Chapter 104

ThesocialeveningstookplaceonalternateMondays.TherewasoneatthebeginningofPhilip’ssecondweekatLynn’s.Hearrangedtogowithoneofthewomeninhisdepartment.

“Meet‘em‘alf-way,”shesaid,“sameasIdo.”

ThiswasMrs.Hodges,alittlewomanoffive-and-forty,withbadlydyedhair;shehadayellowfacewithanetworkofsmallredveinsalloverit,andyellowwhitestoherpaleblueeyes.ShetookafancytoPhilipandcalledhimbyhisChristiannamebeforehehadbeenintheshopaweek.

“We’vebothknownwhatitistocomedown,”shesaid.

ShetoldPhilipthatherrealnamewasnotHodges,butshealwaysreferredto“me‘usbandMisterodges;”hewasabarristerandhetreatedhersimplyshocking,soshelefthimasshepreferredtobeindependentlike;butshehadknownwhatitwastodriveinherowncarriage,dear—shecalledeveryonedear—andtheyalwayshadlatedinnerathome.Sheusedtopickherteethwiththepinofanenormoussilverbrooch.Itwasintheformofawhipandahunting-cropcrossed,withtwospursinthemiddle.Philipwasillateaseinhisnewsurroundings,andthegirlsintheshopcalledhim‘sidey.’OneaddressedhimasPhil,andhedidnotanswerbecausehehadnottheleastideathatshewasspeakingtohim;soshetossedherhead,sayinghewasa‘stuck-upthing,’andnexttimewithironicalemphasiscalledhimMisterCarey.ShewasaMissJewell,andshewasgoingtomarryadoctor.Theothergirlshadneverseenhim,buttheysaidhemustbeagentlemanashegavehersuchlovelypresents.

“Neveryoumindwhattheysay,dear,”saidMrs.Hodges.“I’ve‘adtogothroughitsameasyou‘ave.Theydon’tknowanybetter,poorthings.Youtakemywordforit,they’lllikeyouallrightifyou‘oldyourownsameasI‘ave.”

Thesocialeveningwasheldintherestaurantinthebasement.Thetableswereputononesidesothattheremightberoomfordancing,andsmalleronesweresetoutforprogressivewhist.

“The‘eads‘avetogetthereearly,”saidMrs.Hodges.

SheintroducedhimtoMissBennett,whowasthebelleofLynn’s.Shewasthebuyerinthe‘Petticoats,’andwhenPhilipenteredwasengagedinconversationwiththebuyerinthe‘Gentlemen’sHosiery;’MissBennettwasawomanofmassiveproportions,withaverylargeredfaceheavilypowderedandabustofimposingdimensions;herflaxenhairwasarrangedwithelaboration.Shewasoverdressed,butnotbadlydressed,inblackwithahighcollar,andsheworeblackglacegloves,inwhichsheplayedcards;shehadseveralheavygoldchainsroundherneck,banglesonherwrists,andcircularphotographpendants,onebeingofQueenAlexandra;shecarriedablacksatinbagandchewedSen-sens.

“Pleasetomeetyou,Mr.Carey,”shesaid.“Thisisyourfirstvisittooursocialevenings,ain’tit?Iexpectyoufeelabitshy,butthere’snocauseto,Ipromiseyouthat.”

Shedidherbesttomakepeoplefeelathome.Sheslappedthemontheshouldersandlaughedagreatdeal.

“Ain’tIapickle?”shecried,turningtoPhilip.“Whatmustyouthinkofme?ButIcan’t‘elpmeself.”

Thosewhoweregoingtotakepartinthesocialeveningcamein,theyoungermembersofthestaffmostly,boyswhohadnotgirlsoftheirown,andgirlswhohadnotyetfoundanyonetowalkwith.Severaloftheyounggentlemenworeloungesuitswithwhiteeveningtiesandredsilkhandkerchiefs;theyweregoingtoperform,andtheyhadabusy,abstractedair;somewereself-confident,butotherswerenervous,andtheywatchedtheirpublicwithananxiouseye.Presentlyagirlwithagreatdealofhairsatatthepianoandranherhandsnoisilyacrossthekeyboard.Whentheaudiencehadsettleditselfshelookedroundandgavethenameofherpiece.

“ADriveinRussia.”

Therewasaroundofclappingduringwhichshedeftlyfixedbellstoherwrists.Shesmiledalittleandimmediatelyburstintoenergeticmelody.Therewasagreatdealmoreclappingwhenshefinished,andwhenthiswasover,asanencore,shegaveapiecewhichimitatedthesea;therewerelittletrillstorepresentthelappingwavesandthunderingchords,withtheloudpedaldown,tosuggestastorm.AfterthisagentlemansangasongcalledBidmeGood-bye,andasanencoreobligedwithSingmetoSleep.Theaudiencemeasuredtheirenthusiasmwithanicediscrimination.Everyonewasapplaudedtillhegaveanencore,andsothattheremightbenojealousynoonewasapplaudedmorethananyoneelse.MissBennettsaileduptoPhilip.

