III
I
тАЬDo you mind just going over that once more, Mr.┬аFlemming?тАЭ
тАЬWillingly.тАЭ
Precise, dry, even, word after word fell from the old lawyerтАЩs lips. His meaning was clear and unmistakable! Too much so! It didnтАЩt leave a loophole for doubt.
Vernon listened. His face was very white, his hands grasped the arms of the chair in which he was sitting.
It couldnтАЩt be trueтБатАФit couldnтАЩt! And yet, after all, hadnтАЩt Mr.┬аFlemming said very much the same, years ago? Yes, but then there had been the magic words тАЬtwenty-oneтАЭ to look forward to. тАЬTwenty-oneтАЭ which by a blessed miracle was to make everything right. Instead of which:
тАЬMind you, the position is infinitely improved from what it was at the time of your fatherтАЩs death, but it is no good pretending we are out of the wood. The mortgageтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
Surely, surely, they had never mentioned a mortgage? Well, it wouldnтАЩt have been much use, he supposed, to a boy of nine. No good trying to get round it. The plain truth was that he couldnтАЩt afford to live at Abbots Puissants.
He waited till Mr.┬аFlemming had finished, and then said: тАЬBut if my motherтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
тАЬOh! of course. If Mrs.┬аDeyre were prepared toтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ He left the sentence unfinished, paused and then added: тАЬBut, if I may say so, every time that I have had the pleasure of seeing Mrs.┬аDeyre, she has seemed to me to be very settledтБатАФvery settled indeed. I suppose you know that she bought the freehold of Carey Lodge two years ago?тАЭ
Vernon hadnтАЩt known it. He saw plainly enough what it meant. Why hadnтАЩt his mother told him? HadnтАЩt she had the courage? He had always taken it for granted that she would come back with him to Abbots Puissants, not so much because he longed for her presence there, as because it wasтБатАФquite naturallyтБатАФher home.
But it wasnтАЩt her home. It never could be in the sense that Carey Lodge was her home.
He could appeal to her, of course. Beg her, for his sake, because he wanted it so much.
No, a thousand times no! You couldnтАЩt beg favours from people you didnтАЩt really love. And he didnтАЩt really love his mother. He didnтАЩt believe he ever really had. Queer and sad and a little dreadful, but there it was.
If he never saw her again, would he mind? Not really. He would like to know that she was well and happyтБатАФcared for. But he wouldnтАЩt miss her, would never feel a longing for her presence. Because, in a queer way, he didnтАЩt really like her. He disliked the touch of her hands, always had to take a hold on himself before kissing her good night. HeтАЩd never been able to tell her anythingтБатАФshe never understood or knew what he was feeling. She had been a good loving motherтБатАФand he didnтАЩt even like her! Rather horrible, he supposed, most people would say.тБатАКтБатАж
He said quietly to Mr.┬аFlemming: тАЬYou are quite right. I am sure my mother would not wish to leave Carey Lodge.тАЭ
тАЬNow, there are one or two alternatives open to you, Mr.┬аDeyre. Major Salmon, who, as you know, has rented it furnished all these years, is anxious to buyтБатАФтАЭ
тАЬNo!тАЭ The word burst from Vernon like a pistol shot.
Mr.┬аFlemming smiled.
тАЬI was sure you would say that. And I must confess I am glad. There have beenтБатАФerтБатАФDeyres at Abbots Puissants for, let me see, nearly five hundred years. Nevertheless, I should be failing in my duty if I didnтАЩt point out to you that the price offered is a good one, and that if, later, you should decide to sell, it may not be easy to find a suitable purchaser.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs out of the question.тАЭ
тАЬVery good. Then the best thing, I think, is to try and let once more. Major Salmon definitely wants to buy a place, so it will mean finding a new tenant. But I dare say we shall have no great difficulty. The point is, how long do you want to let for? To let the place for another long term of years is, I should say, not very desirable. Life is very uncertain. Who knows, in a few years the state of affairs may haveтБатАФerтБатАФchanged very considerably, and you may be in a position to take up residence there yourself.тАЭ
тАЬSo I shall, but not the way you think, you old dunderhead,тАЭ thought Vernon. тАЬItтАЩll be because IтАЩve made a name for myself in musicтБатАФnot because Mother is dead. IтАЩm sure I hope sheтАЩll live to be ninety.тАЭ
He exchanged a few more words with Mr.┬аFlemming, then rose to go.
