The　Pupil
  by　Henry　James
  CHAPTER　I
  The　poor　young　man　hesitated　and　procrastinated：　　it　cost　him　such
  an　effort　to　broach　the　subject　of　terms；　to　speak　of　money　to　a
  person　who　spoke　only　of　feelings　and；　as　it　were；　of　the
  aristocracy。　　Yet　he　was　unwilling　to　take　leave；　treating　his
  engagement　as　settled；　without　some　more　conventional　glance　in
  that　direction　than　he　could　find　an　opening　for　in　the　manner　of
  the　large　affable　lady　who　sat　there　drawing　a　pair　of　soiled　gants
  de　Suede　through　a　fat　jewelled　hand　and；　at　once　pressing　and
  gliding；　repeated　over　and　over　everything　but　the　thing　he　would
  have　liked　to　hear。　　He　would　have　liked　to　hear　the　figure　of　his
  salary；　but　just　as　he　was　nervously　about　to　sound　that　note　the
  little　boy　came　back　…　the　little　boy　Mrs。　Moreen　had　sent　out　of
  the　room　to　fetch　her　fan。　　He　came　back　without　the　fan；　only　with
  the　casual　observation　that　he　couldn't　find　it。　　As　he　dropped
  this　cynical　confession　he　looked　straight　and　hard　at　the
  candidate　for　the　honour　of　taking　his　education　in　hand。　　This
  personage　reflected　somewhat　grimly　that　the　thing　he　should　have
  to　teach　his　little　charge　would　be　to　appear　to　address　himself　to
  his　mother　when　he　spoke　to　her　…　especially　not　to　make　her　such
  an　improper　answer　as　that。
  When　Mrs。　Moreen　bethought　herself　of　this　pretext　for　getting　rid
  of　their　companion　Pemberton　supposed　it　was　precisely　to　approach
  the　delicate　subject　of　his　remuneration。　　But　it　had　been　only　to
  say　some　things　about　her　son　that　it　was　better　a　boy　of　eleven
  shouldn't　catch。　　They　were　extravagantly　to　his　advantage　save
  when　she　lowered　her　voice　to　sigh；　tapping　her　left　side
  familiarly；　〃And　all　overclouded　by　THIS；　you　know；　all　at　the
  mercy　of　a　weakness　…　！〃　　Pemberton　gathered　that　the　weakness　was
  in　the　region　of　the　heart。　　He　had　known　the　poor　child　was　not
  robust：　　this　was　the　basis　on　which　he　had　been　invited　to　treat；
  through　an　English　lady；　an　Oxford　acquaintance；　then　at　Nice；　who
  happened　to　know　both　his　needs　and　those　of　the　amiable　American
  family　looking　out　for　something　really　superior　in　the　way　of　a
  resident　tutor。
  The　young　man's　impression　of　his　prospective　pupil；　who　had　come
  into　the　room　as　if　to　see　for　himself　the　moment　Pemberton　was
  admitted；　was　not　quite　the　soft　solicitation　the　visitor　had　taken
  for　granted。　　Morgan　Moreen　was　somehow　sickly　without　being
  〃delicate；〃　and　that　he　looked　intelligent　…　it　is　true　Pemberton
  wouldn't　have　enjoyed　his　being　stupid　…　only　added　to　the
  suggestion　that；　as　with　his　big　mouth　and　big　ears　he　really
  couldn't　be　called　pretty；　he　might　too　utterly　fail　to　please。
  Pemberton　was　modest；　was　even　timid；　and　the　chance　that　his　small
  scholar　might　prove　cleverer　than　himself　had　quite　figured；　to　his
  anxiety；　among　the　dangers　of　an　untried　experiment。　　He　reflected；
  however；　that　these　were　risks　one　had　to　run　when　one　accepted　a
