I + 

The friendship with Sebastian Levinne prospered and throve apace. Half the zest of it lay in the secrecy that had to be adopted. VernonтАЩs mother would have been horrified if she had guessed at anything of the kind. The Levinnes would certainly not have been horrifiedтБатАФbut their gratification might have led to equally dire results. + 

School time passed on leaden wings for poor Joe, cooped up with a daily governess, who arrived every morning, and who subtly disapproved of her outspoken and rebellious pupil. Joe only lived for the holidays. As soon as they came, she and Vernon would set off to a secret meeting place where there was a convenient gap in a hedge. They had invented a code of whistles and many unnecessary signals. Sometimes Sebastian would be there before timeтБатАФlying on the brackenтБатАФhis yellow face and jutting out ears looking strangely at variance with his knickerbocker suit. + 

They played games, but they also talkedтБатАФhow they talked! Sebastian told them stories of Russia. They learnt of the persecution of JewsтБатАФof pogroms! Sebastian himself had never been in Russia, but he had lived for years amongst other Russian Jews and his own father had narrowly escaped with his life in a pogrom. Sometimes he would say sentences in Russian to please Vernon and Joe. It was all entrancing. + 

тАЬEverybody hates us down here,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬBut it doesnтАЩt matter. They wonтАЩt be able to do without us because my father is so rich. You can buy everything with money.тАЭ + 

He had a certain queer arrogance about him. + 

тАЬYou canтАЩt buy everything,тАЭ objected Vernon. тАЬOld NicollтАЩs son has come home from the war without a leg. Money couldnтАЩt make his leg grow again.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ admitted Sebastian. тАЬI didnтАЩt mean things like that. But money would get you a very good wooden leg, and the best kind of crutches.тАЭ + 

тАЬI had crutches once,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬIt was rather fun. And I had an awfully nice nurse to look after me.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou see, you couldnтАЩt have had that if you hadnтАЩt been rich.тАЭ + 

Was he rich? He supposed he was. HeтАЩd never thought about it. + 

тАЬI wish I was rich,тАЭ said Joe. + 

тАЬYou can marry me when you grow up,тАЭ said Sebastian, тАЬand then you will be.тАЭ + 

тАЬIt wouldnтАЩt be nice for Joe if nobody came to see her,тАЭ objected Vernon. + 

тАЬI wouldnтАЩt mind that a bit,тАЭ said Joe. тАЬI wouldnтАЩt care what Aunt Myra or anybody said. IтАЩd marry Sebastian if I wanted to.тАЭ + 

тАЬPeople will come and see her then,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬYou donтАЩt realize. Jews are frightfully powerful. My father says people canтАЩt do without them. ThatтАЩs why Sir Charles Alington had to sell us Deerfields.тАЭ + 

A sudden chill came over Vernon. He felt without putting the thought into words that he was talking to a member of an enemy race. But he felt no antagonism towards Sebastian. That was over long ago. He and Sebastian were friendsтБатАФsomehow he was sure they always would be. + 

тАЬMoney,тАЭ said Sebastian, тАЬisnтАЩt just buying things. ItтАЩs ever so much more than that. And it isnтАЩt only having power over people. ItтАЩsтБатАФitтАЩsтБатАФbeing able to get together lots of beauty.тАЭ + 

He made a queer un-English gesture with his hands. + 

тАЬWhat do you mean,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬby get together?тАЭ + 

Sebastian didnтАЩt know what he meant. The words had just come. + 

тАЬAnyway,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬthings arenтАЩt beauty.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, they are. Deerfields is beautifulтБатАФbut not nearly so beautiful as Abbots Puissants.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhen Abbots Puissants belongs to me,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬyou can come and stay there as much as ever you like. WeтАЩre always going to be friends, arenтАЩt we? No matter what anyone says?тАЭ + 

тАЬWeтАЩre always going to be friends,тАЭ said Sebastian. + 