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sed　to　the　town　council　on　the　subject　are　never　heard　of　again。　　〃Old　George〃　was　ferryman　there　before　any　members　of　the　town　council　were　born；　and　he　seems　to　have　established　a　right　to　go　to　sleep　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　which　is　now　inalienable　from　him。　　Besides；　asleep　or　awake；　he　is　always　perfectly　sober；　which；　after　all；　is　really　one　of　the　first　requirements　for　a　suitable　ferryman。　　Even　the　representations　of　Lord　Ashbridge　himself　who；　when　in　residence；　frequently　has　occasion　to　use　the　ferry　when　crossing　from　his　house　to　the　town；　failed　to　produce　the　smallest　effect；　and　he　was　compelled　to　build　a　boathouse　of　his　own　on　the　farther　bank；　and　be　paddled　across　by　himself　or　one　of　the　servants。　　Often　he　rowed　himself；　for　he　used　to　be　a　fine　oarsman；　and　it　was　good　for　the　lounger　on　the　quay　to　see　the　foaming　prow　of　his　vigorous　progress　and　the　dignity　of　physical　toil。

In　all　other　respects；　except　in　this　case　of　〃Old　George；〃　Lord　Ashbridge's　wishes　were　law　to　the　local　authorities；　for　in　this　tranquil　East…coast　district　the　spirit　of　the　feudal　system　with　a　beneficent　lord　and　contented　tenants　strongly　survived。　　It　had　triumphed　even　over　such　modern　innovations　as　railroads；　for　Lord　Ashbridge　had　the　undoubted　right　to　stop　any　train　he　pleased　by　signal　at　Ashbridge　station。　　This　he　certainly　enjoyed　doing；　it　fed　his　sense　of　the　fitness　of　things　to　progress　along　the　platform　with　his　genial；　important　tiptoe　walk；　and　elbows　squarely　stuck　out；　to　the　carriage　that　was　at　once　reserved　for　him；　to　touch　the　brim　of　his　grey　top…hat　（if　travelling　up　to　town）　to　the　obsequious　guard；　and　to　observe　the　heads　of　passengers　who　wondered　why　their　express　was　arrested；　thrust　out　of　carriage　windows　to　look　at　him。　　A　livened　footman；　as　well　as　a　valet；　followed　him；　bearing　a　coat　and　a　rug　and　a　morning　or　evening　paper　and　a　dispatch…box　with　a　large　gilt　coronet　on　it；　and　bestowed　these　solaces　to　a　railway　journey　on　the　empty　seats　near　him。　　And　not　only　his　sense　of　fitness　was　hereby　fed；　but　that　also　of　the　station…master　and　the　solitary　porter　and　the　newsboy；　and　such　inhabitants　of　Ashbridge　as　happened　to　have　strolled　on　to　the　platform。　　For　he　was　THEIR　Earl　of　Ashbridge；　kind；　courteous　and　dominant；　a　local　king；　it　was　all　very　pleasant。

But　this　arrest　of　express　trains　was　a　strictly　personal　privilege；　when　Lady　Ashbridge　or　Michael　travelled　they　always　went　in　the　slow　train　to　Stoneborough；　changed　there　and　abided　their　time　on　the　platform　like　ordinary　mortals。　　Though　he　could　undoubtedly　have　extended　his　rights　to　the　stopping　of　a　train　for　his　wife　or　son；　he　wisely　reserved　this　for　himself；　lest　it　should　lose　prestige。　　There　was　sufficient　glory　already　（to　probe　his　mind　to　the　bottom）　for　Lady　Ashbridge　in　being　his　wife；　it　was　sufficient　also　for　Michael　that　he　was　his　son。

It　may　be　inferred　that　there　was　a　touch　of　pomposity　about　this　admirable　gentleman；　who　was　so　excellent　a　landlord　and　so　hard　working　a　member　of　the　British　aristocracy。　　But　pomposity　would　be　far　too　superficial　a　word　to　apply　to　him；　it　would　not　adequately　connote　his　deep…abiding　and　essential　conviction　that　on　one　of　the　days　of　Creation　（that；　probably；　on　which　the　decree　was　made　that　there　should　be　Light）　there　leaped　into　being　the　great　landowners　of　England。

