Chapter XXIX

nlyreferstothewomenthatmenfallinlovewithitiswellknownthattheothershavethestrictestviewsonthesubject,andwouldsoonerdiethantriflewithanyone’saffections. Geraldhadthecharminggiftofbecomingintimatewithpeopleattheshortestnotice,andacousinisanagreeablerelation(especiallywhenshe’spretty),withwhomitiseasytogeton.Therelationshipisnotsocloseastowarrantchronicdisagreeableness,andcloseenoughtopermitpersonalities,whicharethemostamusingpartofconversation. WithinaweekGeraldtooktospendinghiswholedaywithBertha,andshefoundtheLondonseasonmuchmoreamusingthanshehadexpected.Shelookedbackwithdistastetoheronlytwovisitstotown.Onehadbeenherhoneymoon,andtheotherthefirstseparationfromherhusband:itwasoddthatinretrospectbothseemequallydreary.Edwardhadalmostdisappearedfromherthoughts,andsheexultedlikeacaptivefreefromchains.Heronlyannoyancewashisoften-expresseddesiretoseeher.Whycouldhenotleaveheralone,asshelefthim?HewasperpetuallyaskingwhenshewouldreturntoCourtLeysandshehadtoinventexcusestopreventhiscomingtoLondon.Sheloathedtheideaofseeinghimagain. ButsheputasidethesethoughtswhenGeraldcametofetchher,sometimesforabicyclerideinBatterseaPark,sometimestospendanhourinoneofthemuseums.ItisnowonderthattheEnglishareapopulousracewhenoneobserveshowmanyaretheresortssuppliedbythemunificenceofgoverningbodiesfortheexpresspurposeofphilandering.OnahotdaywhatspotcanbemoreenchantingthantheBritishMuseum,cool,silent,androomy,withharmlessstatueswhichtellnotales,andaffordmatterforconversationtobreakanawkwardpause? TheparksalsoareeminentlysuitedforthosewhosefancyturnstothoughtsofPlatoniclove.HydeParkisthefittingsceneforanidyllinwhichCorydonwearspatent-leatherbootsandatop-hat,whilePhyllishasanexquisitefrockwhichsuitsherperfectly.Thewell-keptlawns,theartificialwaterandthetrimpaths,giveamockruralitywhichisinfinitelyamusingtopersonswhodonotwishtotakethingstooseriously.Here,inthesummermornings,GeraldandBerthaspentmuchtime.Itpleasedhertolistentohischatter,andtolookintohisgreeneyeshewassuchaveryniceboy,andseemedsomuchattachedtoher!Besides,hewasonlyinLondonforamonth,