‘Not so dreary as I had, Wilfrid, I am certain. You had at least the mountains to comfort you. Anywhere is better than at home, with a meal of Bible oil and vinegar twice a day for certain, and a wine-glassful of it now and then in between. Damnation’s better than a spoony heaven. To be away from home is heaven enough for me.’ ‘But your mother, Charley!’ I ventured to say. ‘My mother is an angel. I could almost be good for her sake. But I never could, I never can get near her. My father reads every letter she writes before it comes to me--I know that by the style of it; and I’m equally certain he reads every letter of mine before it reaches her.’ ‘Is your sister at home?’ ‘No. She’s at school at Clapham--being sand-papered into a saint, I suppose.’ His mouth twitched and quivered. He was not pleased with himself for talking as he did. ‘Your father means it for the best,’ I said. ‘I know that. He means _his_ best. If I thought it _was_ the best, I should cut my throat and have done with it.’ ‘But, Charley, couldn’t we do something to find out, after all?’ ‘Find out what, Wilfrid?’ ‘The best thing, you know; what we are here for.’ ‘I’m sick of it all, Wilfrid. I’ve tried till I am sick of it. If you should find out anything, you can let me know. I am busy trying not to think. I find that quite enough. If I were to think, I should go mad.’ ‘Oh, Charley! I can’t bear to hear you talk like that,’ I exclaimed; but there was a glitter in his eye which I did not like, and which made me anxious to change the subject.--‘Don’t you like being here?’ I asked, in sore want of something to say. ‘Yes, well enough,’ he replied. ‘But I don’t see what’s to come of it, for I can’t work. Even if my father were a millionnaire, I couldn’t go on living on him. The sooner that is over, the better!’ He was looking down, and gnawing at that tremulous upper lip. I felt miserable. ‘I wish we were at the same college, Charley!’ I said. ‘It’s better as it is,’ he rejoined. ‘I should do you no good. You go in for reading, I suppose?’ ‘Well, I do. I mean my uncle to have the worth of his money.’