第7章

Theyareaworselotthanusualthistime，odious——odious！——andI

can’tstandoneonthelefthandaswellasontheright。Yours，“B。

“P。S。What/have/youbeendoing？Ourdistinguishedguests，tosaynothingofmyuncle，seemtobeinagreatfussaboutyou。I

overheardthemtalkingwhenIwaspretendingtoarrangesomeflowers。Oneofthemcalledyouasanctimoniousprigandanobstinatedonkey，andanotheranswered——IthinkitwasSirRobert——’Nodoubt，butobstinatedonkeyscankickandhavebeenknowntoupsetotherpeople’sapplecartserenow。’IstheSaharaSyndicatetheapplecart？Ifso，I’llforgiveyou。

“P。P。S。Rememberthatwewillwalktochurchtogetherto-morrow，butcomedowntobreakfastinknickerbockersorsomethingtoputthemoff，andI’lldothesame——ImeanI’lldressasifIweregoingtogolf。WecanturnintoChristianslater。Ifwedon’t——

dresslikethat，Imean——they’llguessandallwanttocometochurch，excepttheJews，whichwouldbringthejudgmentofHeavenonus。

“P。P。P。S。Don’tbecarelessandleavethisnotelyingabout，fortheunder-footmanwhowaitsuponyoureadsalltheletters。Hesteamsthemoverakettle。Smiththebutleristheonlyrespectablemaninthishouse。“

Alanlaughedoutrightashefinishedthispeculiarandoutspokenepistle，whichsomehowrevivedhisspirits，thatsincethepreviousdayhadbeenlowenough。Itrefreshedhim。Itwaslikeabreathoffrostyairfromanopenwindowblowingcleanandcoldintoascented，overheatedroom。Hewouldhavelikedtokeepit，butrememberingBarbara’sinjunctionsandtheunder-footman，threwitontothefireandwatcheditburn。Jeekiecoughedtointimatethatitwastimeforhismastertodress，andAlanturnedandlookedathiminanabsent-

mindedfashion。

Hewasworthlookingat，wasJeekie。Letthereaderimagineaverytallandpowerfully-builtnegrowithaskinasblackasawell-

polishedboot，woollyhairaswhiteassnow，alittletuftedbeardalsowhite，ahandlikealegofmutton，butwithlongdelicatefingersandpink，filbert-shapednails，animmovablecountenance，butsetinitbeneathamassivebrow，twoextraordinaryhumorousandeloquentblackeyeswhichexpressedeveryemotionpassingthroughthebrainbehindthem，thatiswhentheirownerchosetoallowthemtodoso。SuchwasJeekie。

“ShallIunlaceyourboots，Major？“hesaidinhisfull，melodiousvoiceandspeakingthemostperfectEnglish。“Iexpectthatthegongwillsoundinnineandahalfminutes。“

“Thenletitsoundandbehangedtoit，“answeredAlan；“no，Iforgot——Imusthurry。Jeekie，putthatfireoutandopenallthewindowsassoonasIgodown。Thisroomislikeahot-house。“

“Yes，Major，thefireshallbeextinguishedandthesleeping-chamberventilated。Theotherboot，ifyouplease，Major。“

“Jeekie，“saidAlan，“whoisstoppinginthisplace？Haveyouheard？“

“Icollectedsomenamesonmywayupstairs，Major。Threeofthegentlemenyouhavenevermetbefore，but，“headdedsuddenlybreakingawayfromhishigh-flownbook-learnedEnglish，aswashiscustomwheninearnest，“Jeekiethinktheyjustblackniggersliketherest，thiefpeople。Thereain’tawhitemaninthishouse，exceptyouandMissBarbaraandme，Major。Jeekielearntallthatinservant’shallpalaver。No，notnow，othertime。EveryonetelleverythingtoJeekie，pooroldAfricanfool，andhelookupananswer，’Olaw！youdon’tsayso？’butkeephiseyesandearsopenallthesame。“

“I’llbeboundyoudo，Jeekie，“repliedAlan，laughingagain。“Well，goonkeepingthemopen，andgivemethosetrousers。“

“Yes，Major，“answeredJeekie，reassuminghisgrandmanner，“Ishallcontinuetocollectinformationwhichmayprovetoyouradvantage，butpersonallyIwishthatyouwereclearofthewholecaboodle，exceptMissBarbara。“

“Hear，hear，“ejaculatedAlan，“theregoesthegong。Mindyoucomeinandhelptowait，“andhurryingintohiscoathedeparteddownstairs。

Theguestsweregatheredinthehalldrinkingsherryandbitters，aproceedingthattoAlan’smindsetastampuponthehouse。Hishost，Mr。Champers-Haswell，cameforwardandgreetedhimwithmuchaffectionateenthusiasm，andAlannoticedthathelookedverypale，alsothathisthoughtsseemedtobewandering，forheintroducedaFrenchbankertohimasanotedJew，andthenotedJewastheFrenchbanker，althoughthedistinctionbetweenthemwasobviousandthegentlemenconcernedevidentlyresentedthemistake。SirRobertAylward，catchingsightofhim，cameacrossthehallinhisusual，directfashion，andshookhimbythehand。

“Gladtoseeyou，Vernon，“hesaid，fixinghispiercingeyesuponAlanasthoughheweretryingtoreadhisthoughts。“PleasantchangethisfromtheCityandallthateternalbusiness，isn’tit？Ah！youarethinkingthatoneisnotquiteclearofbusinessafterall，“andheglancedroundatthecompany。“That’soneofyourcousinHaswell’sfaults；hecannevershakehimselffreeofthething，nevergetanyrealrecreation。I’dbetyouasovereignthathehasastenographerwaitingbyatelephoneinthenextroom，justincaseanyopportunityshouldariseinthecourseofconversation。Thatismagnificent，butitisnotwise。Hisheartcan’tstandit；itwillwearhimoutbeforehistime。Listen，theyarealltalkingabouttheSahara。IwishIwerethere；itmustbequietatanyrate。Thesandsbeneath，theeternalstarsabove。Yes，IwishIwerethere，“herepeatedwithasigh，andAlannotedthatalthoughhisfacecouldnotbemorepallidthanitsnaturalcolour，itlookedquitewornandold。

