"There never was anything, John, that wasn't matter for chaff with you." "And I hope there never will be. People understand it when logic would be thrown away. I suppose the truth is the girl cares for somebody else." Arthur nodded his head. "Who is it? Any one I know?" "I think not." "Any one you know?" "I have met the man." "Decent?" "Disgustingly indecent, I should say." John looked very black, for even with him the feeling about the Whartons and the Vaughans and the Fletchers was very strong. "He's a man I should say you wouldn't let into Longbarns." "There might be various reasons for that. It might be that you wouldn't care to meet him." "Well;--no,--I don't suppose I should. But without that you wouldn't like him. I don't think he's an Englishman." "A foreigner!" "He has got a foreign name." "An Italian nobleman?" "I don't think he's noble in any country." "Who the d---- is he?" "His name is--Lopez." "Everett's friend?" "Yes;--Everett's friend. I ain't very much obliged to Master Everett for what he has done." "I've seen the man. Indeed, I may say I know him,--for I dined with him once in Manchester Square. Old Wharton himself must have asked him there." "He was there as Everett's friend. I only heard all this to-day, you know;--though I had heard about it before." "And therefore you want to set out on your travels. As far as I saw I should say he is a clever fellow." "I don't doubt that." "And a gentleman." "I don't know that he is not," said Arthur. "I've no right to say a word against him. From what Wharton says I suppose he's rich." "He's good looking too;--at least he's the sort of man that women like to look at." "Just so. I've no cause of quarrel with him,--nor with her. But--." "Yes, my friend, I see it all," said the elder brother. "I think I know all about it. But running away is not the thing. One may be pretty nearly sure that one is right when one says that a man shouldn't run away from anything." "The thing is to be happy if you can," said Arthur. "No;--that is not the thing. I'm not much of a philosopher, but as far as I can see there are two philosophies in the world. The one is to make one's self happy, and the other is to make other people happy. The latter answers the best." "I can't add to her happiness by hanging about London." "That's a quibble. It isn't her happiness we are talking about,--nor yet your hanging about London. Gird yourself up and go on with what you've got to do. Put your work before your feelings. What does a poor man do, who goes out hedging and ditching with a dead child lying in his house? If you get a blow in the face, return it if it ought to be returned, but never complain of the pain. If you must have your vitals eaten into,--have them eaten into like a man. But, mind you,--these ain't your vitals." "It goes pretty near."