Part 44 (1/2)
”Will there?”
”Well, Mrs. Prohack told Machin, and Machin has just told me, that it's all settled about taking the house. And I know what taking a house is.
Mr. Carrel Quire was always taking new houses.”
”But perhaps you could keep an eye on the house even if you went over to Mr. Charles?”
”Then it's true,” said Mimi. ”You do want me to go.” But she showed no sign of weeping afresh.
”You must understand,” Mr. Prohack said with much benevolence, ”that my son is my son. Of course my clothes are also my clothes. But Charles is in a difficult position. He's at the beginning of his career, whereas I'm at the end of mine. He needs all the help he can get, and he can afford to pay more than I can. And even at the cost of having to check my own neckties I shouldn't like to stand in his way. That's how I look at it. Mind you, I have certainly not told Charlie that I'll set you free.”
”I quite see,” said Mimi. ”And naturally if you put it like that--”
”You'll still be in the family.”
”I shall be very sorry to leave you, Mr. Prohack.”
”Doubtless. But you'll be even gladder to go over to Charles, though with him you'll be more like a kettle tied to the tail of a mad dog than a confidential secretary.”
Mimi raised the tip of her nose.
”Excuse me, Mr. Prohack, I shall _not_ be gladder to go over to Mr.
Charles. Any girl will tell you that she prefers to work for a man of your age than for a boy. Boys are not interesting.”
”Yes,” murmured Mr. Prohack. ”A comfortable enough theory. And I've already heard it more than once from girls. But I've never seen any confirmation of it in practice. And I don't believe it. I'll tell you something about yourself you don't know. You're delighted to go over to my son. And if I'd refused to let you go I should have had a martyr instead of a secretary. You want adventure. You want a field for your remarkable talent for conspiracy and chicane. You know by experience there's little scope for it here. But under my son your days will be breathless.... No, no! I don't wish to hear anything. Run away and get on with your work. And you can telephone my decision to Charles. I'm now going to get up and wear all my new neckties at once.”
Miss Warburton departed in a state of emotion.
As, with all leisureliness, Mr. Prohack made himself beautiful to behold, he reflected: ”I'm very impulsive. I've simply thrown that girl into the arms of that boy. Eve will have something to say about it.
Still, there's one complication off my chest.”
Eve returned home as he was descending the stairs, and she blew him upstairs again and shut the door of the bedroom and pushed him into the privacy of the boudoir.
”It's all settled,” said she. ”I've signed the tenancy agreement for a year. Charlie said I could, and it would save you trouble. It doesn't matter the cheque for the first half-year's rent being signed by you, only of course the house will be in my name. How handsome you are, darling!” And she kissed him and re-tied one of the new cravats. ”But that's not what I wanted to tell you, darling.” Her face grew grave. ”Do you know I'm rather troubled about Charlie--and your friend Lady Ma.s.sulam. They're off again this morning.”
”My friend?”
”Well, you know she adores you. It would be perfectly awful if--if--well, you understand what I mean. I hear she really is a widow, so that--well, you understand what I mean! I'm convinced she's at least thirty years older than Charlie. But you see she's French, and French women are so clever.... You can never be sure with them.”
”Fluttering heart,” said Mr. Prohack, suddenly inspired. ”Don't get excited. I've thought of all that already, and I've taken measures to guard against it. I'm going to give Charlie my secretary. She'll see that Lady Ma.s.sulam doesn't make any more headway, trust her!”
”Arthur, how clever you are! n.o.body but you would have thought of that.
But isn't it a bit dangerous, too? You see--don't you?”
Mr. Prohack shook his head.
”I gather you've been reading the love-story in _The Daily Picture_,”