II + 

Mrs.┬аLevinneтАЩs drawing-room was a curious mixture of sheer blatant opulence, and an almost austere good taste. The opulence was due to herтБатАФshe liked velvet hangings and rich cushions and marble and gildingтБатАФthe taste was SebastianтАЩs. It was he who had torn down a medley of pictures from the wall and substituted two of his own choosing. His mother was reconciled to their plainness, as she called it, by the immense price that had been paid for them. The old Spanish leather screen was one of her sonтАЩs presents to herтБатАФso was the exquisite cloisonn├й vase. + 

Seated behind an unusually massive silver tea-tray, Mrs.┬аLevinne raised the teapot with two hands and made conversational inquiries, lisping slightly. + 

тАЬAnd howтАЩth your dear mother? She never comes to town nowadays. You tell her from me sheтАЩll be getting rusty.тАЭ + 

She laughed, a good-natured fat wheezy chuckle. + 

тАЬIтАЩve never regretted having this town houтАЩth as well as a country one. Deerfields is all very well, but one wantth a bit of life. And of course Sebastian will be home soon for goodтБатАФand that full of schemes as he ith! Well, well, his father was much the same. Went into deals against everybodyтАЩth advice, and instead of losing his money he doubled and trebled it every time. A smart fellow, my poor Yakob.тАЭ + 

Sebastian thought to himself: тАЬI wish she wouldnтАЩt. ThatтАЩs just the sort of remark Joe always hates. JoeтАЩs always against me nowadays.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

Mrs.┬аLevinne went on: тАЬIтАЩve got a box for Kings in Arcady on Wednesday night. What about it, my dearth? Will you come?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm awfully sorry, Mrs.┬аLevinne,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬI wish we could. But weтАЩre going down to Birmingham tomorrow.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! youтАЩre going home.тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

Why hadnтАЩt he said тАЬgoing homeтАЭ? Why did it sound so fantastic in his ears? There was only one home, of courseтБатАФAbbots Puissants. Home! A queer word, so many meanings to it. It reminded him of the ridiculous words of a song that one of JoeтАЩs young men used to bray out (what a damnable thing music was!) while he fingered his collar and looked at her sentimentally. тАЬHome, love, is where the heart is, whereтАЩer the heart may beтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

But in that case his home ought to be in Birmingham where his mother was. + 

He experienced that faint feeling of disquietude that always came over him when he thought of his mother. He was very fond of her, naturally. Mothers, of course, were hopeless people to explain things to, they never understood. But he was very fond of herтБатАФit would be unnatural if he wasnтАЩt. As she so often said, he was all she had. + 

Suddenly a little imp seemed to jump in VernonтАЩs brain. The imp said suddenly and unexpectedly: тАЬWhat rot you are talking! SheтАЩs got the house, and the servants to talk to and bully, and friends to gossip with, and her own people all round her. SheтАЩd miss all that far more than sheтАЩd miss you. She loves you, but sheтАЩs relieved when you go back to CambridgeтБатАФand even then sheтАЩs not as relieved as you are!тАЭ + 

тАЬVernon!тАЭ It was JoeтАЩs voice, sharp with annoyance. тАЬWhat are you thinking of? Mrs.┬аLevinne was asking about Abbots PuissantsтБатАФif itтАЩs still let?тАЭ + 

How fortunate that when people said, тАЬWhat are you thinking about?тАЭ they didnтАЩt in the least mean that they wanted to know! Still, you could always say тАЬNothing much,тАЭ just as when you were small you had said тАЬNothing.тАЭ + 

He answered Mrs.┬аLevinneтАЩs questions, promised to deliver her various messages to his mother. + 

Sebastian saw them to the door, they said a final goodbye and walked out into the London streets. Joe sniffed the air ecstatically. + 

