第17章

Mistclungthereamongthebluishtreeshapes，beyondrangeofthelamps。Howmanyhundredtimeshehadwalkedpastthosetreesfromhisfather’shouseinParkLane，whenhewasquiteayoungman；orfromhisownhouseinMontpellierSquareinthosefouryearsofmarriedlife！And，to-night，makinguphismindtofreehimselfifhecouldofthatlonguselessmarriagetie，hetookafancytowalkon，inatHydeParkCorner，outatKnightsbridgeGate，justasheusedtowhengoinghometoIreneintheolddays。Whatcouldshebelikenow?——howhadshepassedtheyearssincehelastsawher，twelveyearsinall，sevenalreadysinceUncleJolyonleftherthatmoney?Wasshestillbeautiful?Wouldheknowherifhesawher?

’I’venotchangedmuch，’hethought；’Iexpectshehas。Shemademesuffer。’Herememberedsuddenlyonenight，thefirstonwhichhewentouttodinneralone——anoldMalburiandinner——thefirstyearoftheirmarriage。Withwhateagernesshehadhurriedback；

and，enteringsoftlyasacat，hadheardherplaying。Openingthedrawingroomdoornoiselessly，hehadstoodwatchingtheexpressiononherface，differentfromanyheknew，somuchmoreopen，soconfiding，asthoughtohermusicshewasgivingahearthehadneverseen。Andherememberedhowshestoppedandlookedround，howherfacechangedbacktothatwhichhedidknow，andwhatanicyshiverhadgonethroughhim，forallthatthenextmomenthewasfondlinghershoulders。Yes，shehadmadehimsuffer！

Divorce！Itseemedridiculous，afteralltheseyearsofutterseparation！Butitwouldhavetobe。Nootherway！’Thequestion，’hethoughtwithsuddenrealism，’is——whichofus?Sheorme?Shedesertedme。Sheoughttopayforit。There’llbesomeone，Isuppose。’Involuntarilyheutteredalittlesnarlingsound，and，turning，madehiswaybacktoParkLane。

CHAPTERV

JAMESSEESVISIONS

Thebutlerhimselfopenedthedoor，andclosingitsoftly，detainedSoamesontheinnermat。”Themaster’spoorly，sir，”hemurmured。”Hewouldn’tgotobedtillyoucamein。He’sstillinthediningroom。

Soamesrespondedinthehushedtonetowhichthehousewasnowaccustomed。”What’sthematterwithhim，Warmson?””Nervous，sir，Ithink。Mightbethefuneral；mightbeMrs。

Dartie’scomin’roundthisafternoon。Ithinkheoverheardsomething。I’vetookhiminanegus。Themistresshasjustgoneup。”

Soameshunghishatonamahoganystag’s-horn。”Allright，Warmson，youcangotobed；I’lltakehimupmyself。”

Andhepassedintothedining-room。

Jameswassittingbeforethefire，inabigarmchair，withacamel-hairshawl，verylightandwarm，overhisfrock-coatedshoulders，ontowhichhislongwhitewhiskersdrooped。Hiswhitehair，stillfairlythick，glistenedinthelamplight；alittlemoisturefromhisfixed，light-greyeyesstainedthecheeks，stillquitewellcoloured，andthelongdeepfurrowsrunningtothecornersoftheclean-shavenlips，whichmovedasifmumblingthoughts。Hislonglegs，thinasacrow’s，inshepherd’splaidtrousers，werebentatlessthanarightangle，andononekneeaspindlyhandmovedcontinually，withfingerswideapartandglisteningtaperednails。Besidehim，onalowstool，stoodahalf-finishedglassofnegus，bedewedwithbeadsofheat。Therehehadbeensitting，withintervalsformeals，allday。Ateighty-

eighthewasstillorganicallysound，butsufferingterriblyfromthethoughtthatnooneevertoldhimanything。Itis，indeed，doubtfulhowhehadbecomeawarethatRogerwasbeingburiedthatday，forEmilyhadkeptitfromhim。Shewasalwayskeepingthingsfromhim。Emilywasonlyseventy！Jameshadagrudgeagainsthiswife’syouth。Hefeltsometimesthathewouldneverhavemarriedherifhehadknownthatshewouldhavesomanyyearsbeforeher，whenhehadsofew。Itwasnotnatural。Shewouldlivefifteenortwentyyearsafterhewasgone，andmightspendalotofmoney；shehadalwayshadextravaganttastes。Forallheknewshemightwanttobuyoneofthesemotor-cars。CicelyandRachelandImogenandalltheyoungpeople——theyallrodethosebicyclesnowandwentoffGoodnessknewwhere。AndnowRogerwasgone。Hedidn’tknow——

couldn’ttell！Thefamilywasbreakingup。Soameswouldknowhowmuchhisunclehadleft。CuriouslyhethoughtofRogerasSoames’

unclenotashisownbrother。Soames！Itwasmoreandmoretheonesolidspotinavanishingworld。Soameswascareful；hewasawarmman；buthehadnoonetoleavehismoneyto。Thereitwas！

Hedidn’tknow！AndtherewasthatfellowChamberlain！ForJames’

politicalprincipleshadbeenfixedbetween’70and’85when’thatrascallyRadical’hadbeenthechiefthorninthesideofpropertyandhedistrustedhimtothisdayinspiteofhisconversion；hewouldgetthecountryintoamessandmakemoneygodownbeforehehaddonewithit。Astormypetrelofachap！WherewasSoames?

