Part 16 (1/2)
And the water was tepid
2
”I have been apologizing for you,” said Lady Lane pointedly, as Eric hurried late and ill-hu-room
He had ready at hand a caustic little speech about inadequate hot-water supply and insufficient bathrooms, but it was intended for domestic consumption and, after one scowl at Geoff, he laid it aside Family altercations, like fah no one else ereeary as he did of the story about the cross-country journey froed up at his expense whenever any one missed a train--and trains were missed weekly
Servants, of course, could always leave; they always did Perhaps they made bets which would hear the Oxford-to-Winchester story most often in three ed themselves to decamp in a body the next time any one heard it
That tepid bath had chilled his enjoy
”I'nes Waring was in the foreground, talking to his father; he shook hands shyly and squeezed past her to Nares, the apologetic, ineffectual vicar, and fro officer who stood by the fire, retailing safe newspaper opinions on the war and representing to Eric's theatre-trained eyes, with their passion for ”types,” aler brother who had passed froiment to half-pay retirement and a certain military pretentiousness of daily life There was no one else Had their lives depended on it, Lash here always reminds oes, all go:
”_Oh, we're all of us a-going back to Lon-don, Over ocean; that's the notion_
”Song and dance Curtain Who's the fellow in unifors,” Sybil answered ”You're not going to be patronizing, _are_ you?”
Eric pulled up and banished the ill-huenerally by the sleepiness of the country and, in particular, by that tepid bath-water
He had looked forward to the week-end, he proposed to enjoy himself; there was no need even to ask where he had been placed at dinner Sybil, at nineteen, worshi+pped every word andand speaking, her phraseology, her mental outlook; every opinion was introduced with the words, ”Agnes says----” Two years before, when the infatuation was in its perfervid youth, Sybil had nes; the deter that she was uneasy at the presence of young Benyon
Eric had no strong view either way; Agnes was fair, slight and sood deal of detached humour Since the incubation of his first unsuccessful play, he had argued out every character and situation with her; when fe was accepted without cavil More than once, as they splashed conversationally through the Lashave even a self-sufficient bachelor so that he lacked and would always lack; and, whenever the ubiquitous, dry celibacy of the Thespian snes Waring and a doll's house somewhere on the Eaton estate, with one table, two chairs and an avalanche of green silk cushi+ons in the drawing-roomHe was not in love with her; but, when Sybil telephoned to find whether he was co to the country for the week-end, he had resolved to retouch his conception of Agnes For the first tiard ible bachelor If he was not in love with Agnes, he was in love with love
Distant voices wakened hiold drawing-rooratulations Benyon had been to the ”Divorce” three nights before; old Nares rubbed his hands, coughed and described a proud moment, a _very_ proud moment, when he had been taken behind at the Lyceuenuous account of hishis chin and letting his gaze wander round the white panelled walls, the gilt sofa and chairs and the gold and white over of Dionysus to Europe in a chariot drawn by lions He realized for the first ti to Agnes, but she withdrew discreetly at his approach and gave him an opportunity, as they went in to dinner, for a question about Jack
”We've heard nothing since the August report that he wasmy mind a blank I couldn't build all sorts of wonderful hopes on his being a prisoner and then, perhaps, have to go through the whole thing againMother's quite certain, of course; but then mothers are like that, bless themI'll let you know, if we hear any news, Eric”
”Thanks very raphs of hiht for a moment and then wrinkled her forehead
”He was never taken by van Laun”
”But I've seen one”
”Where?”
”He gave one to Lady Barbara Neave”
Her forehead wrinkled in deeper lines of perplexity
”I didn't know he even knew herHe never ht I should disapprove”