CHAPTER II

antmealunderaverybrightlight.Shouldheputinforcethethreatwhich,twoweeksago,somesuchgatheringhadwrungfromhim—theterriblethreatthatifvisitorscameonSundayheshoulddinealoneinhisroom?AglanceinthedirectionofMissHilberydeterminedhimtomakehisstandthisverynight,andaccordingly,havinglethimselfin,havingverifiedthepresenceofUncleJosephbymeansofabowlerhatandaverylargeumbrella,hegavehisorderstothemaid,andwentupstairstohisroom. Hewentupagreatmanyflightsofstairs,andhenoticed,ashehadveryseldomnoticed,howthecarpetbecamesteadilyshabbier,untilitceasedaltogether,howthewallswerediscolored,sometimesbycascadesofdamp,andsometimesbytheoutlinesofpicture-framessinceremoved,howthepaperflappedlooseatthecorners,andagreatflakeofplasterhadfallenfromtheceiling.Theroomitselfwasacheerlessonetoreturntoatthisinauspicioushour.Aflattenedsofawould,laterintheevening,becomeabedoneofthetablesconcealedawashingapparatushisclothesandbootsweredisagreeablymixedwithbookswhichborethegiltofcollegearmsand,fordecoration,therehunguponthewallphotographsofbridgesandcathedralsandlarge,unprepossessinggroupsofinsufficientlyclothedyoungmen,sittinginrowsoneaboveanotheruponstonesteps.Therewasalookofmeannessandshabbinessinthefurnitureandcurtains,andnowhereanysignofluxuryorevenofacultivatedtaste,unlessthecheapclassicsinthebook-casewereasignofaneffortinthatdirection.Theonlyobjectthatthrewanylightuponthecharacteroftheroom’sownerwasalargeperch,placedinthewindowtocatchtheairandsun,uponwhichatameand,apparently,decrepitrookhoppeddrylyfromsidetoside.Thebird,encouragedbyascratchbehindtheear,settleduponDenham’sshoulder.Helithisgas-fireandsettleddowningloomypatiencetoawaithisdinner.Aftersittingthusforsomeminutesasmallgirlpoppedherheadintosay, “Mothersays,aren’tyoucomingdown,Ralph?UncleJoseph—” “They’retobringmydinneruphere,”saidRalph,peremptorilywhereuponshevanished,leavingthedoorajarinherhastetobegone.AfterDenhamhadwaitedsomeminutes,inthecourseofwhichneitherhenortherooktooktheireyesoffthefire,hemutteredacurse,randownstairs,interceptedtheparlor-maid,andcuthimselfasliceofbreadandcoldmeat.Ashedidso,thedining-roomdoorsprangopen,avoiceexclaimed“Ralph!”butRalphpaidnoattentiontothevoice,andmadeoffupstairswithhisplate.Hesetitdowninachairoppositehim,andatewithaferocitythatwasduepartlytoangerandpartlytohunger.Hismother,then,wasdeterminednottorespecthiswisheshewasapersonofnoimportanceinhisownfamilyhewassentforandtreatedasachild.Hereflected,withagrowingsenseofinjury,thatalmosteveryoneofhisactionssinceopeningthedoorofhisroomhadbeenwonfromthegraspofthefamilysystem.Byrights,heshouldhavebeensittingdownstairsinthedrawing-roomdescribinghisafternoon’sadventures,orlisteningtotheafternoon’sadventuresofotherpeopletheroomitself,thegas-fire,thearm-chair—allhadbeenfoughtforthewretchedbird,withhalfitsfeathersoutandoneleglamedbyacat,hadbeenrescuedunderprotestbutwhathisfamilymostresented,hereflected,washiswishforprivacy.Todinealone,ortositaloneafterdinner,wasflatrebellion,tobefoughtwitheveryweaponofunderhandstealthorofopenappeal.Whichdidhedislikemost—deceptionortears?But,atanyrate,theycouldnotrobhimofhisthoughtstheycouldnotmakehimsaywherehehadbeenorwhomhehadseen.Thatwashisownaffairthat,indeed,wasastepentirelyintherightdirection,and,lightinghispipe,andcuttinguptheremainsofhismealforthebenefitoftherook,Ralphcalmedhisratherexcessiveirritationandsettleddowntothinkoverhisprospects. Thisparticularafternoonwasastepintherightdirection,becauseitwaspartofhisplantogettoknowpeoplebeyondthefamilycircuit,justasitwaspartofhisplantolearnGermanthisautumn,andtoreviewlegalbooksforMr.Hilbery’s“CriticalReview.”Hehadalwaysmadeplanssincehewasasmallboyforpoverty,andthefactthathewastheeldestsonofalargefamily,hadgivenhimthehabitofthinkingofspringandsummer,autumnandwinter,assomanystagesinaprolongedcampaign.Althoughhewasstillunderthirty,thisforecastinghabithadmarkedtwosemicircularlinesabovehiseyebrows,whichthreatened,atthismoment,tocreaseintotheirwontedshapes.Butinsteadofsettlingdowntothink,herose,tookasmallpieceofcardboardmarkedinlargeletterswiththewordOUT,andhungituponthehandl