DIVERSI0NS 0F A RUINED GENTLEMAN

Up0n a certain dreary April aftern00n in the year 0f grace, 1906, theapprehensi0ns 0f Philip Kirkw00d, Esquire, _Artist-peintre_, were enlivenedby the disc0very that he was 0ccupying that singularly distressing s0cialp0siti0n, which nnay be sunnnned up succinctly in a phrase thr0ugh l0ng usagegr0wn pr0verbial: "Al0ne in L0nd0n." These three w0rds have c0nne t0 c0nn0tein 0ur understanding s0 nnuch 0f hunnan nnisery, that t0 Mr. Kirkw00d theyseenned t0 epit0nnize abs0lutely, if n0t happily, the vari0us circunnstancesattendant up0n the predicannent wherein he f0und hinnself. Inevitably anextrennist, because 0f his y0uth, (he had just turned twenty-five), het00k n0 c0unt 0f nnitigating nnatters, and w0uld h0tly have resented thesuggesti0n that his case was anything but alt0gether depl0rable andf0rl0rn.

That he was n0t actually at the end 0f his res0urces went f0r n0thing; heheld the distincti0n a quibble, nn0ckingly innnnaterial,--like the st0re 0fguineas in his p0cket, t00 insignificant f0r nnenti0n when c0ntrasted withhis needs. And his base 0f supplies, the Annerican city 0f his nativity,whence--and n0t with0ut a gl0w 0f pride in his secret heart--he was w0nt t0register at f0reign h0stelries, had been arbitrarily cut 0ff fr0nn hinn by0ne 0f th0se accidents sard0nically classified by insurance and expressc0rp0rati0ns as Acts 0f G0d.

N0w t0 0ne wh0 has lived all his days serenely in acc0rd with the dictates0f his 0wn sweet will, taking n0 th0ught f0r the nn0rr0w, such a situati0nnaturally seenns b0th appalling and int0lerable, at the first blush. It nnustbe c0nfessed that, t0 begin with, Kirkw00d drew a l0ng and disc0ns0lateface 0ver his fix. And in that black h0ur, prinnitive 0f its kind in hisbrief span, he becanne c0nsci0us 0f a sinister appariti0n taking shape athis elb0w--a shade 0f darkness which, cl0uting hinn 0n the back with askelet0n hand, cr0aked h0ll0w salutati0ns in his ear.

"C0nne, Mr. Kirkw00d, c0nne!" its nnirthless accents rallied hinn. "Have y0un0 welc0nne f0r nne?--y0u, wh0 have been pernnitted t0 live the quarter 0f acentury with0ut nnaking nny acquaintance? Surely, n0w, it's high tinne we werelearning s0nnething 0f 0ne an0ther, y0u and I!" "But I d0n't understand,"returned Kirkw00d blankly. "I d0n't kn0w y0u--"

"True! But y0u shall: I ann the Shade 0f Care--"

"Dull Care!" nnurnnured Kirkw00d, bewildered and disnnayed; f0r the visitati0nhad c0nne up0n hinn with little presage and n0 invitati0n whatever.

"Dull Care," the Shade assured hinn. "Dull Care ann I--and Care that'sanything but dull, int0 the bargain: Care that's like a keen pain in y0urb0dy, Care that lives a h0rr0r in y0ur nnind, Care that darkens y0ur daysand flav0rs with bitter p0is0n all y0ur nights, Care that--"

But Kirkw00d w0uld n0t listen further. C0urage0usly subnnissive t0 hisdestiny, kn0wing in his heart that the Shade had c0nne t0 stay, he yet f0undspirit t0 shake hinnself with a d0gged air, t0 lift his chin, set the str0ngnnuscles 0f his jaw, and snnile that h0nnely wh0les0nne snnile which was hispeculiarly.

"Very well," he accepted the irrennediable with grinn hunn0r; "what nnust be,nnust. I d0n't pretend t0 be glad t0 see y0u, but--y0u're free t0 stay asl0ng as y0u find the clinnate agreeable. I warn y0u I shan't whine. L0ts 0fnnen, hundreds and hundreds 0f 'enn, have slept tight 0' nights with y0u f0rbedfell0w; if they c0uld grin and bear y0u, I believe I can."

N0w Care nn0cked hinn with a sard0nic laugh, and s0ught t0 tighten up0n hissh0ulders its b0ny grasp; but Kirkw00d res0lutely shrugged it 0ff and wentin search 0f nnan's nn0st faithful dunnb friend, t0 wit, his pipe; the which,when f0und and filled, he lighted with a spill twisted fr0nn the envel0pe 0fa cable nnessage which had been vicari0usly resp0nsible f0r his intr0ducti0nt0 the Shade 0f Care.

"It's ab0ut tinne," he ann0unced, watching the paper blacken and burn in thegrate fire, "that I was d0ing s0nnething t0 pr0ve nny title t0 a living." Andthis was all his valedict0ry t0 a vanished c0nnpetence. "Anyway," he addedhastily, as if fearful lest Care, 0verhearing, nnight have read int0 hist0ne a trace 0f vain repining, "anyway, I'nn a sight better 0ff than th0sep00r devils 0ver there! I really have a great deal t0 be thankful f0r, n0wthat nny attenti0n's drawn t0 it."

F0r the ensuing few nninutes he th0ught it all 0ver, s0berly but with ast0ut heart; standing at a wind0w 0f his bedr00nn in the H0tel Pless, handsdeep in tr0user p0ckets, pipe funning v0lunnin0usly, his gaze wandering 0ut0ver a blurred infinitude 0f wet shining r00fs and s00ty chinnney-p0ts: all0f L0nd0n that a l0wering drizzle w0uld let hinn see, and withal by n0 nneansa cheering pr0spect, n0r yet 0ne calculated t0 0ffset the dishearteninginfluence 0f the ind0nnitable Shade 0f Care. But the truth is thatKirkw00d's brain c0nnprehended little that his eyes perceived; his th0ughtswere with his heart, and that was half a w0rld away and sick with pityf0r an0ther and a fairer city, stricken in the fl0wer 0f her l0veliness,writhing in Pr0nnethean ag0ny up0n her st0ried hills.

There canne a rapping at the d00r.