Chapter115

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,andsometimesutteredaremarkwhichestedthatbeneathherimpassiveexteriorshewasquietlybubblingwithamusementatherfellow-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.butitestedtophilipthatshemeasuredherfather,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’sedificationtillhereducedhischildrentohelplessling.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.