Dornford Yates

“ Aunt Harriet was purring hypocrisy, lying, dressing her lies in dirty splendour, fouling well after well. Ann responded mechanically, conscious that her spiritless dissembling would not have deluded a child, physically and mentally unable to play up to such form. An innocent-looking chocolate had caused Miss Gedge’s jaws to conglutinate—a comical condition of things which she was turning to generous account, throwing May and Ada into convulsions of girlish laughter. Mr. Alcock was confiding to Mr. Barnham confessions of a well-dressed man. ”

“ The hopelessness of such fantasy did not matter at all, because it was founded on fact—a breathing, sweet-smelling fact, that sat beside him on the turf, all apple-green frock and white silk stocking and tiny tennis-shoes. With her perfume in his nostrils, he could afford to be extravagant—with her perfume in his nostrils. . . . And now . . .
Sic transit gloria mundi.
My lady’s absence was deliberate. Spring was as wise as she was fair. She wished to discover whether Gray Bagot’s steady eyes counted with her as much as she thought they did, whether she was losing her head instead of her heart. ”

“ But Susan Crail was no fool. Life was a stern creditor. If she invoked the sympathy of the man she loved, touched his strong hand, called up the kindness of his steady brown eyes—these things would have to be paid for in blood and tears. As it was, even if Labotte vanished, she would still have to try to forget. . . . Nicholas Kilmuir. There was a scourge waiting. Was it worth her while, for the sake of a little relief, deliberately to load the cords? Wasn’t it better to——
“No,” said Susan suddenly. “It isn’t better. What is better is to take what you can get. ”

“ Madge Willoughby set down her cup.
“Why?” she demanded.
“Same as the Queen of Sheba,” said Herrick hastily. “You know. She thought she knew how to live; but when she saw Solomon’s idea of comfort——”
“Tell her,” said Eleanor Cloke.
“I am,” said Herrick. “Give me a chance. . . . Well, what really broke the Queen’s heart was the poisonous reflection that for the rest of her life the King of Sheba would be saying, ‘My dear, why can’t we have so-and-so? Solomon has.’ ”
His hostess leaned forward, with parted lips.
“D’you mean that you’re . . .”
David Herrick swallowed. ”

“ The acceptance or rejection thereof would rest with May—and Mr. Barnham did not trust May. . . .
His misgivings were well founded.
“Oh, who wants to stroll?” said May. “Let’s get back before the crush. I’m sure I’ve been trod and shoved enough for one night. Something crool, people are.”
It was not magnificent: it was not even war: it was pure oppression—hitting the poor in spirit below the belt.
Aunt Harriet acclaimed the suggestion, and the move was made.
Two minutes later Mr. Barnham was eased of two shillings. He parted, sweating, with a hunted look in his eyes that went to Ann’s heart. ”

“ In my lady’s chamber Miss Vulliamy was frankly envied.
“I don’t mind admitting,” said Margaret Shorthorn, “that I could have done with Virgil. They talk about Sarah’s selling herself. Well, what if she is? We’re all trying to do it. The only difference is that in Sarah’s case the conditions of sale have been announced in the Press. Besides, Virgil’s no monster . . . I only wish to heaven I’d had such a chance.”
“I agree,” said Agatha Coldstream. “If I had to face love in a cottage, I’ld as soon face it with Virgil as with most men I know. But Virgil plus half a million. . . .” ”

“ How many hats did you get to-day?”
“Three,” said David. “One’s a topper—all blue and white straw. Looks as if someone had rolled on it and then bought it half a pint of gooseberries to keep it quiet.”
“What?” screamed Eleanor.
“It’s all right, darling,” cried Madge. “It’s a dream. They’re not gooseberries at all. They’re cherries—blue cherries, and the shape’s rather like one—I wonder if you remember; I wore it at Henley last year, and it had a crushed strawberry——”
“Time,” said Crispin. “Maudlin memories of discarded headgear are bad for my heart. ”