Hehadgonetothefuneralofcoursewhichtheyhadtriedtokeepfromhim。Heknewthatperfectlywell；hehadseenhisson’strousers。Roger！Rogerinhiscoffin！Herememberedhow，whentheycameupfromschooltogetherfromtheWest，ontheboxseatoftheoldSlowflyerin1824，Rogerhadgotintothe’boot’andgonetosleep。Jamesutteredathincackle。Afunnyfellow——Roger——anoriginal！Hedidn’tknow！Youngerthanhimself，andinhiscoffin！Thefamilywasbreakingup。TherewasValgoingtotheuniversity；henevercametoseehimnow。Hewouldcostaprettypennyupthere。Itwasanextravagantage。AndalltheprettypenniesthathisfourgrandchildrenwouldcosthimdancedbeforeJames’eyes。Hedidnotgrudgethemthemoney，buthegrudgedterriblytheriskwhichthespendingofthatmoneymightbringonthem；hegrudgedthediminutionofsecurity。AndnowthatCicelyhadmarried，shemightbehavingchildrentoo。Hedidn’tknow——

couldn’ttell！Nobodythoughtofanythingbutspendingmoneyinthesedays，andracingabout，andhavingwhattheycalled’agoodtime。’Amotor-carwentpastthewindow。Uglygreatlumberingthing，makingallthatracket！Butthereitwas，thecountryrattlingtothedogs！Peopleinsuchahurrythattheycouldn’tevencareforstyle——aneatturnoutlikehisbaroucheandbayswasworthallthosenew-fangledthings。Andconsolsat116！Theremustbealotofmoneyinthecountry。AndnowtherewasthisoldKruger！TheyhadtriedtokeepoldKrugerfromhim。Butheknewbetter；therewouldbeaprettykettleoffishoutthere！HehadknownhowitwouldbewhenthatfellowGladstone——deadnow，thankGod！madesuchamessofitafterthatdreadfulbusinessatMajuba。

Heshouldn’twonderiftheEmpiresplitupandwenttopot。AndthisvisionoftheEmpiregoingtopotfilledafullquarterofanhourwithqualmsofthemostseriouscharacter。Hehadeatenapoorlunchbecauseofthem。Butitwasafterlunchthattherealdisastertohisnervesoccurred。Hehadbeendozingwhenhebecameawareofvoices——lowvoices。Ah！theynevertoldhimanything！

Winifred’sandhermother’s。”Monty！”ThatfellowDartie——alwaysthatfellowDartie！Thevoiceshadreceded；andJameshadbeenleftalone，withhisearsstandinguplikeahare’s，andfearcreepingabouthisinwards。Whydidtheyleavehimalone?Whydidn’ttheycomeandtellhim?Andanawfulthought，whichthroughlongyearshadhauntedhim，concretedagainswiftlyinhisbrain。

Dartiehadgonebankrupt——fraudulentlybankrupt，andtosaveWinifredandthechildren，he——Jameswouldhavetopay！Couldhe——

couldSoamesturnhimintoalimitedcompany?No，hecouldn’t！

Thereitwas！WitheveryminutebeforeEmilycamebackthespectrefiercened。Why，itmightbeforgery！WitheyesfixedonthedoubtedTurnerinthecentreofthewall，Jamessufferedtortures。

HesawDartieinthedock，hisgrandchildreninthegutter，andhimselfinbed。HesawthedoubtedTurnerbeingsoldatJobson’s，andallthemajesticedificeofpropertyinrags。HesawinfancyWinifredunfashionablydressed，andheardinfancyEmily’svoicesaying：”Now，don’tfuss，James！”Shewasalwayssaying：”Don’tfuss！”Shehadnonerves；heoughtnevertohavemarriedawomaneighteenyearsyoungerthanhimself。ThenEmily’srealvoicesaid：”Haveyouhadanicenap，James?”

Nap！Hewasintorment，andsheaskedhimthat！”What’sthisaboutDartie?”hesaid，andhiseyesglaredather。

Emily’sself-possessionneverdesertedher。”Whathaveyoubeenhearing?”sheaskedblandly。”What’sthisaboutDartie?”repeatedJames。”He’sgonebankrupt。””Fiddle！”