тАЬIтАЩm afraid this has been rather a shock to you,тАЭ said the old lawyer as he shook hands.
тАЬYesтБатАФjust a bit. IтАЩve been building castles in the air, I suppose.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre going down to spend your twenty-first birthday with your mother, I suppose?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬYou might talk things over with your uncle, Mr.┬аBent. A very shrewd man of business. He has a daughter about your age, I think?тАЭ
тАЬYes, Enid. The two eldest are married, and the two youngest are at school. EnidтАЩs about a year younger than I am.тАЭ
тАЬAh! very pleasant to have a cousin of oneтАЩs own age. I dare say you will see a good deal of her.тАЭ
тАЬOh, I donтАЩt suppose I shall,тАЭ said Vernon vaguely.
Why should he be seeing a lot of Enid? She was a dull girl. But of course Mr.┬аFlemming didnтАЩt know that.
Funny old chap. What on earth was there to put on such a sly, knowing expression about?
II
тАЬWell, Mother, I donтАЩt seem to be exactly the young heir!тАЭ
тАЬOh! well, dear, you mustnтАЩt worry. Things arrange themselves, you know. You must have a good talk with your Uncle Sydney.тАЭ
Silly! What good could a talk with his Uncle Sydney do him?
Fortunately the matter was not referred to again. The extraordinary surprise was that Joe had been allowed to have her way. She was actually in LondonтБатАФsomewhat dragoned and chaperoned, it is trueтБатАФbut still she had got her way.
His mother seemed always to be whispering mysteriously to friends. Vernon caught her at it one day.
тАЬYesтБатАКтБатАж quite inseparable, they wereтБатАКтБатАж so I thought it wiserтБатАКтБатАж it would be such a pityтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ And what Vernon called the тАЬother tabbyтАЭ said something about тАЬFirst cousinsтБатАКтБатАж most unwiseтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ And his mother with a suddenly heightened colour and raised voice had said: тАЬOh! I donтАЩt think in every case.тАЭ
тАЬWho were first cousins?тАЭ asked Vernon later. тАЬWhat was all the mystery about?тАЭ
тАЬMystery, darling? I donтАЩt know what you mean.тАЭ
тАЬWell, you shut up when I came in. I wondered what it was all about?тАЭ
тАЬOh! nothing interesting. Some people you donтАЩt know.тАЭ
She looked rather red and confused.
Vernon wasnтАЩt curious. He asked no more.
He missed Joe most frightfully. Carey Lodge was pretty deadly without her. For one thing, he saw more of Enid than he had ever done before. She was always coming in to see Myra, and Vernon would find himself let in for taking her to roller skate at the new rink, or for some deadly party or other.
Myra told Vernon that it would be nice if he asked Enid up to Cambridge for May week. She was so persistent about it that Vernon gave in. After all, it didnтАЩt matter. Sebastian would have Joe and he himself didnтАЩt much care. Dancing was rather rot. Everything was rot that interfered with musicтБатАКтБатАж
The evening before his departure Uncle Sydney came to Carey Lodge and Myra pushed Vernon into the study with him and said: тАЬYour Uncle SydneyтАЩs come to have a little talk with you, Vernon.тАЭ
Mr.┬аBent hemmed and hawed for a minute or two and then, rather surprisingly, came straight to the point. Vernon had never liked his uncle as much. His facetious manner had been entirely laid aside.
тАЬIтАЩm coming straight out with what I want to say, my boyтБатАФbut I donтАЩt want you interrupting till IтАЩve finished. See?тАЭ
тАЬYes, Uncle Sydney.тАЭ
тАЬThe long and short of it is just this. I want you to come into BentтАЩs. Now remember what I saidтБатАФno interruptions! I know youтАЩve never thought of such a thing, and I dare say the idea isnтАЩt very congenial to you now. IтАЩm a plain man, and I can face facts as well as anyone. If youтАЩd got a good income and could live at Abbots Puissants like a gentleman, there wouldnтАЩt be any question of the thing. Well, I accept that. YouтАЩre like your fatherтАЩs people. But for all that, youтАЩve got good Bent blood in your veins, my boy, and bloodтАЩs bound to tell.
