‘Of course it would.  I wish I had the courage.’

‘I’m going to spend the winter in Wales,’ said Harvey.  ’An out-of-the-world place in Carnarvonshire —­ mountains and sea.  Come along with me, and get the mephitis blown out of you.  You’ve got town disease, street-malaria, lodging-house fever.’

‘By Jove, I’ll think of it,’ replied the other, with a strange look of eagerness.  ’But I don’t know whether I can.  No, I can’t be sure.  But I’ll try.’

‘What holds you?’

’Well, I like to be near, you know, to her.  And then —­ all sorts of difficulties ——­’

Morphew had his lodgings at present in a street near Chelsea Hospital, a poor-looking place, much inferior to those in which Rolfe had formerly seen him.  His two rooms were at the top, and he had converted a garret into a dark chamber for his photographic amusement.  Dirt and disorder made the sitting-room very uninviting; Rolfe looked about him, and wondered what principle of corruption was at work in the young man’s life.

Morphew showed a new portrait of his betrothed, Henrietta Winter; a comely face, shadowed with pensiveness.  ’Taken at Torquay; she sent it a day or two ago. —­ I’ve been thinking of giving her up.  If I do, I shall do it brutally and savagely, to make it easy for her.  I’ve spoilt her life, and I’m pretty sure I’ve ruined my own.’

He brought out a bottle of whisky and half filled two tumblers.  His own measure he very slightly diluted, and drank it off at once.

‘You’re at a bad pass, my boy,’ remarked Rolfe.  ’What’s wrong?  Something more than usual, I know.  Make a clean breast of it.’

Morphew continued to declare that he was only low-spirited from the longstanding causes, and, though Rolfe did not believe him, nothing more could at present be elicited.  The talk turned to photography, but still had no life in it.

‘I think you had better dine with me this evening,’ said Harvey.

‘Impossible.  I wish I could.  An engagement.’

The young man shuffled about, and after a struggle with embarrassment, aided by another tumbler of whisky, threw out something he wished to say.

‘It’s deuced hard to ask you, but —­ could you lend me some money?’

‘Of course.  How much?  Why do you make such a sputter about it?’

’I’ve been making a fool of myself —­ got into difficulties.  Will you let me have fifty pounds?’

’Yes, if you’ll promise to clear at once out of this dust-bin, and in a month or so come into Wales.’

’You’re an awfully good fellow, Rolfe, —­ and I’m a damned fool.  I promise!  I will!  I’ll get out of it, and then I’ll think about breaking with that girl.  Better for both of us —­ but you shall advise me. —­ I’ll tell you everything some day.  I can’t now.  I’m too ashamed of myself.’

When he got home, Harvey wrote a cheque for fifty pounds, and posted it at once.