pany。　I　can't　say　I　like　the　directorship　wheeze　much。　It's　the　idea　of　knowing　that　one's　name　would　be　being　used　as　a　bait。　Every　time　I　saw　it　on　a　prospectus　I　should　feel　like　a　trout　fly。'
　Claire　bit　her　lip。
　'It's　so　exasperating！'　she　broke　out。　'When　I　first　told　my　friends　that　I　was　engaged　to　Lord　Dawlish　they　were　tremendously　impressed。　They　took　it　for　granted　that　you　must　have　lots　of　money。　Now　I　have　to　keep　explaining　to　them　that　the　reason　we　don't　get　married　is　that　we　can't　afford　to。　I'm　almost　as　badly　off　as　poor　Polly　Davis　who　was　in　the　Heavenly　Waltz　pany　with　me　when　she　married　that　man；　Lord　Wetherby。　A　man　with　a　title　has　no　right　not　to　have　money。　It　makes　the　whole　thing　farcical。
　'If　I　were　in　your　place　I　should　have　tried　a　hundred　things　by　now；　but　you　always　have　some　silly　objection。　Why　couldn't　you；　for　instance；　have　taken　on　the　agency　of　that　what…d'you…call…it　car？'
　'What　I　called　it　would　have　been　nothing　to　what　the　poor　devils　who　bought　it　would　have　called　it。'
　'You　could　have　sold　hundreds　of　them；　and　the　pany　would　have　given　you　any　mission　you　asked。　You　know　just　the　sort　of　people　they　wanted　to　get　in　touch　with。'
　'But；　darling；　how　could　I？　Planting　Breitstein　on　the　club　would　have　been　nothing　pared　with　sowing　these　horrors　about　London。　I　couldn't　go　about　the　place　sticking　my　pals　with　a　car　which；　I　give　you　my　honest　word；　was　stuck　together　with　chewing…gum　and　tied　up　with　string。'
　'Why　not？　It　would　be　their　fault　if　they　bought　a　car　that　wasn't　any　good。　Why　should　you　have　to　worry　once　you　had　it　sold？'
　It　was　not　Lord　Dawlish's　lucky　afternoon。　All　through　lunch　he　had　been　saying　the　wrong　thing；　and　now　he　put　the　coping…stone　on　his　misdeeds。　Of　all　the　ways　in　which　he　could　have　answered　Claire's　question　he　chose　the　worst。
　'Erwell；'　he　said；　'_noblesse　oblige_；　don't　you　know；　what？'
　For　a　moment　Claire　did　not　speak。　Then　she　looked　at　her　watch　and　got　up。
　'I　must　be　going；'　she　said；　coldly。
　'But　you　haven't　had　your　coffee　yet。'
　'I　don't　want　any　coffee。'
　'What's　the　matter；　dear？'
　'Nothing　is　the　matter。　I　have　to　go　home　and　pack。　I'm　going　to　Southampton　this　afternoon。'
　She　began　to　move　towards　the　door。　Lord　Dawlish；　anxious　to　follow；　was　detained　by　the　fact　that　he　had　not　yet　paid　the　bill。　The　production　and　settling　of　this　took　time；　and　when　finally　he　turned　in　search　of　Claire　she　was　nowhere　visible。
　Bounding　upstairs　on　the　swift　feet　of　love；　he　reached　the　street。　She　had　gone。
　
　2
　A　grey　sadness　surged　over　Bill　Dawlish。　The　sun　hid　itself　behind　a　cloud；　the　sky　took　on　a　leaden　hue；　and　a　chill　wind　blew　through　the　world。　He　scanned　Shaftesbury　Avenue　with　a　jaundiced　eye；　and　thought　that　he　had　never　seen　a　beastlier　thoroughfare。　Piccadilly；　however；　into　which　he　shortly　dragged　himself；　was　even　worse。　It　was　full　of　men　and　women　and　other　depressing　things。
　He　pitied　himself　profoundly。　It　was　a　rotten　world　to　live　in；　this；　where　a　fellow　couldn't　say　_noblesse　oblige_　without　upsetting　the　universe。　Why　shouldn't　a　fellow　say　_noblesse　oblige？_　Why？　At　this　juncture　Lord　Dawlish　walked　into　a　lamp…post。
　The　shock　changed　his　mood。　Gloom　still　obsessed　him；　but　blended　now　with　remorse。　He　began　to　look　at　the　matter　from　Claire's　viewpoint；　and　his　pity　switched　from　himself　to　her。　In　the　first　place；　the　poor　girl　had　rather　a　rotten　time。　Could　she　be　blamed　for　wanting　him　to　make　money？　No。　Yet　whenever　she　made　suggestions　as　to　how　the　thing　was　to　be　done；　he　snubbed　her　by　saying　_noblesse　oblige_。　Naturally　a　refined　and　sensitive　young　girl　objected　to　having　things　like　_noblesse　oblige_　said　to　her。　Where　was　the　sense　in　saying　_noblesse　oblige？_　Such　a　confoundedly　silly　thing　to　say。　Only　a　perfect　ass　would　spend　his　time　rushing　about　the　place　saying　_