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distance；　Her　Serene　Highness　made　one　of　her　characteristic　exits；　

which　Lady　Caroline　declared　always　reminded　her　of　a　scrambled　egg　

slipping　off　a　piece　of　toast。　　At　the　entrance　she　stopped　for　a　

moment　to　exchange　a　word　or　two　with　a　young　man　who　had　just　

arrived。　　From　a　corner　where　he　was　momentarily　hemmed　in　by　a　

group　of　tea…consuming　dowagers；　Comus　recognised　the　newcomer　as　

Courtenay　Youghal；　and　began　slowly　to　labour　his　way　towards　him。　　

Youghal　was　not　at　the　moment　the　person　whose　society　he　most　

craved　for　in　the　world；　but　there　was　at　least　the　possibility　

that　he　might　provide　an　opportunity　for　a　game　of　bridge；　which　

was　the　dominant　desire　of　the　moment。　　The　young　politician　was　

already　surrounded　by　a　group　of　friends　and　acquaintances；　and　was　

evidently　being　made　the　recipient　of　a　salvo　of　congratulation　…　

presumably　on　his　recent　performances　in　the　Foreign　Office　debate；　

Comus　concluded。　　But　Youghal　himself　seemed　to　be　announcing　the　

event　with　which　the　congratulations　were　connected。　　Had　some　

dramatic　catastrophe　overtaken　the　Government；　Comus　wondered。　　And　

then；　as　he　pressed　nearer；　a　chance　word；　the　coupling　of　two　

names；　told　him　the　news。







CHAPTER　XI







AFTER　the　momentous　lunch　at　the　Corridor　Restaurant　Elaine　had　

returned　to　Manchester　Square　（where　she　was　staying　with　one　of　

her　numerous　aunts）　in　a　frame　of　mind　that　embraced　a　tangle　of　

competing　emotions。　　In　the　first　place　she　was　conscious　of　a　

dominant　feeling　of　relief；　in　a　moment　of　impetuosity；　not　wholly　

uninfluenced　by　pique；　she　had　settled　the　problem　which　hours　of　

hard　thinking　and　serious　heart…searching　had　brought　no　nearer　to　

solution；　and；　although　she　felt　just　a　little　inclined　to　be　

scared　at　the　headlong　manner　of　her　final　decision；　she　had　now　

very　little　doubt　in　her　own　mind　that　the　decision　had　been　the　

right　one。　　In　fact　the　wonder　seemed　rather　that　she　should　have　

been　so　long　in　doubt　as　to　which　of　her　wooers　really　enjoyed　her　

honest　approval。　　She　had　been　in　love；　these　many　weeks　past　with　

an　imaginary　Comus；　but　now　that　she　had　definitely　walked　out　of　

her　dreamland　she　saw　that　nearly　all　the　qualities　that　had　

appealed　to　her　on　his　behalf　had　been　absent　from；　or　only　

fitfully　present　in；　the　character　of　the　real　Comus。　　And　now　that　

she　had　installed　Youghal　in　the　first　place　of　her　affections　he　

had　rapidly　acquired　in　her　eyes　some　of　the　qualities　which　ranked　

highest　in　her　estimation。　　Like　the　proverbial　buyer　she　had　the　

happy　feminine　tendency　of　magnifying　the　worth　of　her　possession　

as　soon　as　she　had　acquired　it。　　And　Courtenay　Youghal　gave　Elaine　

some　justification　for　her　sense　of　having　chosen　wisely。　　Above　

all　other　things；　selfish　and　cynical　though　he　might　appear　at　

times；　he　was　unfailingly　courteous　and　considerate　towards　her。　　

That　was　a　circumstance　which　would　always　have　carried　weight　with　

her　in　judging　any　man；　in　this　case　its　value　was　enormously　

heightened　by　contrast　with　the　behaviour　of　her　other　wooer。　　And　

Youghal　had　in　her　eyes　the　advantage　which　the　glamour　of　combat；　

even　the　combat　of　words　and　wire…pulling；　throws　over　the　fighter。　　

He　stood　well　in　the　forefront　of　a　battle　which　however　carefully　

stage…managed；　however　honeycombed　with　personal　insincerities　and　

overlaid　with　calculated　mock…heroics；　really　meant　something；　

really　counted　for　good　or　wrong　in　the　nation's　development　and　

the　world's　history。　　Shrewd　parliamentary　observers　might　have　

warned　her　that　Youghal　would　never　stand　much　higher　in　the　

political　world　than　he　did　at　present；　as　a　brilliant　Opposition　

freelance；　leading　lively　and　rather　meaningless　forays　against　the　

dull　and　rather　purposeless　foreign　policy　of　a　Government　that　was　

scarcely　either　to　be　blamed　for　or　congratulated　on　its　handling　

of　foreign　affairs。　　The　young　politician　had　not　the　strength　of　

character　or　convictions　that　keeps　a　man　naturally　in　the　

forefront　of　affairs　and　gives　his　counsels　a　sterling　value；　and　

on　the　other　hand　his　insincerity　was　not　deep　enough　to　allow　him　

to　pose　artificially　and　successfully　as　a　leader　of　men　and　shaper　

of　movements。　　For　the　moment；　however；　his　place　in　public　life　

was　sufficiently　marked　out　to　give　him　a　secure　footing　in　that　

world　where　people　are　counted　individually　and　not　in　herds。　　The　

