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distance； Her Serene Highness made one of her characteristic exits；
which Lady Caroline declared always reminded her of a scrambled egg
slipping off a piece of toast。 At the entrance she stopped for a
moment to exchange a word or two with a young man who had just
arrived。 From a corner where he was momentarily hemmed in by a
group of tea…consuming dowagers； Comus recognised the newcomer as
Courtenay Youghal； and began slowly to labour his way towards him。
Youghal was not at the moment the person whose society he most
craved for in the world； but there was at least the possibility
that he might provide an opportunity for a game of bridge； which
was the dominant desire of the moment。 The young politician was
already surrounded by a group of friends and acquaintances； and was
evidently being made the recipient of a salvo of congratulation …
presumably on his recent performances in the Foreign Office debate；
Comus concluded。 But Youghal himself seemed to be announcing the
event with which the congratulations were connected。 Had some
dramatic catastrophe overtaken the Government； Comus wondered。 And
then； as he pressed nearer； a chance word； the coupling of two
names； told him the news。
CHAPTER XI
AFTER the momentous lunch at the Corridor Restaurant Elaine had
returned to Manchester Square （where she was staying with one of
her numerous aunts） in a frame of mind that embraced a tangle of
competing emotions。 In the first place she was conscious of a
dominant feeling of relief； in a moment of impetuosity； not wholly
uninfluenced by pique； she had settled the problem which hours of
hard thinking and serious heart…searching had brought no nearer to
solution； and； although she felt just a little inclined to be
scared at the headlong manner of her final decision； she had now
very little doubt in her own mind that the decision had been the
right one。 In fact the wonder seemed rather that she should have
been so long in doubt as to which of her wooers really enjoyed her
honest approval。 She had been in love； these many weeks past with
an imaginary Comus； but now that she had definitely walked out of
her dreamland she saw that nearly all the qualities that had
appealed to her on his behalf had been absent from； or only
fitfully present in； the character of the real Comus。 And now that
she had installed Youghal in the first place of her affections he
had rapidly acquired in her eyes some of the qualities which ranked
highest in her estimation。 Like the proverbial buyer she had the
happy feminine tendency of magnifying the worth of her possession
as soon as she had acquired it。 And Courtenay Youghal gave Elaine
some justification for her sense of having chosen wisely。 Above
all other things； selfish and cynical though he might appear at
times； he was unfailingly courteous and considerate towards her。
That was a circumstance which would always have carried weight with
her in judging any man； in this case its value was enormously
heightened by contrast with the behaviour of her other wooer。 And
Youghal had in her eyes the advantage which the glamour of combat；
even the combat of words and wire…pulling； throws over the fighter。
He stood well in the forefront of a battle which however carefully
stage…managed； however honeycombed with personal insincerities and
overlaid with calculated mock…heroics； really meant something；
really counted for good or wrong in the nation's development and
the world's history。 Shrewd parliamentary observers might have
warned her that Youghal would never stand much higher in the
political world than he did at present； as a brilliant Opposition
freelance； leading lively and rather meaningless forays against the
dull and rather purposeless foreign policy of a Government that was
scarcely either to be blamed for or congratulated on its handling
of foreign affairs。 The young politician had not the strength of
character or convictions that keeps a man naturally in the
forefront of affairs and gives his counsels a sterling value； and
on the other hand his insincerity was not deep enough to allow him
to pose artificially and successfully as a leader of men and shaper
of movements。 For the moment； however； his place in public life
was sufficiently marked out to give him a secure footing in that
world where people are counted individually and not in herds。 The
woman whom he would make his wife would have the chance； too； if
she had the will and the skill； to become an individual who
counted。
There was balm to Elaine in this reflection； yet it did not wholly
suffice to drive out the feeling of pique which Comus had called
into being by his slighting view of her as a convenient cash supply
in moments of emergency。 She found a certain satisfaction in
scrupulously observing her promise； made earlier on that eventful
day； and sent off a messenger with the stipulated loan。 Then a
reaction of compunction set in； and she reminded herself that in
fairness she ought to write and tell her news in as friendly a
fashion as possible to her dismissed suitor before it burst upon
him from some other quarter。 They had parted on more or less
quarrelling terms it was true； but neither of them had foreseen the
finality of the parting nor the permanence of the breach between
them； Comus might even now be thinking himself half…forgiven； and
the awakening would be rather cruel。 The letter； however； did not
prove an easy one to write； not only did it present difficulties of
its own but it suffered from the competing urgency of a desire to
be doing something far pleasanter than writing explanatory and
valedictory phrases。 Elaine was possessed with an unusual but
quite over…mastering hankering to visit her cousin Suzette
Brankley。 They met but rarely at each other's houses and very
seldom anywhere else； and Elaine for her part was never conscious
of feeling that their opportunities for intercourse lacked anything
in the way of adequacy。 Suzette accorded her just that touch of
patronage which a moderately well…off and immoderately dull girl
will usually try to mete out to an acquaintance who is known to be
wealthy and suspected of possessing brains。 In return Elaine armed
herself with that particular brand of mock humility which can be so
terribly disconcerting if properly wielded。 No quarrel of any
description stood between them and one could not legitimately have
described them as enemies； but they never disarmed in one another's
presence。 A misfortune of any magnitude falling on one of them
would have been sincerely regretted by the other； but any minor
discomfiture would have produced a feeling very much akin to
satisfaction。 Human nature knows millions of these inconsequent
little feuds； springing up and flourishing apart from any basis of
racial； political； religious or economic causes； as a hint perhaps
to crass unseeing altruists that enmity has its place and purpose
in the world as well as benevolence。
Elaine had not personally congratulated Suzette since the formal
announcement of her engagement to the young man with the
dissentient tailoring effects。 The impulse to go and do so now；
overmastered her sense of what was due to Comus in the way of
explanation。 The letter was still in its blank unwritten stage； an
unmarshalled sequence of sentences forming in her brain； when she
ordered her car and made a hurried but well…thought…out change into
her most sumptuously sober afternoon toilette。 Suzette； she felt
tolerably sure； would still be in the costume that she had worn in
the Park that morning； a costume that aimed at elaboration of
detail； and was damned with overmuch success。
Suzette's mother welcomed her unexpected visitor with obvious
satisfaction。 Her daughter's engagement； she explained； was not so
brilliant from the social point of view as a girl of Suzette's
attractions and advantages might have legitimately aspired to； but
Egbert was a thoroughly commendable and dependable young man； who
would very probably win his way before long to membership of the
County Council。
〃From there； of course； the road would be open to him to higher
things。〃
〃Yes；〃 said Elaine； 〃he might become an alderman。〃
〃Have you seen their photographs； taken together？〃 asked Mrs。
Brankley； abandoning the subject of Egbert's prospective career。
〃No； do show me；〃 said Elaine； with a flattering show of interest；
〃I've never seen that sort of thing before。 It used to be the
fashion once for engaged couples to be photographed together；
didn't it？〃
〃It's VERY much the fashion now；〃 said Mrs。 Brankley assertively；
but some of the complacency had filtered out of her voice。 Suzette
came into the room； wearing the dress that she had worn in the Park
that morn