Lakelands had him fast, and this young Dudley was the kernel of
Lakelands. If he had only been intellectually a little flexible in his
morality! But no; he wore it cap a pie, like a mediaeval knight his
armour. One had to approve. And there was no getting away from him. He
was good enough to stay in town for the practise of the opening overture
of the amateurs, and the flute-duet, when his family were looking for him
at Tunbridge Wells; and almost every day Victor was waylaid by him at a
corner of the Strand.

Occasionally, Victor appeared at the point of interception armed with
Colney Durance, for whom he had called in the Temple, bent on self-
defence, although Colney was often as bitter to his taste as to Dudley's.
Latterly the bitter had become a tonic. We rejoice in the presence of
goodness, let us hope; and still an impersonation of conventional,
goodness perpetually about us depresses. Dudley drove him to Colney for
relief. Besides it pleased Nataly that he should be bringing Colney
home; it looked to her as if he were subjecting Dudley to critical
inspection before he decided a certain question much, and foolishly,
dreaded by the dear soul. That quieted her. And another thing, she
liked him to be with Colney, for a clog on him; as it were, a tuning-fork
for the wild airs he started. A little pessimism, also, she seemed to
like; probably as an appeasement after hearing, and having to share, high
flights. And she was, in her queer woman's way, always reassured by his
endurance of Colney's company:--she read it to mean, that he could bear
Colney's perusal of him, and satiric stings. Victor had seen these petty
matters among the various which were made to serve his double and treble
purposes; now, thanks to the operation of young Dudley within him, he
felt them. Preferring Fenellan's easy humour to Colney's acid, he was
nevertheless braced by the latter's antidote to Dudley, while reserving