Part 42 (2/2)
”You didn't _see_ him, Ralph. You've no right to say he wasn't funny.”
”No. No. I didn't see him. You needn't rub it in, Barbara.”
”We've got to wait and see what he does next. It may be your turn any day.”
”We can't expect him to do very much for a little while. He must be a bit exhausted with this last stunt.”
”Yes. And the funny thing is he has moments when you don't laugh at him.
Moments of calm, beautiful peace.... You come on him walking in his garden looking for snowdrops in the snow. Or he's sitting in his library, reading Buchan's 'History of the Great War.' Happy. Not thinking about himself at all. Then you're sorry you ever laughed at him.”
”I'm not,” Ralph said. ”He owes it us. He does nothing else to justify his existence.”
”Yes. But he exists. He exists. And somehow, it's pretty mysterious when you think of it. You wonder whether you mayn't have seen him all wrong. Whether all the time he isn't just, a simple old thing. When you get that feeling--of his mysteriousness, Ralph--somehow you're done.”
”I haven't had it yet.”
”Oh, it's there. You'll get it some day.”
”You see, Barbara, how right I was? We can't keep off him.”
XIV
1
It was Sunday, the last week of Horry's holidays. All through supper he had been talking about cycling to Cirencester if the frost held, to skate on the ca.n.a.l.
The frost did hold, and in the morning he strapped a cus.h.i.+on on the carrier of his bicycle and called up the stairs to Barbara.
”Come along, Barbara, let's go to Cirencester.”
Barbara appeared, ready, carrying her skates. Mr. Waddington had let her off the Ramblings, yet, all of a sudden, she looked depressed.
”Oh, Horry,” she said, ”I was going with Ralph.”
”You are _not_,” said Horry. ”You're always going with Ralph. You're jolly well coming with me this time.”
”But I promised him.”
”You'd no business to promise him, when it's the last week of my holidays. 'Tisn't fair.”
f.a.n.n.y came out into the hall.
”Horry,” she said, ”don't worry Barbara. Can't you see she wants to go with Ralph?”
”That's exactly,” he said, ”what I complain of.”
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