тАЬIтАЩve got no son of my own. IтАЩm willingтБатАФif youтАЩre willingтБатАФto look upon you as a son. The girls are provided for, and handsomely provided for at that. And mind you, it wonтАЩt be a case of toiling for life. IтАЩm not unreasonableтБатАФand I realize just as much as you do what that place of yours stands for. YouтАЩre a young fellow. You go into the business when you come down from CambridgeтБатАФmind you, you go into it from the bottom. YouтАЩll start at a moderate salary and work up. If you want to retire before youтАЩre forty, well, you can do so. Please yourself. YouтАЩll be a rich man by then, and youтАЩll be able to run Abbots Puissants as it should be run.
тАЬYouтАЩll marry young, I hope. Excellent thing, young marriages. Your eldest boy succeeds to the place, the younger sons find a first-class business to step into where they can show what theyтАЩre made of. IтАЩm proud of BentтАЩsтБатАФas proud of BentтАЩs as you are of Abbots PuissantsтБатАФthatтАЩs why I understand your feeling about the old place. I donтАЩt want you to have to sell it. Let it go out of the family after all these yearsтБатАФthat would be a shame. Well, thereтАЩs the offer.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs most awfully good of you, Uncle SydneyтБатАФтАЭ began Vernon.
His uncle threw up a large square hand and stopped him.
тАЬWeтАЩll leave it at that, if you please. I donтАЩt want an answer now. In fact I wonтАЩt have one. When you come down from CambridgeтБатАФthatтАЩs time enough.тАЭ
He rose.
тАЬKind of you to ask Enid up for May Week. Very excited about it, she is. If you knew what that girl thought of you, Vernon, youтАЩd be quite conceited. Ah! well, girls will be girls.тАЭ
Laughing boisterously, he slammed the front door.
Vernon remained in the hall frowning. It was really jolly decent of Uncle SydneyтБатАФjolly decent.
Not that he was going to accept. All the money in the world wouldnтАЩt tear him from music.
And, somehow, he would have Abbots Puissants as well.
III
May Week!
Joe and Enid were at Cambridge. Vernon had been let in for Ethel, too, as chaperon. The world seemed largely composed of Bents just at present.
Joe had burst out at once with: тАЬWhy on earth did you ask Enid?тАЭ
He had answered: тАЬOh! Mother went on about itтБатАФit doesnтАЩt really matter.тАЭ
Nothing mattered to Vernon just then except one thing. Joe talked privately to Sebastian about that.
тАЬIs Vernon really in earnest about this music business? Will he ever be any good? I suppose itтАЩs just a passing craze?тАЭ
But Sebastian was unexpectedly serious.
тАЬItтАЩs extraordinarily interesting, you know,тАЭ he said. тАЬAs far as I can make out, what Vernon is aiming at is something entirely revolutionary. HeтАЩs mastering now what you might call the main facts, and mastering them at an extraordinary rate. Old Coddington admits that, though, of course, he snorts at VernonтАЩs ideasтБатАФor would if Vernon ever let out about them. The person whoтАЩs interested is old JeffriesтБатАФmathematics! He says VernonтАЩs ideas of music are fourth dimensional.
тАЬI donтАЩt know if Vernon will ever pull it offтБатАФor whether heтАЩll be considered as a harmless lunatic. The borderline is very narrow, I imagine. Old Jeffries is very enthusiastic. But not in the least encouraging. He points out, quite rightly, that to attempt to discover something new and force it on the world is always a thankless task, and that in all probability the truths that Vernon is discovering wonтАЩt be accepted for at least another two hundred years. HeтАЩs a queer old codger. Sits about thinking of imaginary curves in spaceтБатАФthat sort of thing.
тАЬBut I see his point. Vernon isnтАЩt creating something new. HeтАЩs discovering something thatтАЩs already there. Rather like a scientist. Jeffries says that VernonтАЩs dislike of music as a child is perfectly understandableтБатАФto his ear musicтАЩs incompleteтБатАФitтАЩs like a picture out of drawing. The whole perspective is wrong. It sounds to Vernon likeтБатАФI supposeтБатАФa primitive savageтАЩs music would sound to usтБатАФmostly unendurable discord.
