Part 17 (1/2)
It had never occurred to him before that, by this facile course, he could avoid an early and cold drive into Winchester, a crowded train, a free fight for the last copy of _The Times_, a late arrival at the departanda for neutral consuent a need to escape from the Mill-House
”I haven't seen your jolly old play yet,” said Geoff ”I suppose I can count on you for a box? If you'll give us dinner first, Ia bit of a fillip I should think itfamous”
”I suppose that depends on your definition of fa invited everywhere,” said Geoff unhesitatingly ”Having your photograph in all the papers Girls waiting in a queue for your autograph A galaxy of beauty prostrating itself at your feet to get an extra line”
”That sounds more like h as that”
Geoff was too young to have outgrown the appeal of the stage He regarded Eric with as uised envy
”I _did_ enjoy your play,” said Benyon, nes came up to dine withto the end of the sentence He wasdiscussed by her Christian name and wondered why he had not heard of Benyon before Perhaps it was her fault that they had established no spiritual contact at dinner; she had conceivably lost interest in him, and he wondered whether he was sufficiently interested toon the stocks,” Geoff went on
”It's being produced next month,” answered Eric
He looked i for aand Nares on the Dardanelles expedition It was surely worth while to explore Agnes further and to see what part in her life this young Benyon was playing
Fortified by the wise decision to return to London earlier than he had first intended, Eric entered the drawing-roo over Mrs Nares' sofa, he atoned for his inattention during dinner with thirty seconds' belated sparkle and a siram which he had already tried with effect on Mrs Shelley
They were joined by Mrs Waring, and, as he had hardly spoken to her all the evening, he consented to talk about his forthco play--which he enjoyed as little as a superstitiousher unborn child--until in a subsequent regrouping she confided to Sybil that she was very
”Aren't you rather proud of hi success,” Sybil conceded critically ”But, if any one says 'Lane,' the whole world thinks of Eric, while father, who's spent his life----”
She was interrupted by Mr Nares, who stationed hiave hi As she went to the piano, Eric ested that they should go out on the terrace
”It's stifling in here,” he grunes followed hih one of the French s to a long gravel path, which ran flush with the inky, slow- mill-stream Overhead the trees stretched across the narrow ribbon of water, brushi+ng the back of the house and releasing brittle leaves of copper and dull gold to undulate in the breeze before they settled on the surface and swept gently over the creaking wheel A crescent ly in the black water, and the autuetation from the dense woods all around them
”Renes?” Eric asked suddenly
She nodded, wondering why he had reo it seeh to know better”
”It seehtfully and wondering whether he had only invited her out there as a de him to her mother
”I don't _feel_ a day older”
”You're changed We were all of us saying that before you caht Your hted a cigarette to shew the steadiness of hand and eyes