the unbearable bassington-第31章

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and　the　wine　went　streaming　across　the　tablecloth　in　a　froth　of　

yellow　bubbles。　　It　certainly　was　not　turning　out　a　comfortable　or　

auspicious　dinner　party。



〃My　dear　mother；〃　cried　Comus；　〃you　must　have　been　drinking　healths　

all　the　afternoon　to　make　your　hand　so　unsteady。〃



He　laughed　gaily　and　with　apparent　carelessness；　but　again　Lady　

Veula　caught　the　frightened　note　in　his　laughter。　　Mrs。　Henry；　with　

practical　sympathy；　was　telling　Francesca　two　good　ways　for　getting　

wine　stains　out　of　tablecloths。　　The　smaller　economies　of　life　were　

an　unnecessary　branch　of　learning　for　Mrs。　Greech；　but　she　studied　

them　as　carefully　and　conscientiously　as　a　stay…at…home　plain…

dwelling　English　child　commits　to　memory　the　measurements　and　

altitudes　of　the　world's　principal　mountain　peaks。　　Some　women　of　

her　temperament　and　mentality　know　by　heart　the　favourite　colours；　

flowers　and　hymn…tunes　of　all　the　members　of　the　Royal　Family；　Mrs。　

Greech　would　possibly　have　failed　in　an　examination　of　that　nature；　

but　she　knew　what　to　do　with　carrots　that　have　been　over…long　in　

storage。



Francesca　did　not　renew　her　speech…making；　a　chill　seemed　to　have　

fallen　over　all　efforts　at　festivity；　and　she　contented　herself　

with　refilling　her　glass　and　simply　drinking　to　her　boy's　good　

health。　　The　others　followed　her　example；　and　Comus　drained　his　

glass　with　a　brief　〃thank　you　all　very　much。〃　　The　sense　of　

constraint　which　hung　over　the　company　was　not；　however；　marked　by　

any　uncomfortable　pause　in　the　conversation。　　Henry　Greech　was　a　

fluent　thinker；　of　the　kind　that　prefer　to　do　their　thinking　aloud；　

the　silence　that　descended　on　him　as　a　mantle　in　the　House　of　

Commons　was　an　official　livery　of　which　he　divested　himself　as　

thoroughly　as　possible　in　private　life。　　He　did　not　propose　to　sit　

through　dinner　as　a　mere　listener　to　Mr。　Thorle's　personal　

narrative　of　philanthropic　movements　and　experiences；　and　took　the　

first　opportunity　of　launching　himself　into　a　flow　of　satirical　

observations　on　current　political　affairs。　　Lady　Veula　was　inured　

to　this　sort　of　thing　in　her　own　home　circle；　and　sat　listening　

with　the　stoical　indifference　with　which　an　Esquimau　might　accept　

the　occurrence　of　one　snowstorm　the　more；　in　the　course　of　an　

Arctic　winter。　　Serena　Golackly　felt　a　certain　relief　at　the　fact　

that　her　imported　guest　was　not；　after　all；　monopolising　the　

conversation。　　But　the　latter　was　too　determined　a　personality　to　

allow　himself　to　be　thrust　aside　for　many　minutes　by　the　talkative　

M。P。　　Henry　Greech　paused　for　an　instant　to　chuckle　at　one　of　his　

own　shafts　of　satire；　and　immediately　Thorle's　penetrating　voice　

swept　across　the　table。



〃Oh；　you　politicians！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　pleasant　superiority；　

