CHAPTER VI

n.HewasagooddealstruckbytheappearanceandmannerofMissHilbery,whichseemedtohimtoplaceheramongthosecultivatedandluxuriouspeopleofwhomheusedtodream.Mary,ontheotherhand,wasmoreofhisownsort,andalittletoomuchinclinedtoorderhimabout.Hepickedupcrumbsofdrybiscuitandputthemintohismouthwithincrediblerapidity. “Youdon’tbelongtooursociety,then?”saidMrs.Seal. “No,I’mafraidIdon’t,”saidKatharine,withsuchreadycandorthatMrs.Sealwasnonplussed,andstaredatherwithapuzzledexpression,asifshecouldnotclassifyheramongthevarietiesofhumanbeingsknowntoher. “Butsurely,”shebegan. “Mrs.Sealisanenthusiastinthesematters,”saidMr.Clacton,almostapologetically.“Wehavetoremindhersometimesthatothershavearighttotheirviewseveniftheydifferfromourown....“Punch”hasaveryfunnypicturethisweek,aboutaSuffragistandanagriculturallaborer.Haveyouseenthisweek’s“Punch,”MissDatchet?” Marylaughed,andsaid“No.” Mr.Clactonthentoldthemthesubstanceofthejoke,which,however,dependedagooddealforitssuccessupontheexpressionwhichtheartisthadputintothepeople’sfaces.Mrs.Sealsatallthetimeperfectlygrave.Directlyhehaddonespeakingsheburstout: “Butsurely,ifyoucareaboutthewelfareofyoursexatall,youmustwishthemtohavethevote?” “IneversaidIdidn’twishthemtohavethevote,”Katharineprotested. “Thenwhyaren’tyouamemberofoursociety?”Mrs.Sealdemanded. Katharinestirredherspoonroundandround,staredintotheswirlofthetea,andremainedsilent.Mr.Clacton,meanwhile,framedaquestionwhich,afteramoment’shesitation,heputtoKatharine. “Areyouinanywayrelated,Iwonder,tothepoetAlardyce?Hisdaughter,Ibelieve,marriedaMr.Hilbery.” “YesI’mthepoet’sgranddaughter,”saidKatharine,withalittlesigh,afterapauseandforamomenttheywereallsilent. “Thepoet’sgranddaughter!”Mrs.Sealrepeated,halftoherself,withashakeofherhead,asifthatexplainedwhatwasotherwiseinexplicable. ThelightkindledinMr.Clacton’seye. “Ah,indeed.Thatinterestsmeverymuch,”hesaid.“Ioweagreatdebttoyourgrandfather,MissHilbery.AtonetimeIcouldhaverepeatedthegreaterpartofhimbyheart.Butonegetsoutofthewayofreadingpoetry,unfortunately.Youdon’trememberhim,Isuppose?” AsharprapatthedoormadeKatharine’sanswerinaudible.Mrs.Seallookedupwithrenewedhopeinhereyes,andexclaiming: “Theproofsatlast!”rantoopenthedoor.“Oh,it’sonlyMr.Denham!”shecried,withoutanyattempttoconcealherdisappointment.Ralph,Katharinesupposed,wasafrequentvisitor,fortheonlypersonhethoughtitnecessarytogreetwasherself,andMaryatonceexplainedthestrangefactofherbeingtherebysaying: “Katharinehascometoseehowonerunsanoffice.” Ralphfelthimselfstiffenuncomfortably,ashesaid: “IhopeMaryhasn’tpersuadedyouthatsheknowshowtorunanoffice?” “What,doesn’tshe?”saidKatharine,lookingfromonetotheother. AttheseremarksMrs.Sealbegantoexhibitsignsofdiscomposure,whichdisplayedthemselvesbyatossingmovementofherhead,and,asRalphtookaletterfromhispocket,andplacedhisfingeruponacertainsentence,sheforestalledhimbyexclaiminginconfusion: “Now,Iknowwhatyou’regoingtosay,Mr.Denham!ButitwasthedayKitMarkhamwashere,andsheupsetsoneso—withherwonderfulvitality,alwaysthinkingofsomethingnewthatweoughttobedoingandaren’t—andIwasconsciousatthetimethatmydatesweremixed.IthadnothingtodowithMaryatall,Iassureyou.” “MydearSally,don’tapologize,”saidMary,laughing.