Chapter 115

Philipspentthefewweeksthatremainedbeforethebeginningofthewintersessionintheout-patients』department,andinOctobersettleddowntoregularwork.Hehadbeenawayfromthehospitalforsolongthathefoundhimselfverylargelyamongnewpeople;themenofdifferentyearshadlittletodowithoneanother,andhiscontemporarieswerenowmostlyqualified:somehadlefttotakeupassistantshipsorpostsincountryhospitalsandinfirmaries,andsomeheldappointmentsatSt.Luke』s.Thetwoyearsduringwhichhismindhadlainfallowhadrefreshedhim,hefancied,andhewasablenowtoworkwithenergy.

TheAthelnysweredelightedwithhischangeoffortune.Hehadkeptasideafewthingsfromthesaleofhisuncle』seffectsandgavethemallpresents.HegaveSallyagoldchainthathadbelongedtohisaunt.Shewasnowgrownup.ShewasapprenticedtoadressmakerandsetouteverymorningateighttoworkalldayinashopinRegentStreet.Sallyhadfrankblueeyes,abroadbrow,andplentifulshininghair;shewasbuxom,withbroadhipsandfullbreasts;andherfather,whowasfondofdiscussingherappearance,warnedherconstantlythatshemustnotgrowfat.

Sheattractedbecauseshewashealthy,animal,andfeminine.Shehadmanyadmirers,buttheyleftherunmoved;shegaveonetheimpressionthatshelookeduponlove-makingasnonsense;anditwaseasytoimaginethatyoungmenfoundherunapproachable.Sallywasoldforheryears:shehadbeenusedtohelphermotherinthehouseholdworkandinthecareofthechildren,sothatshehadacquiredamanagingair,whichmadehermothersaythatSallywasabittoofondofhavingthingsherownway.Shedidnotspeakverymuch,butasshegrewoldersheseemedtobeacquiringaquietsenseofhumour,andsometimesutteredaremarkwhichsuggestedthatbeneathherimpassiveexteriorshewasquietlybubblingwithamusementatherfellow-creatures.PhilipfoundthatwithherhenevergotonthetermsofaffectionateintimacyuponwhichhewaswiththerestofAthelny』shugefamily.Nowandthenherindifferenceslightlyirritatedhim.Therewassomethingenigmaticinher.

WhenPhilipgaveherthenecklaceAthelnyinhisboisterouswayinsistedthatshemustkisshim;butSallyreddenedanddrewback.

「No,I』mnotgoingto,」shesaid.

「Ungratefulhussy!」criedAthelny.「Whynot?」

「Idon』tlikebeingkissedbymen,」shesaid.

Philipsawherembarrassment,and,amused,turnedAthelny』sattentiontosomethingelse.Thatwasneveraverydifficultthingtodo.Butevidentlyhermotherspokeofthematterlater,fornexttimePhilipcameshetooktheopportunitywhentheywerealoneforacoupleofminutestorefertoit.

「Youdidn』tthinkitdisagreeableofmelastweekwhenIwouldn』tkissyou?」

「Notabit,」helaughed.

「It』snotbecauseIwasn』tgrateful.」Sheblushedalittleassheutteredtheformalphrasewhichshehadprepared.「Ishallalwaysvaluethenecklace,anditwasverykindofyoutogiveitme.」

Philipfounditalwaysalittledifficulttotalktoher.Shedidallthatshehadtodoverycompetently,butseemedtofeelnoneedofconversation;yettherewasnothingunsociableinher.OneSundayafternoonwhenAthelnyandhiswifehadgoneouttogether,andPhilip,treatedasoneofthefamily,satreadingintheparlour,Sallycameinandsatbythewindowtosew.Thegirls』clothesweremadeathomeandSallycouldnotaffordtospendSundaysinidleness.Philipthoughtshewishedtotalkandputdownhisbook.

「Goonreading,」shesaid.「IonlythoughtasyouwerealoneI』dcomeandsitwithyou.」

「You』rethemostsilentpersonI』veeverstruck,」saidPhilip.

「Wedon』twantanotheronewho』stalkativeinthishouse,」shesaid.

Therewasnoironyinhertone:shewasmerelystatingafact.ButitsuggestedtoPhilipthatshemeasuredherfather,alas,nolongertheherohewastoherchildhood,andinhermindjoinedtogetherhisentertainingconversationandthethriftlessnesswhichoftenbroughtdifficultiesintotheirlife;shecomparedhisrhetoricwithhermother』spracticalcommonsense;andthoughthelivelinessofherfatheramusedhershewasperhapssometimesalittleimpatientwithit.Philiplookedatherasshebentoverherwork;shewashealthy,strong,andnormal;itmustbeoddtoseeheramongtheothergirlsintheshopwiththeirflatchestsandanaemicfaces.Mildredsufferedfromanaemia.

AfteratimeitappearedthatSallyhadasuitor.Shewentoutoccasionallywithfriendsshehadmadeinthework-room,andhadmetayoungman,anelectricalengineerinaverygoodwayofbusiness,whowasamosteligibleperson.Onedayshetoldhermotherthathehadaskedhertomarryhim.

「Whatdidyousay?」saidhermother.

「Oh,ItoldhimIwasn』tover-anxioustomarryanyonejustyetawhile.」Shepausedalittleaswasher

habitbetweenobservations.「HetookonsothatIsaidhemightcometoteaonSunday.」

ItwasanoccasionthatthoroughlyappealedtoAthelny.Herehearsedalltheafternoonhowheshouldplaytheheavyfatherfortheyoungman』sedificationtillhereducedhischildrentohelplessgiggling.JustbeforehewasdueAthelnyroutedoutanEgyptiantarbooshandinsistedonputtingiton.