тАЬHow I love London! You know, Vernon, my mindтАЩs made up. IтАЩm coming up to London to study. IтАЩm going to tackle Aunt Myra about it this time. And I wonтАЩt live with Aunt Ethel, either. IтАЩm going to be on my own.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou canтАЩt do that, Joe. Girls donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬThey do. I could share rooms with another girl or girls. But to live with Aunt Ethel, always asking me where IтАЩm going, and who withтБатАФI just canтАЩt stand it. And anyway she hates me being a suffragette.тАЭ + 

The Aunt Ethel they referred to was Aunt CarrieтАЩs sister, an aunt by courtesy only. They were staying with her at the present moment. + 

тАЬOh, and that reminds me,тАЭ went on Joe. тАЬYouтАЩve got to do something for me, Vernon.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat?тАЭ + 

тАЬTomorrow afternoon Mrs.┬аCartwrightтАЩs taking me to that Titanic Concert as a special treat.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, I donтАЩt want to goтБатАФthatтАЩs all.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou can make some excuse or other, I suppose.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs not so easy as that. You see, Aunt EthelтАЩs got to think IтАЩve gone to the concert. I donтАЩt want her ferreting out where I am going.тАЭ + 

Vernon gave a whistle. + 

тАЬOh! so thatтАЩs it? What are you really up to, Joe? Who is it this time?тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs La Marre, if you really want to know.тАЭ + 

тАЬThat bounder.тАЭ + 

тАЬHeтАЩs not a bounder. HeтАЩs wonderfulтБатАФyou donтАЩt know how wonderful he is.тАЭ + 

Vernon grinned. + 

тАЬNo, indeed I donтАЩt. I donтАЩt like Frenchmen.тАЭ + 

тАЬYouтАЩre so horribly insular. But it doesnтАЩt matter whether you like him or not. HeтАЩs going to motor me down to the country to a friendтАЩs house where his chef dтАЩoeuvre is. I do so want to go, and you know perfectly that Aunt Ethel would never let me.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou oughtnтАЩt to go racketing about the country with a fellow like that.тАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt be an ass, Vernon. DonтАЩt you know that I can look after myself?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! I suppose so.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm not one of those silly girls who know nothing about anything.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt see, though, where I come in.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, you see,тАЭ Joe displayed a trace of anxiety. тАЬYouтАЩre to go to the concert.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, I wonтАЩt do anything of the kind. You know I hate music.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! you must, Vernon. ItтАЩs the only way. If I say I canтАЩt go, sheтАЩll ring up Aunt Ethel and suggest one of the girls coming instead, and then the fat will be in the fire. But if you just turn up instead of meтБатАФIтАЩm to meet her at the Albert HallтБатАФand give some weak excuse, everything will be all right. SheтАЩs very fond of youтБатАФshe likes you heaps better than me.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut I loathe music.тАЭ + 

тАЬI know, but you can just bear it for one afternoon. An hour and a half. ThatтАЩs all it will be.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, damn it all, Joe, I donтАЩt want to.тАЭ + 

His hand shook with irritation. Joe stared at him. + 

тАЬYou are funny about music, Vernon! IтАЩve never known anyone who sort ofтБатАФwell, hates it like you. Most people just donтАЩt care for it. But I do think you might goтБатАФyou know I always do things for you.тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right,тАЭ said Vernon abruptly. + 

It was no good. It had got to be. Joe and he always stood together. After all, as she had said, it would only be an hour and a half. Why should he feel that he had taken a momentous decision? His heart felt like leadтБатАФright down in his boots. He didnтАЩt want to goтБатАФoh! he didnтАЩt want to go! + 

Like a visit to the dentistтБатАФbest not to think about it. He forced his mind away to other things. Joe looked up sharply as she heard him give vent to a chuckle. + 

тАЬWhat is it?тАЭ + 

тАЬI was thinking of you as a kidтБатАФso grand about saying you were never going to have anything to do with men. And now itтАЩs always men with you, one after the other. You fall in and out of love about once a month.тАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt be so horrid, Vernon. Those were just silly girlsтАЩ fancies. La Marre says if you have any temperament that always happensтБатАФbut the real grand passion is quite different when it comes.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, donтАЩt go and have a grand passion for La Marre.тАЭ + 

