the unbearable bassington-第11章

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said　a　player　at　another　table　in　a　discreet　undertone。



〃Did　I　tell　you　Sir　Edward　Roan　is　coming　to　my　next　big　evening；〃　

said　Serena；　hurriedly；　by　way；　perhaps；　of　restoring　herself　a　

little　in　her　own　esteem。



〃Poor　dear；　good　Sir　Edward。　　What　have　you　made　trumps？〃　asked　

Lady　Caroline；　in　one　breath。



〃Clubs；〃　said　Francesca；　〃and　pray；　why　these　adjectives　of　

commiseration？〃



Francesca　was　a　Ministerialist　by　family　interest　and　allegiance；　

and　was　inclined　to　take　up　the　cudgels　at　the　suggested　

disparagement　aimed　at　the　Foreign　Secretary。



〃He　amuses　me　so　much；〃　purred　Lady　Caroline。　　Her　amusement　was　

usually　of　the　sort　that　a　sporting　cat　derives　from　watching　the　

Swedish　exercises　of　a　well…spent　and　carefully　thought…out　mouse。



〃Really？　　He　has　been　rather　a　brilliant　success　at　the　Foreign　

Office；　you　know；〃　said　Francesca。



〃He　reminds　one　so　of　a　circus　elephant　…　infinitely　more　

intelligent　than　the　people　who　direct　him；　but　quite　content　to　go　

on　putting　his　foot　down　or　taking　it　up　as　may　be　required；　quite　

unconcerned　whether　he　steps　on　a　meringue　or　a　hornet's　nest　in　

the　process　of　going　where　he's　expected　to　go。〃



〃How　can　you　say　such　things？〃　protested　Francesca。



〃I　can't；〃　said　Lady　Caroline；　〃Courtenay　Youghal　said　it　in　the　

House　last　night。　　Didn't　you　read　the　debate？　　He　was　really　

rather　in　form。　　I　disagree　entirely　with　his　point　of　view；　of　

course；　but　some　of　the　things　he　says　have　just　enough　truth　

behind　them　to　redeem　them　from　being　merely　smart；　for　instance；　

his　summing　up　of　the　Government's　attitude　towards　our　

embarrassing　Colonial　Empire　in　the　wistful　phrase　'happy　is　the　

country　that　has　no　geography。'〃



〃What　an　absurdly　unjust　thing　to　say；〃　put　in　Francesca；　〃I　

daresay　some　of　our　Party　at　some　time　have　taken　up　that　attitude；　

but　every　one　knows　that　Sir　Edward　is　a　sound　Imperialist　at　

heart。〃



〃Most　politicians　are　something　or　other　at　heart；　but　no　one　would　

be　rash　enough　to　insure　a　politician　against　heart　failure。　　

Particularly　when　he　happens　to　be　in　office。〃



〃Anyhow；　I　don't　see　that　the　Opposition　leaders　would　have　acted　

any　differently　in　the　present　case；〃　said　Francesca。



〃One　should　always　speak　guardedly　of　the　Opposition　leaders；〃　said　

Lady　Caroline；　in　her　gentlest　voice；　〃one　never　knows　what　a　turn　

in　the　situation　may　do　for　them。〃



〃You　mean　they　may　one　day　be　at　the　head　of　affairs？〃　asked　

Serena；　briskly。



〃I　mean　they　may　one　day　lead　the　Opposition。　　One　never　knows。〃



Lady　Caroline　had　just　remembered　that　her　hostess　was　on　the　

Opposition　side　in　politics。



Francesca　and　her　partner　scored　four　tricks　in　clubs；　the　game　

stood　irresolutely　at　twenty…four　all。



〃If　you　had　followed　the　excellent　lyrical　advice　given　to　the　Maid　

of　Athens　and　returned　my　heart　we　should　have　made　two　more　tricks　

and　gone　game；〃　said　Lady　Caroline　to　her　partner。



〃Mr。　Youghal　seems　pushing　himself　to　the　fore　of　late；〃　remarked　

Francesca；　as　Serena　took　up　the　cards　to　deal。　　Since　the　young　

politician's　name　had　been　introduced　into　their　conversation　the　

opportunity　for　turning　the　talk　more　directly　on　him　and　his　

affairs　was　too　good　to　be　missed。



〃I　think　he's　got　a　career　before　him；〃　said　Serena；　〃the　House　

always　fills　when　he's　speaking；　and　that's　a　good　sign。　　And　then　

he's　young　and　got　rather　an　attractive　personality；　which　is　

always　something　in　the　political　world。〃



〃His　lack　of　money　will　handicap　him；　unless　he　can　find　himself　a　

rich　wife　or　persuade　someone　to　die　and　leave　him　a　fat　legacy；〃　

said　Francesca；　〃since　M。P。's　have　become　the　recipients　of　a　

salary　rather　more　is　expected　and　demanded　of　them　in　the　

expenditure　line　than　before。〃



〃Yes；　the　House　of　Commons　still　remains　rather　at　the　opposite　

pole　to　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven　as　regards　entrance　qualifications；〃　

