CHAPTER XVII

hallcometolunchwithmeatMr.EustaceMiles’s.” “Withpleasure.” “No,you’dhateit,”shesaid,pushingherglasstowardshimforsomemorecider.“It’sallproteidsandbodybuildings,andpeoplecomeuptoyouandbegyourpardon,butyouhavesuchabeautifulaura.” “Awhat?” “Neverheardofanaura?Oh,happy,happyman!Iscrubatmineforhours.Norofanastralplane?” Hehadheardofastralplanes,andcensuredthem. “Justso.LuckilyitwasHelen’saura,notmine,andshehadtochaperoneitanddothepolitenesses.Ijustsatwithmyhandkerchiefinmymouthtillthemanwent.” “Funnyexperiencesseemtocometoyoutwogirls.Noone’severaskedmeaboutmy—whatd’yecallit?PerhapsI’venotgotone.” “You’reboundtohaveone,butitmaybesuchaterriblecolourthatnoonedaresmentionit.” “Tellme,though,MissSchlegel,doyoureallybelieveinthesupernaturalandallthat?” “Toodifficultaquestion.” “Why’sthat?GruyereorStilton?” “Gruyere,please.” “BetterhaveStilton. “Stilton.Because,thoughIdon’tbelieveinauras,andthinkTheosophy’sonlyahalfway-house—” “—Yettheremaybesomethinginitallthesame,”heconcluded,withafrown. “Noteventhat.Itmaybehalfwayinthewrongdirection.Ican’texplain.Idon’tbelieveinallthesefads,andyetIdon’tlikesayingthatIdon’tbelieveinthem.” Heseemedunsatisfied,andsaid:“Soyouwouldn’tgivemeyourwordthatyouDON’Tholdwithastralbodiesandalltherestofit?” “Icould,”saidMargaret,surprisedthatthepointwasofanyimportancetohim.“Indeed,Iwill.WhenItalkedaboutscrubbingmyaura,Iwasonlytryingtobefunny.Butwhydoyouwantthissettled?” “Idon’tknow.” “Now,Mr.Wilcox,youdoknow.” “Yes,Iam,”“No,you’renot,”burstfromtheloversopposite.Margaretwassilentforamoment,andthenchangedthesubject. “How’syourhouse?” “Muchthesameaswhenyouhonoureditlastweek.” “Idon’tmeanDucieStreet.HowardsEnd,ofcourse.” “Why‘ofcourse’?” “Can’tyouturnoutyourtenantandletittous?We’renearlydemented.” “Letmethink.IwishIcouldhelpyou.ButIthoughtyouwantedtobeintown.Onebitofadvice:fixyourdistrict,thenfixyourprice,andthendon’tbudge.That’showIgotbothDucieStreetandOniton.Isaidtomyself,‘Imeantobeexactlyhere,’andIwas,andOniton’saplaceinathousand.” “ButIdobudge.Gentlemenseemtomesmerisehouses—cowthemwithaneye,anduptheycome,trembling.Ladiescan’t.It’sthehousesthataremesmerisingme.I’venocontroloverthesaucythings.Housesarealive.No?” “I’moutofmydepth,”hes