CHAPTER XVIII

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_ Bernard left then and went to California; but when he arrived
there he asked himself why he had come, and was unable to mention
any other reason than that he had announced it. He began to feel
restless again, and to drift back to that chronic chagrin
which had accompanied him through his long journey in the East.
He succeeded, however, in keeping these unreasonable feelings
at bay for some time, and he strove to occupy himself,
to take an interest in Californian problems. Bernard, however,
was neither an economist nor a cattle-fancier, and he found that,
as the phrase is, there was not a great deal to take hold of.
He wandered about, admired the climate and the big peaches,
thought a while of going to Japan, and ended by going to Mexico.
In this way he passed several months, and justified,
in the eyes of other people at least, his long journey across
the Continent. At last he made it again, in the opposite sense.
He went back to New York, where the summer had already begun,
and here he invented a solution for the difficulty presented
by life to a culpably unoccupied and ill-regulated man.
The solution was not in the least original, and I am almost
ashamed to mention so stale and conventional a device.
Bernard simply hit upon the plan of returning to Europe.
Such as it was, however, he carried it out with an audacity worthy
of a better cause, and was sensibly happier since he had made up
his mind to it. Gordon Wright and his wife were out of town,
but Bernard went into the country, as boldly as you please,
to inform them of his little project and take a long leave of them.
He had made his arrangements to sail immediately, and, as at
such short notice it was impossible to find good quarters
on one of the English vessels, he had engaged a berth
on a French steamer, which would convey him to Havre.
On going down to Gordon's house in the country, he was conscious
of a good deal of eagerness to know what had become of that
latent irritation of which Blanche had given him a specimen.
Apparently it had quite subsided; Blanche was wreathed in smiles;
she was living in a bower of roses. Bernard, indeed, had no
opportunity for investigating her state of mind, for he found
several people in the house, and Blanche, who had an exalted
standard of the duties of a hostess, was occupied in making
life agreeable to her guests, most of whom were gentlemen.
She had in this way that great remedy for dissatisfaction
which Bernard lacked--something interesting to do. Bernard felt
a good deal of genuine sadness in taking leave of Gordon, to whom
he contrived to feel even more kindly than in earlier days.
He had quite forgotten that Gordon was jealous of him--
which he was not, as Bernard said. Certainly, Gordon showed
nothing of it now, and nothing could have been more friendly than
their parting. Gordon, also, for a man who was never boisterous,
seemed very contented. He was fond of exercising hospitality,
and he confessed to Bernard that he was just now in the humor
for having his house full of people. Fortune continued
to gratify this generous taste; for just as Bernard was coming
away another guest made his appearance. The new-comer was none
other than the Honourable Augustus Lovelock, who had just arrived
in New York, and who, as he added, had long desired to visit
the United States. Bernard merely witnessed his arrival,
and was struck with the fact that as he presented himself--
it seemed quite a surprise--Blanche really stopped
chattering. _

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