the unbearable bassington-第7章

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his　senior。　　　When　he　was　a　schoolboy　of　sixteen；　Molly　McQuade　had　

personally　conducted　him　to　the　Zoo　and　stood　him　dinner　afterwards　

at　Kettner's；　and　whenever　the　two　of　them　happened　to　be　in　town　

on　the　anniversary　of　that　bygone　festivity　they　religiously　

repeated　the　programme　in　its　entirety。　　Even　the　menu　of　the　

dinner　was　adhered　to　as　nearly　as　possible；　the　original　selection　

of　food　and　wine　that　schoolboy　exuberance；　tempered　by　schoolboy　

shyness；　had　pitched　on　those　many　years　ago；　confronted　Youghal　on　

those　occasions；　as　a　drowning　man's　past　life　is　said　to　rise　up　

and　parade　itself　in　his　last　moments　of　consciousness。



The　flirtation　which　was　thus　perennially　restored　to　its　old…time　

footing　owed　its　longevity　more　to　the　enterprising　solicitude　of　

Miss　McQuade　than　to　any　conscious　sentimental　effort　on　the　part　

of　Youghal　himself。　　Molly　McQuade　was　known　to　her　neighbours　in　a　

minor　hunting　shire　as　a　hard…riding　conventionally　unconventional　

type　of　young　woman；　who　came　naturally　into　the　classification；　〃a　

good　sort。〃　　She　was　just　sufficiently　good…looking；　sufficiently　

reticent　about　her　own　illnesses；　when　she　had　any；　and　

sufficiently　appreciative　of　her　neighbours'　gardens；　children　and　

hunters　to　be　generally　popular。　　Most　men　liked　her；　and　the　

percentage　of　women　who　disliked　her　was　not　inconveniently　high。　　

One　of　these　days；　it　was　assumed；　she　would　marry　a　brewer　or　a　

Master　of　Otter　Hounds；　and；　after　a　brief　interval；　be　known　to　

the　world　as　the　mother　of　a　boy　or　two　at　Malvern　or　some　similar　

seat　of　learning。　　The　romantic　side　of　her　nature　was　altogether　

unguessed　by　the　country…side。



Her　romances　were　mostly　in　serial　form　and　suffered　perhaps　in　

fervour　from　their　disconnected　course　what　they　gained　in　length　

of　days。　　Her　affectionate　interest　in　the　several　young　men　who　

figured　in　her　affairs　of　the　heart　was　perfectly　honest；　and　she　

certainly　made　no　attempt　either　to　conceal　their　separate　

existences；　or　to　play　them　off　one　against　the　other。　　Neither　

could　it　be　said　that　she　was　a　husband　hunter；　she　had　made　up　her　

mind　what　sort　of　man　she　was　likely　to　marry；　and　her　forecast　did　

not　differ　very　widely　from　that　formed　by　her　local　acquaintances。　　

If　her　married　life　were　eventually　to　turn　out　a　failure；　at　least　

she　looked　forward　to　it　with　very　moderate　expectations。　　Her　love　

affairs　she　put　on　a　very　different　footing　and　apparently　they　

were　the　all…absorbing　element　in　her　life。　　She　possessed　the　

happily　constituted　temperament　which　enables　a　man　or　woman　to　be　

a　〃pluralist；〃　and　to　observe　the　sage　precaution　of　not　putting　

all　one's　eggs　into　one　basket。　　Her　demands　were　not　exacting；　she　

required　of　her　affinity　that　he　should　be　young；　good…looking；　and　

at　least；　moderately　amusing；　she　would　have　preferred　him　to　be　

invariably　faithful；　but；　with　her　own　example　before　her；　she　was　

prepared　for　the　probability；　bordering　on　certainty；　that　he　would　

be　nothing　of　the　sort。　　The　philosophy　of　the　〃Garden　of　Kama〃　was　

the　compass　by　which　she　steered　her　barque　and　thus　far；　if　she　

had　encountered　some　storms　and　buffeting；　she　had　at　least　escaped　

being　either　shipwrecked　or　becalmed。



Courtenay　Youghal　had　not　been　designed　by　Nature　to　fulfil　the　

ROLE　of　an　ardent　or　devoted　lover；　and　he　scrupulously　respected　

the　limits　which　Nature　had　laid　down。　　For　Molly；　however；　he　had　

a　certain　responsive　affection。　　She　had　always　obviously　admired　

him；　and　at　the　same　time　she　never　beset　him　with　crude　flattery；　

the　principal　reason　why　the　flirtation　had　stood　the　test　of　so　

many　years　was　the　fact　that　it　only　flared　into　active　existence　

at　convenient　intervals。　　In　an　age　when　the　telephone　has　

undermined　almost　every　fastness　of　human　privacy；　and　the　sanctity　

of　one's　seclusion　depends　often　on　the　ability　for　tactful　

falsehood　shown　by　a　club　pageboy；　Youghal　was　duly　appreciative　of　

the　circumstance　that　his　lady　fair　spent　a　large　part　of　the　year　

pursuing　foxes；　in　lieu　of　pursuing　him。　　Also　the　honestly　

admitted　fact　that；　in　her　human　hunting；　she　rode　after　more　than　

one　quarry；　made　the　inevitable　break…up　of　the　affair　a　matter　to　

which　both　could　look　forward　without　a　sense　of　coming　

embarrassment　and　recrimination。　　When　the　time　for　gathering　ye　

rosebuds　should　be　over；　neither　of　them　could　accuse　the　other　of　

having　wrecked　his　or　her　entire　life。　　At　the　most　they　would　only　

have　disorganised　a　week…end。



On　this　particular　afternoon；　when　old　reminiscences　had　been　gone　

through；　and　the　intervening　gossip　of　past　months　duly　recounted；　

a　lull　in　the　conversation　made　itself　rather　obstinately　felt。　　

Molly　had　already　guessed　that　matters　were　about　to　slip　into　a　

new　phase；　the　affair　had　reached　maturity　long　ago；　and　a　new　

phase　must　be　in　the　nature　of　a　wane。



〃You're　a　clever　brute；〃　she　said；　suddenly；　with　an　air　of　

affectionate　regret；　〃I　always　knew　you'd　get　on　in　the　House；　but　

I　hardly　expected　you　to　come　to　the　front　so　soon。〃



〃I'm　coming　to　the　front；〃　admitted　Youghal；　judicially；　〃the　

problem　is；　shall　I　be　able　to　stay　there。　　Unless　something　

happens　in　the　financial　line　before　long；　I　don't　see　how　I'm　to　

stay　in　Parliament　at　all。　　Economy　is　out　of　the　question。　　It　

would　open　people's　eyes；　I　fancy；　if　they　knew　how　little　I　exist　

on　as　it　is。　　And　I'm　living　so　far　beyond　my　income　that　we　may　

almost　be　said　to　be　living　apart。〃



〃It　will　have　to　be　a　rich　wife；　I　suppose；〃　said　Molly；　slowly；　

〃that's　the　worst　of　success；　it　imposes　so　many　conditions。　　I　

rather　knew；　from　something　in　your　manner；　that　you　were　drifting　

that　way。〃



Youghal　said　nothing　in　the　way　of　contradiction；　he　gazed　

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