Theresa said angrily:
Really, Charles, you are an utter fool.
Damn it all, Theresa, I was a bit ratty myself! The old girls rolling[47]simply rolling. I bet she doesnt spend a tenth part of her incomewhat has she got to spend it on, anyway? And here we areyoung, able to enjoy lifeand to spite us shes capable of living to a hundred I want my fun now So do you
Theresa nodded.
She said in a low, breathless voice:
They dont understandold people dont.they cant. They dont know what it is to live!
Brother and sister were silent for some minutes.
Charles got up.
Well, my love, I wish you better success than Ive had. But I rather doubt it.
Theresa said:
Im rather counting on Rex to do the trick. If I can make old Emily realize how brilliant he is, and how it matters terrifically that he should have his chance and not have to sink into a rut as a general practitioner[48] Oh, Charles, a few thousand of capital just at this minute would make all the difference in the world to our lives!
Hope you get it, but I dont think you will. Youve got through a bit too much capital in riotous living in your time. I say, Theresa, you dont think the dreary Bella or the dubious Tanios will get anything, do you?
I dont see that money would be any good to Bella. She goes about looking like a rag-bag and her tastes are purely domestic.
Oh, well, said Charles, vaguely. I expect she wants things for those unprepossessing children of hers, schools, and plates for their front teeth and music lessons. And anyway it isnt Bellaits Tanios. I bet hes got a nose for money all right! Trust a Greek for that. You know hes got through most of Bellas? Speculated with it and lost it all.
Do you think hell get something out of old Emily?
He wont if I can prevent him, said Charles, grimly.
He left the room and wandered downstairs. Bob was in the hall. He fussed up to Charles agreeably. Dogs liked Charles.
He ran towards the drawing-room door and looked back at Charles.
Whats the matter? said Charles, strolling after him.
Bob hurried into the drawing-room and sat down expectantly by a small bureau.
Charles strolled over to him.
Whats it all about?
Bob wagged his tail, looked hard at the drawers of the bureau and uttered an appealing squeak.
Want something thats in here?
Charles pulled open the top drawer. His eyebrows rose.
Dear, dear, he said.
At one side of the drawer was a little pile of treasury notes[49].
Charles picked up the bundle and counted them. With a grin he removed three one pound notes and two ten shilling ones and put them in his pocket. He replaced the rest of the notes carefully in the drawer where he had found them.
That was a good idea, Bob, he said. Your Uncle Charles will be able at any rate[50] to cover expenses. A little ready cash always comes in handy[51].
Bob uttered a faint reproachful bark as Charles shut the drawer.
Sorry old man, Charles apologized. He opened the next drawer. Bobs ball was in the corner of it. He took it out.
Here you are. Enjoy yourself with it. Bob caught the ball, trotted out of the room and presently bump, bump, bump, was heard down the stairs.
Charles strolled out into the garden. It was a fine sunny morning with a scent of lilac.
Miss Arundell had Dr Tanios by her side. He was speaking of the advantage of an English educationa good educationfor children and how deeply he regretted that he could not afford such a luxury for his own children.
Charles smiled with satisfied malice. He joined in the conversation in a light-hearted manner, turning it adroitly into entirely different channels.
Emily Arundell smiled at him quite amiably. He even fancied that she was amused by his tactics and was subtly encouraging them.
Charles spirits rose. Perhaps, after all, before he left Charles was an incurable optimist.
Dr Donaldson called for Theresa in his car that afternoon and drove her to Worthem Abbey, one of the local beauty spots. They wandered away from the Abbey itself into the woods.
There Rex Donaldson told Theresa at length about his theories and some of his recent experiments. She understood very little but listened in a spellbound manner, thinking to herself:
How clever Rex isand how absolutely adorable!
Her fiancé paused once and said rather doubtfully:
Im afraid this is dull stuff for you, Theresa.
Darling, its too thrilling, said Theresa, firmly. Go on. You take some of the blood of the infected rabbit?
Presently Theresa said with a sigh:
Your work means a terrible lot to you, my sweet.
Naturally, said Dr Donaldson.
It did not seem at all natural to Theresa. Very few of her friends did any work at all, and if they did they made extremely heavy weather about it[52].
She thought as she had thought once or twice before, how singularly unsuitable it was that she should have fallen in love with Rex Donaldson. Why did these things, these ludicrous and amazing madnesses, happen to one? A profitless question. This had happened to her.
