Part 70 (1/2)
”But why spend money uneconomically at all?”
”Because I said and swore I would. Didn't I come back from the war and try all I knew to obtain the inestimable privilege of earning my living by doing something useful? Did I succeed in obtaining the privilege?
Why, n.o.body would look at me! And there were tens of thousands like me.
Well, I said I'd take it out of this n.o.ble country of mine, and I am doing; and I shall keep on doing until I'm tired. These thirty men or so here might be at some useful productive work, fis.h.i.+ng or merchant-marining. They're otherwise engaged. They're spending a pleasant wasteful month over our lunch and tea. That's what I enjoy. It makes me smile to myself when I wake up in the middle of the night....
I'm showing my beloved country who's won the Peace.”
”It's a scheme,” murmured Mr. Prohack, rendered thoughtful as much by the quiet and intense manner, as by the matter, of his son's oration.
”Boyish, of course, but not without charm.”
”We were most of us boys,” said Charlie.
Mr. Prohack marshalled, in his head, the perfectly plain, simple reasoning necessary to crush Charlie to powder, and, before crus.h.i.+ng him, to expose to him the crudity of his conceptions of organised social existence. But he said nothing, having hit on another procedure for carrying out his parental duty to Charles. Shortly afterwards they departed from the yacht in the launch. Long ere they reached the waiting motor-car the bunting had been hauled down.
In the car Mr. Prohack said:
”Tell me something more about that paper-making business. It sounds interesting.”
III
When Mr. Prohack reached his daughter's house again late in the night, it was his wife who opened the door to him.
”Good heavens, Arthur! Where have you been? Poor Sissie is in such a state--I was obliged to come over and stay with her. She needs the greatest care.”
”We had a breakdown,” said Mr. Prohack, rather guiltily.
”Who's we? Where? What breakdown? You went off without saying a word to any one. I really can't imagine what you were thinking about. You're just like a child sometimes.”
”I went down to Southampton with Charlie,” the culprit explained, giving a brief and imperfect history of the day, and adding that on the way home he had made a detour with Charles to look at a paper-manufactory.
”And you couldn't have telephoned!”
”Never thought of it!”
”I'll run and tap at Sissie's door and tell her. Ozzie's with her. You'd better go straight to bed.”
”I'm hungry.”
Eve made a deprecating and expostulatory noise with her tongue against her upper teeth.
”I'll bring you something to eat. At least I'll try to find something,”
said she.