CHAPTER V

hedoorsharply,gavetheaddresstothedriver,andturnedaway,liftinghishatpunctiliouslyhighinfarewelltotheinvisiblelady. Helookedbackafterthecabtwice,suspiciously,halfexpectingthatshewouldstopitanddismountbutitboreherswiftlyon,andwassoonoutofsight.Williamfeltinthemoodforashortsoliloquyofindignation,forKatharinehadcontrivedtoexasperatehiminmorewaysthanone. “Ofalltheunreasonable,inconsideratecreaturesI’veeverknown,she’stheworst!”heexclaimedtohimself,stridingbackalongtheEmbankment.“HeavenforbidthatIshouldevermakeafoolofmyselfwithheragain.Why,I’dsoonermarrythedaughterofmylandladythanKatharineHilbery!She’dleavemenotamoment’speace—andshe’dneverunderstandme—never,never,never!” UtteredaloudandwithvehemencesothatthestarsofHeavenmighthear,fortherewasnohumanbeingathand,thesesentimentssoundedsatisfactorilyirrefutable.Rodneyquieteddown,andwalkedoninsilence,untilheperceivedsomeoneapproachinghim,whohadsomething,eitherinhiswalkorhisdress,whichproclaimedthathewasoneofWilliam’sacquaintancesbeforeitwaspossibletotellwhichofthemhewas.ItwasDenhamwho,havingpartedfromSandysatthebottomofhisstaircase,wasnowwalkingtotheTubeatCharingCross,deepinthethoughtswhichhistalkwithSandyshadsuggested.HehadforgottenthemeetingatMaryDatchet’srooms,hehadforgottenRodney,andmetaphorsandElizabethandrama,andcouldhaveswornthathehadforgottenKatharineHilbery,too,althoughthatwasmoredisputable.Hismindwasscalingthehighestpinnaclesofitsalps,wheretherewasonlystarlightandtheuntroddensnow.HecaststrangeeyesuponRodney,astheyencounteredeachotherbeneathalamp-post. “Ha!”Rodneyexclaimed. Ifhehadbeeninfullpossessionofhismind,Denhamwouldprobablyhavepassedonwithasalutation.Buttheshockoftheinterruptionmadehimstandstill,andbeforeheknewwhathewasdoing,hehadturnedandwaswalkingwithRodneyinobediencetoRodney’sinvitationtocometohisroomsandhavesomethingtodrink.DenhamhadnowishtodrinkwithRodney,buthefollowedhimpassivelyenough.Rodneywasgratifiedbythisobedience.Hefeltinclinedtobecommunicativewiththissilentman,whopossessedsoobviouslyallthegoodmasculinequalitiesinwhichKatharinenowseemedlamentablydeficient. “Youdowell,Denham,”hebeganimpulsively,“tohavenothingtodowithyoungwomen.Iofferyoumyexperience—ifonetruststhemoneinvariablyhascausetorepent.NotthatIhaveanyreasonatthismoment,”headdedhastily,“tocomplainofthem.It’sasubjectthatcropsupnowandagainfornoparticularreason.MissDatchet,Idaresay,isoneoftheexceptions.DoyoulikeMissDatchet?” TheseremarksindicatedclearlyenoughthatRodney’snerveswereinastateofirritation,andDenhamspeedilywoketothesituationoftheworldasithadbeenonehourago.HehadlastseenRodneywalkingwithKatharine.Hecouldnothelpregrettingtheeagernesswithwhichhismindreturnedtotheseinterests,andfrettedhimwiththeoldtrivialanxieties.Hesankinhisownesteem.ReasonbadehimbreakfromRodney,whoclearlytendedtobecomeconfidential,beforehehadutterlylosttouchwiththeproblemsofhighphilosophy.Helookedalongtheroad,andmarkedalamp-postatadistanceofsomehundredyards,anddecidedthathewouldpartfromRodneywhentheyreachedthispoint. “Yes,IlikeMaryIdon’tseehowonecouldhelplikingher,”heremarkedcautiously,withhiseyeonthelamp-post. “Ah,Denham,you’resodifferentfromme.Younevergiveyourselfaway.IwatchedyouthiseveningwithKatharineHilbery.MyinstinctistotrustthepersonI’mtalkingto.That’swhyI’malwaysbeingtakenin,Isuppose.” DenhamseemedtobeponderingthisstatementofRodney’s,but,asamatteroffact,hewashardlyconsciousofRodneyandhisrevelations,andwasonlyconcernedtomakehimmentionKatharineagainbeforetheyreachedthelamp-post. “Who’stakenyouinnow?”heasked.“KatharineHilbery?” Rodneystoppedandoncemorebeganbeatingakindofrhythm,asifheweremarkingaphraseinasymphony,uponthesmoothstonebalustradeoftheEmbankment. “KatharineHilbery,”herepeated,withacuriouslittlechuckle.“No,Denham,Ihavenoillusionsaboutthatyoungwoman.IthinkImadethatplaintoherto-night.Butdon’trunawaywithafalseimpression,”hecon