Международный эпизод
Part II
Hefanciedhehadcompassedthatgratificationsodesirabletoyoungmenoftitleandfortune—beinglikedforhimself.Itistruethatacynicalcounselormighthavewhisperedtohim,“Likedforyourself?Yes;butnotsoverymuch!”Hehad,atanyrate,theconstanthopeofbeinglikedmore.Itmayseem,perhaps,atriflesingular—butitisneverthelesstrue—thatBessieAlden,whenhestruckherasdull,devotedsometime,ongroundsofconscience,totryingtolikehimmore.Isayongroundsofconsciencebecauseshefeltthathehadbeenextremely“nice”tohersister,andbecauseshereflectedthatitwasnomorethanfairthatsheshouldthinkaswellofhimashethoughtofher.Thiseffortwaspossiblysometimesnotsosuccessfulasitmighthavebeen,fortheresultofitwasoccasionallyavagueirritation,whichexpresseditselfinhostilecriticismofseveralBritishinstitutions.BessieAldenwenttosomeentertainmentsatwhichshemetLordLambeth;butshewenttoothersatwhichhislordshipwasneitheractuallynorpotentiallypresent;anditwaschieflyontheselatteroccasionsthatsheencounteredthoseliteraryandartisticcelebritiesofwhommentionhasbeenmade.Afterawhileshereducedthemattertoaprinciple.IfLordLambethshouldappearanywhere,itwasasymbolthattherewouldbenopoetsandphilosophers;andinconsequence—foritwasalmostastrictconsequence—sheusedtoenumeratetotheyoungmantheseobjectsofheradmiration.“Youseemtobeawfullyfondofthosesortofpeople,”saidLordLambethoneday,asiftheideahadjustoccurredtohim.
