ayinginLondon?”
“Oh,onlyamonth,worseluck.ThenI’vegottogototheStatestomakemyfortuneandreform.”
“Ihopeyouwill.”
“Which?Onecan’tdobothatonce,youknow.Youmakeyourmoneyfirst,andyoureformafterwards,ifyou’vegottime.Butwhateverhappens,it’llbeagoodsightbetterthansweatingawayataneverlastingcrammer’s.IfthereisonemanIcan’tstickatanypriceit’sthearmycrammer.”
“Youhavealargeexperienceofthem,Iunderstand.”
“Iwishyoudidn’tknowallmypasthistory.NowIshan’thavethesportoftellingyou.”
“Idon’tthinkitwouldbeedifying.”
“Ohyes,itwould.Itwouldshowyouhowvirtueisdowntrodden(that’sme),andhowviceistriumphant.I’mawfullyunluckypeoplesortofconspiretogethertolookatmyactionsfromthewrongpointofview.I’vehadjollyroughluckallthrough.FirstIwasbunkedfromRugby.Well,thatwasn’tmyfault.Iwasquitewillingtostay,andI’mblowedifIwasworsethananybodyelse.Thepaterblackguardedmeforsixweeks,andsaidIwasbringinghisgreyhairswithsorrowtothegrave.Well,youknow,he’ssimplyawfullybaldsoatlastIcouldn’thelpsayingthatIdidn’tknowwherehisgreyhairsweregoingto,butitdidn’tmuchlookasifhemeanttoaccompanythem.So,afterthat,hesentmetoacrammerwhoplayedpoker.Well,heskinnedmeofeveryshillingI’dgot,andthenwroteandtoldthepaterIwasanimmoralyoungdog,andcorruptinghishouse.”
“Ithinkwe’dbetterchangethesubject,Gerald,”saidBertha.
“Oh,butyoumusthavethesequel.ThenextplaceIwentto,IfoundnoneoftheotherfellowsknewpokersoofcourseIthoughtitasortofmercifulinterpositionofProvidencetohelpmetorecoupmyself.Itold’emnottolayuptreasuresinthisworld,andwallopedinthirtyquidinfourdaysthentheoldthingamygig(Iforgethisname,buthewasaparson)toldmeIwasmakinghisplaceintoagambling-hell,andthathewouldn’thavemeanotherdayinhishouse.SooffItoddled,andIstayedathomeforsixmonths.Thatgavemethefairhump,Icantellyou.”
TheconversationwasdisturbedbytheentranceofMissLey.
“Youseewe’vemadefriends,”saidBertha.
“Geraldalwaysdoesthatwitheverybody.He’sthemostgregariousperson.Howareyou,Lotha