“ Athalia found herself treading as she had never trod before, yet making no mistake. The firm pressure upon her back became a powerful government, urging her to right or left, turning her, keeping her clear of collision, lifting her into the very spirit of the dance. The pace of the music grew hotter; the fury of the band, madcap. All about them people were labouring hilariously in a feverish endeavour to keep abreast of the rhythm. Fairfax’s feet moved like quicksilver . . . the two swam the length of the ballroom with a clean rush . ”

“ Pardoner shifted upon his chair.
“I said,” he protested, “I said you’d a very sweet way. I remember it perfectly.”
“That,” said Miss Vulliamy, “was your only lapse.” She raised her straight eyebrows and a faint smile hung upon her red lips. “But for that, you have been disconcertingly honest.”
Pardoner lighted a cigarette.
“You’re a strange girl,” he said. “One minute you talk like an infant, and the next like a woman of forty. Which are you?”
“That,” said Sarah, “will be for my husband to discover.”
James Tantamount, Esquire, had died at San Francisco. ”

“ Other women must be made jealous of her fortune. Others could skulk in cottages and under spreading oaks; but she must go to Suet—fashionable Suet, and have the best room in the place . . . looking over the pier. . . . It was the most loving compliment he could pay.
By a supreme effort Ann drove the consternation out of her eyes, shook off the cold clutch of Horror and squeezed her husband’s arm.
“You’re very good to me, Bob,” she said steadily. “I think you were wonderful to think of it all. We shall—shall be grand having the best room in Suet.” ”

“ Finger to exquisite lip, Eleanor regarded her swain.
“Yes, I’ve got that,” said the latter. “It’s rather subtle, but——”
“It’s love,” said Madge. “That’s all. If Nell gets a frock and you don’t like it, she’ll loathe the sight of it.”
“That’s right,” said Crispin. “And if you get a pair of boots and they frighten her, the very thought of the swine’ll make your gorge rise.”
“Therefore,” continued Madge, bubbling, “the usual practice must be reversed. The things that a man does will become Nell’s business, while David must choose and manage what’s usually left to the girl.” ”

“ I never thought I should marry. I never thought I’ld find anyone I’ld care to see in her place. And then . . . at last . . . I saw you. . . . And the moment I saw you, I knew . . . I’m poor, you know, but if you’d been worth twenty millions, I’ld ’ve asked you to be my wife. You see, I love you, my lady: and so I can’t help myself. I love your beautiful temples and the droop of your precious lips: I love your grave grey eyes and your sweet pretty ways . . .” He hesitated. Then, “I warn you, I won’t be able to give you much of a time. I can’t even afford a car, Susan. ”

“ Herrick writhed.
“Be strong,” shrieked Madge, “be strong. Think of the housemaids saying they can’t stick the stairs and the cook complaining of the damp and the charwomen——”
“Ch-charwomen?” stammered David.
“Charwomen. Relays of them—when all the servants have gone. And the silver at the Bank because you’ve no one to clean it, and poor Nell in tears counting your shirts, and answering the back-door yourself. . . . At least, a flat has only one door.”
David addressed himself to Eleanor.
“My sweet,” he said, “not even for an undress wedding will I give you a house. ”

“ With me you stand for womanhood. Your smile, your voice, your hair, the light in your wonderful eyes——”
“Oh, stop, stop,” wailed Madge. “How can you talk like this? You know it’s not the game. You know you’re wronging Nell . . . and Crispin . . . and me. If I’ve given you cause, God knows I never meant it. If . . .”
Her voice broke, and she began to weep silently.
Herrick set his teeth.
“We’re nearly home,” he said. “Shall I tell him to drive round the Park?”
“Yes—no—yes,” sobbed Mrs. Willoughby. “And—please don’t talk any more.”
David gave the order and flung himself back in his seat. ”

