CHAPTER XX

gabithot,eh?”saidone.Mr.Wilcoxturnedonthem,andsaidsharply,“Isay!”Therewassilence.“TakecareIdon’treportyoutothepolice.”Theymovedawayquietlyenough,butwereonlybidingtheirtime,andtherestoftheconversationwaspunctuatedbypealsofungovernablelaughter. Loweringhisvoiceandinfusingahintofreproofintoit,hesaid:“EviewillprobablybemarriedinSeptember.Wecouldscarcelythinkofanythingbeforethen.” “Theearlierthenicer,Henry.Femalesarenotsupposedtosaysuchthings,buttheearlierthenicer.” “HowaboutSeptemberforustoo?”heasked,ratherdryly. “Right.ShallwegointoDucieStreetourselvesinSeptember?OrshallwetrytobounceHelenandTibbyintoit?That’sratheranidea.Theyaresounbusinesslike,wecouldmakethemdoanythingbyjudiciousmanagement.Lookhere—yes.We’lldothat.AndweourselvescouldliveatHowardsEndorShropshire.” Heblewouthischeeks.“Heavens!howyouwomendoflyround!Myhead’sinawhirl.Pointbypoint,Margaret.HowardsEnd’simpossible.IletittoHamarBryceonathreeyears’agreementlastMarch.Don’tyouremember?Oniton.Well,thatismuch,muchtoofarawaytorelyonentirely.Youwillbeabletobedownthereentertainingacertainamount,butwemusthaveahousewithineasyreachofTown.OnlyDucieStreethashugedrawbacks.There’samewsbehind.” Margaretcouldnothelplaughing.ItwasthefirstshehadheardofthemewsbehindDucieStreet.Whenshewasapossibletenantithadsuppresseditself,notconsciously,butautomatically.ThebreezyWilcoxmanner,thoughgenuine,lackedtheclearnessofvisionthatisimperativefortruth.WhenHenrylivedinDucieStreetherememberedthemewswhenhetriedtoletheforgotitandifanyonehadremarkedthatthemewsmustbeeitherthereornot,hewouldhavefeltannoyed,andafterwardshavefoundsomeopportunityofstigmatisingthespeakerasacademic.SodoesmygrocerstigmatisemewhenIcomplainofthequalityofhissultanas,andheanswersinonebreaththattheyarethebestsultanas,andhowcanIexpectthebestsultanasatthatprice?Itisaflawinherentinthebusinessmind,andMargaretmaydowelltobetendertoit,consideringallthatthebusinessmindhasdoneforEngland. “Yes,insummerespecially,themewsisaseriousnuisance.Thesmoking-room,too,isanabominablelittleden.Thehouseoppositehasbeentakenbyoperaticpeople.DucieStreet’sgoingdown,it’smyprivateopinion.” “Howsad!It’sonlyafewyearssincetheybuiltthoseprettyhouses.” “Showsthingsaremoving.Goodfortrade.” “IhatethiscontinualfluxofLondon.Itisanepitomeofusatourworst—eternalformlessnessallthequalities,good,bad,andindifferent,streamingaway—streaming,streamingforever.That’s