the unbearable bassington-第26节

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prize　to　the　person　who　heard　it　oftenest　in　the　course　of　the　

Season；　the　competitors　being　under　an　honourable　understanding　not　

to　lead　up　to　the　subject。　　Ada　Spelvexit　and　a　boy　in　the　Foreign　

Office　were　at　present　at　the　top　of　the　list　with　five　recitals　

each　to　their　score；　but　the　former　was　suspected　of　doubtful　

adherence　to　the　rules　and　spirit　of　the　competition。



〃And　there；　dear　lady；〃　concluded　the　Colonel；　〃were　the　eleven　

dead　pigeons。　　What　had　become　of　the　bandicoot　no　one　ever　knew。〃



Francesca　thanked　him　for　his　story；　and　complacently　inscribed　the　

figure　4　on　the　margin　of　her　theatre　programme。　　Almost　at　the　

same　moment　she　heard　George　St。　Michael's　voice　pattering　out　a　

breathless　piece　of　intelligence　for　the　edification　of　Serena　

Golackly　and　anyone　else　who　might　care　to　listen。　　Francesca　

galvanised　into　sudden　attention。



〃Emmeline　Chetrof　to　a　fellow　in　the　Indian　Forest　Department。　　

He's　got　nothing　but　his　pay　and　they　can't　be　married　for　four　or　

five　years；　an　absurdly　long　engagement；　don't　you　think　so？　　All　

very　well　to　wait　seven　years　for　a　wife　in　patriarchal　times；　when　

you　probably　had　others　to　go　on　with；　and　you　lived　long　enough　to　

celebrate　your　own　tercentenary；　but　under　modern　conditions　it　

seems　a　foolish　arrangement。〃



St。　Michael　spoke　almost　with　a　sense　of　grievance。　　A　marriage　

project　that　tied　up　all　the　small　pleasant　nuptial　gossip…items　

about　bridesmaids　and　honeymoon　and　recalcitrant　aunts　and　so　

forth；　for　an　indefinite　number　of　years　seemed　scarcely　decent　in　

his　eyes；　and　there　was　little　satisfaction　or　importance　to　be　

derived　from　early　and　special　knowledge　of　an　event　which　loomed　

as　far　distant　as　a　Presidential　Election　or　a　change　of　Viceroy。　　

But　to　Francesca；　who　had　listened　with　startled　apprehension　at　

the　mention　of　Emmeline　Chetrof's　name；　the　news　came　in　a　flood　of　

relief　and　thankfulness。　　Short　of　entering　a　nunnery　and　taking　

celibate　vows；　Emmeline　could　hardly　have　behaved　more　conveniently　

than　in　tying　herself　up　to　a　lover　whose　circumstances　made　it　

necessary　to　relegate　marriage　to　the　distant　future。　　For　four　or　

five　years　Francesca　was　assured　of　undisturbed　possession　of　the　

house　in　Blue　Street；　and　after　that　period　who　knew　what　might　

happen？　　The　engagement　might　stretch　on　indefinitely；　it　might　

even　come　to　nothing　under　the　weight　of　its　accumulated　years；　as　

sometimes　happened　with　these　protracted　affairs。　　Emmeline　might　

lose　her　fancy　for　her　absentee　lover；　and　might　never　replace　him　

with　another。　　A　golden　possibility　of　perpetual　tenancy　of　her　

present　home　began　to　float　once　more　through　Francesca's　mind。　　As　

long　as　Emmeline　had　been　unbespoken　in　the　marriage　market　there　

had　always　been　the　haunting　likelihood　of　seeing　the　dreaded　

announcement；　〃a　marriage　has　been　arranged　and　will　shortly　take　

place；〃　in　connection　with　her　name。　　And　now　a　marriage　had　been　

arranged　and　would　not　shortly　take　place；　might　indeed　never　take　

place。　　St。　Michael's　information　was　likely　to　be　correct　in　this　

instance；　he　would　never　have　invented　a　piece　of　matrimonial　

intelligence　which　gave　such　little　scope　for　supplementary　detail　

of　the　kind　he　loved　to　supply。　　As　Francesca　turned　to　watch　the　

fourth　act　of　the　play；　her　mind　was　singing　a　paean　of　

thankfulness　and　exultation。　　It　was　as　though　some　artificer　sent　

by　the　Gods　had　reinforced　with　a　substantial　cord　the　horsehair　

thread　that　held　up　the　sword　of　Damocles　over　her　head。　　Her　love　

for　her　home；　for　her　treasured　household　possessions；　and　her　

pleasant　social　life　was　able　to　expand　once　more　in　present　

security；　and　feed　on　future　hope。　　She　was　still　young　enough　to　

count　four　or　five　years　as　a　long　time；　and　to…night　she　was　

optimistic　enough　to　prophesy　smooth　things　of　the　future　that　lay　

beyond　that　span。　　Of　the　fourth　act；　with　its　carefully　held　back　

but　obviously　imminent　reconciliation　between　the　leading　

characters；　she　took　in　but　little；　except　that　she　vaguely　

understood　it　to　have　a　happy　ending。　　As　the　lights　went　up　she　

looked　round　on　the　dispersing　audience　with　a　feeling　of　

friendliness　uppermost　in　her　mind；　even　the　sight　of　Elaine　de　

Frey　and　Courtenay　Youghal　leaving　the　theatre　together　did　not　

inspire　her　with　a　tenth　part　of　the　annoyance　that　their　entrance　