〃you　are　always　fighting　about　how　things　should　be　done；　and　the　

consequence　is　you　are　never　able　to　do　anything。　　Would　you　like　

me　to　tell　you　what　a　Unitarian　horsedealer　said　to　me　at　Brindisi　

about　politicians？〃



A　Unitarian　horsedealer　at　Brindisi　had　all　the　allurement　of　the　

unexpected。　　Henry　Greech's　witticisms　at　the　expense　of　the　Front　

Opposition　bench　were　destined　to　remain　as　unfinished　as　his　

wife's　history　of　the　broken　soup…plates。　　Thorle　was　primed　with　

an　ample　succession　of　stories　and　themes；　chiefly　concerning　

poverty；　thriftlessness；　reclamation；　reformed　characters；　and　so　

forth；　which　carried　him　in　an　almost　uninterrupted　sequence　

through　the　remainder　of　the　dinner。



〃What　I　want　to　do　is　to　make　people　think；〃　he　said；　turning　his　

prominent　eyes　on　to　his　hostess；　〃it's　so　hard　to　make　people　

think。〃



〃At　any　rate　you　give　them　the　opportunity；〃　said　Comus；　

cryptically。



As　the　ladies　rose　to　leave　the　table　Comus　crossed　over　to　pick　up　

one　of　Lady　Veula's　gloves　that　had　fallen　to　the　floor。



〃I　did　not　know　you　kept　a　dog；〃　said　Lady　Veula。



〃We　don't；〃　said　Comus；　〃there　isn't　one　in　the　house。〃



〃I　could　have　sworn　I　saw　one　follow　you　across　the　hall　this　

evening；〃　she　said。



〃A　small　black　dog；　something　like　a　schipperke？〃　asked　Comus　in　a　

low　voice。



〃Yes；　that　was　it。〃



〃I　saw　it　myself　to…night；　it　ran　from　behind　my　chair　just　as　I　

was　sitting　down。　　Don't　say　anything　to　the　others　about　it；　it　

would　frighten　my　mother。〃



〃Have　you　ever　seen　it　before？〃　Lady　Veula　asked　quickly。



〃Once；　when　I　was　six　years　old。　　It　followed　my　father　

downstairs。〃



Lady　Veula　said　nothing。　　She　knew　that　Comus　had　lost　his　father　

at　the　age　of　six。



In　the　drawing…room　Serena　made　nervous　excuses　for　her　talkative　

friend。



〃Really；　rather　an　interesting　man；　you　know；　and　up　to　the　eyes　in　

all　sorts　of　movements。　　Just　the　sort　of　person　to　turn　loose　at　a　

drawing…room　meeting；　or　to　send　down　to　a　mission…hall　in　some　

unheard…of　neighbourhood。　　Given　a　sounding…board　and　a　harmonium；　

and　a　titled　woman　of　some　sort　in　the　chair；　and　he'll　be　

perfectly　happy；　I　must　say　I　hadn't　realised　how　overpowering　he　

might　be　at　a　small　dinner…party。〃



〃I　should　say　he　was　a　very　good　man；〃　said　Mrs。　Greech；　she　had　

forgiven　the　mutilation　of　her　soup…plate　story。



The　party　broke　up　early　as　most　of　the　guests　had　other　

engagements　to　keep。　　With　a　belated　recognition　of　the　farewell　

nature　of　the　occasion　they　made　pleasant　little　good…bye　remarks　

to　Comus；　with　the　usual　predictions　of　prosperity　and　

anticipations　of　an　ultimate　auspicious　return。　　Even　Henry　Greech　

sank　his　personal　dislike　of　the　boy　for　the　moment；　and　made　

hearty　jocular　allusions　to　a　home…coming；　which；　in　the　elder　

man's　eyes；　seemed　possibly　pleasantly　remote。　　Lady　Veula　alone　

made　no　reference　to　the　future；　she　simply　said；　〃Good…bye；　

Comus；〃　but　her　voice　was　the　kindest　of　all　and　he　responded　with　

a　look　of　gratitude。　　The　weariness　in　her　eyes　was　more　marked　

than　ever　as　she　lay　back　against　the　cushions　of　her　carriage。



〃What　a　tragedy　life　is；〃　she　said；　aloud　to　herself。



Serena　and　Stephen　Thorle　were　the　last　to　leave；　and　Francesca　

stood　alone　for　a　moment　at　the　head　of　the　stairway　watching　Comus　

laughing　and　chatting　as　he　escorted　the　departing　guests　to　the　

door。　　The　ice…wall　was　melting　under　the　influence　of　coming　

separation；　and　never　had　he　looked　more　adorably　handsome　in　her　

eyes；　never　had　his　merry　laugh　and　mischief…loving　gaiety　seemed　

more　infectious　than　on　this　night　of　his　farewell　banquet。　　She　

was　glad　enough　that　he　was　going　away　from　a　life　of　idleness　and　

extravagance　and　temptation；　but　she　began　to　suspect　that　she　

would　miss；　for　a　little　while　at　any　rate；　the　high…spirited　boy　

who　could　be　so　attractive　in　his　better　moods。　　Her　impulse；　after　

the　guests　had　gone；　was　to　call　him　to　her　and　hold　him　once　more　

in　her　arms；　and　repeat　her　wishes　for　his　happiness　and　good…luck　

in　the　land　he　was　going　to；　and　her　promise　of　his　welcome　back；　

some　not　too　distant　day；　to　the　land　he　was　leaving。　　She　wanted　

to　forget；　and　to　make　him　forget；　the　months　of　irritable　jangling　

and　sharp　discussions；　the　months　of　cold　aloofness　and　

indifference　and　to　remember　only　that　he　was　her　own　dear　Comus　as　

in　the　days　of　yore；　before　he　had　grown　from　an　unmanageable　

pickle　into　a　weariful　problem。　　But　she　feared　lest　she　should　

break　down；　and　she　did　not　wish　to　cloud　his　light…hearted　gaiety　

on　the　very　eve　of　his　departure。　　She　watched　him　for　a　moment　as　

he　stood　in　the　hall；　settling　his　tie　before　a　mirror；　and　then　

went　quietly　back　to　her　drawing…room。　　It　had　not　been　a　very　

successful　dinner　party；　and　the　general　effect　it　had　left　on　her　

was　one　of　depression。



Comus；　with　a　lively　musical…comedy　air　on　his　lips；　and　a　look　of　

wretchedness　in　his　eyes；　went　out　to　visit　the　haunts　that　he　was　

leaving　so　soon。







CHAPTER　XV







ELAINE　YOUGHAL　sat　a