  position；　as　it　was　called；　in　a　private　family；　when　as　yet　one's
  university　honours　had；　pecuniarily　speaking；　remained　barren。　　At
  any　rate　when　Mrs。　Moreen　got　up　as　to　intimate　that；　since　it　was
  understood　he　would　enter　upon　his　duties　within　the　week　she　would
  let　him　off　now；　he　succeeded；　in　spite　of　the　presence　of　the
  child；　in　squeezing　out　a　phrase　about　the　rate　of　payment。　　It　was
  not　the　fault　of　the　conscious　smile　which　seemed　a　reference　to
  the　lady's　expensive　identity；　it　was　not　the　fault　of　this
  demonstration；　which　had；　in　a　sort；　both　vagueness　and　point；　if
  the　allusion　didn't　sound　rather　vulgar。　　This　was　exactly　because
  she　became　still　more　gracious　to　reply：　　〃Oh　I　can　assure　you　that
  all　that　will　be　quite　regular。〃
  Pemberton　only　wondered；　while　he　took　up　his　hat；　what　〃all　that〃
  was　to　amount　to　…　people　had　such　different　ideas。　　Mrs。　Moreen's
  words；　however；　seemed　to　commit　the　family　to　a　pledge　definite
  enough　to　elicit　from　the　child　a　strange　little　comment　in　the
  shape　of　the　mocking　foreign　ejaculation　〃Oh　la…la！〃
  Pemberton；　in　some　confusion；　glanced　at　him　as　he　walked　slowly　to
  the　window　with　his　back　turned；　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　the
  air　in　his　elderly　shoulders　of　a　boy　who　didn't　play。　　The　young
  man　wondered　if　he　should　be　able　to　teach　him　to　play；　though　his
  mother　had　said　it　would　never　do　and　that　this　was　why　school　was
  impossible。　　Mrs。　Moreen　exhibited　no　discomfiture；　she　only
  continued　blandly：　　〃Mr。　Moreen　will　be　delighted　to　meet　your
  wishes。　　As　I　told　you；　he　has　been　called　to　London　for　a　week。
  As　soon　as　he　comes　back　you　shall　have　it　out　with　him。〃
  This　was　so　frank　and　friendly　that　the　young　man　could　only　reply；
  laughing　as　his　hostess　laughed：　　〃Oh　I　don't　imagine　we　shall　have
  much　of　a　battle。〃
  〃They'll　give　you　anything　you　like；〃　the　boy　remarked
  unexpectedly；　returning　from　the　window。　　〃We　don't　mind　what
  anything　costs　…　we　live　awfully　well。〃
  〃My　darling；　you're　too　quaint！〃　his　mother　exclaimed；　putting　out
  to　caress　him　a　practised　but　ineffectual　hand。　　He　slipped　out　of
  it；　but　looked　with　intelligent　innocent　eyes　at　Pemberton；　who　had
  already　had　time　to　notice　that　from　one　moment　to　the　other　his
  small　satiric　face　seemed　to　change　its　time　of　life。　　At　this
  moment　it　was　infantine；　yet　it　appeared　also　to　be　under　the
  influence　of　curious　intuitions　and　knowledges。　　Pemberton　rather
  disliked　precocity　and　was　disappointed　to　find　gleams　of　it　in　a
  disciple　not　yet　in　his　teens。　　Nevertheless　he　divined　on　the　spot
  that　Morgan　wouldn't　prove　a　bore。　　He　would　prove　on　the　contrary
  a　source　of　agitation。　　This　idea　held　the　young　man；　in　spite　of　a
  certain　repulsion。
  〃You　pompous　little　person！　　We're　not　extravagant！〃　　Mrs。　Moreen
  gaily　protested；　making　another　unsuccessful　attempt　to　draw　the
  boy　to　her　side。　　〃You　must　know　what　to　expect；〃　she　went　on　to
