CHAPTER VII

“Oh,Margaret,”criedherauntnextmorning,“suchamostunfortunatethinghashappened.Icouldnotgetyoualone.” Themostunfortunatethingwasnotveryserious.OneoftheflatsintheornateblockoppositehadbeentakenfurnishedbytheWilcoxfamily,“comingup,nodoubt,inthehopeofgettingintoLondonsociety.”ThatMrs.Muntshouldbethefirsttodiscoverthemisfortunewasnotremarkable,forshewassointerestedintheflats,thatshewatchedtheireverymutationwithunwearyingcare.Intheoryshedespisedthem—theytookawaythatold-worldlook—theycutoffthesun—flatshouseaflashytypeofperson.Butifthetruthhadbeenknown,shefoundhervisitstoWickhamPlacetwiceasamusingsinceWickhamMansionshadarisen,andwouldinacoupleofdayslearnmoreaboutthemthanherniecesinacoupleofmonths,orhernephewinacoupleofyears.Shewouldstrollacrossandmakefriendswiththeporters,andinquirewhattherentswere,exclaimingforexample:“What!ahundredandtwentyforabasement?You’llnevergetit!”Andtheywouldanswer:“Onecanbuttry,madam.”Thepassengerlifts,thearrangementforcoals(agreattemptationforadishonestporter),wereallfamiliarmatterstoher,andperhapsarelieffromthepolitico-economical-estheticatmospherethatreignedattheSchlegels. Margaretreceivedtheinformationcalmly,anddidnotagreethatitwouldthrowacloudoverpoorHelen’slife. “Oh,butHelenisn’tagirlwithnointerests,”sheexplained.“Shehasplentyofotherthingsandotherpeopletothinkabout.ShemadeafalsestartwiththeWilcoxes,andshe’llbeaswillingaswearetohavenothingmoretodowiththem.” “Foraclevergirl,dear,howveryoddlyyoudotalk.Helen’llHAVEtohavesomethingmoretodowiththem,nowthatthey’reallopposite.ShemaymeetthatPaulinthestreet.Shecannotverywellnotbow.” “Ofcourseshemustbow.Butlookherelet’sdotheflowers.Iwasgoingtosay,thewilltobeinterestedinhimhasdied,andwhatelsematters?Ilookonthatdisastrousepisode(overwhichyouweresokind)asthekillingofanerveinHelen.It’sdead,andshe’llneverbetroubledwithitagain.Theonlythingsthatmatterarethethingsthatinterestone.Bowing,evencallingandleavingcards,evenadinner-party—wecandoallthosethingstotheWilcoxes,iftheyfinditagreeablebuttheotherthing,theoneimportantthing—neveragain.Don’tyousee?” Mrs.Muntdidnotsee,andindeedMargaretwasmakingamostquestionablestatement—thatanyemotion,anyinterestoncevividlyaroused,canwhollydie. “IalsohavethehonourtoinformyouthattheWilcoxesareboredwithus.Ididn’ttellyouatthetime—itmighthavemadeyouangry,andyouhadenoughtoworryyou—butIwrotealettertoMrs.W,andapologisedforthetroublethatHelenhadgiventhem.Shedidn’tanswerit.” “Howveryrude!” “I