“I’msureyouplayorsing,Mr.Carey,”shesaidarchly.“Icanseeitinyourface.”

“I’mafraidIdon’t.”

“Don’tyouevenrecite?”

“Ihavenoparlourtricks.”

Thebuyerinthe‘gentleman’shosiery’wasawell-knownreciter,andhewascalleduponloudlytoperformbyalltheassistantsinhisdepartment.Needingnopressing,hegavealongpoemoftragiccharacter,inwhichherolledhiseyes,puthishandonhischest,andactedasthoughhewereingreatagony.Thepoint,thathehadeatencucumberforsupper,wasdivulgedinthelastlineandwasgreetedwithlaughter,alittleforcedbecauseeveryoneknewthepoemwell,butloudandlong.MissBennettdidnotsing,play,orrecite.

“Ohno,she‘asalittlegameofherown,”saidMrs.Hodges.

“Now,don’tyoubeginchaffingme.ThefactisIknowquitealotaboutpalmistryandsecondsight.”

“Oh,dotellmy‘and,MissBennett,”criedthegirlsinherdepartment,eagertopleaseher.

“Idon’tliketelling‘ands,Idon’treally.I’vetoldpeoplesuchterriblethingsandthey’veallcometrue,itmakesonesuperstitiouslike.”

“Oh,MissBennett,justforonce.”

Alittlecrowdcollectedroundher,and,amidscreamsofembarrassment,giggles,blushings,andcriesofdismayoradmiration,shetalkedmysteriouslyoffairanddarkmen,ofmoneyinaletter,andofjourneys,tillthesweatstoodinheavybeadsonherpaintedface.

“Lookatme,”shesaid.“I’mallofaperspiration.”

Supperwasatnine.Therewerecakes,buns,sandwiches,teaandcoffee,allfree;butifyouwantedmineralwateryouhadtopayforit.Gallantryoftenledyoungmentooffertheladiesgingerbeer,butcommondecencymadethemrefuse.MissBennettwasveryfondofgingerbeer,andshedranktwoandsometimesthreebottlesduringtheevening;butsheinsistedonpayingforthemherself.Themenlikedherforthat.

“She’sarumoldbird,”theysaid,“butmindyou,she’snotabadsort,she’snotlikewhatsomeare.”

Aftersupperprogressivewhistwasplayed.Thiswasverynoisy,andtherewasagreatdealoflaughingandshouting,aspeoplemovedfromtabletotable.MissBennettgrewhotterandhotter.

“Lookatme,”shesaid.“I’mallofaperspiration.”

Induecourseoneofthemoredashingoftheyoungmenremarkedthatiftheywantedtodancethey’dbetterbegin.Thegirlwhohadplayedtheaccompanimentssatatthepianoandplacedadecidedfootontheloudpedal.Sheplayedadreamywaltz,markingthetimewiththebass,whilewiththerighthandshe‘tiddled’inalternateoctaves.Bywayofachangeshecrossedherhandsandplayedtheairinthebass.

“Shedoesplaywell,doesn’tshe?”Mrs.HodgesremarkedtoPhilip.“Andwhat’smoreshe’snever‘ad

alessonin‘erlife;it’sallear.”

MissBennettlikeddancingandpoetrybetterthananythingintheworld.Shedancedwell,butvery,veryslowly,andanexpressioncameintohereyesasthoughherthoughtswerefar,faraway.Shetalkedbreathlesslyofthefloorandtheheatandthesupper.ShesaidthatthePortmanRoomshadthebestfloorinLondonandshealwayslikedthedancesthere;theywereveryselect,andshecouldn’tbeardancingwithallsortsofmenyoudidn’tknowanythingabout;why,youmightbeexposingyourselftoyoudidn’tknowwhatall.Nearlyallthepeopledancedverywell,andtheyenjoyedthemselves.Sweatpoureddowntheirfaces,andtheveryhighcollarsoftheyoungmengrewlimp.

Philiplookedon,andagreaterdepressionseizedhimthanherememberedtohavefeltforalongtime.Hefeltintolerablyalone.Hedidnotgo,becausehewasafraidtoseemsupercilious,andhetalkedwiththegirlsandlaughed,butinhisheartwasunhappiness.MissBennettaskedhimifhehadagirl.

“No,”hesmiled.

“Oh,well,there’splentytochoosefromhere.Andthey’reverynicerespectablegirls,someofthem.Iexpectyou’llhaveagirlbeforeyou’vebeenherelong.”

Shelookedathimveryarchly.

“Meet‘em‘alf-way,”saidMrs.Hodges.“That’swhatItellhim.”

Itwasnearlyeleveno’clock,andthepartybrokeup.Philipcouldnotgettosleep.Liketheothershekepthisachingfeetoutsidethebed-clothes.Hetriedwithallhismightnottothinkofthelifehewasleading.Thesoldierwassnoringquietly.