had　caused　her。　　Serena's　invitation　to　go　on　to　the　Savoy　for　

supper　fitted　in　exactly　with　her　mood　of　exhilaration。　　It　would　

be　a　fit　and　appropriate　wind…up　to　an　auspicious　evening。　　The　

cold　chicken　and　modest　brand　of　Chablis　waiting　for　her　at　home　

should　give　way　to　a　banquet　of　more　festive　nature。



In　the　crush　of　the　vestibule；　friends　and　enemies；　personal　and　

political；　were　jostled　and　locked　together　in　the　general　effort　

to　rejoin　temporarily　estranged　garments　and　secure　the　attendance　

of　elusive　vehicles。　　Lady　Caroline　found　herself　at　close　quarters　

with　the　estimable　Henry　Greech；　and　experienced　some　of　the　joy　

which　comes　to　the　homeward　wending　sportsman　when　a　chance　shot　

presents　itself　on　which　he　may　expend　his　remaining　cartridges。



〃So　the　Government　is　going　to　climb　down；　after　all；〃　she　said；　

with　a　provocative　assumption　of　private　information　on　the　

subject。



〃I　assure　you　the　Government　will　do　nothing　of　the　kind；〃　replied　

the　Member　of　Parliament　with　befitting　dignity；　〃the　Prime　

Minister　told　me　last　night　that　under　no　circumstances　…　〃



〃My　dear　Mr。　Greech；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃we　all　know　that　Prime　

Ministers　are　wedded　to　the　truth；　but　like　other　wedded　couples　

they　sometimes　live　apart。〃



For　her；　at　any　rate；　the　comedy　had　had　a　happy　ending。



Comus　made　his　way　slowly　and　lingeringly　from　the　stalls；　so　

slowly　that　the　lights　were　already　being　turned　down　and　great　

shroud…like　dust…cloths　were　being　swaythed　over　the　ornamental　

gilt…work。　　The　laughing；　chattering；　yawning　throng　had　filtered　

out　of　the　vestibule；　and　was　melting　away　in　final　groups　from　the　

steps　of　the　theatre。　　An　impatient　attendant　gave　him　his　coat　and　

locked　up　the　cloak　room。　　Comus　stepped　out　under　the　portico；　he　

looked　at　the　posters　announcing　the　play；　and　in　anticipation　he　

could　see　other　posters　announcing　its　200th　performance。　　Two　

hundred　performances；　by　that　time　the　Straw　Exchange　Theatre　would　

be　to　him　something　so　remote　and　unreal　that　it　would　hardly　seem　

to　exist　or　to　have　ever　existed　except　in　his　fancy。　　And　to　the　

laughing　chattering　throng　that　would　pass　in　under　that　portico　to　

the　200th　performance；　he　would　be；　to　those　that　had　known　him；　

something　equally　remote　and　non…existent。　　〃The　good…looking　

Bassington　boy？　　Oh；　dead；　or　rubber…growing　or　sheep…farming　or　

something　of　that　sort。〃







CHAPTER　XIV







THE　farewell　dinner　which　Francesca　had　hurriedly　organised　in　

honour　of　her　son's　departure　threatened　from　the　outset　to　be　a　

doubtfully　successful　function。　　In　the　first　place；　as　he　observed　

privately；　there　was　very　little　of　Comus　and　a　good　deal　of　

farewell　in　it。　　His　own　particular　friends　were　unrepresented。　　

Courtenay　Youghal　was　out　of　the　question；　and　though　Francesca　

would　have　stretched　a　point　and　welcomed　some　of　his　other　male　

associates　of　whom　she　scarcely　approved；　he　himself　had　been　

opposed　to　including　any　of　them　in　the　invitations。　　On　the　other　

hand；　as　Henry　Greech　had　provided　Comus　with　this　job　that　he　was　

going　out　to；　and　was；　moreover；　finding　part　of　the　money　for　the　

necessary　outfit；　Francesca　had　felt　it　her　duty　to　ask　him　and　his　

wife　to　the　dinner；　the　obtuseness　that　seems　to　cling　to　some　

people　like　a　garment　throughout　their　life　had　caused　Mr。　Greech　

to　accept　the　invitation。　　When　Comus　heard　of　the　circumstance　he　

laughed　long　and　boisterously；　his　spirits；　Francesca　noted；　seemed　

to　be　rising　fast　as　the　hour　for　departure　drew　near。



The　other　guests　included　Serena　Golackly　and　Lady　Veula；　the　

latter　having　been　asked　on　the　inspiration　of　the　moment　at　the　

theatrical　first…night。　　In　the　height　of　the　Season　it　was　not　

easy　to　get　together　a　goodly　selection　of　guests　at　short　notice；　

and　Francesca　had　gladly　fallen　in　with　Serena's　suggestion　of　

bringing　with　her　Stephen　Thorle；　who　was　alleged；　in　loose　

feminine　phrasing；　to　〃know　all　about〃　tropical　Africa。　　His　

travels　and　experiences　in　those　regions　probably　did　not　cover　

much　ground　or　stretch　over　any　great　length　of　time；　but　he　was　

one　of　those　individuals　who　can　describe　a　continent　on　the　

strength　of　a　few　days'　stay　in　a　coast　town　as　intimately　and　

dogmatically　as　a　paleontologist　will　reconstruct　an　extinct　mammal　

from　the　evidence　of　a　stray　shin　bone。　　He　had　the　loud　

penetrating　voice　and　the　prominent　penetrating　eyes　o