observed　Lady　Caroline。



〃There　ought　to　be　no　difficulty　about　Youghal　picking　up　a　girl　

with　money；〃　said　Serena；　〃with　his　prospects　he　would　make　an　

excellent　husband　for　any　woman　with　social　ambitions。〃



And　she　half　sighed；　as　though　she　almost　regretted　that　a　previous　

matrimonial　arrangement　precluded　her　from　entering　into　the　

competition　on　her　own　account。



Francesca；　under　an　assumption　of　languid　interest；　was　watching　

Lady　Caroline　narrowly　for　some　hint　of　suppressed　knowledge　of　

Youghal's　courtship　of　Miss　de　Frey。



〃Whom　are　you　marrying　and　giving　in　marriage？〃



The　question　came　from　George　St。　Michael；　who　had　strayed　over　

from　a　neighbouring　table；　attracted　by　the　fragments　of　small…talk　

that　had　reached　his　ears。



St。　Michael　was　one　of　those　dapper　bird…like　illusorily…active　

men；　who　seem　to　have　been　in　a　certain　stage　of　middle…age　for　as　

long　as　human　memory　can　recall　them。　　A　close…cut　peaked　beard　

lent　a　certain　dignity　to　his　appearance　…　a　loan　which　the　rest　of　

his　features　and　mannerisms　were　continually　and　successfully　

repudiating。　　His　profession；　if　he　had　one；　was　submerged　in　his　

hobby；　which　consisted　of　being　an　advance…agent　for　small　

happenings　or　possible　happenings　that　were　or　seemed　imminent　in　

the　social　world　around　him；　he　found　a　perpetual　and　unflagging　

satisfaction　in　acquiring　and　retailing　any　stray　items　of　gossip　

or　information；　particularly　of　a　matrimonial　nature；　that　chanced　

to　come　his　way。　　Given　the　bare　outline　of　an　officially　announced　

engagement　he　would　immediately　fill　it　in　with　all　manner　of　

details；　true　or；　at　any　rate；　probable；　drawn　from　his　own　

imagination　or　from　some　equally　exclusive　source。　　The　MORNING　

POST　might　content　itself　with　the　mere　statement　of　the　

arrangement　which　would　shortly　take　place；　but　it　was　St。　

Michael's　breathless　little　voice　that　proclaimed　how　the　

contracting　parties　had　originally　met　over　a　salmon…fishing　

incident；　why　the　Guards'　Chapel　would　not　be　used；　why　her　Aunt　

Mary　had　at　first　opposed　the　match；　how　the　question　of　the　

children's　religious　upbringing　had　been　compromised；　etc。；　etc。；　

to　all　whom　it　might　interest　and　to　many　whom　it　might　not。　　

Beyond　his　industriously…earned　pre…eminence　in　this　special　branch　

of　intelligence；　he　was　chiefly　noteworthy　for　having　a　wife　

reputed　to　be　the　tallest　and　thinnest　woman　in　the　Home　Counties。　　

The　two　were　sometimes　seen　together　in　Society；　where　they　passed　

under　the　collective　name　of　St。　Michael　and　All　Angles。



〃We　are　trying　to　find　a　rich　wife　for　Courtenay　Youghal；〃　said　

Serena；　in　answer　to　St。　Michael's　question。



〃Ah；　there　I'm　afraid　you're　a　little　late；〃　he　observed；　glowing　

with　the　importance　of　pending　revelation；　〃I'm　afraid　you're　a　

little　late；〃　he　repeated；　watching　the　effect　of　his　words　as　a　

gardener　might　watch　the　development　of　a　bed　of　carefully　tended　

asparagus。　　〃I　think　the　young　gentleman　has　been　before　you　and　

already　found　himself　a　rich　mate　in　prospect。〃



He　lowered　his　voice　as　he　spoke；　not　with　a　view　to　imparting　

impressive　mystery　to　his　statement；　but　because　there　were　other　

table　groups　within　hearing　to　whom　he　hoped　presently　to　have　the　

privilege　of　re…disclosing　his　revelation。



〃Do　you　mean　…　？〃　began　Serena。



〃Miss　de　Frey；〃　broke　in　St。　Michael；　hurriedly；　fearful　lest　his　

revelation　should　be　forestalled；　even　in　guesswork；　〃quite　an　

