CHAPTER XXVII

dattheextentofhisfreedom,hebethoughthimofadaringplan,bywhichtheghostofKatharinecouldbemoreeffectuallyexorcisedthanbymereabstinence.Hewouldaskhertocomehomewithhimtotea.Hewouldforceherthroughthemilloffamilylifehewouldplaceherinalightunsparingandrevealing.Hisfamilywouldfindnothingtoadmireinher,andshe,hefeltcertain,woulddespisethemall,andthis,too,wouldhelphim.Hefelthimselfbecomingmoreandmoremercilesstowardsher.Bysuchcourageousmeasuresanyone,hethought,couldendtheabsurdpassionswhichwerethecauseofsomuchpainandwaste.Hecouldforeseeatimewhenhisexperiences,hisdiscovery,andhistriumphweremadeavailableforyoungerbrotherswhofoundthemselvesinthesamepredicament.Helookedathiswatch,andremarkedthatthegardenswouldsoonbeclosed. “Anyhow,”headded,“Ithinkwe’veseenenoughforoneafternoon.Wherehavetheothersgotto?”Helookedoverhisshoulder,and,seeingnotraceofthem,remarkedatonce: “We’dbetterbeindependentofthem.Thebestplanwillbeforyoutocomebacktoteawithme.” “Whyshouldn’tyoucomewithme?”sheasked. “Becausewe’renextdoortoHighgatehere,”herepliedpromptly. Sheassented,havingverylittlenotionwhetherHighgatewasnextdoortoRegent’sParkornot.Shewasonlygladtoputoffherreturntothefamilytea-tableinChelseaforanhourortwo.TheyproceededwithdoggeddeterminationthroughthewindingroadsofRegent’sPark,andtheSunday-strickenstreetsoftheneighborhood,inthedirectionoftheTubestation.Ignorantoftheway,sheresignedherselfentirelytohim,andfoundhissilenceaconvenientcoverbeneathwhichtocontinueherangerwithRodney. WhentheysteppedoutofthetrainintothestillgrayergloomofHighgate,shewondered,forthefirsttime,wherehewastakingher.Hadheafamily,ordidhelivealoneinrooms?Onthewholeshewasinclinedtobelievethathewastheonlysonofanaged,andpossiblyinvalid,mother.Shesketchedlightly,upontheblankvistadownwhichtheywalked,thelittlewhitehouseandthetremulousoldladyrisingfrombehindhertea-tabletogreetherwithfalteringwordsabout“myson’sfriends,”andwasonthepointofaskingRalphtotellherwhatshemightexpect,whenhejerkedopenoneoftheinfinitenumberofidenticalwoodendoors,andledherupatiledpathtoaporchintheAlpinestyleofarchitecture.Astheylistenedtotheshakingofthebellinthebasement,shecouldsummonnovisiontoreplacetheonesorudelydestroyed. “Imustwarnyoutoexpectafamilyparty,”saidRalph.“They’remostlyinonSundays.Wecangotomyroomafterwards.” “Haveyoumanybrothersandsisters?”sheasked,withoutconcealingherdismay. “Sixorseven,”herepliedgrimly,asthedooropened. WhileRalphtookoffhiscoat,shehadtimetonoticethefernsandphotographsanddraperies,andtohearahum,orratherababble,ofvoicestalkingeachotherdown,fromthesoundofthem.Therigidityofextremeshynesscameoverher.ShekeptasfarbehindDenhamasshecould,andwalkedstifflyafterhimintoaroomblazingwithunshadedlights,whichfelluponanumberofpeople,ofdifferentages,sittingroundalargedining-roomtableuntidilystrewnwithfood,andunflinchinglylitupbyincandescentgas.Ralphwalkedstraighttothefarendofthetable. “Mother,thisisMissHilbery,”hesaid. Alargeelderlylady,bentoveranunsatisfactoryspirit-lamp,lookedupwithalittlefrown,andobserved: “Ibegyourpardon.Ithoughtyouwereoneofmyowngirls.Dorothy,”shecontinuedonthesamebreath,tocatchtheservantbeforeshelefttheroom,“weshallwantsomemoremethylatedspirits—unlessthelampitselfisoutoforder.Ifoneofyoucouldinventagoodspirit-lamp—”shesighed,lookinggenerallydownthetable,andthenbeganseekingamongthechinabeforeherfortwocleancupsforthenew-comers. TheunsparinglightrevealedmoreuglinessthanKatharinehadseeninoneroomforaverylongtime.Itwastheuglinessofenormousfoldsofbrownmaterial,loopedandfestooned,ofplushcurtains,fromwhichdependedballsandfringes,partiallyconcealingbookshelvesswollenwithblackschool-texts.Hereyewasarrestedbycrossedscabbardsoffrettedwooduponthedullgreenwall,andwherevertherewasahighflateminence,somefernwavedfromapotofcrinkledchina,orabronzehorserearedsohighthatthestumpofatreehadtosustainhisforequarters.Thewatersoffamilylifeseemedtoriseandcloseoverherhead,andshemunchedinsilence. AtlengthMrs.Denhamlookedupfromherteacupsandremarked: “Yousee,MissHilbery,mychildrenallcomeinatdifferenthoursandwantdifferentthings.(Thetrayshouldgoupifyou’vedone,Johnnie.)MyboyCharlesisinbedwithacold.Whatelsecanyouexpect?—standinginthewetplayingfootball.Wedidtrydrawing-roomtea,butitdidn’tdo.” Aboyofsixteen,whoappearedtobeJohnnie,grumbledderisivelybothatthenotionofdrawing-roomteaandatthenecessityofcarryingatrayuptohisbrother.Buthetookhimselfoff,beingenjoinedbyhismothertomindwhathewasdoing,andshutthedoorafterhim. “It’smuchnicerlikethis,”saidKatharine,applyingherselfwithdeterminationtothedissectionofhercaketheyhadgivenhertoolargeaslice.SheknewthatMrs.Denhamsuspectedherofcriticalcomparisons.Sheknewthatshewasmakingpoorprogresswithhercake.Mrs.DenhamhadlookedathersufficientlyoftentomakeitcleartoKatharinethatshewasaskingwhothisyoungwomanwas,andwhyRalphhadbroughthertoteawiththem.Therewasanobviousreason,whichMrs.Denhamhadprobablyreachedbythistime.Outwardly,shewasbehavingwithratherrustyandlaboriouscivility.ShewasmakingconversationabouttheamenitiesofHighgate,itsdevelopmentandsituation. “WhenIfirstmarried,”shesaid,“HighgatewasquiteseparatefromLondon,MissHilbery,andthishouse,thoughyouwouldn’tbelieveit,hadaviewofappleorchards.ThatwasbeforetheMiddletonsbuilttheirhouseinfrontofus.” “Itmustbeagreatadvantagetoliveatthetopofahill,”saidKatharine.Mrs.Denhamagreedeffusively,asifheropinionofKatharine’ssensehadrisen. “Yes,indeed,wefinditveryhealthy,”shesaid,andshewenton,aspeoplewholiveinthesuburbssooftendo,toprovethatitwashealthier,moreconvenient,andlessspoiltthananysuburbroundLondon.Shespokewithsuchemphasisthatitwasquiteobviousthatsheexpressedunpopularviews,andthatherchildrendisagreedwithher. “Theceiling’sfallendowninthepantryagain,”saidHester,agirlofeighteen,abruptly. “Thewholehousewillbedownoneofthesedays,”Jamesmuttered. “Nonsense,”saidMrs.Denham.“It’sonlyalittlebitofplaster—Idon’tseehowanyhousecouldbeexpectedtostandthewearandtearyougiveit.”Heresomefamilyjokeexploded,whichKatharinecouldnotfollow.EvenMrs.Denhamlaughedagainstherwill. “MissHilbery’sthinkingusallsorude,”sheaddedreprovingly.MissHilberysmiledandshookherhead,andwasconsciousthatagreatmanyeyesresteduponher,foramoment,asiftheywouldfindpleasureindiscussingherwhenshewasgone.Owing,perhaps,tothiscriticalglance,KatharinedecidedthatRalphDen