eyes to the fact that money could be earned in other ways than at the
regular kinds of employment, he gave me a start, and I went ahead. There
isn't a man in the world has suffered more than I have for want of money,
and no one ever worked with a fiercer resolve to get out of the hell of
contemptible poverty. It would fill a book, the history of my money-making.
The first big sum I ever was possessed of came to me at the age of
two-and-thirty, when I sold a proprietary club (the one Crowther had a
share in and which I had ultimately got into my own hands) for nine
thousand pounds; but I owed about half of this. I went on and on, and I got
into society; _that_ came through the Marlborough,--a good story, but I
mustn't tell it. At last I married--a rich woman.'

He paused, and I thought, but was not quite sure, that I heard him sigh.

'We won't talk about that either. I shall not marry a rich woman again,
that's all. In fact, I don't care for such people; my best friends, real
friends, are all more or less strugglers, and perhaps there's no harm in
saying that it gives me pleasure to help them when I've a chance. I like to
buy a picture of a poor devil artist. I like to smoke my pipe with good
fellows who never go out of their way for money's sake. All the same, it's
a good thing to be well off. But for that, now, I couldn't make the
acquaintance of such people as these at Brackley Hall. I more than half
like them. Old Armitage is a gentleman, and looks back upon generations of
gentlemen, his ancestors. Ah! you can't buy that! And his daughters are
devilish nice girls, with sweet soft voices. I'm glad the old fellow met us
yesterday.'

It was now dark; I looked up and saw the stars brightening. We sat for
another quarter of an hour, each busy with his own thoughts, then rose and
parted for the night.