She frowned, wondered at herself. Her crowd had been so gayso cynical. Love affairs were necessary to life, of course, but why take them seriously? One loved and passed on.
But this feeling of hers for Rex Donaldson was different, it went deeper. She felt instinctively that here there would be no passing on Her need of him was simple and profound. Everything about him fascinated her. His calmness and detachment, so different from her own hectic, grasping life, the clear, logical coldness of his scientific mind, and something else, imperfectly understood, a secret force in the man masked by his unassuming slightly pedantic manner, but which she nevertheless felt and sensed instinctively.
In Rex Donaldson there was geniusand the fact that his profession was the main preoccupation of his life and that she was only a partthough a necessary partof existence to him only heightened his attraction for her. She found herself for the first time in her selfish pleasure-loving life content to take second place. The prospect fascinated her. For Rex she would do anythinganything!
What a damned nuisance money is, she said, petulantly. If only Aunt Emily were to die we could get married at once, and you could come to London and have a laboratory full of test tubes[53] and guinea pigs, and never bother any more about children with mumps and old ladies with livers.
Donaldson said:
Theres no reason why your aunt shouldnt live for many years to comeif shes careful.
Theresa said despondently:
I know that
In the big double-bedded room with the old-fashioned oak furniture, Dr Tanios said to his wife:
I think that I have prepared the ground sufficiently. It is now your turn, my dear.
He was pouring water from the old-fashioned copper can into the rose-patterned china basin.
Bella Tanios sat in front of the dressing-table wondering why, when she combed her hair as Theresa did, it should not look like Theresas!
There was a moment before she replied. Then she said:
I dont think I wantto ask Aunt Emily for money.
Its not for yourself, Bella, its for the sake of the children. Our investments have been so unlucky.
His back was turned, he did not see the swift glance she gave hima furtive, shrinking glance.
She said with mild obstinacy:
All the same, I think Id rather not Aunt Emily is rather difficult. She can be generous but she doesnt like being asked.
Drying his hands, Tanios came across from the washstand.
Really, Bella, it isnt like you to be so obstinate. After all, what have we come down here for?
She murmured:
I didntI never meantit wasnt to ask for money
Yet you agreed that the only hope if we are to educate the children properly is for your aunt to come to the rescue.
Bella Tanios did not answer. She moved uneasily.
But her face bore the mild mulish look that many clever husbands of stupid wives know to their cost[54].
She said:
Perhaps Aunt Emily herself may suggest
It is possible, but Ive seen no signs of it so far.
Bella said:
If we could have brought the children with us. Aunt Emily couldnt have helped loving Mary. And Edward is so intelligent.
Tanios said, drily:
I dont think your aunt is a great child lover. It is probably just as well the children arent here.
Oh, Jacob, but
Yes, yes, my dear. I know your feelings. But these desiccated English spinstersbah, they are not human. We want to do the best we can, do we not, for our Mary and our Edward? To help us a little would involve no hardship to Miss Arundell.
Mrs Tanios turned, there was a flush in her cheeks.
Oh, please, please, Jacob, not this time. Im sure it would be unwise. I would so very very much rather not.
Tanios stood close behind her, his arm encircled her shoulders. She trembled a little and then was stillalmost rigid.
He said and his voice was still pleasant:
All the same[55], Bella, I thinkI think you will do what I ask You usually do, you knowin the end Yes, I think you will do what I say
CHAPTER 3. The Accident
It was Tuesday afternoon. The side door to the garden was open. Miss Arundell stood on the threshold and threw Bobs ball the length of the garden path. The terrier rushed after it.
Just once more, Bob, said Emily Arundell. A good one.
Once again the ball sped along the ground with Bob racing at full speed in pursuit.
Miss Arundell stooped down, picked up the ball from where Bob laid it at her feet and went into the house, Bob following her closely. She shut the side door, went into the drawing-room, Bob still at her heels[56], and put the ball away in the drawer.
She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was halfpast six.
A little rest before dinner, I think, Bob.
She ascended the stairs to her bedroom. Bob accompanied her. Lying on the big chintz-covered[57] couch with Bob at her feet, Miss Arundell sighed. She was glad that it was Tuesday and that her guests would be going tomorrow. It was not that this weekend had disclosed anything to her that she had not known before. It was more the fact that it had not permitted her to forget her own knowledge.
She said to herself:
Im getting old, I suppose And then, with a little shock of surprise: I am old
She lay with her eyes closed for half an hour, then the elderly house-parlourmaid, Ellen, brought hot water and she rose and prepared for dinner.