CHAPTER XII

resent,butwebothforgotaboutitafterwards.” “IhopeCharlestookthehint.” “Yes—thatistosay,herhusbandwrotelateron,andthankedmeforbeingalittlekindtoher,andactuallygavemehersilvervinaigrette.Don’tyouthinkthatisextraordinarilygenerous?Ithasmademelikehimverymuch.Hehopesthatthiswillnotbetheendofouracquaintance,butthatyouandIwillgoandstopwithEviesometimeinthefuture.IlikeMr.Wilcox.Heistakinguphiswork—rubber—itisabigbusiness.Igatherheislaunchingoutrather.Charlesisinit,too.Charlesismarried—aprettylittlecreature,butshedoesn’tseemwise.Theytookontheflat,butnowtheyhavegoneofftoahouseoftheirown.” Helen,afteradecentpause,continuedheraccountofStettin.Howquicklyasituationchanges!InJuneshehadbeeninacrisiseveninNovembershecouldblushandbeunnaturalnowitwasJanuaryandthewholeaffairlayforgotten.Lookingbackonthepastsixmonths,Margaretrealisedthechaoticnatureofourdailylife,anditsdifferencefromtheorderlysequencethathasbeenfabricatedbyhistorians.Actuallifeisfulloffalsecluesandsign-poststhatleadnowhere.Withinfiniteeffortwenerveourselvesforacrisisthatnevercomes.Themostsuccessfulcareermustshowawasteofstrengththatmighthaveremovedmountains,andthemostunsuccessfulisnotthatofthemanwhoistakenunprepared,butofhimwhohaspreparedandisnevertaken.Onatragedyofthatkindournationalmoralityisdulysilent.Itassumesthatpreparationagainstdangerisinitselfagood,andthatmen,likenations,arethebetterforstaggeringthroughlifefullyarmed.Thetragedyofpreparednesshasscarcelybeenhandled,savebytheGreeks.Lifeisindeeddangerous,butnotinthewaymoralitywouldhaveusbelieve.Itisindeedunmanageable,buttheessenceofitisnotabattle.Itisunmanageablebecauseitisaromance,anditsessenceisromanticbeauty.Margarethopedthatforthefutureshewouldbelesscautious,notmorecautious,thanshehadbeeninthepast.