was waiting on the doorstep to come in.
"Will you come in?" said Alvina. "Father is in."
"Yes, I don't mind," he said, pleased. He mounted the steps, still
holding his bunch of white stocks.
James Houghton screwed round in his chair and peered over his
spectacles to see who was coming.
"Father," said Alvina, "you know Mr. Witham, don't you?"
James Houghton half rose. He still peered over his glasses at the
intruder.
"Well--I do by sight. How do you do?"
He held out his frail hand.
Albert held back, with the flowers in his own hand, and giving his
broad, pleased, pale-gleaming smile from father to daughter, he
said:
"What am I to do with these? Will you accept them, Miss Houghton?"
He stared at her with shining, pallid smiling eyes.
"Are they for me?" she said, with false brightness. "Thank you."
James Houghton looked over the top of his spectacles, searchingly,
at the flowers, as if they had been a bunch of white and
sharp-toothed ferrets. Then he looked as suspiciously at the hand
which Albert at last extended to him. He shook it slightly, and
said:
"Take a seat."
"I'm afraid I'm disturbing you in your reading," said Albert, still
having the drawn, excited smile on his face.
"Well--" said James Houghton. "The light is fading."
Alvina came in with the flowers in a jar. She set them on the table.
"Haven't they a lovely scent?" she said.
"Do you think so?" he replied, again with the excited smile. There
was a pause. Albert, rather embarrassed, reached forward, saying:
"May I see what you're reading!" And he turned over the book.
"'Tommy and Grizel!' Oh yes! What do you think of it?"
"Well," said James, "I am only in the beginning."
"I think it's interesting, myself," said Albert, "as a study of a
man who can't get away from himself. You meet a lot of people like
that. What I wonder is why they find it such a drawback."
"Find what a drawback?" asked James.
"Not being able to get away from themselves. That
self-consciousness. It hampers them, and interferes with their power
of action. Now I wonder why self-consciousness should hinder a man
in his action? Why does it cause misgiving? I think I'm
self-conscious, but I don't think I have so many misgivings. I don't
see that they're necessary."
"Certainly I think Tommy is a weak character. I believe he's a
despicable character," said James.
"No, I don't know so much about that," said Albert. "I shouldn't say
weak, exactly. He's only weak in one direction. No, what I wonder is
why he feels guilty. If you feel self-conscious, there's no need to
feel guilty about it, is there?"
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