At last Rowland
delivered himself of the upshot of these. "How would you like," he
suddenly demanded, "to go to Rome?"
Hudson stared, and, with a hungry laugh which speedily consigned our
National Individuality to perdition, responded that he would like it
reasonably well. "And I should like, by the same token," he added,
"to go to Athens, to Constantinople, to Damascus, to the holy city of
Benares, where there is a golden statue of Brahma twenty feet tall."
"Nay," said Rowland soberly, "if you were to go to Rome, you should
settle down and work. Athens might help you, but for the present I
should n't recommend Benares."
"It will be time to arrange details when I pack my trunk," said Hudson.
"If you mean to turn sculptor, the sooner you pack your trunk the
better."
"Oh, but I 'm a practical man! What is the smallest sum per annum, on
which one can keep alive the sacred fire in Rome?"
"What is the largest sum at your disposal?"
Roderick stroked his light moustache, gave it a twist, and then
announced with mock pomposity: "Three hundred dollars!"
"The money question could be arranged," said Rowland.
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