woman　whom　he　would　make　his　wife　would　have　the　chance；　too；　if　

she　had　the　will　and　the　skill；　to　become　an　individual　who　

counted。



There　was　balm　to　Elaine　in　this　reflection；　yet　it　did　not　wholly　

suffice　to　drive　out　the　feeling　of　pique　which　Comus　had　called　

into　being　by　his　slighting　view　of　her　as　a　convenient　cash　supply　

in　moments　of　emergency。　　She　found　a　certain　satisfaction　in　

scrupulously　observing　her　promise；　made　earlier　on　that　eventful　

day；　and　sent　off　a　messenger　with　the　stipulated　loan。　　Then　a　

reaction　of　compunction　set　in；　and　she　reminded　herself　that　in　

fairness　she　ought　to　write　and　tell　her　news　in　as　friendly　a　

fashion　as　possible　to　her　dismissed　suitor　before　it　burst　upon　

him　from　some　other　quarter。　　They　had　parted　on　more　or　less　

quarrelling　terms　it　was　true；　but　neither　of　them　had　foreseen　the　

finality　of　the　parting　nor　the　permanence　of　the　breach　between　

them；　Comus　might　even　now　be　thinking　himself　half…forgiven；　and　

the　awakening　would　be　rather　cruel。　　The　letter；　however；　did　not　

prove　an　easy　one　to　write；　not　only　did　it　present　difficulties　of　

its　own　but　it　suffered　from　the　competing　urgency　of　a　desire　to　

be　doing　something　far　pleasanter　than　writing　explanatory　and　

valedictory　phrases。　　Elaine　was　possessed　with　an　unusual　but　

quite　over…mastering　hankering　to　visit　her　cousin　Suzette　

Brankley。　　They　met　but　rarely　at　each　other's　houses　and　very　

seldom　anywhere　else；　and　Elaine　for　her　part　was　never　conscious　

of　feeling　that　their　opportunities　for　intercourse　lacked　anything　

in　the　way　of　adequacy。　　Suzette　accorded　her　just　that　touch　of　

patronage　which　a　moderately　well…off　and　immoderately　dull　girl　

will　usually　try　to　mete　out　to　an　acquaintance　who　is　known　to　be　

wealthy　and　suspected　of　possessing　brains。　　In　return　Elaine　armed　

herself　with　that　particular　brand　of　mock　humility　which　can　be　so　

terribly　disconcerting　if　properly　wielded。　　No　quarrel　of　any　

description　stood　between　them　and　one　could　not　legitimately　have　

described　them　as　enemies；　but　they　never　disarmed　in　one　another's　

presence。　　A　misfortune　of　any　magnitude　falling　on　one　of　them　

would　have　been　sincerely　regretted　by　the　other；　but　any　minor　

discomfiture　would　have　produced　a　feeling　very　much　akin　to　

satisfaction。　　Human　nature　knows　millions　of　these　inconsequent　

little　feuds；　springing　up　and　flourishing　apart　from　any　basis　of　

racial；　political；　religious　or　economic　causes；　as　a　hint　perhaps　

to　crass　unseeing　altruists　that　enmity　has　its　place　and　purpose　

in　the　world　as　well　as　benevolence。



Elaine　had　not　personally　congratulated　Suzette　since　the　formal　

announcement　of　her　engagement　to　the　young　man　with　the　

dissentient　tailoring　effects。　　The　impulse　to　go　and　do　so　now；　

overmastered　her　sense　of　what　was　due　to　Comus　in　the　way　of　

explanation。　　The　letter　was　still　in　its　blank　unwritten　stage；　an　

unmarshalled　sequence　of　sentences　forming　in　her　brain；　when　she　

ordered　her　car　and　made　a　hurried　but　well…thought…out　change　into　

her　most　sumptuously　sober　afternoon　toilette。　　Suzette；　she　felt　

tolerably　sure；　would　still　be　in　the　costume　that　she　had　worn　in　

the　Park　that　morning；　a　costume　that　aimed　at　elaboration　of　

detail；　and　was　damned　with　overmuch　success。



Suzette's　mother　welcomed　her　unexpected　visitor　with　obvious　

satisfaction。　　Her　daughter's　engagement；　she　explained；　was　not　so　

brilliant　from　the　social　point　of　view　as　a　girl　of　Suzette's　

attractions　and　advantages　might　have　legitimately　aspired　to；　but　

Egbert　was　a　thoroughly　commendable　and　dependable　young　man；　who　

would　very　probably　win　his　way　before　long　to　membership　of　the　

County　Council。



〃From　there；　of　course；　the　road　would　be　open　to　him　to　higher　

things。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Elaine；　〃he　might　become　an　alderman。〃



〃Have　you　seen　their　photographs；　taken　together？〃　asked　Mrs。　

Brankley；　abandoning　the　subject　of　Egbert's　prospective　career。



〃No；　do　show　me；〃　said　Elaine；　with　a　flattering　show　of　interest；　

〃I've　never　seen　that　sort　of　thing　before。　　It　used　to　be　the　

fashion　once　for　engaged　couples　to　be　photographed　together；　

didn't　it？〃



〃It's　VERY　much　the　fashion　now；〃　said　Mrs。　Brankley　assertively；　

but　some　of　the　complacency　had　filtered　out　of　her　voice。　　Suzette　

came　into　the　room；　wearing　the　dress　that　she　had　worn　in　the　Park　

that　morn