the unbearable bassington-第9节

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steadfastly　at　the　aviary　in　front　of　him　as　though　exotic　

pheasants　were　for　the　moment　the　most　absorbing　study　in　the　

world。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　his　mind　was　centred　on　the　image　of　

Elaine　de　Frey；　with　her　clear　untroubled　eyes　and　her　Leonardo　da　

Vinci　air。　　He　was　wondering　whether　he　was　likely　to　fall　into　a　

frame　of　mind　concerning　her　which　would　be　in　the　least　like　

falling　in　love。



〃I　shall　mind　horribly；〃　continued　Molly；　after　a　pause；　〃but；　of　

course；　I　have　always　known　that　something　of　the　sort　would　have　

to　happen　one　of　these　days。　　When　a　man　goes　into　politics　he　

can't　call　his　soul　his　own；　and　I　suppose　his　heart　becomes　an　

impersonal　possession　in　the　same　way。〃



〃Most　people　who　know　me　would　tell　you　that　I　haven't　got　a　

heart；〃　said　Youghal。



〃I've　often　felt　inclined　to　agree　with　them；〃　said　Molly；　〃and　

then；　now　and　again；　I　think　you　have　a　heart　tucked　away　

somewhere。〃



〃I　hope　I　have；〃　said　Youghal；　〃because　I'm　trying　to　break　to　you　

the　fact　that　I　think　I'm　falling　in　love　with　somebody。〃



Molly　McQuade　turned　sharply　to　look　at　her　companion；　who　still　

fixed　his　gaze　on　the　pheasant　run　in　front　of　him。



〃Don't　tell　me　you're　losing　your　head　over　somebody　useless；　

someone　without　money；〃　she　said；　〃I　don't　think　I　could　stand　

that。〃



For　the　moment　she　feared　that　Courtenay's　selfishness　might　have　

taken　an　unexpected　turn；　in　which　ambition　had　given　way　to　the　

fancy　of　the　hour；　he　might　be　going　to　sacrifice　his　Parliamentary　

career　for　a　life　of　stupid　lounging　in　momentarily　attractive　

company。　　He　quickly　undeceived　her。



〃She's　got　heaps　of　money。〃



Molly　gave　a　grunt　of　relief。　　Her　affection　for　Courtenay　had　

produced　the　anxiety　which　underlay　her　first　question；　a　natural　

jealousy　prompted　the　next　one。



〃Is　she　young　and　pretty　and　all　that　sort　of　thing；　or　is　she　just　

a　good　sort　with　a　sympathetic　manner　and　nice　eyes？　　As　a　rule　

that's　the　kind　that　goes　with　a　lot　of　money。〃



〃Young　and　quite　good…looking　in　her　way；　and　a　distinct　style　of　

her　own。　　Some　people　would　call　her　beautiful。　　As　a　political　

hostess　I　should　think　she'd　be　splendid。　　I　imagine　I'm　rather　in　

love　with　her。〃



〃And　is　she　in　love　with　you？〃



Youghal　threw　back　his　head　with　the　slight　assertive　movement　that　

Molly　knew　and　liked。



〃She's　a　girl　who　I　fancy　would　let　judgment　influence　her　a　lot。　　

And　without　being　stupidly　conceited；　I　think　I　may　say　she　might　

do　worse　than　throw　herself　away　on　me。　　I'm　young　and　quite　good…

looking；　and　I'm　making　a　name　for　myself　in　the　House；　she'll　be　

able　to　read　all　sorts　of　nice　and　horrid　things　about　me　in　the　

papers　at　breakfast…time。　　I　can　be　brilliantly　amusing　at　times；　

and　I　understand　the　value　of　silence；　there　is　no　fear　that　I　

shall　ever　degenerate　into　that　fearsome　thing　…　a　cheerful　

talkative　husband。　　For　a　girl　with　money　and　social　ambitions　I　

should　think　I　was　rather　a　good　thing。〃



〃You　are　certainly　in　love；　Courtenay；〃　said　Molly；　〃but　it's　the　

old　love　and　not　a　new　one。　　I'm　rather　glad。　　I　should　have　hated　

to　have　you　head…over…heels　in　love　with　a　pretty　woman；　even　for　a　

short　time。　　You'll　be　much　happier　as　it　is。　　And　I'm　going　to　put　

all　my　feelings　in　the　background；　and　tell　you　to　go　in　and　win。　　

You've　got　to　marry　a　rich　woman；　and　if　she's　nice　and　will　make　a　

good　hostess；　so　much　the　better　for　everybody。　　You'll　be　happier　

in　your　married　life　than　I　shall　be　in　mine；　when　it　comes；　you'll　

have　other　interests　to　absorb　you。　　I　shall　just　have　the　garden　

and　dairy　and　nursery　and　lending　library；　as　like　as　two　peas　to　

all　the　gardens　and　dairies　and　nurseries　for　hundreds　of　miles　

round。　　You　won't　care　for　your　wife　enough　to　be　worried　every　

time　she　has　a　finger…ache；　and　you'll　like　her　well　enough　to　be　

pleased　to　meet　her　sometimes　at　your　own　house。　　I　shouldn't　

wonder　if　you　were　quite　happy。　　She　will　probably　be　miserable；　

but　any　woman　who　married　you　would　be。〃



There　was　a　short　pause；　they　were　both　staring　at　the　pheasant　

cages。　　Then　Molly　spoke　again；　with　the　swift　nervous　tone　of　a　

general　who　is　hurriedly　altering　the　disposition　of　his　forces　for　

a　strategic　retreat。



〃When　you　are　safely　married　and　honey…mooned　and　all　that　sort　of　

