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　were　of　course　the　Catholics　themselves；　but　these　came　seldom　into　the　little　world　Julia　had　made　for　herself；　those　who　did　were　her　mother's　kinsmen；　who；　to　her；　seemed　grim　and　eccentric。　Of　the　dozen　or　so　rich　and　noble　Catholic　families；　none　at　that　time　had　an　heir　of　the　right　age。　Foreigners　…　there　were　many　among　her　mother's　family　…　were　tricky　about　money；　odd　in　their　ways；　and　a　sure　mark　of　failure　in　the　English　girl　who　wed　them。　What　was　there　left？
　　　　This　was　Julia's　problem　after　her　weeks　of　triumph　in　London。　She　knew　it　was　not　insurmountable。　There　must；　she　thought；　be　a　number　of　people　outside　her　own　world　who　were　well　qualified　to　be　drawn　into　it；　the　shame　was　that　she　must　seek　them。　Not　for　her　the　cruel；　delicate　luxury　of　choice；　the　indolent；　cat…and…mouse　pastimes　of　the　hearth…rug。　No　Penelope　she；　she　must　hunt　in　the　forest。
　　　　She　had　made　a　preposterous　little　picture　of　the　kind　of　man　who　would　do：　he　was　an　English　diplomat　of　great　but　not　very　virile　beauty；　now　abroad；　with　a　house　smaller　than　Brideshead；　nearer　to　London；　he　was　old；　thirty…two　or　…three；　and　had　been　recently　and　tragically　widowed；　Julia　thought　she　would　prefer　a　man　a　little　subdued　by　earlier　grief。　He　had　a　great　career　before　him　but　had　grown　listless　in　his　loneliness；　she　was　not　sure　he　was　not　in　danger　of　falling　into　the　hands　of　an　unscrupulous　foreign　adventuress；　he　needed　a　new　infusion　of　young　life　to　carry　him　to　the　Embassy　at　Paris。　While　professing　a　mild　agnosticism　himself　he　had　a　liking　for　the　shows　of　religion　and　was　perfectly　agreeable　to　having　his　children　brought　up　Catholic；　he　believed；　however　in　the　prudent　restriction　of　his　family　to　two　boys　and　a　girl；　fortably；　spaced　over　twelve　years；　and　did　not　demand；　as　a　Catholic　husband　might；　yearly　pregnancies。　He　had　twelve　thousand　a　year　above　his　pay；　and　no　near　relations。　Someone　like　that　would　do；　Julia　thought；　and　she　was　in　search　of　him　when　she　met　me　at　the　railway　station。　I　was　not　her　man。　She　told　me　as　much；　without　a　word；　when　she　took　the　cigarette　from　my　lips。
　　　　All　this　I　learned　about　Julia；　bit　by　bit；　as　one　does　learn　the　former　…　as　it　seems　at　the　time；　the　preparatory　…　life　of　a　woman　one　loves；　so　that　one　thinks　of　oneself　as　having　been　part　of　it；　directing　it　by　devious　ways；　towards　oneself。

　　　　Julia　left　Sebastian　and　me　at　Brideshead　and　went　to　stay　with　an　aunt；　Lady　Rossmon；　in　her　villa　at　Cap　Ferrat。　All　the　way　she　pondered　her　problem。　She　had　given　a　name　to　her　widower…diplomat；　she　called　him　〃Eustace〃；　and　from　that　moment　he　became　a　figure　of　fun　to　her；　a　little　interior；　inmunicable　joke；　so　that　when　at　last　such　a　man　did　cross　her　path　…　though　he　was　not　a　diplomat　but　a　wistful　major　in　the　Life　Guards　…　and　fall　in　love　with　her　and　offer　her　just　those　gifts　she　had　chosen；　she　sent　him　away　moodier　and　more　wistful　than　ever；　for　by　that　time　she　had　met　Rex　Mottram。
　　　　Rex's　age　was　greatly　in　his　favour；　for　among　Julia's　friends　there　was　a　kind　of　gerontophilic　snobbery；　young　men　were　held　to　be　gauche　and　pimply；　it　was　thought　very　much　more　chic　to　be　seen　lunching　alone　at　the　Ritz　…　a　thing；　in　any　case；　allowed　to　few　girls　of　that　day；　to　the　tiny　circle　of　Julia's　intimates；　a　thing　looked　at　askance　by　the　elders　who　kept　the　score；　chatting　pleasantly　against　the　walls　of　the　ballrooms　…　at　the　table　on　the　left　as　you　came　in；　with　a　starched　and　wrinkled　old　rou？whom　your　mother　had　be　warned　of　as　a　girl；　than　than　in　the　centre　of　the　room　with　a　party　of　exuberant　young　bloods。　Rex；　indeed；　was　neither　starched　nor　wrinkled；　his　seniors　thought　him　a　pushful　young　cad；　but　Julia　recognized　the　unmistakable　chic　…　the　flavour　of　'Max'　and　'F。　E。'　and　the　Prince　of　Wales；　of　the　big　table　in　the　Sporting　Club；　the　second　magnum；　and　the　fourth　cigar；　of　the　chauffeur　kept　waiting　hour　after　hour　without　punction　…　which　her　friends　would　envy。　His　social　position　was　unique；　it　had　an　air　of　mystery；　even　of　crime；　about　it；　people　said　Rex　went　about　armed。　