But　Lord　Ashbridge；　though　himself　a　peer；　by　no　means　accepted　the　peerage　en　bloc　as　representing　the　English　aristocracy；　to　be；　in　his　phrase；　〃one　of　us〃　implied　that　you　belonged　to　certain　well…　ascertained　families　where　brewers　and　distinguished　soldiers　had　no　place；　unless　it　was　theirs　already。　　He　was　ready　to　pay　all　reasonable　homage　to　those　who　were　distinguished　by　their　abilities；　their　riches；　their　exalted　positions　in　Church　and　State；　but　his　homage　to　such　was　transfused　with　a　courteous　condescension；　and　he　only　treated　as　his　equals　and　really　revered　those　who　belonged　to　the　families　that　were　〃one　of　us。〃

His　wife；　of　course；　was　〃one　of　us；〃　since　he　would　never　have　permitted　himself　to　be　allied　to　a　woman　who　was　not；　though　for　beauty　and　wisdom　she　might　have　been　Aphrodite　and　Athene　rolled　compactly　into　one　peerless　identity。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Lady　Ashbridge　had　not　the　faintest　resemblance　to　either　of　these　effulgent　goddesses。　　In　person　she　resembled　a　camel；　long　and　lean；　with　a　drooping　mouth　and　tired；　patient　eyes；　while　in　mind　she　was　stunned。　　No　idea　other　than　an　obvious　one　ever　had　birth　behind　her　high；　smooth　forehead；　and　she　habitually　brought　conversation　to　a　close　by　the　dry　enunciation　of　something　indubitably　true；　which　had　no　direct　relation　to　the　point　under　discussion。　　But　she　had　faint；　ineradicable　prejudices；　and　instincts　not　quite　dormant。　　There　was　a　large　quantity　of　mild　affection　in　her　nature；　the　quality　of　which　may　be　illustrated　by　the　fact　that　when　her　father　died　she　cried　a　little　every　day　after　breakfast　for　about　six　weeks。　　Then　she　did　not　cry　any　more。　　It　was　impossible　not　to　like　what　there　was　of　her；　but　there　was　really　very　little　to　like；　for　she　belonged　heart　and　soul　to　the　generation　and　the　breeding　among　which　it　is　enough　for　a　woman　to　be　a　lady；　and　visit　the　keeper's　wife　when　she　has　a　baby。

But　though　there　was　so　little　of　her；　the　balance　was　made　up　for　by　the　fact　that　there　was　so　much　of　her　husband。　　His　large；　rather　flamboyant　person；　his　big　white　face　and　curling　brown　beard；　his　loud　voice　and　his　falsetto　laugh；　his　absolutely　certain　opinions；　above　all　the　fervency　of　his　consciousness　of　being　Lord　Ashbridge　and　all　which　that　implied；　completely　filled　any　place　he　happened　to　be　in；　so　that　a　room　empty　except　for　him　gave　the　impression　of　being　almost　uncomfortably　crowded。　　This　keen　consciousness　of　his　identity　was　naturally　sufficient　to　make　him　very　good　humoured；　since　he　was　himself　a　fine　example　of　the　type　that　he　admired　most。　　Probably　only　two　persons　in　the　world　had　the　power　of　causing　him　annoyance；　but　both　of　these；　by　an　irony　of　fate　that　it　seemed　scarcely　possible　to　consider　accidental；　were　closely　connected　with　him；　for　one　was　his　sister；　the　other　his　only　son。

