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day; Mr。 Sampson?'



I was going to give a qualified answer; but he turned his smooth;

white parting on me with its 'Straight up here; if you please!' and

I answered 'Yes。'



'I hear; Mr。 Sampson;' he resumed presently; for our friend had a

new cook; and dinner was not so punctual as usual; 'that your

profession has recently suffered a great loss。'



'In money?' said I。



He laughed at my ready association of loss with money; and replied;

'No; in talent and vigour。'



Not at once following out his allusion; I considered for a moment。

'HAS it sustained a loss of that kind?' said I。  'I was not aware

of it。'



'Understand me; Mr。 Sampson。  I don't imagine that you have

retired。  It is not so bad as that。  But Mr。 Meltham … '



'O; to be sure!' said I。  'Yes!  Mr。 Meltham; the young actuary of

the 〃Inestimable。〃'



'Just so;' he returned in a consoling way。



'He is a great loss。  He was at once the most profound; the most

original; and the most energetic man I have ever known connected

with Life Assurance。'



I spoke strongly; for I had a high esteem and admiration for

Meltham; and my gentleman had indefinitely conveyed to me some

suspicion that he wanted to sneer at him。  He recalled me to my

guard by presenting that trim pathway up his head; with its

internal 'Not on the grass; if you please … the gravel。'



'You knew him; Mr。 Slinkton。'



'Only by reputation。  To have known him as an acquaintance or as a

friend; is an honour I should have sought if he had remained in

society; though I might never have had the good fortune to attain

it; being a man of far inferior mark。  He was scarcely above

thirty; I suppose?'



'About thirty。'



'Ah!' he sighed in his former consoling way。  'What creatures we

are!  To break up; Mr。 Sampson; and become incapable of business at

that time of life! … Any reason assigned for the melancholy fact?'



('Humph!' thought I; as I looked at him。  'But I WON'T go up the

track; and I WILL go on the grass。')



'What reason have you heard assigned; Mr。 Slinkton?' I asked;

point…blank。



'Most likely a false one。  You know what Rumour is; Mr。 Sampson。  I

never repeat what I hear; it is the only way of paring the nails

and shaving the head of Rumour。  But when YOU ask me what reason I

have heard assigned for Mr。 Meltham's passing away from among men;

it is another thing。  I am not gratifying idle gossip then。  I was

told; Mr。 Sampson; that Mr。 Meltham had relinquished all his

avocations and all his prospects; because he was; in fact; broken…

hearted。  A disappointed attachment I heard; … though it hardly

seems probable; in the case of a man so distinguished and so

attractive。'



'Attractions and distinctions are no armour against death;' said I。



'O; she died?  Pray pardon me。  I did not hear that。  That; indeed;

makes it very; very sad。  Poor Mr。 Meltham!  She died?  Ah; dear

me!  Lamentable; lamentable!'



I still thought his pity was not quite genuine; and I still

suspected an unaccountable sneer under all this; until he said; as

we were parted; like the other knots of talkers; by the

announcement of dinner:



'Mr。 Sampson; you are surprised to see me so moved on behalf of a

man whom I have never known。  I am not so disinterested as you may

suppose。  I have suffered; and recently too; from death myself。  I

have lost one of two charming nieces; who were my constant

companions。  She died young … barely three…and…twenty; and even her

remaining sister is far from strong。  The world is a grave!'



He said this with deep feeling; and I felt reproached for the

coldness of my manner。  Coldness and distrust had been engendered

in me; I knew; by my bad experiences; they were not natural to me;

and I often thought how much I had lost in life; losing

trustfulness; and how little I had gained; gaining hard caution。

This state of mind being habitual to me; I troubled myself more

about this conversation than I might have troubled myself about a

greater matter。  I listened to his talk at dinner; and observed how

readily other men responded to it; and with what a graceful

instinct he adapted his subjects to the knowledge and habits of

those he talked with。  As; in talking with me; he had easily

started the subject I might be supposed to understand best; and to

be the most interested in; so; in talking with others; he guided

himself by the same rule。  The company was of a varied character;

but he was not at fault; that I could discover; with any member of

it。  He knew just as much of each man's pursuit as made him

agreeable to that man in reference to it; and just as little as

made it natural in him to seek modestly for information when the

theme was broached。



As he talked and talked … but really not too much; for the rest of

us seemed to force it upon him … I became quite angry with myself。

I took his face to pieces in my mind; like a watch; and examined it

in detail。  I could not say much against any of his features

separately; I could say even less against them when they were put

together。  'Then is it not monstrous;' I asked myself; 'that

because a man happens to part his hair straight up the middle of

his head; I should permit myself to suspect; and even to detest

him?'



(I may stop to remark that this was no proof of my sense。  An

observer of men who finds himself steadily repelled by some

apparently trifling thing in a stranger is right to give it great

weight。  It may be the clue to the whole mystery。  A hair or two

will show where a lion is hidden。  A very little key will open a

very heavy door。)



I took my part in the conversation with him after a time; and we

got on remarkably well。  In the drawing…room I asked the host how

long he had known Mr。 Slinkton。  He answered; not many months; he

had met him at the house of a celebrated painter then present; who

had known him well when he was travelling with his nieces in Italy

for their health。  His plans in life being broken by the death of

one of them; he was reading with the intention of going back to

college as a matter of form; taking his degree; and going into

orders。  I could not but argue with myself that here was the true

explanation of his interest in poor Meltham; and that I had been

almost brutal in my distrust on that simple head。







III。





On the very next day but one I was sitting behind my glass

partition; as before; when he came into the outer office; as

before。  The moment I saw him again without hearing him; I hated

him worse than ever。



It was only for a moment that I had this opportunity; for he waved

his tight…fitting black glove the instant I looked at him; and came

straight in。



'Mr。 Sampson; good…day!  I presume; you see; upon your kind

permission to intrude upon you。  I don't keep my word in being

justified by business; for my business here … if I may so abuse the

word … is of the slightest nature。'



I asked; was it anything I could assist him in?



'I thank you; no。  I merely called to inquire outside whether my

dilatory friend had been so false to himself as to be practical and

sensible。  But; of course; he has done nothing。  I gave him your

papers with my own hand; and he was hot upon the intention; but of

course he has done nothing。  Apart from the general human

disinclination to do anything that ought to be done; I dare say

there is a specially about assuring one's life。  You find it like

will…making。  People are so superstitious; and take it for granted

they will die soon afterwards。'



'Up here; if you please; straight up here; Mr。 Sampson。  Neither to

the right nor to the left。'  I almost fancied I could hear him

breathe the words as he sat smiling at me; with that intolerable

parting exactly opposite the bridge of my nose。



'There is such a feeling sometimes; no doubt;' I replied; 'but I

don't think it obtains to any great extent。'



'Well;' said he; 

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