тАЬJeffries is full of queer ideas. Start him off on squares and cubes, and geometrical figures and the speed of light, and he goes quite mad. He writes to a German fellow called Einstein. The queer thing is that he isnтАЩt a bit musical, and yet he can seeтБатАФor says he canтБатАФexactly what Vernon is driving at.тАЭ
Joe cogitated deeply.
тАЬWell,тАЭ she said at last, тАЬI donтАЩt understand a word of all this. But it looks as though Vernon might make a success of it all.тАЭ
Sebastian was discouraging.
тАЬI wouldnтАЩt say that. Vernon may be a geniusтБатАФand thatтАЩs quite a different thing. Nobody welcomes genius. On the other hand he may be just slightly mad. He sounds mad enough sometimes when he gets goingтБатАФand yet, somehow, IтАЩve always got a kind of feeling that heтАЩs rightтБатАФthat in some odd way he knows what heтАЩs talking about.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩve heard about Uncle SydneyтАЩs offer?тАЭ
тАЬYes. Vernon seems to be turning it down very light-heartedly, and yet, you know, itтАЩs a good thing.тАЭ
тАЬYou wouldnтАЩt have him accept it?тАЭ flamed out Joe.
Sebastian remained provokingly cool.
тАЬI donтАЩt know. It needs thinking about. Vernon may have wonderful theories about this music businessтБатАФthereтАЩs nothing to show that heтАЩs ever going to be able to put them into practice.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre maddening,тАЭ said Joe, turning away.
Sebastian annoyed her nowadays. All his cool analytical faculties seemed to be uppermost. If he had enthusiasms, he hid them carefully.
And to Joe, just now, enthusiasm seemed the most necessary thing in the world. She had a passion for lost causes, for minorities. She was a passionate champion of the weak and oppressed.
Sebastian, she felt, was only interested in successes. She accused him in her own mind of judging everyone and everything from a monetary standard. Most of the time they were together, they fought and bickered incessantly.
Vernon, too, seemed separated from her. Music was the only thing he wanted to talk about, and even then on lines that were not familiar to her.
His preoccupation was entirely with instrumentsтБатАФtheir scope and power, and the violin which Joe herself played seemed the instrument in which he was least interested. Joe was quite unfitted to talk about clarinets, trombones and bassoons. VernonтАЩs ambition in life seemed to be to form friendships with players of these instruments so as to be able to acquire some practical as opposed to theoretical knowledge.
тАЬDonтАЩt you know any bassoon players?тАЭ
Joe said she didnтАЩt.
Vernon said that she might as well make herself useful, and try to pick up some musical friends. тАЬEven a French horn would do,тАЭ he said kindly.
He drew an experimental finger round the edge of his finger-bowl. Joe shuddered and clapped both hands to her ears. The sound increased in volume. Vernon smiled dreamily and ecstatically.
тАЬOne ought to be able to catch that and harness it. I wonder how it could be done. ItтАЩs a lovely round sound, isnтАЩt it? Like a circle.тАЭ
Sebastian took the finger-bowl forcibly away from him, and he wandered round the room and rang various goblets experimentally.
тАЬNice lot of glasses in this room,тАЭ he said appreciatively.
тАЬYouтАЩre drowning sailors,тАЭ said Joe.
тАЬCanтАЩt you be satisfied with bells and a triangle?тАЭ asked Sebastian. тАЬAnd a little gong to beat.тАЭ
тАЬNo,тАЭ said Vernon. тАЬI want glass.тБатАКтБатАж LetтАЩs have the Venetian and the Waterford together.тБатАКтБатАж IтАЩm glad you have these aesthetic tastes, Sebastian. Have you got a common glass that I can smash?тБатАФall the tinkling fragments. Wonderful stuffтБатАФglass!тАЭ
тАЬSymphony of goblets,тАЭ said Joe scathingly.
