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whentheywentonpeacefulparadesortocourtballs,
ortotheSirJoshuaReynoldsoftheperiod
tobepainted.They’vebeentinsoldiers,Francis!
You’reatinsoldier,andI’vejustceasedtobeatin
soldier.Iftherewasthesmallestchanceofbeing
usefulinthearmy,bywhichImeanstandingupand
beingshotatbecauseIamEnglish,Iwouldnotdream
ofthrowingitup.Butthere’snosuchchance.”
Michaelpausedamomentinhissermon,andbeat
outtheashesfromhispipeagainstthegrate.
Anyhowthechanceistooremote,”hesaid.Allthe
nationswitharmiesandnaviesaretoomuchafraid
ofeachothertodomorethangrowl.AlsoIhappen
towanttodosomethingdifferentwithmylife,andyou
can’tdoanythingunlessyoubelieveinwhatyouare
doing.Iwanttoleavebehindmesomethingmorethan
theportraitofatinsoldierinthedining-room
atAshbridge.Afterall,isn’tanartisticprofessionthe
greatestthereis?Forwhatcounts,whatisofvalue
intheworldto-day?Greekstatues,theItalianpictures,
thesymphoniesofBeethoven,theplays
ofShakespeare.Thepeoplewhohavemadebeautiful
thingsaretheywhoarethebenefactorsofmankind.
Atleast,sothepeoplewholovebeautifulthingsthink.”
Francisglancedathiscousin.Heknewthis
interestingvitalsideofMichael;hewasaware,too,
thathadanybodyexcepthimselfbeenintheroom,
Michaelcouldnothaveshownit.Perhapstheremight
bepeopletowhomhecouldshowitbutcertainlythey
werenotthoseamongwhomMichael’slifewaspassed.
Goon,”hesaidencouragingly.You’reripping,
Mike.”
Well,thenuisanceofitisthatthethings
Iamrippingaboutappeartofathertobeasort
ofindoorgame.It’sallrighttoplaythepiano,ifit’stoo
wettoplaygolf.Youcanamuseyourselfwithpainting
iftherearen’tanypheasantstoshoot.Infact,hewill
thinkthatmywantingtobecomeamusicianismuch
thesamethingasifIwantedtobecomeabilliard-