“Menaresuchpedants—theydon’tknowwhatthingsmatter,andwhatthingsdon’t.” “Now,Denham,speakupforoursex,”saidMr.Clactoninajocularmanner,indeed,butlikemostinsignificantmenhewasveryquicktoresentbeingfoundfaultwithbyawoman,inargumentwithwhomhewasfondofcallinghimself“amereman.”Hewished,however,toenterintoaliteraryconservationwithMissHilbery,andthusletthematterdrop. “Doesn’titseemstrangetoyou,MissHilbery,”hesaid,“thattheFrench,withalltheirwealthofillustriousnames,havenopoetwhocancomparewithyourgrandfather?Letmesee.There’sChenierandHugoandAlfreddeMusset—wonderfulmen,but,atthesametime,there’sarichness,afreshnessaboutAlardyce—” Herethetelephonebellrang,andhehadtoabsenthimselfwithasmileandabowwhichsignifiedthat,althoughliteratureisdelightful,itisnotwork.Mrs.Sealroseatthesametime,butremainedhoveringoverthetable,deliveringherselfofatiradeagainstpartygovernment.“ForifIweretotellyouwhatIknowofback-stairsintrigue,andwhatcanbedonebythepowerofthepurse,youwouldn’tcreditme,Mr.Denham,youwouldn’t,indeed.WhichiswhyIfeelthattheonlyworkformyfather’sdaughter—forhewasoneofthepioneers,Mr.Denham,andonhistombstoneIhadthatversefromthePsalmsput,aboutthesowersandtheseed....Andwhatwouldn’tIgivethatheshouldbealivenow,seeingwhatwe’regoingtosee—”butreflectingthatthegloriesofthefuturedependedinpartupontheactivityofhertypewriter,shebobbedherhead,andhurriedbacktotheseclusionofherlittleroom,fromwhichimmediatelyissuedsoundsofenthusiastic,butobviouslyerratic,composition. Marymadeitclearatonce,bystartingafreshtopicofgeneralinterest,thatthoughshesawthehumorofhercolleague,shedidnotintendtohaveherlaughedat. “Thestandardofmoralityseemstomefrightfullylow,”sheobservedreflectively,pouringoutasecondcupoftea,“especiallyamongwomenwhoaren’twelleducated.Theydon’tseethatsmallthingsmatter,andthat’swheretheleakagebegins,andthenwefindourselvesindifficulties—Iverynearlylostmytemperyesterday,”shewenton,lookingatRalphwithalittlesmile,asthoughheknewwhathappenedwhenshelosthertemper.“Itmakesmeveryangrywhenpeopletellmelies—doesn’titmakeyouangry?”sheaskedKatharine. “Butconsideringthateveryonetellslies,”Katharineremarked,lookingabouttheroomtoseewhereshehadputdownherumbrellaandherparcel,fortherewasanintimacyinthewayinwhichMaryandRalphaddressedeachotherwhichmadeherwishtoleavethem.Mary,ontheotherhand,wasanxious,superficiallyatleast,thatKatharineshouldstayandsofortifyherinherdeterminationnottobeinlovewithRalph. Ralph,whileliftinghiscupfromhislipstothetable,hadmadeuphismindthatifMissHilberyleft,hewouldgowithher. “Idon’tthinkthatItelllies,andIdon’tthinkthatRalphtellslies,doyou,Ralph?”Marycontinued. Katharinelaughed,withmoregayety,asitseemedtoMary,thanshecouldproperlyaccountfor.Whatwasshelaughingat?Atthem,presumably.Katharinehadrisen,andwasglancinghitherandthither,atthepressesandthecupboards,andallthemachineryoftheoffice,asifsheincludedthemallinherrathermaliciousamusement,whichcausedMarytokeephereyesonherstraightlyandratherfiercely,asifshewereagay-plumed,mischievousbird,whomightlightonthetopmostboughandpickofftheruddiestcherry,withoutanywarning.Twowomenlesslikeeachothercouldscarcelybeimagined,Ralphthought,lookingfromonetotheother.Nextmoment,hetoo,rose,andnoddingtoMary,asKatharinesaidgood-bye,openedthedoorforher,andfollowedherout. M