ideal　choice；　the　very　wife　for　a　man　who　means　to　make　his　mark　in　

politics。　　Twenty…four　thousand　a　year；　with　prospects　of　more　to　

come；　and　a　charming　place　of　her　own　not　too　far　from　town。　　Quite　

the　type　of　girl；　too；　who　will　make　a　good　political　hostess；　

brains　without　being　brainy；　you　know。　　Just　the　right　thing。　　Of　

course；　it　would　be　premature　to　make　any　definite　announcement　at　

present　…　〃



〃It　would　hardly　be　premature　for　my　partner　to　announce　what　she　

means　to　make　trumps；〃　interrupted　Lady　Caroline；　in　a　voice　of　

such　sinister　gentleness　that　St。　Michael　fled　headlong　back　to　his　

own　table。



〃Oh；　is　it　me？　　I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　leave　it；〃　said　Serena。



〃Thank　you。　　No　trumps；〃　declared　Lady　Caroline。　　The　hand　was　

successful；　and　the　rubber　ultimately　fell　to　her　with　a　

comfortable　margin　of　honours。　　The　same　partners　cut　together　

again；　and　this　time　the　cards　went　distinctly　against　Francesca　

and　Ada　Spelvexit；　and　a　heavily　piled…up　score　confronted　them　at　

the　close　of　the　rubber。　　Francesca　was　conscious　that　a　certain　

amount　of　rather　erratic　play　on　her　part　had　at　least　contributed　

to　the　result。　　St。　Michael's　incursion　into　the　conversation　had　

proved　rather　a　powerful　distraction　to　her　ordinarily　sound　

bridge…craft。



Ada　Spelvexit　emptied　her　purse　of　several　gold　pieces　and　infused　

a　corresponding　degree　of　superiority　into　her　manner。



〃I　must　be　going　now；〃　she　announced；　〃I'm　dining　early。　　I　have　to　

give　an　address　to　some　charwomen　afterwards。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　Lady　Caroline；　with　a　disconcerting　directness　that　

was　one　of　her　most　formidable　characteristics。



〃Oh；　well；　I　have　some　things　to　say　to　them　that　I　daresay　they　

will　like　to　hear；〃　said　Ada；　with　a　thin　laugh。



Her　statement　was　received　with　a　silence　that　betokened　profound　

unbelief　in　any　such　probability。



〃I　go　about　a　good　deal　among　working…class　women；〃　she　added。



〃No　one　has　ever　said　it；〃　observed　Lady　Caroline；　〃but　how　

painfully　true　it　is　that　the　poor　have　us　always　with　them。〃



Ada　Spelvexit　hastened　her　departure；　the　marred　impressiveness　of　

her　retreat　came　as　a　culminating　discomfiture　on　the　top　of　her　

ill…fortune　at　the　card…table。　　Possibly；　however；　the　

multiplication　of　her　own　annoyances　enabled　her　to　survey　

charwomen's　troubles　with　increased　cheerfulness。　　None　of　them；　at　

any　rate；　had　spent　an　afternoon　with　Lady　Caroline。



Francesca　cut　in　at　another　table　and　with　better　fortune　attending　

on　her；　succeeded　in　winning　back　most　of　her　losses。　　A　sense　of　

satisfaction　was　distinctly　dominant　as　she　took　leave　of　her　

hostess。　　St。　Michael's　gossip；　or　rather　the　manner　in　which　it　

had　been　received；　had　given　her　a　clue　to　the　real　state　of　

affairs；　which；　however　slender　and　conjectural；　at　least　pointed　

in　the　desired　direction。　　At　first　she　had　been　horribly　afraid　

lest　she　should　be　listening　to　a　definite　announcement　which　would　

have　been　the　death…blow　to　her　hopes；　but　as　the　recitation　went　

on　without　any　of　those　assured　little　minor　details　which　St。　

Michael　so　loved　to　supply；　she　had　come　to　the　conclusion　that　it　

was　merely　a　piece　of　intelligent　guesswork。　　And　if　Lady　Caroline　

had　really　believed　in　the　story　of　Elaine　de　Frey's　virtual　

engagement　to　Courtenay　Youghal　she　would　have　taken　a　malicio