Joe did not answer. Presently she said: + 

тАЬIтАЩm not like Mother. Mother wasтБатАФwas so soft about men. She gave in to themтБатАФwould do anything for anyone she was fond of. IтАЩm not like that.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ said Vernon, after thinking for a moment. тАЬNo, I donтАЩt think you are. You wonтАЩt make a mess of your life in the same way she did. But you might make a mess of it in a different way.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat sort of a way?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt quite know. Going and marrying someone you thought you had a grand passion for, just because everyone else disliked him, and then spending your life fighting him. Or deciding to go and live with someone just because you thought Free Love was a fine idea.тАЭ + 

тАЬSo it is.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! I am not saying it isnтАЩtтБатАФthough as a matter of fact, I really think it is antisocial myself. But youтАЩre always the same. If anyone forbids you anything you always want to do itтБатАФquite irrespective of whether you really want to. I havenтАЩt put that well, but you know what I mean.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat I really want is to do something! To be a great sculptor.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs because youтАЩve got a pash for La Marre.тАЭ + 

тАЬIt isnтАЩt. Oh! Vernon, why will you be so trying? IтАЩve always wanted to do somethingтБатАФalwaysтБатАФalways! I used to say so at Abbots Puissants.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs odd,тАЭ said Vernon thoughtfully. тАЬOld Sebastian used to say then very much what he says now. Perhaps one doesnтАЩt change as much as one thinks.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou were going to marry someone very beautiful and live at Abbots Puissants always,тАЭ said Joe with slight scorn. тАЬYou donтАЩt still feel that to be your lifeтАЩs ambition, do you?тАЭ + 

тАЬOne might do worse,тАЭ said Vernon. + 

тАЬLazyтБатАФdownright lazy!тАЭ + 

Joe looked at him in unconcealed impatience. She and Vernon were so alike in some ways, and so different in others! + 

Vernon was thinking, тАЬAbbots Puissants. In a year I shall be twenty-one.тАЭ + 

They were passing a Salvation Army meeting. Joe stopped. A thin, white-faced man was standing on a box. His voice, high and raucous, came echoing across to them: + 

тАЬWhy wonтАЩt you be saved? Why wonтАЩt you? Jesus wants you! Jesus wants you!тАЭ Tremendous emphasis on the you. тАЬYes, brothers and sisters, and IтАЩll tell you something more. You want Jesus. You wonтАЩt admit it to yourselves, you turn your back on him, youтАЩre afraidтБатАФthatтАЩs what it is, youтАЩre afraid, because you want him so badlyтБатАФyou want him and you donтАЩt know!тАЭ His arms waved, his white face shone with ecstasy. тАЬBut you will knowтБатАФyou will knowтБатАФthere are things that you canтАЩt run away from forever.тАЭ He spoke slowly, almost menacingly. тАЬI say unto you, this very night shall thy soul be required of thee.тАЭ + 

Vernon turned away with a slight shiver. A woman on the outskirts of the crowd gave a hysterical sob. + 

тАЬDisgusting,тАЭ said Joe, her nose very much in the air. тАЬIndecent and hysterical! For my part, I canтАЩt see how any rational being can be anything but an atheist.тАЭ + 

Vernon smiled to himself, though he said nothing. He was remembering the time, a year ago, when Joe had risen every day to attend early service and had insisted on eating a boiled egg with some ostentation on Fridays, and had sat spellbound listening to the somewhat uninteresting but strictly dogmatical sermons of handsome Father Cuthbert at the Church of St.┬аBartholomewтАЩs, which was reputed to be so тАЬhighтАЭ that Rome itself could do no more. + 

тАЬI wonder,тАЭ he said aloud, тАЬwhat it would feel like to be тАШsavedтАЩ?тАЭ + 