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.