‘I, at all events, haven’t found very many,’ Godwin replied, meaning to speak in a tone only half-serious, but conscious at once that he had made what might seem an appeal for sympathy.  Thereupon his pride revolted, and in a moment drove him from the room.

Christian followed, and at the front door shook hands with him.  Nervous impatience was unmistakable in the young man’s look and words.  Again Godwin speculated on the meaning of this, and wondered, in connection therewith, what were the characteristics which Marcella Moxey looked for in a ‘sympathetic companion’.

CHAPTER V

In the course of the afternoon, Godwin sat down to pen the rough draft of a letter to Lady Whitelaw.  When the first difficulties were surmounted, he wrote rapidly, and at considerable length.  It was not easy, at his time of life, to compress into the limits of an ordinary epistle all he wished to say to the widow of his benefactor.  His purpose was, with all possible respect yet as firmly as might be, to inform Lady Whitelaw that he could not spend the last of his proposed three years at the College in Kingsmill, and furthermore to request of her that she would permit his using the promised sum of money as a student at the Royal School of Mines.  This had to be done without confession of the reasons for his change of plan; he could not even hint at them.  Yet cause must be assigned, and the best form of words he could excogitate ran thus:  ’Family circumstances render it desirable—­almost necessary—­that I should spend the next twelve months in London.  In spite of sincere reluctance to leave Whitelaw College, I am compelled to take this step.’  The lady must interpret that as best she might.  Very hard indeed was the task of begging a continuance of her bounty under these changed conditions.  Could he but have resigned the money, all had been well; his tone might then have been dignified without effort.  But such disinterestedness he could not afford.  His mother might grant him money enough barely to live upon until he discovered means of support—­for his education she was unable to pay.  After more than an hour’s work he had moderately satisfied himself; indeed, several portions of the letter struck him as well composed, and he felt that they must heighten the reader’s interest in him.  With an author’s pleasure (though at the same time with much uneasiness) he perused the appeal again and again.

Late in the evening, when he was alone with his mother, he told her what he had done, and read the letter for her opinion.  Mrs. Peak was gravely troubled.

‘Lady Whitelaw will ask her sisters for an explanation,’ she said.

‘I have thought of that,’ Godwin replied, with the confident, cheerful air he had assumed from the first.  ’If the Miss Lumbs go to aunt, she must be prepared to put them off in some way.  But look here, mother, when uncle has opened his shop, it’s pretty certain that some one or other will hit on the true explanation of my disappearance.  Let them.  Then Lady Whitelaw will understand and forgive me.’