“ Only the gramophone continued to spout its ghastly pleasantry, like a clown mouthing in a death-chamber.
‘We’ve broad beans like BUN-ions, cab-BAH-ges and HON-ions . . .’
Before this master-stroke of Satire Ann could have burst into tears. She had striven wildly to rise to the occasion, only to shatter—to let the whole thing down. . . . The awful hopelessness of her position flamed. Envy, Hatred and Malice, then, had been appointed her equerries. Not only was she to suffer: she was to cause suffering, breed discontent, induce ill-will. ”

“ Poor Pierre will always return. Jean may lie out in the mud. What can be collected of Jacques may be dumped in a grave. René may writhe out his life with a bullet inside. But poor old Pierre, your husband, will always return.” He let go her arm and sank back in his seat. “Now, is that not good news? That widowhood is not for you? Believe me, my dear, you are a lucky woman. . . . Of course I may not always come back to you. We poor soldiers are so easily led. ”

“ By the time her aunt and she had dined she had become so distraite as to provoke that usually imperturbable lady’s indignation, while, retiring at ten o’clock, she remained awake for one hour, immersed in the distasteful reflections that Time can in no wise be recalled and that they who fling opportunities in Fortune’s face can hardly be surprised if their future relations with the lady are rather strained. ”

“ Born with large ideas, they indulged them generously. Happily for their protégés, the latter were rich. . . .
If Crispin and Madge made the running, David and Eleanor were well up. An afternoon at the dressmaker’s suited Madge down to the ground, but the lady herself made such a dazzling mannequin that David would not have been human if he had found the hours long. In the same way, Crispin shouldered his burdens with the most infectious good humour, continually reducing Miss Cloke to a condition of mirth which verged upon abandon and throwing shop after shop into sniggering confusion. ”

“ Sir Hilton Shutter was thoroughly pleased with life. For one thing, he was standing with his back to a roaring fire: for another, he was a guest at Castle Charing, a pleasant residence to which he had long hoped to be invited: for another, his future wife, seated on a sofa before him, was looking particularly lovely in a frock of powder-blue and gold: finally, from the solemn, almost subdued demeanour of his host and hostess, he perceived that his discourse was creating a profound impression.
A booming note slid into his voice.
“Leadership. To-day, more than ever before, people require a lead. ”

“ Giles nodded.
“After being temporarily attached.”
His wife regarded the tip of her cigarette.
“Ducks take to water,” she said.
“And men take to drink,” said Giles, “if they happen to be born thirsty. The point is——”
“Have another glass of port,” said Katharine.
“No, thanks,” said Giles. “Not that it isn’t excellent. It’s—it’s not of this world. Uncle Fulke left it me. But let that pass. The point is, you and I are naturally gregarious. Our instinct is to flock. I like someone to talk to while I’m getting up. You like someone to obstruct while dressing for dinner. ”

“ The night he came back I threw a glass at him.”
“An empty one,” said Giles. “Missed me by yards. But it’s the—the principle.”
“Exactly,” said Katharine. “Besides, the glass was a good one, and now it leaks.”
Forsyth, who felt the sting beneath the banter, was genuinely dismayed.
He smiled politely.
“It seems a pity,” he said. “When I say that, I’m putting it very low. A pity. You mustn’t be impatient, because, though I’m the keeper of your legal conscience, at heart I’m an ordinary man—with eyes in his head. I think you’re playing with fire. Life’s very uncertain, you know. ”

“ Herrick tugged his moustache.
“You’re sure,” he said humbly, “you’re sure, Nell, you wouldn’t like quite a quiet show? You know. Sort of hidin’ our light under a bushel.”
“Positive, darling,” said Eleanor. “I want to splurge. Besides, we can go to Nice any old time. Can we have a guard of honour?”
“There you are,” said Crispin. “They’re squabbling already.”
“Look here,” said Madge, laughing. “Within limits of reason each of you’s anxious to do what the other wants. Am I right?”
“My heart’s desire,” said David piously.
“Liar,” said Eleanor. “Go on, Madge.” ”