CHAPTER XXXII

NobodyaskedKatharineanyquestionsnextday.Ifcross-examinedshemighthavesaidthatnobodyspoketoher.Sheworkedalittle,wrotealittle,orderedthedinner,andsat,forlongerthansheknew,withherheadonherhandpiercingwhateverlaybeforeher,whetheritwasaletteroradictionary,asifitwereafilmuponthedeepprospectsthatrevealedthemselvestoherkindlingandbroodingeyes.Sheroseonce,andgoingtothebookcase,tookoutherfather’sGreekdictionaryandspreadthesacredpagesofsymbolsandfiguresbeforeher.Shesmoothedthesheetswithamixtureofaffectionateamusementandhope.Wouldothereyeslookonthemwithheroneday?Thethought,longintolerable,wasnowjustbearable. Shewasquiteunawareoftheanxietywithwhichhermovementswerewatchedandherexpressionscanned.Cassandrawascarefulnottobecaughtlookingather,andtheirconversationwassoprosaicthatwereitnotforcertainjoltsandjerksbetweenthesentences,asifthemindwerekeptwithdifficultytotherails,Mrs.Milvainherselfcouldhavedetectednothingofasuspiciousnatureinwhatsheoverheard. William,whenhecameinlatethatafternoonandfoundCassandraalone,hadaveryseriouspieceofnewstoimpart.HehadjustpassedKatharineinthestreetandshehadfailedtorecognizehim. “Thatdoesn’tmatterwithme,ofcourse,butsupposeithappenedwithsomebodyelse?Whatwouldtheythink?Theywouldsuspectsomethingmerelyfromherexpression.Shelooked—shelooked”—hehesitated—“likesomeonewalkinginhersleep.” ToCassandrathesignificantthingwasthatKatharinehadgoneoutwithouttellingher,andsheinterpretedthistomeanthatshehadgoneouttomeetRalphDenham.ButtohersurpriseWilliamdrewnocomfortfromthisprobability. “Oncethrowconventionsaside,”hebegan,“oncedothethingsthatpeopledon’tdo—”andthefactthatyouaregoingtomeetayoungmanisnolongerproofofanything,except,indeed,thatpeoplewilltalk. Cassandrasaw,notwithoutapangofjealousy,thathewasextremelysolicitousthatpeopleshouldnottalkaboutKatharine,asifhisinterestinherwerestillproprietaryratherthanfriendly.AstheywerebothignorantofRalph’svisitthenightbeforetheyhadnotthatreasontocomfortthemselveswiththethoughtthatmatterswerehasteningtoacrisis.TheseabsencesofKatharine’s,moreover,leftthemexposedtointerruptionswhichalmostdestroyedtheirpleasureinbeingalonetogether.Therainyeveningmadeitimpossibletogooutand,indeed,accordingtoWilliam’scode,itwasconsiderablymoredamningtobeseenoutofdoorsthansurprisedwithin.TheyweresomuchatthemercyofbellsanddoorsthattheycouldhardlytalkofMacaulaywithanyconviction,andWilliampreferredtodeferthesecondactofhistragedyuntilanotherday. UnderthesecircumstancesCassandrashowedherselfatherbest.ShesympathizedwithWilliam’sanxietiesanddidherutmosttosharethembutstill,tobealonetogether,toberunningriskstogether,tobepartnersinthewonderfulconspiracy,wastohersoenthrallingthatshewasalwaysforgettingdiscretion,breakingoutintoexclamationsandadmirationswhichfinallymadeWilliambelievethat,althoughdeplorableandupsetting,thesituationwasnotwithoutitssweetness. Whenthedoordidopen,hestarted,butbravedtheforthcomingrevelation.ItwasnotMrs.Milvain,however,butKatharineherselfwhoentered,closelyfollowedbyRalphDenham.Withasetexpressionwhichshowedwhataneffortshewasmaking,Katharineencounteredtheireyes,andsaying,“We’renotgoingtointerruptyou,”sheledDenhambehindthecurtainwhichhunginfrontoftheroomwiththerelics.Thisrefugewasnoneofherwilling,butconfrontedwithwetpavementsandonlysomebelatedmuseumorTubestationforshelter,shewasforced,forRalph’ssake,tofacethediscomfortsofherownhouse.Underthestreetlampsshehadthoughthimlookingbothtiredandstrained. Thusseparated,thetwocouplesremainedoccupiedforsometimewiththeirownaffairs.Onlythelowestmurmurspenetratedfromonesectionoftheroomtotheother.AtlengththemaidcameintobringamessagethatMr.Hilberywouldnotbehomefordinner.ItwastruethattherewasnoneedthatKatharineshouldbeinformed,butWilliambegantoinquireCassandra’sopinioninsuchawayastoshowthat,withorwithoutreason,hewishedverymuchtospeaktoher. FrommotivesofherownCassandradissuadedhim. “Butdon’tyouthinkit’salittleunsociable?”hehazarded.“Whynotdosomethingamusing?