CHAPTER XXVII

ham’sfamilywascommonplace,unshapely,lackingincharm,andfitlyexpressedbythehideousnatureoftheirfurnitureanddecorations.Sheglancedalongamantelpiecerangedwithbronzechariots,silvervases,andchinaornamentsthatwereeitherfacetiousoreccentric. ShedidnotapplyherjudgmentconsciouslytoRalph,butwhenshelookedathim,amomentlater,sheratedhimlowerthanatanyothertimeoftheiracquaintanceship. Hehadmadenoefforttotideoverthediscomfortsofherintroduction,andnow,engagedinargumentwithhisbrother,apparentlyforgotherpresence.Shemusthavecounteduponhissupportmorethansherealized,forthisindifference,emphasized,asitwas,bytheinsignificantcommonplaceofhissurroundings,awokeher,notonlytothatugliness,buttoherownfolly.Shethoughtofonesceneafteranotherinafewseconds,withthatshudderwhichisalmostablush.Shehadbelievedhimwhenhespokeoffriendship.Shehadbelievedinaspirituallightburningsteadilyandsteadfastlybehindtheerraticdisorderandincoherenceoflife.Thelightwasnowgoneout,suddenly,asifaspongehadblottedit.ThelitterofthetableandthetediousbutexactingconversationofMrs.Denhamremained:theystruck,indeed,uponamindbereftofalldefences,and,keenlyconsciousofthedegradationwhichistheresultofstrifewhethervictoriousornot,shethoughtgloomilyofherloneliness,oflife’sfutility,ofthebarrenproseofreality,ofWilliamRodney,ofhermother,andtheunfinishedbook. HeranswerstoMrs.Denhamwereperfunctorytothevergeofrudeness,andtoRalph,whowatchedhernarrowly,sheseemedfurtherawaythanwascompatiblewithherphysicalcloseness.Heglancedather,andgroundoutfurtherstepsinhisargument,determinedthatnofollyshouldremainwhenthisexperiencewasover.Nextmoment,asilence,suddenandcomplete,descendeduponthemall.Thesilenceofallthesepeopleroundtheuntidytablewasenormousandhideoussomethinghorribleseemedabouttoburstfromit,buttheyendureditobstinately.Asecondlaterthedooropenedandtherewasastirofreliefcriesof“Hullo,Joan!There’snothingleftforyoutoeat,”brokeuptheoppressiveconcentrationofsomanyeyesuponthetable-cloth,andsetthewatersoffamilylifedashinginbrisklittlewavesagain.ItwasobviousthatJoanhadsomemysteriousandbeneficentpoweruponherfamily.ShewentuptoKatharineasifshehadheardofher,andwasverygladtoseeheratlast.Sheexplainedthatshehadbeenvisitinganunclewhowasill,andthathadkepther.No,shehadn’thadanytea,butasliceofbreadwoulddo.Someonehandedupahotcake,whichhadbeenkeepingwarminthefendershesatdownbyhermother’sside,Mrs.Denham’sanxietiesseemedtorelax,andeveryonebeganeatinganddrinking,asifteahadbegunoveragain.HestervoluntarilyexplainedtoKatharinethatshewasreadingtopasssomeexamination,becauseshewantedmorethananythinginthewholeworldtogotoNewnham. “Now,justletmehearyoudecline‘amo’—Ilove,”Johnniedemanded. “No,Johnnie,noGreekatmeal-times,”saidJoan,overhearinghiminstantly.“She’supatallhoursofthenightoverherbooks,MissHilbery,andI’msurethat’snotthewaytopassexaminations,”shewenton,smilingatKatharine,withtheworriedhumoroussmileoftheeldersisterwhoseyoungerbrothersandsistershavebecomealmostlikechildrenofherown. “Joan,youdon’treallythinkthat‘amo’isGreek?”Ralph asked. “DidIsayGreek?Well,nevermind.Nodeadlanguagesattea-time.Mydearboy,don’ttroubletomakemeanytoast—” “Orifyoudo,surelythere’sthetoasting-forksomewhere?”saidMrs.Denham,stillcherishingthebeliefthatthebread-knifecouldbespoilt.