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CXI

ext day Philip began work again, but the end which he
Nexpected within a few weeks did not come. The weeks
passed into months. The winter wore away, and in the parks
the trees burst into bud and into leaf. A terrible lassitude
settled upon Philip. Time was passing, though it went with
such heavy feet, and he thought that his youth was going
and soon he would have lost it and nothing would have
been accomplished. His work seemed more aimless now
that there was the certainty of his leaving it. He became
skilful in the designing of costumes, and though he had no
inventive faculty acquired quickness in the adaptation of
French fashions to the English market. Sometimes he was
not displeased with his drawings, but they always bungled
them in the execution. He was amused to notice that he
suffered from a lively irritation when his ideas were not ad-
equately carried out. He had to walk warily. Whenever he
suggested something original Mr. Sampson turned it down:
their customers did not want anything outre, it was a very
respectable class of business, and when you had a connec-
tion of that sort it wasn’t worth while taking liberties with
it. Once or twice he spoke sharply to Philip; he thought the
young man was getting a bit above himself, because Philip’s
ideas did not always coincide with his own.
‘You jolly well take care, my fine young fellow, or one of

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