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knew recipes for a hundred other dishes。 They overflowed with
music and song； were always humming and catching each other up； and
had a sort of professional acquaintance with Continental cities。
They talked of 〃good places〃 as if they had been pickpockets or
strolling players。 They had at Nice a villa； a carriage； a piano
and a banjo； and they went to official parties。 They were a
perfect calendar of the 〃days〃 of their friends； which Pemberton
knew them； when they were indisposed； to get out of bed to go to；
and which made the week larger than life when Mrs。 Moreen talked of
them with Paula and Amy。 Their initiations gave their new inmate
at first an almost dazzling sense of culture。 Mrs。 Moreen had
translated something at some former period … an author whom it made
Pemberton feel borne never to have heard of。 They could imitate
Venetian and sing Neapolitan； and when they wanted to say something
very particular communicated with each other in an ingenious
dialect of their own； an elastic spoken cipher which Pemberton at
first took for some patois of one of their countries； but which he
〃caught on to〃 as he would not have grasped provincial development
of Spanish or German。
〃It's the family language … Ultramoreen；〃 Morgan explained to him
drolly enough； but the boy rarely condescended to use it himself；
though he dealt in colloquial Latin as if he had been a little
prelate。
Among all the 〃days〃 with which Mrs。 Moreen's memory was taxed she
managed to squeeze in one of her own； which her friends sometimes
forgot。 But the house drew a frequented air from the number of
fine people who were freely named there and from several mysterious
men with foreign titles and English clothes whom Morgan called the
princes and who； on sofas with the girls； talked French very loud …
though sometimes with some oddity of accent … as if to show they
were saying nothing improper。 Pemberton wondered how the princes
could ever propose in that tone and so publicly： he took for
granted cynically that this was what was desired of them。 Then he
recognised that even for the chance of such an advantage Mrs。
Moreen would never allow Paula and Amy to receive alone。 These
young ladies were not at all timid； but it was just the safeguards
that made them so candidly free。 It was a houseful of Bohemians
who wanted tremendously to be Philistines。
In one respect； however； certainly they achieved no rigour … they
were wonderfully amiable and ecstatic about Morgan。 It was a
genuine tenderness； an artless admiration； equally strong in each。
They even praised his beauty； which was small； and were as afraid
of him as if they felt him of finer clay。 They spoke of him as a
little angel and a prodigy … they touched on his want of health
with long vague faces。 Pemberton feared at first an extravagance
that might make him hate the boy； but before this happened he had
become extravagant himself。 Later； when he had grown rather to
hate the others； it was a bribe to patience for him that they were
at any rate nice about Morgan； going on tiptoe if they fancied he
was showing symptoms； and even giving up somebody's 〃day〃 to
procure him a pleasure。 Mixed with this too was the oddest wish to
make him independent； as if they had felt themselves not good
enough for him。 They passed him over to the new members of their
circle very much as if wishing to force some charity of adoption on
so free an agent and get rid of their own charge。 They were
delighted when they saw Morgan take so to his kind playfellow； and
could think of no higher praise for the young man。 It was strange
how they contrived to reconcile the appearance； and indeed the
essential fact； of adoring the child with their eagerness to wash
their hands of him。 Did they want to get rid of him before he
should find them out？ Pemberton was finding them out month by
month。 The boy's fond family； however this might be； turned their
backs with exaggerated delicacy； as if to avoid the reproach of
interfering。 Seeing in time how little he had in common with them
… it was by THEM he first observed it； they proclaimed it with
complete humility … his companion was moved to speculate on the
mysteries of transmission； the far jumps of heredity。 Where his
detachment from most of the things they represented had come from
was more than an observer could say … it certainly had burrowed
under two or three generations。
As for Pemberton's own estimate of his pupil； it was a good while
before he got the point of view； so little had he been prepared for
it by the smug young barbarians to whom the tradition of tutorship；
as hitherto revealed to him； had been adjusted。 Morgan was scrappy
and surprising； deficient in many properties supposed common to the
genus and abounding in others that were the portion only of the
supernaturally clever。 One day his friend made a great stride： it
cleared up the question to perceive that Morgan WAS supernaturally
clever and that； though the formula was temporarily meagre； this
would be the only assumption on which one could successfully deal
with him。 He had the general quality of a child for whom life had
not been simplified by school； a kind of homebred sensibility which
might have been as bad for himself but was charming for others； and
a whole range of refinement and perception … little musical
vibrations as taking as picked…up airs … begotten by wandering
about Europe at the tail of his migratory tribe。 This might not
have been an education to recommend in advance； but its results
with so special a subject were as appreciable as the marks on a
piece of fine porcelain。 There was at the same time in him a small
strain of stoicism； doubtless the fruit of having had to begin
early to bear pain； which counted for pluck and made it of less
consequence that he might have been thought at school rather a
polyglot little beast。 Pemberton indeed quickly found himself
rejoicing that school was out of the question： in any million of
boys it was probably good for all but one； and Morgan was that
millionth。 It would have made him comparative and superior … it
might have made him really require kicking。 Pemberton would try to
be school himself … a bigger seminary than five hundred grazing
donkeys； so that； winning no prizes； the boy would remain
unconscious and irresponsible and amusing … amusing； because；
though life was already intense in his childish nature； freshness
still made there a strong draught for jokes。 It turned out that
even in the still air of Morgan's various disabilities jokes
flourished greatly。 He was a pale lean acute undeveloped little
cosmopolite； who liked intellectual gymnastics and who also； as
regards the behaviour of mankind； had noticed more things than you
might suppose； but who nevertheless had his proper playroom of
superstitions； where he smashed a dozen toys a day。
CHAPTER III
At Nice once； towar