按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
gardener might watch the development of a bed of carefully tended
asparagus。 〃I think the young gentleman has been before you and
already found himself a rich mate in prospect。〃
He lowered his voice as he spoke； not with a view to imparting
impressive mystery to his statement； but because there were other
table groups within hearing to whom he hoped presently to have the
privilege of re…disclosing his revelation。
〃Do you mean … ？〃 began Serena。
〃Miss de Frey；〃 broke in St。 Michael； hurriedly； fearful lest his
revelation should be forestalled； even in guesswork； 〃quite an
ideal choice； the very wife for a man who means to make his mark in
politics。 Twenty…four thousand a year； with prospects of more to
come； and a charming place of her own not too far from town。 Quite
the type of girl； too； who will make a good political hostess；
brains without being brainy； you know。 Just the right thing。 Of
course； it would be premature to make any definite announcement at
present … 〃
〃It would hardly be premature for my partner to announce what she
means to make trumps；〃 interrupted Lady Caroline； in a voice of
such sinister gentleness that St。 Michael fled headlong back to his
own table。
〃Oh； is it me？ I beg your pardon。 I leave it；〃 said Serena。
〃Thank you。 No trumps；〃 declared Lady Caroline。 The hand was
successful； and the rubber ultimately fell to her with a
comfortable margin of honours。 The same partners cut together
again； and this time the cards went distinctly against Francesca
and Ada Spelvexit； and a heavily piled…up score confronted them at
the close of the rubber。 Francesca was conscious that a certain
amount of rather erratic play on her part had at least contributed
to the result。 St。 Michael's incursion into the conversation had
proved rather a powerful distraction to her ordinarily sound
bridge…craft。
Ada Spelvexit emptied her purse of several gold pieces and infused
a corresponding degree of superiority into her manner。
〃I must be going now；〃 she announced； 〃I'm dining early。 I have to
give an address to some charwomen afterwards。〃
〃Why？〃 asked Lady Caroline； with a disconcerting directness that
was one of her most formidable characteristics。
〃Oh； well； I have some things to say to them that I daresay they
will like to hear；〃 said Ada； with a thin laugh。
Her statement was received with a silence that betokened profound
unbelief in any such probability。
〃I go about a good deal among working…class women；〃 she added。
〃No one has ever said it；〃 observed Lady Caroline； 〃but how
painfully true it is that the poor have us always with them。〃
Ada Spelvexit hastened her departure； the marred impressiveness of
her retreat came as a culminating discomfiture on the top of her
ill…fortune at the card…table。 Possibly； however； the
multiplication of her own annoyances enabled her to survey
charwomen's troubles with increased cheerfulness。 None of them； at
any rate； had spent an afternoon with Lady Caroline。
Francesca cut in at another table and with better fortune attending
on her； succeeded in winning back most of her losses。 A sense of
satisfaction was distinctly dominant as she took leave of her
hostess。 St。 Michael's gossip； or rather the manner in which it
had been received； had given her a clue to the real state of
affairs； which； however slender and conjectural； at least pointed
in the desired direction。 At first she had been horribly afraid
lest she should be listening to a definite announcement which would
have been the death…blow to her hopes； but as the recitation went
on without any of those assured little minor details which St。
Michael so loved to supply； she had come to the conclusion that it
was merely a piece of intelligent guesswork。 And if Lady Caroline
had really believed in the story of Elaine de Frey's virtual
engagement to Courtenay Youghal she would have taken a malicious
pleasure in encouraging St。 Michael in his confidences； and in
watching Francesca's discomfiture under the recital。 The irritated
manner in which she had cut short the discussion betrayed the fact；
that； as far as the old woman's information went； it was Comus and
not Courtenay Youghal who held the field。 And in this particular
case Lady Caroline's information was likely to be nearer the truth
than St。 Michael's confident gossip。
Francesca always gave a penny to the first crossing…sweeper or
match…seller she chanced across after a successful sitting at
bridge。 This afternoon she had come out of the fray some fifteen
shillings to the bad； but she gave two pennies to a crossing…
sweeper at the north…west corner of Berkeley Square as a sort of
thank…offering to the Gods。
CHAPTER VIII
IT was a fresh rain…repentant afternoon； following a morning that
had been sultry and torrentially wet by turns； the sort of
afternoon that impels people to talk graciously of the rain as
having done a lot of good； its chief merit in their eyes probably
having been its recognition of the art of moderation。 Also it was
an afternoon that invited bodily activity after the convalescent
languor of the earlier part of the day。 Elaine had instinctively
found her way into her riding…habit and sent an order down to the
stables … a blessed oasis that still smelt sweetly of horse and hay
and cleanliness in a world that reeked of petrol； and now she set
her mare at a smart pace through a succession of long…stretching
country lanes。 She was due some time that afternoon at a garden…
party； but she rode with determination in an opposite direction。
In the first place neither Comus or Courtenay would be at the
party； which fact seemed to remove any valid reason that could be
thought of for inviting her attendance thereat； in the second place
about a hundred human beings would be gathered there； and human
gatherings were not her most crying need at the present moment。
Since her last encounter with her wooers； under the cedars in her
own garden； Elaine realised that she was either very happy or
cruelly unhappy； she could not quite determine which。 She seemed
to have what she most wanted in the world lying at her feet； and
she was dreadfully uncertain in her more reflective moments whether
she really wanted to stretch out her hand and take it。 It was all
very like some situation in an Arabian Nights tale or a story of
Pagan Hellas； and consequently the more puzzling and disconcerting
to a girl brought up on the methodical lines of Victorian
Christianity。 Her appeal court was in permanent session these last
few days； but it gave no decisions； at least none that she would
listen to。 And the ride on her fast light…stepping little mare；
alone and unattended； through the fresh…smelling leafy lanes into
unexplored country； seemed just what she wanted at the moment。 The
mare made some small delicate pretence of being roadshy； not the
staring dolt…like kind of nervousness that shows itself in an
irritating hanging…back as each conspicuous wayside object presents
itself； but the nerve…flutter of an imaginative animal that merely
results in a quick whisk of the head and a swifter bound forward。
She might have paraphrased the mental attitude of the immortalised
Peter Bell into
A basket underneath a tree
A yellow tiger is to me；
If it is nothing more。
The more really alarming episodes of the road； the hoot and whir of
a passing motor…car or the loud vibrating hum of a wayside
threshing…machine； were treated with indifference。
On turning a corner out of a narrow coppice…bordered lane into a
wider road that sloped steadily upward in a long stretch of hill
Elaine saw； coming toward her at no great distance； a string of
yellow…painted vans； drawn for the most part by skewbald or
speckled horses。 A certain rakish air about these oncoming road…
craft proclaimed them as belonging to a travelling wild…beast show；
decked out in the rich primitive colouring that one's taste in
childhood would have insisted on before it had been schooled in the
artistic value of dulness。 It was an unlooked…for and distinctly
unwelcome encounter。 The mare had already commenced a sixfold
scrutiny with nostrils； eyes and daintily…pricked ears； one ear
made hurried little backward movements to hear what Elaine was
saying about the eminent niceness and respectability of the
approaching caravan； but even Elaine felt that she would be unable
satisfactorily to explain the elephants and camels that would
certainly form part of the procession。 To turn back would seem
rather craven； and the mare might take fright at the manoeuvre and
try to bolt； a gate standing ajar at the entrance to a farmyard
lane provided a convenient way out of the difficulty。
As Elaine pushed her