CHAPTER VI

Ofallthehoursofanordinaryworkingweek-day,whicharethepleasantesttolookforwardtoandtolookbackupon?Ifasingleinstanceisofuseinframingatheory,itmaybesaidthattheminutesbetweennine-twenty-fiveandnine-thirtyinthemorninghadasingularcharmforMaryDatchet.Shespenttheminaveryenviableframeofmindhercontentmentwasalmostunalloyed.Highintheairasherflatwas,somebeamsfromthemorningsunreachedhereveninNovember,strikingstraightatcurtain,chair,andcarpet,andpaintingtherethreebright,truespacesofgreen,blue,andpurple,uponwhichtheeyerestedwithapleasurewhichgavephysicalwarmthtothebody. TherewerefewmorningswhenMarydidnotlookup,asshebenttolaceherboots,andasshefollowedtheyellowrodfromcurtaintobreakfast-tablesheusuallybreathedsomesighofthankfulnessthatherlifeprovidedherwithsuchmomentsofpureenjoyment.Shewasrobbingnooneofanything,andyet,togetsomuchpleasurefromsimplethings,suchaseatingone’sbreakfastaloneinaroomwhichhadnicecolorsinit,cleanfromtheskirtingoftheboardstothecornersoftheceiling,seemedtosuithersothoroughlythatsheusedatfirsttohuntaboutforsomeonetoapologizeto,orforsomeflawinthesituation.ShehadnowbeensixmonthsinLondon,andshecouldfindnoflaw,butthat,assheinvariablyconcludedbythetimeherbootswerelaced,wassolelyandentirelyduetothefactthatshehadherwork.Everyday,asshestoodwithherdispatch-boxinherhandatthedoorofherflat,andgaveonelookbackintotheroomtoseethateverythingwasstraightbeforesheleft,shesaidtoherselfthatshewasverygladthatshewasgoingtoleaveitall,thattohavesattherealldaylong,intheenjoymentofleisure,wouldhavebeenintolerable. Outinthestreetshelikedtothinkherselfoneoftheworkerswho,atthishour,taketheirwayinrapidsinglefilealongallthebroadpavementsofthecity,withtheirheadsslightlylowered,asifalltheireffortweretofolloweachotherascloselyasmightbesothatMaryusedtofiguretoherselfastraightrabbit-runwornbytheirunswervingfeetuponthepavement.Butshelikedtopretendthatshewasindistinguishablefromtherest,andthatwhenawetdaydrovehertotheUndergroundoromnibus,shegaveandtookhershareofcrowdandwetwithclerksandtypistsandcommercialmen,andsharedwiththemtheseriousbusinessofwinding-uptheworldtotickforanotherfour-and-twentyhours. Thusthinking,ontheparticularmorninginquestion,shemadeherawayacrossLincoln’sInnFieldsandupKingsway,andsothroughSouthamptonRowuntilshereachedherofficeinRussellSquare.Nowandthenshewouldpauseandlookintothewindowofsomebooksellerorflowershop,where,atthisearlyhour,thegoodswerebeingarranged,andemptygapsbehindtheplateglassrevealedastateofundress.Maryfeltkindlydisposedtowardstheshopkeepers,andhopedthattheywouldtrickthemiddaypublicintopurchasing,foratthishourofthemorningsherangedherselfentirelyonthesideoftheshopkeepersandbankclerks,andregardedallwhosleptlateandhadmoneytospendasherenemyandnaturalprey.AnddirectlyshehadcrossedtheroadatHolborn,herthoughtsallcamenaturallyandregularlytoroostuponherwork,andsheforgotthatshewas,properlyspeaking,anamateurworker,whoseserviceswereunpaid,andcouldhardlybesaidtowindtheworldupforitsdailytask,sincetheworld,sofar,hadshownverylittledesiretotaketheboonswhichMary’ssocietyforwoman’ssuffragehadofferedit. ShewasthinkingallthewayupSouthamptonRowofnotepaperandfoolscap,andhowaneconomyintheuseofpapermightbeeffected(without,ofcourse,hurtingMrs.Seal’sfeelings),forshewascertainthatthegreatorganizersalwayspounce,tobeginwith,upontrifleslikethese,andbuilduptheirtriumphantreformsuponabasisofabsolutesolidityand,withoutacknowledgingitforamoment,MaryDatchetwasdeterminedtobeagreatorganizer,andhadalreadydoomedhersocietytoreconstructionofthemostradicalkind.Onceortwicelately,itistrue,shehadstarted,broadawake,beforeturningintoRussellSquare,anddenouncedherselfrathersharplyforbeingalreadyinagroove,capable,thatis,ofthinkingthesamethoughtseverymorningatthesamehour,sothatthechestnut-coloredbrickoftheRussellSquarehouseshadsomecuriousconnectionwithherthoughtsaboutofficeeconomy,andservedalsoasasignthatsheshouldgetintotrimformeetingMr.Clacton,orMrs.Seal,orwhoevermightbebeforehandwithherattheoffice.Havingnoreligiousbelief,shewasthemoreconscientiousaboutherlife,examiningherpositionfromtimetotimeveryseriously,andnothingannoyedhermorethantofindoneofthesebadhabitsnibblingawayunheededattheprecioussubstance.Whatwasthegood,afterall,ofbeingawomanifonedidn’tkeepfresh,andcramone’slifewithallsortsofviewsandexperiments?Thusshealwaysgaveherselfalittleshake,assheturnedthecorner,and,asoftenasnot,reachedherowndoorwhistlingasnatchofaSomersetshireballad. ThesuffrageofficewasatthetopofoneofthelargeRussellSquarehouses,whichhadoncebeenlivedinbyagreatcitymerchantandhisfamily,andwasnowletoutinslicestoanumberofsocietieswhichdisplayedassortedinitialsupondoorsofgroundglass,andkept,eachofthem,atypewriterwhichclickedbusilyalldaylong.Theoldhouse,withitsgreatstonestaircase,echoedhollowlytothesoundoftypewritersandoferrand-boysfromtentosix.Thenoiseofdifferenttypewritersalreadyatwork,disseminatingtheirviewsupontheprotectionofnativeraces,orthevalueofcerealsasfoodstuffs,quickenedMary’ssteps,andshealwaysranupthelastflightofstepswhichledtoherownlanding,atwhateverhourshecame,soastogethertypewritertotakeitsplaceincompetitionwiththerest. Shesatherselfdowntoherletters,andverysoonallthesespeculationswereforgotten,andthetwolinesdrewthemselvesbetweenhereyebrows,asthecontentsoftheletters,theofficefurniture,andthesoundsofactivityinthenextroomgraduallyassertedtheirswayuponher.Byeleveno’clocktheatmosphereofconcentrationwasrunningsostronglyinonedirectionthatanythoughtofadifferentordercouldhardlyhavesurviveditsbirthmorethanamomentorso.Thetaskwhichlaybeforeherwastoorganizeaseriesofentertainments,theprofitsofwhichweretobenefitthesociety,whichdroopedforwantoffunds.Itwasherfirstattemptatorganizationonalargescale,andshemeanttoachievesomethingremarkable.Shemeanttousethecumbrousmachinetopickoutthis,that,andtheotherinterestingpersonfromthemuddleoftheworld,andtosetthemforaweekinapatternwhichmustcatchtheeyesofCabinetMinisters,andtheeyesoncecaught,theoldargumentsweretobedeliveredwithunexampledoriginality.Suchwastheschemeasawholeandincontemplationofitshewouldbecomequiteflushedandexcited,andhavetoremindherselfofallthedetailsthatintervenedbetweenherandsuccess. Thedoorwouldopen,andMr.Clactonwouldcomeintosearchforacertainleafletburiedbeneathapyramidofleaflets.Hewasathin,sandy-hairedmanofaboutthirty-five,spokewithaCockneyaccent,andhadabouthimafrugallook,asifnaturehadnotdealtgenerouslywithhiminanyway,which,naturally,preventedhimfromdealinggenerouslywithotherpeople.Whenhehadfoundhisleaflet,andofferedafewjocularhintsuponkeepingpapersinord