тАЬWell, why not? I suppose somebody once pulled a bit of catgut tight and found it made a squawky noise, and somebody once blew through a reed and liked it. I wonder when they first thought of making things of brass and metal. I dare say some book tells you.тАЭ
тАЬColumbus and the egg. You and SebastianтАЩs glass goblets. Why not a slate and a slate pencil?тАЭ
тАЬIf youтАЩve got oneтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
тАЬIsnтАЩt he too funny?тАЭ giggled Enid. And that stopped the conversationтБатАФfor the time, at any rate.
Not that Vernon really minded her presence. He was far too wrapped up in his ideas to be sensitive about them. Enid and Ethel were welcome to laugh as much as they chose.
But he was slightly disturbed by the lack of harmony between Joe and Sebastian. The three of them had always been such a united trio.
тАЬI donтАЩt think this тАШliving your own lifeтАЩ stunt agrees with Joe,тАЭ said Vernon to his friend. тАЬSheтАЩs like an angry cat most of the time. I canтАЩt think why Mother agreed. She was dead against it about six months ago. I canтАЩt imagine what made her change her mind, can you?тАЭ
A smile creased SebastianтАЩs long yellow face.
тАЬI could make a guess,тАЭ he said.
тАЬWhat?тАЭ
тАЬI shanтАЩt say. In the first place, I may be wrong, and in the second place I should hate to interfere with the (possibly) normal course of events.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs your tortuous Russian mind.тАЭ
тАЬI dare say.тАЭ
Vernon didnтАЩt insist. He was much too lazy to probe for reasons that werenтАЩt given him.
Day succeeded day. They danced, breakfasted, drove at incredibly fast speeds through the countryside, sat and smoked and talked in VernonтАЩs rooms, danced again. It was a point of honour not to sleep. At five in the morning they went on the river.
VernonтАЩs right arm ached. Enid fell to his share and she was a heavy partner. Well, it didnтАЩt matter. Uncle Sydney had seemed pleased, and he was a decent old boy. Jolly good of him to make that offer. What a pity it was that he (Vernon) was not more of a Bent and less of a Deyre.
A vague memory stirred in his mindтБатАФsomebody saying, тАЬThe Deyres, Vernon, are neither happy nor successful. They canтАЩt make good.тАЭ Who was it who had said that? A womanтАЩs voice, it had been, in a gardenтБатАФand there had been curling cigarette smoke.тБатАКтБатАж
SebastianтАЩs voice said: тАЬHeтАЩs going to sleep. Wake up, you blighter! Chuck a chocolate at him, Enid.тАЭ
A chocolate whizzed past his head. EnidтАЩs voice said with a giggle:
тАЬI canтАЩt throw straight for nuts.тАЭ
She giggled again as though she thought it very funny. Tiresome girlтБатАФalways giggling. Besides, her teeth stuck out.
He heaved himself over on his side. Not usually very appreciative of the beauties of Nature, this morning he was struck by the beauty of the world. The pale gleaming river, here and there on the banks a flowering tree.
The boat drifted slowly downstreamтБатАКтБатАж a queer silent enchanted world. Because, he supposed, there were no human beings about. It was, when you came to think of it, an excess of human beings who spoiled the world. Always chattering and talking and giggling, and asking you what you were thinking of when all you wanted was to be let alone.
He always remembered feeling that as a kid. If theyтАЩd only let him alone. He smiled to himself as he remembered the ridiculous games he had been in the habit of inventing. Mr.┬аGreen! He remembered Mr.┬аGreen perfectly. And those three playmatesтБатАФwhat were their names, now?
A funny childтАЩs worldтБатАФa world of dragons and princesses and strangely concrete realities mixed up with them. There had been a story someone had told himтБатАФa ragged prince with a little green hat and a princess in a tower whose hair when she combed it was so golden that it could be seen in four kingdoms.
He raised his head a little, looked along the river bank. There was a punt tied up under some trees. Four people in itтБатАФbut Vernon only saw one.
A girl in a pink evening-frock with hair like spun gold standing under a tree laden with pink blossom.
He looked and he looked.
