Part 8 (1/2)

”Excuse me asking, sir,” Mr Andrews said, ”but what sort of a man is Mr Eden? I mean, at the personal level. I've always had the impression he's a jolly decent sort. The sort that can talk to anyone high or low, rich or poor. Am I right, sir?”

”I would say that is, by and large, an accurate picture. But of course I have not seen Mr Eden in recent years, and he may have been much changed by pressures. One thing I have witnessed is that public life can change people unrecognizably in a few short years.”

”I don't doubt that, sir,” said Mr Andrews.

”Even Harry here. Got himself involved with his politics a few years back and he's never been the same man since.”

There was laughter again, while Mr Harry Smith shrugged and allowed a smile to cross his face. Then he said: ”It's true I've put a lot into the campaigning work. It's only at a local level, and I never meet anyone half as grand as the likes you a.s.sociate with, sir, but in my own small way I believe I'm doing my part. The way I see it, England's a democracy, and we in this village have suffered as much as anyone fighting to keep it that way. Now it's up to us to exercise our rights, every one of us. Some fine young lads from this village gave their lives to give us that privilege, and the way I see it, each one of us here now owes it to them to play our part. We've all got strong opinions here, and it's our responsibility to get them heard. We're out of the way, all right, a small village, we're none of us getting younger, and the village is getting smaller. But the way I see it we owe it to the lads we lost from this village. That's why, sir, I give so much of my time now to making sure our voice gets heard in high places. And if it changes me, or sends me to an early grave, I don't mind.”

”I did warn you, sir,” Mr Taylor said with a smile. ”There was no way Harry was going to let an influential gentleman like yourself come through the village without giving you his usual earful.”

There was laughter again, but I said almost immediately: ”I think I understand your position very well, Mr Smith. I can well understand that you wish the world to be a better place and that you and your fellow residents here should have an opportunity to contribute to the making of a better world. It is a sentiment to be applauded. I dare say it was a very similar urge which led me to become involved in great affairs before the war. Then, as now, world peace seemed something we had only the most fragile grasp of, and I wished to do my part.”

”Excuse me, sir,” said Mr Harry Smith, ”but my point was a slightly different one. For the likes of yourself, it's always been easy to exert your influence. You can count the most powerful in the land as your friends. But the likes of us here, sir, we can go year in year out and never even lay eyes on a real gentleman - other than maybe Dr Carlisle. He's a first-cla.s.s doctor, but with all respect, he doesn't have connections connections as such. It gets easy for us here to forget our responsibility as citizens. That's why I work so hard at the campaigning. Whether people agree or disagree - and I know there's not one soul in this room now who'd agree with everything I say as such. It gets easy for us here to forget our responsibility as citizens. That's why I work so hard at the campaigning. Whether people agree or disagree - and I know there's not one soul in this room now who'd agree with everything I say - at least I'll get them thinking. At least I'll remind them of their duty. This is a democratic country we're living in. We fought for it. We've all got to play our part.”

”I wonder what could have happened to Dr Carlisle,” Mrs Smith said. ”I'm sure the gentleman could just about use some educated educated talk now.” This provoked more laughter. talk now.” This provoked more laughter.

”In fact,” I said, ”although it has been extremely enjoyable to meet you all, I must confess I'm beginning to feel rather exhausted ... ”

”Of course, sir,” Mrs Taylor said, ”you must be very tired. Perhaps I'll fetch another blanket for you. It's getting much chillier at night now.”

”No, I a.s.sure you, Mrs Taylor, I'll be most comfortable.” But before I could rise from the table, Mr Morgan said: ”I just wondered, sir, there's a fellow we like to listen to on the wireless, his name's Leslie Mandrake. I just wondered if you'd happened to have met him.”

I replied that I had not, and was about to make another attempt to retire only to find myself detained by further inquiries regarding various persons I may have met. I was, then, still seated at the table when Mrs Smith remarked: ”Ah, there's someone coming. I expect that's the doctor at last.”

”I really ought to be retiring,” I said. ”I feel quite exhausted.”

”But I'm sure this is the doctor now, sir,” said Mrs Smith. ”Do wait a few more minutes.”

Just as she said this, there came a knock and a voice said:” ”It's just me, Mrs -Taylor.”

The gentleman who was shown in was still fairly young - perhaps around forty or so - tall and thin; tail enough, in fact, that he was obliged to stoop to enter the doorway of the cottage. No sooner had he bade us all a good evening than Mrs Taylor said to him: ”This is our gentleman here, Doctor. His car's stuck up there on Thornley Bush and he's having to endure Harry's speeches as a result.”

The doctor came up to the table and held out his hand to me.

”Richard Carlisle,” he said with a cheerful smile as I rose to shake it. ”Rotten bit of luck about your car. Still, trust you're being well looked after here. Looked after rather too well, I imagine.”

”Thank you,” I replied. ”Everyone has been most kind.”

”Well, nice to have you with us.” Dr Carlisle seated himself almost directly across the table from me. ”Which part of the country are you from?”

