Part 25 (1/2)

Kipps H. G. Wells 32070K 2022-07-22

”I'm sure you'll like Paderewski,” she said.

”If you do,” he said, ”I dessay I shall.”

He found Coote very kindly taking his cup.

”Do you think of living in Folkestone?” asked Miss Coote, in a tone of proprietors.h.i.+p, from the hearthrug.

”No,” said Kipps, ”that's jest it--I hardly know.” He also said that he wanted to look around a bit before doing anything. ”There's so much to consider,” said Coote, smoothing the back of his head.

”I may go back to New Romney for a bit,” said Kipps. ”I got an Uncle and Aunt there. I reely don't know.”

Helen regarded him thoughtfully for a moment.

”You must come and see us,” she said, ”before we go to Bruges.”

”Oo, rather!” said Kipps. ”If I may.”

”Yes, do,” she said, and suddenly stood up before Kipps could formulate an enquiry when he should call.

”You're sure you can spare that drawing board?” she said to Miss Coote, and the conversation pa.s.sed out of range.

And when he had said ”Good-bye” to Miss Wals.h.i.+ngham and she had repeated her invitation to call, he went upstairs again with Coote to look out certain initiatory books they had had under discussion. And then Kipps, blowing very resolutely, went back to his own place, bearing in his arm (1) Sesame and Lilies, (2) Sir George Tressady, (3) an anonymous book on ”Vitality” that Coote particularly esteemed. And, having got to his own sitting-room, he opened Sesame and Lilies and read it with ruthless determination for some time.

--3

Presently he leant back and gave himself up to the business of trying to imagine just exactly what Miss Wals.h.i.+ngham could have thought of him when she saw him. Doubts about the precise effect of the grey flannel suit began to trouble him. He turned to the mirror over the mantel, and then got into a chair to study the hang of the trousers. It looked all right. Luckily, she had not seen the Panama hat. He knew that he had the brim turned up wrong, but he could not find out which way the brim was right. However, that she had not seen. He might perhaps ask at the shop where he bought it.

He meditated for awhile on his reflected face--doubtful whether he liked it or not--and then got down again and flitted across to the sideboard where there lay two little books, one in a cheap, magnificent cover of red and gold, and the other in green canvas. The former was called, as its cover witnessed, ”Manners and Rules of Good Society, by a Member of the Aristocracy,” and after the cover had indulged in a band of gilded decoration, light-hearted but natural under the circ.u.mstances, it added ”TWENTY-FIRST EDITION.” The second was that admirable cla.s.sic, ”The Art of Conversing.” Kipps returned with these to his seat, placed the two before him, opened the latter with a sigh and flattened it under his hand.

Then with knitted brows he began to read onward from a mark, his lips moving.

”Having thus acquired possession of an idea, the little s.h.i.+p should not be abruptly launched into deep waters, but should be first permitted to glide gently and smoothly into the shallows, that is to say, the conversation should not be commenced by broadly and roundly stating a fact, or didactically expressing an opinion, as the subject would be thus virtually or summarily disposed of, or perhaps be met with a 'Really' or 'Indeed,' or some equally brief monosyllabic reply. If an opposite opinion were held by the person to whom the remark were addressed, he might not, if a stranger, care to express it in the form of a direct contradiction, or actual dissent. To glide imperceptibly into conversation is the object to be attained.”

At this point Mr. Kipps rubbed his fingers through his hair with an expression of some perplexity and went back to the beginning.

--4

When Kipps made his call on the Wals.h.i.+nghams, it all happened so differently from the ”Manners and Rules” prescription (”Paying Calls”) that he was quite lost from the very outset. Instead of the footman or maidservant proper in these cases, Miss Wals.h.i.+ngham opened the door to him herself. ”I'm so glad you've come,” she said, with one of her rare smiles.

She stood aside for him to enter the rather narrow pa.s.sage.

”I thought I'd call,” he said, retaining his hat and stick.

She closed the door and led the way to a little drawing-room, which impressed Kipps as being smaller and less emphatically coloured than that of the Cootes, and in which at first only a copper bowl of white poppies upon the brown tablecloth caught his particular attention.

”You won't think it unconventional to come in, Mr. Kipps, will you?” she remarked. ”Mother is out.”

”I don't mind,” he said, smiling amiably, ”if you don't.”