тАЬVernon.тАЭ Joe kicked him correctively. тАЬYouтАЩre not asleep, because your eyes are open. YouтАЩve been spoken to four times.тАЭ
тАЬSorry. I was looking at that lot over there. ThatтАЩs rather a pretty girl, donтАЩt you think so?тАЭ
He tried to make his tone lightтБатАФcasual. Inside him a riotous voice was saying: тАЬPretty? SheтАЩs lovely. SheтАЩs the most lovely girl in the world. IтАЩm going to get to know her. IтАЩve got to know her. IтАЩm going to marry her.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
Joe heaved herself up on her elbows, looked, uttered an exclamation.
тАЬWhy!тАЭ she exclaimed, тАЬI do believeтБатАФyes, IтАЩm sure it is. ItтАЩs Nell Vereker.тАЭ
IV
Impossible! It couldnтАЩt be. Nell Vereker? Pale scraggy Nell, with her pink nose and her inappropriate starched dresses. Surely it couldnтАЩt be. Was Time capable of that kind of practical joke? If so, one couldnтАЩt be sure of anything. That long-ago Nell, and this NellтБатАФthey were two different people.
The whole world felt dreamlike. Joe was saying:
тАЬIf thatтАЩs Nell, I really must speak to her. LetтАЩs go across.тАЭ
And then the greetings, exclamations, surprise.
тАЬWhy, of course, Joe Waite. And Vernon! ItтАЩs years ago, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ
Very soft her voice was. Her eyes smiled into hisтБатАФa trifle shyly. LovelyтБатАФlovelyтБатАФlovelier even than he had thought. Tongue-tied fool, why couldnтАЩt he say anything? Something brilliant, witty, arresting. How blue her eyes were with their long soft golden-brown lashes. She was like the blossom above her headтБатАФuntouched, springlike.
A great wave of despondency swept over him. She would never marry him. Was it likely? A great clumsy tongue-tied creature such as he was. She was talking to him. Heavens! he must try and listen to what she saidтБатАФanswer intelligently.
тАЬWe left very soon after you did. Father gave up his job.тАЭ
An echo came into his head of past gossip.
Vereker got the sack. Hopelessly incompetentтБатАФit was bound to come.
Her voice went onтБатАФsuch a lovely voice. You wanted to listen to it instead of to the words.
тАЬWe live in London now. Father died five years ago.тАЭ
He said, feeling idiotic, тАЬOh! I say, IтАЩm sorry, awfully sorry!тАЭ
тАЬIтАЩll give you our address. You must come and see us.тАЭ
He blundered out hopes of meeting her that eveningтБатАФwhat dance was she going to? She told him. No good there. The night afterтБатАФthank goodness! theyтАЩd be at the same. He said hurriedly:
тАЬLook here. YouтАЩve got to save me a dance or twoтБатАФyou mustтБатАФweтАЩve not seen each other for years.тАЭ
тАЬOh! but can I?тАЭ Her voice was doubtful.
тАЬIтАЩll fix it somehow. Leave it to me.тАЭ
It was over all too soon. Goodbyes were said. They were going upstream again.
Joe said in an incredibly matter-of-fact tone: тАЬWell, isnтАЩt that strange? Who would ever have thought that Nell Vereker would have turned out so good-looking? I wonder if sheтАЩs as much of an ass as ever.тАЭ
Sacrilege! He felt oceans removed from Joe. Joe couldnтАЩt see anything at all.
Would Nell ever marry him? Would she? Probably sheтАЩd never look at him. All sorts of fellows must be in love with her.
He felt terribly despondent. Black misery swept over him.
V
He was dancing with her. Never had he imagined that he could be so happy. She was like a feather, a rose leaf in his arms. She was wearing a pink dress againтБатАФa different one. It floated out all round her.
If life could only go on like this foreverтБатАКтБатАж foreverтБатАКтБатАж
But, of course, life never did. In what seemed to Vernon like one second the music stopped. They were sitting together on two chairs.
He wanted to say a thousand things to herтБатАФbut he didnтАЩt know how to begin. He heard himself saying foolish things about the floor and the music.
FoolтБатАФunutterable fool! In a few minutes another dance would begin. She would be swept away from him. He must make some planтБатАФsome arrangement to meet her again.
She was talkingтБатАФdesultory in-between-dance talk. LondonтБатАФthe season. Horrible to think ofтБатАФshe was going to dances night after nightтБатАФthree dances a night sometimes. And here was he tied by the leg. She would marry someoneтБатАФsome rich, clever, amusing fellow would snap her up.