”Oxfords.h.i.+re,” I said, and indeed, it was no easy task to suppress the instinct to add ”sir”.

”Fine part of the country. I have an uncle lives just outside Oxford. Fine part of the country.”

”The gentleman was just telling us, Doctor,” Mrs Smith said, ”he knows Mr Churchill.”

”Is that so? I used to know a nephew of his, but I've rather lost touch. Never had the privilege of meeting the great man, though.”

”And not only Mr Churchill,” Mrs Smith went on. ”He knows Mr Eden. And Lord Halifax.”

”Really?”

I could sense the doctor's eyes examining me closely. I was about to make some appropriate remark, but before I could do so, Mr Andrews said to the doctor: ”Gentleman was just telling us he's had a lot to do with foreign affairs in his time.”

”Is that so indeed?”

It seemed to me that Dr Carlisle went on looking at me for an inordinate length of time. Then he regained his cheerful manner and asked: ”Touring around for pleasure?”

”Princ.i.p.ally,” I said, and gave a small laugh. ”Plenty of nice country around here. Oh, by the way, Mr Andrews, I'm sorry not to have returned that saw yet.”

”No hurry at all, Doctor.”

For a little time, the focus of attention left me and I was able to remain silent. Then, seizing what seemed a suitable moment, I rose to my feet, saying: ”Please excuse me. It has been a most enjoyable evening, but I really must now retire.”

”Such a pity you have to retire already, sir,” Mrs Smith said. ”The doctor's only just arrived.”

Mr Harry Smith leaned across his wife and said to Dr Carlisle: ”I was hoping the gentleman would have a few words to say about your ideas on the Empire, Doctor.” Then turning to me, he went on: ”Our doctor here's for all kinds of little countries going independent. I don't have the learning to prove him wrong, though I know he is. But I'd have been interested to hear what the likes of yourself would have to say to him on the subject, sir.”

Yet again, Dr Carlisle's gaze seemed to study me. Then he said: ”A pity, but we must let the gentleman go off to bed. Had a tiring day, I expect.”

”Indeed,” I said, and with another small laugh, began to make my way round the table. To my embarra.s.sment, everyone in the room, including Dr Carlisle, rose to their feet.

”Thank you all very much,” I said, smiling.

”Mrs Taylor, I did enjoy a splendid supper. I wish you all a very good night.” There came a chorus of, ”Good night, sir,” in reply. I had almost left the room when the doctor's voice caused me to halt at the door.

”I say, old chap,” he said, and when I turned, I saw he had remained on his feet. ”I have a visit to make in Stanbury first thing in the morning.

I'd be happy to give you a lift up to your car. Save you the walk. And we can pick up a can of petrol from Ted Hardacre's on the way.”

”That is most kind,” I said. ”But I don't wish to put you to any trouble.”

”No trouble at all. Seven thirty all right for you?”

”That would be most helpful indeed.”

”Right then, seven thirty it is. Make sure your guest's up and breakfasted for seven thirty, Mrs Taylor.” Then turning back to me, he added: ”So we can have our talk after all. Though Harry here won't have the satisfaction of witnessing my humiliation.”

There was laughter, and another exchange of good nights before I was at last allowed to ascend to the sanctuary of this room.

I trust I need hardly underline the extent of the discomfort I suffered tonight on account of the unfortunate misunderstanding concerning my person. I can only say now that in all honesty I fail to see how I might reasonably have prevented the situation developing as it did; for by the stage I had become aware of what was occurring, things had gone so far I could not have enlightened these people without creating much embarra.s.sment all round. In any case, regrettable as the whole business was, I do not see that any real harm has been done. I will, after all, take my leave of these people in the morning and presumably never encounter them again. There seems little point in dwelling on the matter.

However, the unfortunate misunderstanding aside, there are perhaps one or two other aspects to this evening's events which warrant a few moments' thought - if only because otherwise they may come to niggle one throughout the coming days. For instance, there is the matter of Mr Harry Smith's p.r.o.nouncements on the nature of 'dignity'. There is surely little in his statements that merits serious consideration. Of course, one has to allow that Mr Harry Smith was employing the word 'dignity'

in a quite different sense altogether from my own understanding of it. Even so, even taken on their own terms, his statements were, surely, far too idealistic, far too theoretical, to deserve respect. Up to a point, no doubt, there is some truth in what he says: in a country such as ours, people may indeed have a certain duty to think about great affairs and form their opinions. But life being what it is, how can ordinary people truly be expected to have 'strong opinions' on all manner of things - as Mr Harry Smith rather fancifully claims the villagers here do? And not only are these expectations unrealistic, I rather doubt if they are even desirable. There is, after all, a real limit to how much ordinary people can learn and know, and to demand that each and everyone of them contribute 'strong opinions' to the great debates of the nation cannot, surely, be wise. It is, in any case, absurd that anyone should presume to define a person's 'dignity' in these terms.