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Pemberton replied。 Yet he didn't want to come at all； he was
coming because he had to go somewhere； thanks to the collapse of
his fortune at the end of a year abroad spent on the system of
putting his scant patrimony into a single full wave of experience。
He had had his full wave but couldn't pay the score at his inn。
Moreover he had caught in the boy's eyes the glimpse of a far…off
appeal。
〃Well； I'll do the best I can for you；〃 said Morgan； with which he
turned away again。 He passed out of one of the long windows；
Pemberton saw him go and lean on the parapet of the terrace。 He
remained there while the young man took leave of his mother； who；
on Pemberton's looking as if he expected a farewell from him；
interposed with： 〃Leave him； leave him； he's so strange！〃
Pemberton supposed her to fear something he might say。 〃He's a
genius … you'll love him；〃 she added。 〃He's much the most
interesting person in the family。〃 And before he could invent some
civility to oppose to this she wound up with： 〃But we're all good；
you know！〃
〃He's a genius … you'll love him！〃 were words that recurred to our
aspirant before the Friday； suggesting among many things that
geniuses were not invariably loveable。 However； it was all the
better if there was an element that would make tutorship absorbing：
he had perhaps taken too much for granted it would only disgust
him。 As he left the villa after his interview he looked up at the
balcony and saw the child leaning over it。 〃We shall have great
larks！〃 he called up。
Morgan hung fire a moment and then gaily returned： 〃By the time
you come back I shall have thought of something witty！〃
This made Pemberton say to himself 〃After all he's rather nice。〃
CHAPTER II
On the Friday he saw them all； as Mrs。 Moreen had promised； for her
husband had come back and the girls and the other son were at home。
Mr。 Moreen had a white moustache； a confiding manner and； in his
buttonhole； the ribbon of a foreign order … bestowed； as Pemberton
eventually learned； for services。 For what services he never
clearly ascertained： this was a point … one of a large number …
that Mr。 Moreen's manner never confided。 What it emphatically did
confide was that he was even more a man of the world than you might
first make out。 Ulick； the firstborn； was in visible training for
the same profession … under the disadvantage as yet； however； of a
buttonhole but feebly floral and a moustache with no pretensions to
type。 The girls had hair and figures and manners and small fat
feet； but had never been out alone。 As for Mrs。 Moreen Pemberton
saw on a nearer view that her elegance was intermittent and her
parts didn't always match。 Her husband； as she had promised； met
with enthusiasm Pemberton's ideas in regard to a salary。 The young
man had endeavoured to keep these stammerings modest； and Mr。
Moreen made it no secret that HE found them wanting in 〃style。〃 He
further mentioned that he aspired to be intimate with his children；
to be their best friend； and that he was always looking out for
them。 That was what he went off for； to London and other places …
to look out； and this vigilance was the theory of life； as well as
the real occupation； of the whole family。 They all looked out； for
they were very frank on the subject of its being necessary。 They
desired it to be understood that they were earnest people； and also
that their fortune； though quite adequate for earnest people；
required the most careful administration。 Mr。 Moreen； as the
parent bird； sought sustenance for the nest。 Ulick invoked support
mainly at the club； where Pemberton guessed that it was usually
served on green cloth。 The girls used to do up their hair and
their frocks themselves； and our young man felt appealed to to be
glad； in regard to Morgan's education； that； though it must
naturally be of the best； it didn't cost too much。 After a little
he WAS glad； forgetting at times his own needs in the interest
inspired by the child's character and culture and the pleasure of
making easy terms for him。
During the first weeks of their acquaintance Morgan had been as
puzzling as a page in an unknown language … altogether different
from the obvious little Anglo…Saxons who had misrepresented
childhood to Pemberton。 Indeed the whole mystic volume in which
the boy had been amateurishly bound demanded some practice in
translation。 To…day； after a considerable interval； there is
something phantasmagoria； like a prismatic reflexion or a serial
novel； in Pemberton's memory of the queerness of the Moreens。 If
it were not for a few tangible tokens … a lock of Morgan's hair cut
by his own hand； and the half…dozen letters received from him when
they were disjoined … the whole episode and the figures peopling it
would seem too inconsequent for anything but dreamland。 Their
supreme quaintness was their success … as it appeared to him for a
while at the time； since he had never seen a family so brilliantly
equipped for failure。 Wasn't it success to have kept him so
hatefully long？ Wasn't it success to have drawn him in that first
morning at dejeuner； the Friday he came … it was enough to MAKE one
superstitious … so that he utterly committed himself； and this not
by calculation or on a signal； but from a happy instinct which made
them； like a band of gipsies； work so neatly together？ They amused
him as much as if they had really been a band of gipsies。 He was
still young and had not seen much of the world … his English years
had been properly arid； therefore the reversed conventions of the
Moreens … for they had THEIR desperate proprieties … struck him as
topsy…turvy。 He had encountered nothing like them at Oxford； still
less had any such note been struck to his younger American ear
during the four years at Yale in which he had richly supposed
himself to be reacting against a Puritan strain。 The reaction of
the Moreens； at any rate； went ever so much further。 He had
thought himself very sharp that first day in hitting them all off
in his mind with the 〃cosmopolite〃 label。 Later it seemed feeble
and colourless … confessedly helplessly provisional。
He yet when he first applied it felt a glow of joy … for an
instructor he was still empirical … rise from the apprehension that
living with them would really he to see life。 Their sociable
strangeness was an intimation of that … their chatter of tongues；
their gaiety and good humour； their infinite dawdling （they were
always getting themselves up； but it took forever； and Pemberton
had once found Mr。 Moreen shaving in the drawing…room）； their
French； their Italian and； cropping up in the foreign fluencies；
their cold tough slices of American。 They lived on macaroni and
coffee … they had these articles prepared in perfection … but they
knew recipes for a hundred other dishes。 They overflowed with
music and song； were always humming and catching each