The　grounds　of　their　potentiality　in　this　respect　can　be　easily　stated。　　Barbara　Comber；　his　sister　（and　so　〃one　of　us〃）；　had　married　an　extremely　wealthy　American；　who；　in　Lord　Ashbridge's　view；　could　not　be　considered　one　of　anybody　at　all；　in　other　words；　his　imagination　failed　to　picture　a　whole　class　of　people　who　resembled　Anthony　Jerome。　　He　had　hoped　when　his　sister　announced　her　intention　of　taking　this　deplorable　step　that　his　future　brother…in…law　would　at　any　rate　prove　to　be　a　snobhe　had　a　vague　notion　that　all　Americans　were　snobsand　that　thus　Mr。　Jerome　would　have　the　saving　grace　to　admire　and　toady　him。　　But　Mr。　Jerome　showed　no　signs　of　doing　anything　of　the　sort；　he　treated　him　with　an　austere　and　distant　politeness　that　Lord　Ashbridge　could　not　construe　as　being　founded　on　admiration　and　a　sense　of　his　own　inferiority；　for　it　was　so　clearly　founded　on　dislike。　　That；　however；　did　not　annoy　Lord　Ashbridge；　for　it　was　easy　to　suppose　that　poor　Mr。　Jerome　knew　no　better。　　But　Barbara　annoyed　him；　for　not　only　had　she　shown　herself　a　renegade　in　marrying　a　man　who　was　not　〃one　of　us；〃　but　with　all　the　advantages　she　had　enjoyed　since　birth　of　knowing　what　〃we〃　were；　she　gloried　in　her　new　relations；　saying；　without　any　proper　reticence　about　the　matter；　that　they　were　Real　People；　whose　character　and　wits　vastly　transcended　anything　that　Combers　had　to　show。

Michael　was　an　even　more　vexatious　case；　and　in　moments　of　depression　his　father　thought　that　he　would　really　turn　in　his　grave　at　the　dismal　idea　of　Michael　having　stepped　into　his　honourable　shoes。　　Physically　he　was　utterly　unlike　a　Comber；　and　his　mind；　his　general　attitude　towards　life　seemed　to　have　diverged　even　farther　from　that　healthy　and　unreflective　pattern。　　Only　this　morning　his　father　had　received　a　letter　from　him　that　summed　Michael　up；　that　fulfilled　all　the　doubts　and　fears　that　had　hung　about　him；　for　after　three　years　in　the　Guards　he　had；　without　consultation　with　anybody；　resigned　his　commission　on　the　inexplicable　grounds　that　he　wanted　to　do　something　with　his　life。　To　begin　with　that　was　rankly　heretical；　if　you　were　a　Comber　there　was　no　need　to　do　anything　with　your　life；　life　did　everything　for　you。　。　。　。　　And　what　this　un…Comberish　young　man　wanted　to　do　with　his　life　was　to　be　a　musician。　　That　musicians；　artists；　actors；　had　a　right　to　exist　Lord　Ashbridge　did　not　question。　　They　were　no　doubt　（or　might　be）　very　excellent　people　in　their　way；　and　as　a　matter　of　fact　he　often　recognised　their　existence　by　going　to　the　opera；　to　the　private　view　of　the　Academy；　or　to　the　play；　and　he　took　a　very　considerable　pride　of　proprietorship　in　his　own　admirable　collection　of　family　portraits。　　But　then　those　were　pictures　of　Combers；　Reynolds　and　Romney　and　the　rest　of　them　had　enjoyed　the　privilege　of　perpetuating　on　their　canvases　these　big；　fine　men　and　charming　women。　　But　that　a　Comberand　that　one　positively　the　next　Lord　Ashbridgeshould　intend　to　devote　his　energies　to　an　artistic　calling；　and　allude　to　that　scheme　as　doing　something　with　his　life；　was　a　thing　as　unthinkable　as　if　the　butler　had　developed　a　fixed　idea　that　he　was　〃one　of　us。〃

The　blow　was　a　recent　one；　Michael's　letter　had　only　reached　his　father　this　morning；　and　at　the　present　moment　Lord　Ashbridge　was　attempting　over　a　cup　of　tea　on　the　long　south　terrace　overlooking　the　estuary　to　conveynot　very　successfullyto　his　wife　something　of　his　feelings　on　the　subject。　　She；　according　to　her　custom；　was　drinking　a　little　hot　water　herself；　and　providing　her　Chinese　pug　with　a　mixture　of　cream　and　crumbled　rusks。　　Though　the　dog　was　of　undoubtedly　high　lineage；　Lord　Ashbridge　rather　detested　her。

〃A　musical　career！〃　he　exclaimed；　referring　to　Michael's　letter。　〃What　sort　of　a　career　for　a　Comber　is　a　musical　career？　　I　shall　tell　Michael　pretty　roundly　when　he　arrives　this　evening　what　I　think　of　it　all。　　We　shall　have　Francis　next　saying　that　he　wants　to　resign；　too；　and　become　a　dentis