「Goonwithyou,Athelny,」saidhiswife,whowasinherbest,whichwasofblackvelvet,and,sinceshewasgrowingstoutereveryyear,verytightforher.「You』llspoilthegirl』schances.」

Shetriedtopullitoff,butthelittlemanskippednimblyoutofherway.

「Unhandme,woman.Nothingwillinducemetotakeitoff.Thisyoungmanmustbeshownatoncethatitisnoordinaryfamilyheispreparingtoenter.」

「Lethimkeepiton,mother,」saidSally,inhereven,indifferentfashion.「IfMr.Donaldsondoesn』ttakeitthewayit』smeanthecantakehimselfoff,andgoodriddance.」

Philipthoughtitwasasevereordealthattheyoungmanwasbeingexposedto,sinceAthelny,inhisbrownvelvetjacket,flowingblacktie,andredtarboosh,wasastartlingspectacleforaninnocentelectricalengineer.WhenhecamehewasgreetedbyhishostwiththeproudcourtesyofaSpanishgrandeeandbyMrs.Athelnyinanaltogetherhomelyandnaturalfashion.Theysatdownattheoldironing-tableinthehigh-backedmonkishchairs,andMrs.AthelnypouredteaoutofalustreteapotwhichgaveanoteofEnglandandthecountry-sidetothefestivity.Shehadmadelittlecakeswithherownhand,andonthetablewashome-madejam.Itwasafarm-housetea,andtoPhilipveryquaintandcharminginthatJacobeanhouse.AthelnyforsomefantasticreasontookitintohisheadtodiscourseuponByzantinehistory;hehadbeenreadingthelatervolumesoftheDeclineandFall;and,hisforefingerdramaticallyextended,hepouredintotheastonishedearsofthesuitorscandalousstoriesaboutTheodoraandIrene.Headdressedhimselfdirectlytohisguestwithatorrentofrhodomontade;andtheyoungman,reducedtohelplesssilenceandshy,noddedhisheadatintervalstoshowthathetookanintelligentinterest.Mrs.AthelnypaidnoattentiontoThorpe』sconversation,butinterruptednowandthentooffertheyoungmanmoreteaortopressuponhimcakeandjam.PhilipwatchedSally;shesatwithdowncasteyes,calm,silent,andobservant;andherlongeye-lashescastaprettyshadowonhercheek.Youcouldnottellwhethershewasamusedatthesceneorifshecaredfortheyoungman.Shewasinscrutable.Butonethingwascertain:theelectricalengineerwasgood-looking,fairandclean-shaven,withpleasant,regularfeatures,andanhonestface;hewastallandwell-made.Philipcouldnothelpthinkinghewouldmakeanexcellentmateforher,andhefeltapangofenvyforthehappinesswhichhefanciedwasinstoreforthem.

Presentlythesuitorsaidhethoughtitwasabouttimehewasgettingalong.Sallyrosetoherfeetwithoutawordandaccompaniedhimtothedoor.Whenshecamebackherfatherburstout:

「Well,Sally,wethinkyouryoungmanverynice.Wearepreparedtowelcomehimintoourfamily.LetthebannsbecalledandIwillcomposeanuptialsong.」

Sallysetaboutclearingawaythetea-things.Shedidnotanswer.SuddenlysheshotaswiftglanceatPhilip.

「Whatdidyouthinkofhim,Mr.Philip?」

ShehadalwaysrefusedtocallhimUnclePhilastheotherchildrendid,andwouldnotcallhimPhilip.

「Ithinkyou』dmakeanawfullyhandsomepair.」

Shelookedathimquicklyoncemore,andthenwithaslightblushwentonwithherbusiness.

「Ithoughthimaverynicecivil-spokenyoung

fellow,」saidMrs.Athelny,「andIthinkhe』sjustthesorttomakeanygirlhappy.」

Sallydidnotreplyforaminuteortwo,andPhiliplookedathercuriously:itmightbethoughtthatshewasmeditatinguponwhathermotherhadsaid,andontheotherhandshemightbethinkingofthemaninthemoon.

「Whydon』tyouanswerwhenyou』respokento,Sally?」remarkedhermother,alittleirritably.

「Ithoughthewasasilly.」

「Aren』tyougoingtohavehimthen?」

「No,I』mnot.」

「Idon』tknowhowmuchmoreyouwant,」saidMrs.Athelny,anditwasquiteclearnowthatshewasputout.「He』saverydecentyoungfellowandhecanaffordtogiveyouathoroughgoodhome.We』vegotquiteenoughtofeedherewithoutyou.Ifyougetachancelikethatit』swickednottotakeit.AndIdaresayyou』dbeabletohaveagirltodotheroughwork.」

PhiliphadneverbeforeheardMrs.Athelnyrefersodirectlytothedifficultiesofherlife.Hesawhowimportantitwasthateachchildshouldbeprovidedfor.

「It』snogoodyourcarryingon,mother,」saidSallyinherquietway.「I』mnotgoingtomarryhim.」

「Ithinkyou』reaveryhard-hearted,cruel,selfishgirl.」

「Ifyouwantmetoearnmyownliving,mother,Icanalwaysgointoservice.」

「Don』tbesosilly,youknowyourfatherwouldneverletyoudothat.」

PhilipcaughtSally』seye,andhethoughttherewasinitaglimmerofamusement.Hewonderedwhattherehadbeenintheconversationtotouchhersenseofhumour.Shewasanoddgirl.