CHAPTER VI

arysatstillandmadenoattempttopreventthemfromgoing.Forasecondortwoafterthedoorhadshutonthemhereyesrestedonthedoorwithastraightforwardfiercenessinwhich,foramoment,acertaindegreeofbewildermentseemedtoenterbut,afterabriefhesitation,sheputdownhercupandproceededtoclearawaythetea-things. TheimpulsewhichhaddrivenRalphtotakethisactionwastheresultofaveryswiftlittlepieceofreasoning,andthus,perhaps,wasnotquitesomuchofanimpulseasitseemed.ItpassedthroughhismindthatifhemissedthischanceoftalkingtoKatharine,hewouldhavetofaceanenragedghost,whenhewasaloneinhisroomagain,demandinganexplanationofhiscowardlyindecision.Itwasbetter,onthewhole,toriskpresentdiscomfiturethantowasteaneveningbandyingexcusesandconstructingimpossiblesceneswiththisuncompromisingsectionofhimself.ForeversincehehadvisitedtheHilberyshehadbeenmuchatthemercyofaphantomKatharine,whocametohimwhenhesatalone,andansweredhimashewouldhaveheranswer,andwasalwaysbesidehimtocrownthosevaryingtriumphswhichweretransactedalmosteverynight,inimaginaryscenes,ashewalkedthroughthelamplitstreetshomefromtheoffice.TowalkwithKatharineinthefleshwouldeitherfeedthatphantomwithfreshfood,which,asallwhonourishdreamsareaware,isaprocessthatbecomesnecessaryfromtimetotime,orrefineittosuchadegreeofthinnessthatitwasscarcelyserviceableanylongerandthat,too,issometimesawelcomechangetoadreamer.AndallthetimeRalphwaswellawarethatthebulkofKatharinewasnotrepresentedinhisdreamsatall,sothatwhenhemetherhewasbewilderedbythefactthatshehadnothingtodowithhisdreamofher. When,onreachingthestreet,KatharinefoundthatMr.Denhamproceededtokeeppacebyherside,shewassurprisedand,perhaps,alittleannoyed.She,too,hadhermarginofimagination,andto-nightheractivityinthisobscureregionofthemindrequiredsolitude.Ifshehadhadherway,shewouldhavewalkedveryfastdowntheTottenhamCourtRoad,andthensprungintoacabandracedswiftlyhome.Theviewshehadhadoftheinsideofanofficewasofthenatureofadreamtoher.Shutoffupthere,shecomparedMrs.Seal,andMaryDatchet,andMr.Clactontoenchantedpeopleinabewitchedtower,withthespiders’websloopingacrossthecornersoftheroom,andallthetoolsofthenecromancer’scraftathandforsoaloofandunrealandapartfromthenormalworlddidtheyseemtoher,inthehouseofinnumerabletypewriters,murmuringtheirincantationsandconcoctingtheirdrugs,andflingingtheirfrailspiders’websoverthetorrentoflifewhichrusheddownthestreetsoutside. Shemayhavebeenconsciousthattherewassomeexaggerationinthisfancyofhers,forshecertainlydidnotwishtoshareitwithRalph.Tohim,shesupposed,MaryDatchet,composingleafletsforCabinetMinistersamonghertypewriters,representedallthatwasinterestingandgenuineand,accordingly,sheshutthembothoutfromallshareinthecrowdedstreet,withitspendantnecklaceoflamps,itslightedwindows,anditsthrongofmenandwomen,whichexhilaratedhertosuchanextentthatsheverynearlyforgothercompanion.Shewalkedveryfast,andtheeffectofpeoplepassingintheoppositedirectionwastoproduceaqueerdizzinessbothinherheadandinRalph’s,whichsettheirbodiesfarapart.Butshedidherdutybyhercompanionalmostunconsciously. “MaryDatchetdoesthatsortofworkverywell....She’sresponsibleforit,Isuppose?” “Yes.Theothersdon’thelpatall....Hasshemadeaconvertofyou?” “Ohno.Thatis,I’maconvertalready.” “Butshehasn’tpersuadedyoutoworkforthem?” “Ohdearno—thatwouldn’tdoatall.” SotheywalkedondowntheTottenhamCourtRoad,partingandcomingtogetheragain,andRalphfeltmuchasthoughhewereaddressingthesummitofapoplarinahighgaleofwind. “Supposewegetontothatomnibus?”hesuggested. Katharineacquiesced,andtheyclimbedup,andfoundthemselvesaloneontopofit. “Butwhichwayareyougoing?”Katharineasked,wakingalittlefromthetranceintowhichmovementamongmovingthingshadthrownher. “I’mgoingtotheTemple,”Ralphreplied,inventingadestinationonthespurofthemoment.Hefeltthechangecomeoverherastheysatdownandtheomnibusbegantomoveforward.Heimaginedhercontemplatingtheavenueinfrontofthemwiththosehonestsadeyeswhichseemedtosethimatsuchadistancefromthem.Butthebreezewasblowingintheirfacesitliftedherhatforasecond,andshedrewoutapinandstuckitinagain,—alittleactionwhichseemed,forsomereason,tomakeherrathermorefallible.Ah,ifonlyherhatwouldblowoff,andleaveheraltogetherdisheveled,acceptingitfromhishands! “ThisislikeVenice,”sheobserved,raisingherhand.“Themotor-cars,Imean,shootingaboutsoquickly,withtheirlights.” “I’veneverseenVenice,”hereplied.“Ikeepthatandsomeotherthingsformyoldage.” “Whataretheotherthings?”sheasked. “There’sVeniceandIndiaand,Ithink,Dante,too.” Shelaughed. “Thinkofprovidingforone’soldage!AndwouldyourefusetoseeVeniceifyouhadthechance?” Insteadofansweringher,hewonderedwhetherheshouldtellhersomethingthatwasquitetrueabouthimselfandashewondered,hetoldher. “I’veplannedoutmylifeinsectionseversinceIwasachild,tomakeitlastlonger.Yousee,I’malwaysafraidthatI’mmissingsomething—” “AndsoamI!”Katharineexclaimed.“But,afterall,”sheadded,“whyshouldyoumissanything?” “Why?BecauseI’mpoor,foronething,”Ralphrejoined.“You,Isuppose,canhaveVeniceandIndiaandDanteeverydayofyourlife.” Shesaidnothingforamoment,butrestedonehand,whichwasbareofglove,upontherailinfrontofher,meditatinguponavarietyofthings,ofwhichonewasthatthisstrangeyoungmanpronouncedDanteasshewasusedtohearingitpronounced,andanother,thathehad,mostunexpectedly,afeelingaboutlifethatwasfamiliartoher.Perhaps,then,hewasthesortofpersonshemighttakeaninterestin,ifshecametoknowhimbetter,andasshehadplacedhimamongthosewhomshewouldneverwanttoknowbetter,thiswasenoughtomakehersilent.Shehastilyrecalledherfirstviewofhim,inthelittleroomwheretherelicswerekept,andranabarthroughhalfherimpressions,asonecancelsabadlywrittensentence,havingfoundtherightone. “Buttoknowthatonemighthavethingsdoesn’talterthefactthatonehasn’tgotthem,”shesaid,insomeconfusion.“HowcouldIgotoIndia,forexample?Besides,”shebeganimpulsively,andstoppedherself.Heretheconductorcameround,andinterruptedthem.Ralphwaitedforhertoresumehersentence,butshesaidnomore. “Ihaveamessagetogiveyourfather,”heremarked.“Perhapsyouwouldgiveithim,orIcouldcome—” “Yes,docome,”Katharinereplied. “Still,Idon’tseewhyyoushouldn’tgotoIndia,”Ralphbegan,inordertokeepherfromrising,asshethreatenedtodo. Butshegotupinspiteofhim,andsaidgood-byewithherusualairofdecision,andlefthimwithaquicknesswhichRalphconnectednowwithallhermovements.Helookeddownandsawherstandingonthepavementedge,analert,commandingfigure,whichwaiteditsseasontocross,andthenwalkedboldlyandswiftlytotheotherside.Thatgestureandactionwouldbeaddedtothepicturehehadofher,butatpresenttherealwomancompletelyroutedthephantomone.