  Pemberton。
  〃The　less　you　expect　the　better！〃　her　companion　interposed。　　〃But
  we　ARE　people　of　fashion。〃
  〃Only　so　far　as　YOU　make　us　so！〃　Mrs。　Moreen　tenderly　mocked。
  〃Well　then；　on　Friday　…　don't　tell　me　you're　superstitious　…　and
  mind　you　don't　fail　us。　　Then　you'll　see　us　all。　　I'm　so　sorry　the
  girls　are　out。　　I　guess　you'll　like　the　girls。　　And；　you　know；　I've
  another　son；　quite　different　from　this　one。〃
  〃He　tries　to　imitate　me；〃　Morgan　said　to　their　friend。
  〃He　tries？　　Why　he's　twenty　years　old！〃　cried　Mrs。　Moreen。
  〃You're　very　witty；〃　Pemberton　remarked　to　the　child　…　a
  proposition　his　mother　echoed　with　enthusiasm；　declaring　Morgan's
  sallies　to　be　the　delight　of　the　house。
  The　boy　paid　no　heed　to　this；　he　only　enquired　abruptly　of　the
  visitor；　who　was　surprised　afterwards　that　he　hadn't　struck　him　as
  offensively　forward：　　〃Do　you　WANT　very　much　to　come？〃
  〃Can　you　doubt　it　after　such　a　description　of　what　I　shall　hear？〃
  Pemberton　replied。　　Yet　he　didn't　want　to　come　at　all；　he　was
  coming　because　he　had　to　go　somewhere；　thanks　to　the　collapse　of
  his　fortune　at　the　end　of　a　year　abroad　spent　on　the　system　of
  putting　his　scant　patrimony　into　a　single　full　wave　of　experience。
  He　had　had　his　full　wave　but　couldn't　pay　the　score　at　his　inn。
  Moreover　he　had　caught　in　the　boy's　eyes　the　glimpse　of　a　far…off
  appeal。
  〃Well；　I'll　do　the　best　I　can　for　you；〃　said　Morgan；　with　which　he
  turned　away　again。　　He　passed　out　of　one　of　the　long　windows；
  Pemberton　saw　him　go　and　lean　on　the　parapet　of　the　terrace。　　He
  remained　there　while　the　young　man　took　leave　of　his　mother；　who；
  on　Pemberton's　looking　as　if　he　expected　a　farewell　from　him；
  interposed　with：　　〃Leave　him；　leave　him；　he's　so　strange！〃
  Pemberton　supposed　her　to　fear　something　he　might　say。　　〃He's　a
  genius　…　you'll　love　him；〃　she　added。　　〃He's　much　the　most
  interesting　person　in　the　family。〃　　And　before　he　could　invent　some
  civility　to　oppose　to　this　she　wound　up　with：　　〃But　we're　all　good；
  you　know！〃
  〃He's　a　genius　…　you'll　love　him！〃　were　words　that　recurred　to　our
  aspirant　before　the　Friday；　suggesting　among　many　things　that
  geniuses　were　not　invariably　loveable。　　However；　it　was　all　the
  better　if　there　was　an　element　that　would　make　tutorship　absorbing：
  he　had　perhaps　taken　too　much　for　granted　it　would　only　disgust
  him。　　As　he　left　the　villa　after　his　interview　he　looked　up　at　the
  balcony　and　saw　the　child　leaning　over　it。　　〃We　shall　have　great
  larks！〃　he　called　up。
  Morgan　hung　fire　a　moment　and　then　gaily　returned：　　〃By　the　time
  you　come　back　I　shall　have　thought　of　something　witty！〃
  This　made　Pemberton　say　to　himself　〃After　all　he's　rather　nice。〃
  CHAPTER　II
  On　the　Friday　he　saw　them　all；　as　Mrs。　Moreen　had　promised；　for　her
  husband　had　come　back　and　the　girls　and　the　other　son　were　at　home。
  Mr。　Moreen　had　a　white　moustache；　a　confiding　manner　and；　in　his
  buttonhole；　the　rib