thing；　and　have　put　your　wife　through　her　paces　as　a　political　

hostess；　some　time；　when　the　House　isn't　sitting；　you　must　come　

down　by　yourself；　and　do　a　little　hunting　with　us。　　Will　you？　　It　

won't　be　quite　the　same　as　old　times；　but　it　will　be　something　to　

look　forward　to　when　I'm　reading　the　endless　paragraphs　about　your　

fashionable　political　wedding。〃



〃You're　looking　forward　pretty　far；〃　laughed　Youghal；　〃the　lady　may　

take　your　view　as　to　the　probable　unhappiness　of　a　future　shared　

with　me；　and　I　may　have　to　content　myself　with　penurious　political　

bachelorhood。　　Anyhow；　the　present　is　still　with　us。　　We　dine　at　

Kettner's　to…night；　don't　we？〃



〃Rather；〃　said　Molly；　〃though　it　will　be　more　or　less　a　throat…

lumpy　feast　as　far　as　I　am　concerned。　　We　shall　have　to　drink　to　

the　health　of　the　future　Mrs。　Youghal。　　By　the　way；　it's　rather　

characteristic　of　you　that　you　haven't　told　me　who　she　is；　and　of　

me　that　I　haven't　asked。　　And　now；　like　a　dear　boy；　trot　away　and　

leave　me。　　I　haven't　got　to　say　good…bye　to　you　yet；　but　I'm　going　

to　take　a　quiet　farewell　of　the　Pheasantry。　　We've　had　some　jolly　

good　talks；　you　and　I；　sitting　on　this　seat；　haven't　we？　　And　I　

know；　as　well　as　I　know　anything；　that　this　is　the　last　of　them。　　

Eight　o'clock　to…night；　as　punctually　as　possible。〃



She　watched　his　retreating　figure　with　eyes　that　grew　slowly　misty；　

he　had　been　such　a　jolly　comely　boy…friend；　and　they　had　had　such　

good　times　together。　　The　mist　deepened　on　her　lashes　as　she　looked　

round　at　the　familiar　rendezvous　where　they　had　so　often　kept　tryst　

since　the　day　when　they　had　first　come　there　together；　he　a　

schoolboy　and　she　but　lately　out　of　her　teens。　　For　the　moment　she　

felt　herself　in　the　thrall　of　a　very　real　sorrow。



Then；　with　the　admirable　energy　of　one　who　is　only　in　town　for　a　

fleeting　fortnight；　she　raced　away　to　have　tea　with　a　world…faring　

naval　admirer　at　his　club。　　Pluralism　is　a　merciful　narcotic。







CHAPTER　VI







ELAINE　DE　FREY　sat　at　ease　…　at　bodily　ease　…　at　any　rate　…　in　a　

low　wicker　chair　placed　under　the　shade　of　a　group　of　cedars　in　the　

heart　of　a　stately　spacious　garden　that　had　almost　made　up　its　mind　

to　be　a　park。　　The　shallow　stone　basin　of　an　old　fountain；　on　whose　

wide　ledge　a　leaden…moulded　otter　for　ever　preyed　on　a　leaden　

salmon；　filled　a　conspicuous　place　in　the　immediate　foreground。　　

Around　its　rim　ran　an　inscription　in　Latin；　warning　mortal　man　that　

time　flows　as　swiftly　as　water　and　exhorting　him　to　make　the　most　

of　his　hours；　after　which　piece　of　Jacobean　moralising　it　set　

itself　shamelessly　to　beguile　all　who　might　pass　that　way　into　an　

abandonment　of　contemplative　repose。　　On　all　sides　of　it　a　stretch　

of　smooth　turf　spread　away；　broken　up　here　and　there　by　groups　of　

dwarfish　chestnut　and　mulberry　trees；　whose　leaves　and　branches　

cast　a　laced　pattern　of　shade　beneath　them。　　On　one　side　the　lawn　

sloped　gently　down　to　a　small　lake；　whereon　floated　a　quartette　of　

swans；　their　movements　suggestive　of　a　certain　mournful　

listlessness；　as　though　a　weary　dignity　of　caste　held　them　back　

from　the　joyous　bustling　life　of　the　lesser　waterfowl。　　Elaine　

liked　to　imagine　that　they　re…embodied　the　souls　of　unhappy　boys　

who　had　been　forced　by　family　interests　to　become　high　

ecclesiastical　dignitaries　and　had　grown　prematurely　Right　

Reverend。　　A　low　stone　balustrade　fenced　part　of　the　shore　of　the　

lake；　making　a　miniature　terrace　above　its　level；　and　here　roses　

grew　in　a　rich　multitude。　　Other　rose　bushes；　carefully　pruned　and　

tended；　formed　little　oases　of　colour　and　perfume　amid　the　restful　

green　of　the　sward；　and　in　the　distance　the　eye　caught　the　

variegated　blaze　of　a　many…hued　hedge　of　rhododendron。　　With　these　

favoured　exceptions　flowers　were　hard　to　find　in　this　well…ordered　

garden；　the　misguided　tyranny　of　staring　geranium　beds　and　be…

flowered　archways　leading　to　nowhere；　so　dear　to　the　suburban　

gardener；　found　no　expression　here。　　Magnificent　Amherst　pheasants；　

whose　plumage　challenged　and　almost　shamed　the　peacock　on　his　own　

ground；　stepped　to　and　fro　over　the　emerald　turf　with　the　assured　

self…conscious　pride　of　reigning　sultans。　　It　was　a　garden　where　

summer　seemed　a　part…proprietor　rather　than　a　hurried　visitor。



By　the　side　of　Elaine's　chair　under　the　shadow　of　the　cedars　a　

wicker　table　was　set　out　with　the　paraphernalia　of　afternoon　tea。　　

On　some　cushions　at　her　feet　reclined　Courtenay　Youghal；　smoothly　

preened　and　you