He mumbled something about being in townтБатАФshe gave him their address. Mother would be so pleased to see him again. He wrote it down.
The music struck up. He said desperately: тАЬNellтБатАФI say, I do call you Nell, donтАЩt I?тАЭ
тАЬWhy, of course.тАЭ She laughed. тАЬDo you remember hauling me over the palings that day we thought the rhinoceros was after us?тАЭ
And he had thought her a nuisance, he remembered. Nell! A nuisance!
She went on: тАЬI used to think you were wonderful then, Vernon.тАЭ
She had, had she? But she couldnтАЩt think him wonderful now. His mood drooped to despondency once more.
тАЬIтБатАФI was an awful little rotter, I expect,тАЭ he mumbled.
Why couldnтАЩt he be intelligent and clever, and say witty things?
тАЬOh! you were a dear. Sebastian hasnтАЩt changed much, has he?тАЭ
Sebastian. She called him Sebastian. Well, after all, he supposed she wouldтБатАФsince she called him Vernon. What a lucky thing it was that Sebastian cared for nobody but Joe. Sebastian with his money and his brains. Did Nell like Sebastian, he wondered?
тАЬOne would know his ears anywhere!тАЭ said Nell with a laugh.
Vernon felt comforted. He had forgotten SebastianтАЩs ears. No girl who had noticed SebastianтАЩs ears could go falling in love with him. Poor old SebastianтБатАФrather rough luck to be handicapped with those ears.
He saw NellтАЩs partner arriving. He blurted out quickly and hurriedly:
тАЬI say, itтАЩs wonderful to have seen you again, Nell. DonтАЩt forget me, will you? I shall be turning up in town. ItтАЩsтБатАФitтАЩs been awfully jolly seeing you again. (Oh! damn, I said that before!) I meanтБатАФitтАЩs been simply ripping. You donтАЩt know. But you wonтАЩt forget, will you?тАЭ
She had gone from him. He saw her whirling round in BarnardтАЩs arms. She couldnтАЩt like Barnard surely, could she? Barnard was such an absolute ass.
Her eyes met his over BarnardтАЩs shoulder. She smiled.
He was in heaven again. She liked himтБатАФhe knew she liked him. She had smiledтБатАКтБатАж
VI
May week was over. Vernon was sitting at a table writing.
Dear Uncle Sydney:
IтАЩve thought over your offer, and IтАЩd like to come into BentтАЩs if you still want me. IтАЩm afraid I shall be rather useless, but I will try all I know. I still think itтАЩs most awfully good of you.
He paused. Sebastian was walking up and down restlessly. His pacing disturbed Vernon.
тАЬFor goodnessтАЩ sake, sit down,тАЭ he said irritably. тАЬWhatтАЩs the matter with you?тАЭ
тАЬNothing.тАЭ
Sebastian sat down with unusual mildness. He filled and lighted a pipe. From behind a sheltering haze of smoke, he spoke.
тАЬI say, Vernon. I asked Joe to marry me that last night. She turned me down.тАЭ
тАЬOh! rough luck,тАЭ said Vernon, trying to bring his mind back and be sympathetic. тАЬPerhaps sheтАЩll change her mind,тАЭ he said vaguely. тАЬThey say girls do.тАЭ
тАЬItтАЩs this damned money,тАЭ said Sebastian angrily.
тАЬWhat damned money?тАЭ
тАЬMine. Joe always said she would marry me when we were kids together. She likes meтБатАФIтАЩm sure she does. And nowтБатАФeverything I say or do always seems to be wrong. If I were only persecuted, or looked down on, or socially undesirable, I believe sheтАЩd marry me like a shot. But sheтАЩs always got to be on the losing side. ItтАЩs a ripping quality in a way, but you can carry it to a pitch where itтАЩs damned illogical. Joe is illogical.тАЭ
тАЬHm,тАЭ said Vernon vaguely.
He was selfishly intent on his own affairs. It seemed to him curious that Sebastian should be so keen on marrying Joe. There were lots of other girls who would suit him just as well. He reread his letter and added another sentence:
I will work like a nigger.