“Dooneofyouringandaskforone,”shesaid,withoutanyconvictionthatshewouldbeobeyed.“ButisAnncomingtobewithUncleJoseph?”shecontinued.“Ifso,surelytheyhadbettersendAmytous—”andinthemysteriousdelightoflearningfurtherdetailsofthesearrangements,andsuggestingmoresensibleplansofherown,which,fromtheaggrievedwayinwhichshespoke,shedidnotseemtoexpectanyonetoadopt,Mrs.Denhamcompletelyforgotthepresenceofawell-dressedvisitor,whohadtobeinformedabouttheamenitiesofHighgate.AssoonasJoanhadtakenherseat,anargumenthadsprunguponeithersideofKatharine,astowhethertheSalvationArmyhasanyrighttoplayhymnsatstreetcornersonSundaymornings,therebymakingitimpossibleforJamestohavehissleepout,andtamperingwiththerightsofindividualliberty. “Yousee,Jameslikestolieinbedandsleeplikeahog,”saidJohnnie,explaininghimselftoKatharine,whereuponJamesfiredupand,makingherhisgoal,alsoexclaimed: “BecauseSundaysaremyonechanceintheweekofhavingmysleepout.Johnniemesseswithstinkingchemicalsinthepantry—” Theyappealedtoher,andsheforgothercakeandbegantolaughandtalkandarguewithsuddenanimation.Thelargefamilyseemedtohersowarmandvariousthatsheforgottocensurethemfortheirtasteinpottery.ButthepersonalquestionbetweenJamesandJohnniemergedintosomeargumentalready,apparently,debated,sothatthepartshadbeendistributedamongthefamily,inwhichRalphtooktheleadandKatharinefoundherselfopposedtohimandthechampionofJohnnie’scause,who,itappeared,alwayslosthisheadandgotexcitedinargumentwithRalph. “Yes,yes,that’swhatImean.She’sgotitright,”heexclaimed,afterKatharinehadrestatedhiscase,andmadeitmoreprecise.ThedebatewasleftalmostsolelytoKatharineandRalph.Theylookedintoeachother’seyesfixedly,likewrestlerstryingtoseewhatmovementiscomingnext,andwhileRalphspoke,Katharinebitherlowerlip,andwasalwaysreadywithhernextpointassoonashehaddone.Theywereverywellmatched,andheldtheoppositeviews. Butatthemostexcitingstageoftheargument,fornoreasonthatKatharinecouldsee,allchairswerepushedback,andoneafteranothertheDenhamfamilygotupandwentoutofthedoor,asifabellhadsummonedthem.Shewasnotusedtotheclockworkregulationsofalargefamily.Shehesitatedinwhatshewassaying,androse.Mrs.DenhamandJoanhaddrawntogetherandstoodbythefireplace,slightlyraisingtheirskirtsabovetheirankles,anddiscussingsomethingwhichhadanairofbeingveryseriousandveryprivate.Theyappearedtohaveforgottenherpresenceamongthem.Ralphstoodholdingthedooropenforher. “Won’tyoucomeuptomyroom?”hesaid.AndKatharine,glancingbackatJoan,whosmiledatherinapreoccupiedway,followedRalphupstairs.Shewasthinkingoftheirargument,andwhen,afterthelongclimb,heopenedhisdoor,shebeganatonce. “Thequestionis,then,atwhatpointisitrightfortheindividualtoasserthiswillagainstthewilloftheState.” Forsometimetheycontinuedtheargument,andthentheintervalsbetweenonestatementandthenextbecamelongerandlonger,andtheyspokemorespeculativelyandlesspugnaciously,andatlastfellsilent.Katharinewentovertheargumentinhermind,rememberinghow,nowandthen,ithadbeensetconspicuouslyontherightcoursebysomeremarkofferedeitherbyJamesorbyJohnnie. “Yourbrothersareveryclever,”shesaid.“Isu