—gototheplay,forinstance?WhynotaskKatharineandRalph,eh?”ThecouplingoftheirnamesinthismannercausedCassandra’shearttoleapwithpleasure. “Don’tyouthinktheymustbe—?”shebegan,butWilliamhastilytookherup. “Oh,Iknownothingaboutthat.Ionlythoughtwemightamuseourselves,asyouruncle’sout.” Heproceededonhisembassywithamixtureofexcitementandembarrassmentwhichcausedhimtoturnasidewithhishandonthecurtain,andtoexamineintentlyforseveralmomentstheportraitofalady,optimisticallysaidbyMrs.HilberytobeanearlyworkofSirJoshuaReynolds.Then,withsomeunnecessaryfumbling,hedrewasidethecurtain,andwithhiseyesfixedupontheground,repeatedhismessageandsuggestedthattheyshouldallspendtheeveningattheplay.Katharineacceptedthesuggestionwithsuchcordialitythatitwasstrangetofindherofnoclearmindastotheprecisespectacleshewishedtosee.SheleftthechoiceentirelytoRalphandWilliam,who,takingcounselfraternallyoveraneveningpaper,foundthemselvesinagreementastothemeritsofamusic-hall.Thisbeingarranged,everythingelsefollowedeasilyandenthusiastically.Cassandrahadneverbeentoamusic-hall.KatharineinstructedherinthepeculiardelightsofanentertainmentwherePolarbearsfollowdirectlyuponladiesinfulleveningdress,andthestageisalternatelyagardenofmystery,amilliner’sband-box,andafried-fishshopintheMileEndRoad.Whatevertheexactnatureoftheprogramthatnight,itfulfilledthehighestpurposesofdramaticart,sofar,atleast,asfouroftheaudiencewereconcerned. Nodoubttheactorsandtheauthorswouldhavebeensurprisedtolearninwhatshapetheireffortsreachedthoseparticulareyesandearsbuttheycouldnothavedeniedthattheeffectasawholewastremendous.Thehallresoundedwithbrassandstrings,alternatelyofenormouspompandmajesty,andthenofsweetestlamentation.Theredsandcreamsofthebackground,thelyresandharpsandurnsandskulls,theprotuberancesofplaster,thefringesofscarletplush,thesinkingandblazingofinnumerableelectriclights,couldscarcelyhavebeensurpassedfordecorativeeffectbyanycraftsmanoftheancientormodernworld. Thentherewastheaudienceitself,bare-shouldered,tuftedandgarlandedinthestalls,decorousbutfestalinthebalconies,andfranklyfitfordaylightandstreetlifeinthegalleries.But,howevertheydifferedwhenlookedatseparately,theysharedthesamehuge,lovablenatureinthebulk,whichmurmuredandswayedandquiveredallthetimethedancingandjugglingandlove-makingwentoninfrontofit,slowlylaughedandreluctantlyleftofflaughing,andapplaudedwithahelter-skeltergenerositywhichsometimesbecameunanimousandoverwhelming.OnceWilliamsawKatharineleaningforwardandclappingherhandswithanabandonmentthatstartledhim.Herlaughrangoutwiththelaughteroftheaudience. Forasecondhewaspuzzled,asifthislaughterdisclosedsomethingthathehadneversuspectedinher.ButthenCassandra’sfacecaughthiseye,gazingwithastonishmentatthebuffoon,notlaughing,toodeeplyintentandsurprisedtolaughatwhatshesaw,andforsomemomentshewatchedherasifshewereachild. Theperformancecametoanend,theillusiondyingoutfirsthereandthenthere,assomerosetoputontheircoats,othersstooduprighttosalute“GodSavetheKing,”themusiciansfoldedtheirmusicandencasedtheirinstruments,andthelightssankonebyoneuntilthehousewasempty,silent,andfullofgreatshadows.LookingbackoverhershoulderasshefollowedRalphthroughtheswingdoors,Cassandramarveledtoseehowthestagewasalreadyentirelywithoutromance.But,shewondered,didtheyreallycoveralltheseatsinbrownhollandeverynight? Thesuccessofthisentertainmentwassuchthatbeforetheyseparatedanotherexpeditionhadbeenplannedforthenextday.ThenextdaywasSaturdaythereforebothWilliamandRalphwerefreetodevotethewholeafternoontoanexpeditiontoGreenwich,whichCassandrahadneverseen,andKatharineconfusedwithDulwich.OnthisoccasionRalphwastheirguide.HebroughtthemwithoutaccidenttoGreenwich. WhatexigenciesofstateorfantasiesofimaginationfirstgavebirthtotheclusterofpleasantplacesbywhichLondonissurroundedismatterofindifferencenowthattheyhaveadaptedthemselvessoadmirablytotheneedsofpeoplebetweentheagesoftwentyandthirtywithSaturdayafternoonstospend.Indeed,ifghostshaveanyinterestintheaffectionsofthos