CHAPTER V

TheBridgePartywasnotasuccess—atleastitwasnotwhatMrs.MooreandMissQuestedwereaccustomedtoconsiderasuccessfulparty.Theyarrivedearly,sinceitwasgivenintheirhonour,butmostoftheIndianguestshadarrivedevenearlier,andstoodmassedatthefarthersideofthetennislawns,doingnothing. “Itisonlyjustfive,”saidMrs.Turton.“Myhusbandwillbeupfromhisofficeinamomentandstartthething.Ihavenoideawhatwehavetodo.It’sthefirsttimewe’veevergivenapartylikethisattheclub.Mr.Heaslop,whenI’mdeadandgonewillyougivepartieslikethis?It’senoughtomaketheoldtypeofBurraSahibturninhisgrave.” Ronnylaugheddeferentially.“Youwantedsomethingnotpicturesqueandwe’veprovidedit,”heremarkedtoMissQuested.“WhatdoyouthinkoftheAryanBrotherinatopiandspats?” Neithershenorhismotheranswered.Theyweregazingrathersadlyoverthetennislawn.No,itwasnotpicturesquetheEast,abandoningitssecularmagnificence,wasdescendingintoavalleywhosefarthersidenomancansee. “Thegreatpointtorememberisthatnoonewho’sheremattersthosewhomatterdon’tcome.Isn’tthatso,Mrs.Turton?” “Absolutelytrue,”saidthegreatlady,leaningback.Shewas“savingherselfup,”asshecalledit—notforanythingthatwouldhappenthatafternoonoreventhatweek,butforsomevaguefutureoccasionwhenahighofficialmightcomealongandtaxhersocialstrength.Mostofherpublicappearancesweremarkedbythisairofreserve. Assuredofherapprobation,Ronnycontinued:“TheeducatedIndianswillbenogoodtousifthere’sarow,it’ssimplynotworthwhileconciliatingthem,that’swhytheydon’tmatter.Mostofthepeopleyouseeareseditiousatheart,andtherest’ldrunsquealing.Thecultivator—he’sanotherstory.ThePathan—he’samanifyoulike.Butthesepeople—don’timaginethey’reIndia.”Hepointedtotheduskylinebeyondthecourt,andhereandthereitflashedapince-nezorshuffledashoe,asifawarethathewasdespisingit.Europeancostumehadlightedlikealeprosy.Fewhadyieldedentirely,butnonewereuntouched.Therewasasilencewhenhehadfinishedspeaking,onbothsidesofthecourtatleast,moreladiesjoinedtheEnglishgroup,buttheirwordsseemedtodieassoonasuttered.Somekiteshoveredoverhead,impartial,overthekitespassedthemassofavulture,andwithanimpartialityexceedingall,thesky,notdeeplycolouredbuttranslucent,pouredlightfromitswholecircumference.Itseemedunlikelythattheseriesstoppedhere.Beyondtheskymustnottherebesomethingthatoverarchesalltheskies,moreimpartialeventhanthey?Beyondwhichagain... TheyspokeofCousinKate. Theyhadtriedtoreproducetheirownattitudetolifeuponthestage,andtodressupasthemiddle-classEnglishpeopletheyactuallywere.NextyeartheywoulddoQualityStreetorTheYeomenoftheGuard.Saveforthisannualincursion,theyleftliteraturealone.Themenhadnotimeforit,thewomendidnothingthattheycouldnotsharewiththemen.TheirignoranceoftheArtswasnotable,andtheylostnoopportunityofproclaimingittooneanotheritwasthePublicSchoolattitude,flourishingmorevigorouslythanitcanyethopetodoinEngland.IfIndianswereshop,theArtswerebadform,andRonnyhadrepressedhismotherwhensheenquiredafterhisviolaaviolawasalmostademerit,andcertainlynotthesortofinstrumentonementionedinpublic.ShenoticednowhowtolerantandconventionalhisjudgmentshadbecomewhentheyhadseenCousinKateinLondontogetherinthepast,hehadscorneditnowhepretendedthatitwasagoodplay,inordertohurtnobody’sfeelings.An“unkindnotice”hadappearedinthelocalpaper,“thesortofthingnowhitemancouldhavewritten,”asMrs.Lesleysaid.Theplaywaspraised,tobesure,andsowerethestagemanagementandtheperformanceasawhole,butthenoticecontainedthefollowingsentence:“MissDerek,thoughshecharminglylookedherpart,lackedthenecessaryexperience,andoccasionallyforgotherwords.”Thistinybreathofgenuinecriticismhadgivendeepoffence,notindeedtoMissDerek,whowasashardasnails,buttoherfriends.MissDerekdidnotbelongtoChandrapore.ShewasstoppingforafortnightwiththeMcBrydes,thepolicepeople,andshehadbeensogoodastofillupagapinthecastatthelastmoment.Aniceimpressionoflocalhospitalityshewouldcarryawaywithher. “Towork,Mary,towork,”criedtheCollector,touchinghiswifeontheshoulderwithaswitch. Mrs.Turtongotupawkwardly.“Whatdoyouwantmetodo?Oh,thosepurdahwomen!Ineverthoughtanywouldcome.Ohdear!” AlittlegroupofIndianladieshadbeengatheringinathirdquarterofthegrounds,neararusticsummer-houseinwhichthemoretimidofthemhadalreadytakenrefuge.Thereststoodwiththeirbackstothecompanyandtheirfacespressedintoabankofshrubs.Atalittledistancestoodtheirmalerelatives,watchingtheventure.Thesightwassignificant:anislandbaredbytheturningtide,andboundtogrow. “Iconsidertheyoughttocomeovertome.”