CHAPTER VII

oughtto!Suchanexperience!Suchawfulcoarse-grainedpeople!Iknowmoreaboutthemthanyoudo,whichyouforget,andifCharleshadtakenyouthatmotordrive—well,you’dhavereachedthehouseaperfectwreck.Oh,Margaret,youdon’tknowwhatyouareinfor!They’reallbottledupagainstthedrawing-roomwindow.There’sMrs.Wilcox—I’veseenher.There’sPaul.There’sEvie,whoisaminx.There’sCharles—Isawhimtostartwith.Andwhowouldanelderlymanwithamoustacheandacopper-colouredfacebe?” “Mr.Wilcox,possibly.” “Iknewit.Andthere’sMr.Wilcox.” “It’sashametocallhisfacecoppercolour,”complainedMargaret.“Hehasaremarkablygoodcomplexionforamanofhisage.” Mrs.Munt,triumphantelsewhere,couldaffordtoconcedeMr.Wilcoxhiscomplexion.Shepassedonfromittotheplanofcampaignthatherniecesshouldpursueinthefuture.Margarettriedtostopher. “HelendidnottakethenewsquiteasIexpected,buttheWilcoxnerveisdeadinherreally,sothere’snoneedforplans.” “It’saswelltobeprepared.” “No—it’saswellnottobeprepared.” “Why?” “Because—” Herthoughtdrewbeingfromtheobscureborderland.Shecouldnotexplaininsomanywords,butshefeltthatthosewhoprepareforalltheemergenciesoflifebeforehandmayequipthemselvesattheexpenseofjoy.Itisnecessarytoprepareforanexamination,oradinner-party,orapossiblefallinthepriceofstock:thosewhoattempthumanrelationsmustadoptanothermethod,orfail.“BecauseI’dsoonerriskit,”washerlameconclusion. “Butimaginetheevenings,”exclaimedheraunt,pointingtotheMansionswiththespoutofthewateringcan.“Turntheelectriclightonhereorthere,andit’salmostthesameroom.Oneeveningtheymayforgettodrawtheirblindsdown,andyou’llseethemandthenext,youyours,andthey’llseeyou.Impossibletositoutonthebalconies.Impossibletowatertheplants,orevenspeak.Imaginegoingoutofthefront-door,andtheycomeoutoppositeatthesamemoment.Andyetyoutellmethatplansareunnecessary,andyou’dratherriskit.” “Ihopetoriskthingsallmylife.” “Oh,Margaret,mostdangerous.” “Butafterall,”shecontinuedwithasmile,“there’sneveranygreatriskaslongasyouhavemoney.” “Oh,shame!Whatashockingspeech!” “Moneypadstheedgesofthings,”saidMissSchlegel.“Godhelpthosewhohavenone.” “Butthisissomethingquitenew!”saidMrs.Munt,whocollectednewideasasasquirrelcollectsnuts,andwasespeciallyattractedbythosethatareportable. “Newformesensiblepeoplehaveacknowledgeditforyears.YouandIandtheWilcoxesstanduponmoneyasuponislands.Itissofirmbeneathourfeetthatweforgetitsveryexistence.It’sonlywhenweseesomeonenearustotteringthatwerealiseallthatanindependentincomemeans.Las