Chapter104

thesocialeveningstookplaceonalternatemondays.therewasoneatthebeginningofphilip’ssecondweekatlynn’s.hearrangedtogowithoneofthewomeninhisdepartment.

“meet‘em‘alf-way,”shesaid,“sameasido.”  thiswasmrs.hodges,alittlewomanoffive-and-forty,withbadlydyedhair;shehadayellowfacewithanetworkofsmallredveinsalloverit,andyellowwhitestoherpaleblueeyes.shetookafancytophilipandcalledhimbyhischristiannamebeforehehadbeenintheshopaweek.

“we’vebothknownwhatitistocomedown,”shesaid.

shetoldphilipthatherrealnamewasnothodges,butshealwaysreferredto“me‘usbandmisterodges;”hewasabarristerandhetreatedhersimplyshocking,soshelefthimasshepreferredtobeindependentlike;butshehadknownwhatitwastodriveinherowncarriage,dear—shecalledeveryonedear—andtheyalwayshadlatedinnerathome.sheusedtopickherteethwiththepinofanenormoussilverbrooch.itwasintheformofawhipandahunting-cropcrossed,withtwospursinthemiddle.philipwasillateaseinhisnewsurroundings,andthegirlsintheshopcalledhim‘sidey.’oneaddressedhimasphil,andhedidnotanswerbecausehehadnottheleastideathatshewasspeakingtohim;soshetossedherhead,sayinghewasa‘stuck-upthing,’andnexttimewithironicalemphasiscalledhimmistercarey.shewasamissjewell,andshewasgoingtomarryadoctor.theothergirlshadneverseenhim,buttheysaidhemustbeagentlemanashegavehersuchlovelypresents.

“neveryoumindwhattheysay,dear,”saidmrs.hodges.“i’ve‘adtogothroughitsameasyou‘ave.theydon’tknowanybetter,poorthings.youtakemywordforit,they’lllikeyouallrightifyou‘oldyourownsameasi‘ave.”

thesocialeveningwasheldintherestaurantinthebasement.thetableswereputononesidesothattheremightberoomfordancing,andsmalleronesweresetoutforprogressivewhist.

“the‘eads‘avetogetthereearly,”saidmrs.hodges.

sheintroducedhimtomissbennett,whowasthebelleoflynn’s.shewasthebuyerinthe‘petticoats,’andwhenphilipenteredwasengagedinconversationwiththebuyerinthe‘gentlemen’shosiery;’missbennettwasawomanofmassiveproportions,withaverylargeredfaceheavilypowderedandabustofimposingdimensions;herflaxenhairwasarrangedwithelaboration.shewasoverdressed,butnotbadlydressed,inblackwithahighcollar,andsheworeblackglacegloves,inwhichsheplayedcards;shehadseveralheavygoldchainsroundherneck,banglesonherwrists,andcircularphotographpendants,onebeingofqueenalexandra;shecarriedablacksatinbagandchewedsen-sens.

“pleasetomeetyou,mr.carey,”shesaid.“thisisyourfirstvisittooursocialevenings,ain’tit?iexpectyoufeelabitshy,butthere’snocauseto,ipromiseyouthat.”

shedidherbesttomakepeoplefeelathome.sheslappedthemontheshouldersandlaughedagreatdeal.

“ain’tiapickle?”shecried,turningtophilip.“whatmustyouthinkofme?butican’t‘elpmeself.”

thosewhoweregoingtotakepartinthesocialeveningcamein,theyoungermembersofthestaffmostly,boyswhohadnotgirlsoftheirown,andgirlswhohadnotyetfoundanyonetowalkwith.severaloftheyounggentlemenworeloungesuitswithwhiteeveningtiesandredsilkhandkerchiefs;theyweregoingtoperform,andtheyhadabusy,abstractedair;somewereself-confident,butotherswerenervous,andtheywatchedtheirpublicwithananxiouseye.presentlyagirlwithagreatdealofhairsatatthepianoandranherhandsnoisilyacrossthekeyboard.whentheaudiencehadsettleditselfshelookedroundandgavethenameofherpiece.

“adriveinrussia.”

therewasaroundofclappingduringwhichshedeftlyfixedbellstoherwrists.shesmiledalittleandimmediatelyburstintoenergeticmelody.therewasagreatdealmoreclappingwhenshefinished,andwhenthiswasover,asanencore,shegaveapiecewhichimitatedthesea;therewerelittletrillstorepresentthelappingwavesandthunderingchords,withtheloudpedaldown,toestastorm.afterthisagentlemansangasongcalledbidmegood-bye,andasanencoreobligedwithsingmetosleep.theaudiencemeasuredtheirenthusiasmwithanicediscrimination.everyonewasapplaudedtillhegaveanencore,andsothattheremightbenojealousynoonewasapplaudedmorethananyoneelse.missbennettsaileduptophilip.

