DARRELL.—“Caesar could not be more laconic. When arrived? this evening. Whence? Ouzelford. How long do I stay? uncertain. What are my plans? let us discuss them.”
COLONEL MORLEY.—“With all my heart. You have plans, then?—a good sign. Animals in hibernation form none.”
DARRELL (putting aside the lights on the table, so as to leave, his face in shade, and looking towards the floor as he speaks).—“For the last five years I have struggled hard to renew interest in mankind, reconnect myself with common life and its healthful objects. Between Fawley and London I desired to form a magnetic medium. I took rather a vast one,—nearly all the rest of the known world. I have visited both Americas, either end. All Asia have I ransacked, and pierced as far into Africa as traveller ever went in search of Timbuctoo. But I have sojourned also, at long intervals, at least they seemed long to me,—in the gay capitals of Europe (Paris excepted); mixed, too, with the gayest; hired palaces, filled them with guests; feasted and heard music. ‘Guy Darrell,’ said I, ‘shake off the rust of years: thou hadst no youth while young,—be young now. A holiday may restore thee to wholesome work, as a holiday restores the wearied school-boy.’”
COLONEL MORLEY.—“I comprehend; the experiment succeeded?”
DARRELL.—“I don’t know: not yet; but it may. I am here, and I intend to stay. I would not go to a hotel for a single day, lest my resolution should fail me. I have thrown myself into this castle of care without even a garrison. I hope to hold it. Help me to man it. In a word, and without metaphor, I am here with the design of re-entering London life.”
COLONEL MORLEY.—“I am so glad. Hearty congratulations! How rejoiced all the Viponts will be! Another ‘CRISIS’ is at hand. You have seen the newspapers regularly, of course: the state of the country interests you. You say that you come from Ouzelford, the town you once represented. I guess you will re-enter Parliament; you have but to say the word.”
DARRELL.—“Parliament! No. I received, while abroad, so earnest a request from my old constituents to lay the foundation-stone of a new Town-Hall, in which they are much interested; and my obligations to them have been so great that I could not refuse. I wrote to fix the day as soon as I had resolved to return to England, making a condition that I should be spared the infliction of a public dinner, and landed just in time to keep my appointment; reached Ouzelford early this morning, went through the ceremony, made a short speech, came on at once to London, not venturing to diverge to Fawley (which is not very far from Ouzelford), lest, once there again, I should not have strength to leave it; and here I am.” Darrell paused, then repeated, in brisk emphatic tone, “Parliament? No. Labour? No. Fellow-man, I am about to confess to you: I would snatch back some days of youth,—a wintry likeness of youth, better than none. Old friend, let us amuse ourselves! When I was working hard, hard, hard! it was you who would say: ‘Come forth, be amused,’—you! happy butterfly that you were! Now, I say to you, ‘Show me this flaunting town that you know so well; initiate me into the joys of polite pleasures, social commune,
“‘Dulce mihi furere est amico.”
You have amusements,—let me share them.’”
“Faith,” quoth the Colonel, crossing his legs, “you come late in the day! Amusements cease to amuse at last. I have tried all, and begin to be tired. I have had my holiday, exhausted its sports; and you, coming from books and desk fresh into the playground, say, ‘Football and leapfrog.’ Alas! my poor friend, why did not you come sooner?”