Julia　and　her　friends　had　a　fascinated　abhorrence　of　what　they　called　'Pont　Street'；　they　collected　phrases　that　damned　their　user；　and　among　themselves　…　and　often；　disconcertingly；　in　public　…　talked　a　language　made　up　of　them。　It　was　'Pont　Street'　to　wear　a　signet　ring　and　to　give　chocolates　at　the　theatre；　it　was　'Pont　Street'　at　a　dance　to　say；　'Can　I　forage　for　you？'　Whatever　Rex　might　be；　he　was　definitely　not　'Pont　Street'。　He　had　stepped　straight　from　the　underworld　into　the　world　of　Brenda　Champion　who　was　herself　the　innermost　of　a　number　of　concentric　ivory　spheres。　Perhaps　Julia　recognized　in　Brenda　Champion　an　intimation　of　what　she　and　her　friends　might　be　in　twelve　years'　time；　there　was　an　antagonism　between　the　girl　and　the　woman　that　was　hard　to　explain　otherwise。　Certainly　the　fact　of　his　being　Brenda　Champion's　property　sharpened　Julia's　appetite　for　Rex。
　　　　Rex　and　Brenda　Champion　were　staying　at　the　next　villa　on　Cap　Ferrat；　taken　that　year　by　a　newspaper　magnate；　and　frequented　by　politicians。　They　would　not　normally　have　e　within　　Lady　Rossmon's　ambit；　but；　living　so　close；　the　parties　mingled　and　at　once；　Rex　began　warily　to　pay　his　court。
　　　　All　that　summer　he　had　been　feeling　restless。　Mrs　Champion　had　proved　a　dead　end；　it　had　all　been　intensely　exciting　at　first；　but　now　the　bonds　had　begun　to　chafe。　Mrs　Champion　lived　as；　he　found；　the　English　seemed　apt　to　do；　in　a　little　world　within　a　little　world；　Rex　demanded　a　wider　horizon。　He　wanted　to　consolidate　his　gains；　to　strike　the　black　ensign；　go　ashore；　hang　the　cutlass　up　over　the　chimney；　and　think　about　the　crops。　It　was　time　he　married；　he；　too；　was　in　search　of　a　'Eustace'；　but；　living　as　he　did；　he　met　few　girls。　He　knew　of　Julia；　she　was　by　all　accounts　top　debutante；　a　suitable　prize。
　　　　With　Mrs　Champion's　cold　eyes　watching　behind　her　sunglasses；　there　was　little　Rex　could　do　at　Cap　Ferrat　except　establish　a　friendliness　which　could　be　widened　later。　He　was　never　entirely　alone　with　Julia；　but　he　saw　to　it　that　she　was　included　in　most　things　they　did；　he　taught　her　chemin…de…fer；　he　arranged　that　it　was　always　in　his　car　that　they　drove　to　Monte　Carlo　or　Nice；　he　did　enough　to　make　Lady　Rossmon。　write　to　Lady　Marchmain；　and　Mrs　Champion　move　him；　sooner　than　they　had　planned；　to　Antibes。
　　　　Julia　went　to　Salzburg　to　join　her　mother。
　　　　'Aunt　Fanny　tells　me　you　made　great　friends　with　Mr　Mottram。　I'm　sure　he　can't　be　very　nice。'
　　　　'I　don't　think　he　is；'　said　Julia。　'I　don't　know　that　I　like　nice　people。'
　　　　There　is　proverbially　a　mystery　among　most　men　of　new　wealth；　how　they　made　their　first　ten　thousand；　it　is　the　qualities　they　showed　then；　before　they　became　bullies；　when　every　man　was　someone　to　be　placated；　when　only　hope　sustained　them　and　they　could　count　on　nothing　from　the　world　but　what　could　be　charmed　from　it；　that　make　them；　if　they　survive　their　triumph；　successful　with　women。　Rex；　in　the　parative　freedom　of　London；　became　abject　to　Julia；　he　planned　his　life　about　hers　where　he　would　meet　her；　ingratiating　himself　with　those　who　could　report　well　of　him　to　her；　he　sat　on　a　number　of　charitable　mittees　in　order　to　be　near　Lady　Marchmain；　he　offered　his　services　to　Brideshead　in　getting　him　a　seat　in　Parliament　（but　was　there　rebuffed）；　he　expressed　a　keen　interest　in　the　Catholic　Church　until　he　found　that　this　was　no　way　to　Julia's　heart。　He　was　always　ready　to　drive　her　in　his　Hispano　wherever　she　wanted　to　go；　he　took　her　and　parties　of　her　friends　to　ring…side　seats　at　prize…fights　and　introduced　them　afterwards　to　the　pugilists；　and　all　the　time　he　never　once　made　love　to　her。　From　being　agreeable；　he　became　indispensable　to　her；　from　having　been　proud　of　him　in　public　she　became　a　little　ashamed；　but　by　that　time；　between　Christmas　and　Easter；　he　had　bee　indispensable。　And　then；　without　in　the　least　expecting　it；　she　suddenly　found　herself　in　love。
　　　　It　came　to　her；　this　disturbing　and　unsought　revelation；　one　evening　in　May；　when　Rex　had　told　her　he　would　be　busy　at　the　House；　and；　driving　by　chance　down　Charles　Street；　she　saw　him　leaving　what