“i’msureyouplayorsing,mr.carey,”shesaidarchly.“icanseeitinyourface.”

“i’mafraididon’t.”

“don’tyouevenrecite?”

“ihavenoparlourtricks.”

thebuyerinthe‘gentleman’shosiery’wasawell-knownreciter,andhewascalleduponloudlytoperformbyalltheassistantsinhisdepartment.needingnopressing,hegavealongpoemoftragiccharacter,inwhichherolledhiseyes,puthishandonhischest,andactedasthoughhewereingreatagony.thepoint,thathehadeatencucumberforsupper,wasdivulgedinthelastlineandwasgreetedwithlaughter,alittleforcedbecauseeveryoneknewthepoemwell,butloudandlong.missbennettdidnotsing,play,orrecite.

“ohno,she‘asalittlegameofherown,”saidmrs.hodges.

“now,don’tyoubeginchaffingme.thefactisiknowquitealotaboutpalmistryandsecondsight.”

“oh,dotellmy‘and,missbennett,”criedthegirlsinherdepartment,eagertopleaseher.

“idon’tliketelling‘ands,idon’treally.i’vetoldpeoplesuchterriblethingsandthey’veallcometrue,itmakesonesuperstitiouslike.”

“oh,missbennett,justforonce.”

alittlecrowdcollectedroundher,and,amidscreamsofembarrassment,les,blushings,andcriesofdismayoradmiration,shetalkedmysteriouslyoffairanddarkmen,ofmoneyinaletter,andofjourneys,tillthesweatstoodinheavybeadsonherpaintedface.

“lookatme,”shesaid.“i’mallofaperspiration.”

supperwasatnine.therewerecakes,buns,sandwiches,teaandcoffee,allfree;butifyouwantedmineralwateryouhadtopayforit.gallantryoftenledyoungmentooffertheladiesgingerbeer,butcommondecencymadethemrefuse.missbennettwasveryfondofgingerbeer,andshedranktwoandsometimesthreebottlesduringtheevening;butsheinsistedonpayingforthemherself.themenlikedherforthat.

“she’sarumoldbird,”theysaid,“butmindyou,she’snotabadsort,she’snotlikewhatsomeare.”

aftersupperprogressivewhistwasplayed.thiswasverynoisy,andtherewasagreatdealoflaughingandshouting,aspeoplemovedfromtabletotable.missbennettgrewhotterandhotter.

“lookatme,”shesaid.“i’mallofaperspiration.”

induecourseoneofthemoredashingoftheyoungmenremarkedthatiftheywantedtodancethey’dbetterbegin.thegirlwhohadplayedtheaccompanimentssatatthepianoandplacedadecidedfootontheloudpedal.sheplayedadreamywaltz,markingthetimewiththebass,whilewiththerighthandshe‘tiddled’inalternateoctaves.bywayofachangeshecrossedherhandsandplayedtheairinthebass.

“shedoesplaywell,doesn’tshe?”mrs.hodgesremarkedtophilip.“andwhat’smoreshe’snever‘ad

alessonin‘erlife;it’sallear.”

missbennettlikeddancingandpoetrybetterthananythingintheworld.shedancedwell,butvery,veryslowly,andanexpressioncameintohereyesasthoughherthoughtswerefar,faraway.shetalkedbreathlesslyofthefloorandtheheatandthesupper.shesaidthattheportmanroomshadthebestfloorinlondonandshealwayslikedthedancesthere;theywereveryselect,andshecouldn’tbeardancingwithallsortsofmenyoudidn’tknowanythingabout;why,youmightbeexposingyourselftoyoudidn’tknowwhatall.nearlyallthepeopledancedverywell,andtheyenjoyedthemselves.sweatpoureddowntheirfaces,andtheveryhighcollarsoftheyoungmengrewlimp.

philiplookedon,andagreaterdepressionseizedhimthanherememberedtohavefeltforalongtime.hefeltintolerablyalone.hedidnotgo,becausehewasafraidtoseemsupercilious,andhetalkedwiththegirlsandlaughed,butinhisheartwasunhappiness.missbennettaskedhimifhehadagirl.

“no,”hesmiled.

“oh,well,there’splentytochoosefromhere.andthey’reverynicerespectablegirls,someofthem.iexpectyou’llhaveagirlbeforeyou’vebeenherelong.”

shelookedathimveryarchly.

“meet‘em‘alf-way,”saidmrs.hodges.“that’swhatitellhim.”

itwasnearlyeleveno’clock,andthepartybrokeup.philipcouldnotgettosleep.liketheothershekepthisachingfeetoutsidethebed-clothes.hetriedwithallhismightnottothinkofthelifehewasleading.thesoldierwassnoringquietly.