“SodoI，“heansweredwithenthusiasm。

ThenaFrenchgentlemanonhisleft，havingdiscoveredthathewastheengineerwhohadformulatedthegreatfloodingscheme，begantoaddresshimas“Chermaitre，“speakingsorapidlyhisownlanguagethatAlan，whoseFrenchwasnoneofthebest，struggledafterhiminvain。Whilsthewastryingtoansweraquestionwhichhedidnotunderstand，thedoorattheendofthehallopened，andthroughitappearedBarbaraChampers。

Itwasalargehallandshewasalongwayoff，whichcausedhertolooksmall，whoindeedwasonlyofmiddleheight。Yetevenatthatdistanceitwasimpossibletomistakethedignityofherappearance。A

slimwomanwithbrownhair，cheerfulbrowneyes，awell-modelledface，aroundedfigureandanexcellentcomplexion，suchwasBarbara。Tenthousandyoungladiescouldbefoundasgood，orevenbetterlooking，yetsomethingaboutherdifferentiatedherfromthemajorityofhersex。Therewasdeterminationinherstep，andoverflowinghealthandvigourinhereverymovement。Hereyeshadatrickoflookingstraightintoanyothereyestheymet，notboldly，butwithakindofvirginalfearlessnessandenterprisethatpeopleoftenfoundembarrassing。

Indeedshewasextremelyvirginalanddevoidoftheusualfringeoffeminineairsandgraces，anymphofthewoodsandwaters，whoalthoughshewasthreeandtwenty，asyetreckedlittleofmensaveascompanionswhomshelikedordislikedaccordingtoherinstincts。Fortherestshewassweetlydressedinawhiterobewithsilveronit，andworenoornamentssavearowofsmallpearlsaboutherthroatandsomeliliesofthevalleyatherbreast。

Barbaracamestraightonwards，lookingneithertotherightortotheleft，tillshereachedheruncle，towhomshenodded。ThenshewalkedtoAlanand，offeringhimherhand，said:

“Howdoyoudo！Whydidyounotcomeoveratlunchtime？Iwantedtoplayaroundofgolfwithyouthisafternoon。“

AlanansweredsomethingaboutbeingbusyatYarleys。

“Yarleys！“shereplied。“IthoughtthatyoulivedintheCitynow，makingmoneyoutofspeculations，likeeveryoneelsethatIknow。“

“Why，MissChampers，“brokeinSirRobertreproachfully，“Iaskedyoutoplayaroundofgolfbeforeteaandyouwouldnot。“

“No，“sheanswered，“becauseIwaswaitingformycousin。Wearebettermatched，SirRobert。“

Therewassomethinginhervoice，usuallysosoftandpleasant，asshespokethesewords，somethingofsteelinessanddefiancethatcausedAlantofeelatoncehappyanduncomfortable。ApparentlyalsoitcausedAylwardtofeelangry，forheflashedaglanceatAlanoverherheadofwhichthepurportcouldnotbemistaken，thoughhispalefaceremainedasimmovableasever。“Weareenemies。Ihateyou，“saidthatglance。ProbablyBarbarasawit；atanyratebeforeeitherofthemcouldspeakagain，shesaid:

“Thankgoodness，thereisdinneratlast。SirRobert，willyoutakemein，and，Alan，willyousitontheothersideofme？Myunclewillshowtheresttheirplaces。“

Themealwaslongandmagnificent；thepriceofeachdishofitwouldhavekeptapoorfamilyforamonth，andonthecostoftheexquisitewinestheymighthavelivedforayearortwo。AlsothelastwerewellpatronizedbyeveryoneexceptBarbara，whodrankwater，andAlan，whosincehisseverefevertooknothingbutweakwhiskeyandsodaandalittleclaret。EvenAylward，atemperateperson，absorbedagooddealofchampagne。Asaconsequencetheconversationgrewanimated，andundercoverofit，whileSirRobertwasarguingwithhisneighbourontheleft，Barbaraaskedinalowvoice:

“Whatistherow，Alan？Tellme，Ican’twaitanylonger。“

“Ihavequarrelledwiththem，“heanswered，staringathismuttonasthoughhewerecriticizingit。“Imean，Ihaveleftthefirmandhavenothingmoretodowiththebusiness。“

Barbara’seyeslitupasshewhisperedback:

“Gladofit。BestnewsIhaveheardformanyaday。Butthen，mayI

askwhyyouarehere？“

“Icametoseeyou，“herepliedhumbly——“thoughtperhapsyouwouldn’tmind，“andinhisconfusionhelethisknifefallintothemutton，whenceitrebounded，staininghisshirtfront。

Barbaralaughed，thathappy，delightfullittlelaughofhers，presumablyattheaccidentwiththeknife。Whetherornoshe“minded“

didnotappear，onlyshehandedherhandkerchief，acostly，last-

fringedtrifle，toAlantowipethegravyoffhisshirt，whichhetookthinkingitwasanapkin，andasshedidso，touchedhishandwithalittlecaressingmovementofherfingers。Whetherthiswasdonebychanceoronpurposedidnotappeareither。AtleastitmadeAlanfeelextremelyhappy。Alsowhenhediscoveredwhatitwas，hekeptthatgravy-stainedhandkerchief，nordidsheeveraskforitbackagain。