Theresa said angrily:
Really, Charles, you are an utter fool.
Damn it all, Theresa, I was a bit ratty myself! The old girls rolling[47]simply rolling. I bet she doesnt spend a tenth part of her incomewhat has she got to spend it on, anyway? And here we areyoung, able to enjoy lifeand to spite us shes capable of living to a hundred I want my fun now So do you
Theresa nodded.
She said in a low, breathless voice:
They dont understandold people dont.they cant. They dont know what it is to live!
Brother and sister were silent for some minutes.
Charles got up.
Well, my love, I wish you better success than Ive had. But I rather doubt it.
Theresa said:
Im rather counting on Rex to do the trick. If I can make old Emily realize how brilliant he is, and how it matters terrifically that he should have his chance and not have to sink into a rut as a general practitioner[48] Oh, Charles, a few thousand of capital just at this minute would make all the difference in the world to our lives!
Hope you get it, but I dont think you will. Youve got through a bit too much capital in riotous living in your time. I say, Theresa, you dont think the dreary Bella or the dubious Tanios will get anything, do you?
I dont see that money would be any good to Bella. She goes about looking like a rag-bag and her tastes are purely domestic.
Oh, well, said Charles, vaguely. I expect she wants things for those unprepossessing children of hers, schools, and plates for their front teeth and music lessons. And anyway it isnt Bellaits Tanios. I bet hes got a nose for money all right! Trust a Greek for that. You know hes got through most of Bellas? Speculated with it and lost it all.
Do you think hell get something out of old Emily?
He wont if I can prevent him, said Charles, grimly.
He left the room and wandered downstairs. Bob was in the hall. He fussed up to Charles agreeably. Dogs liked Charles.
He ran towards the drawing-room door and looked back at Charles.
Whats the matter? said Charles, strolling after him.
Bob hurried into the drawing-room and sat down expectantly by a small bureau.
Charles strolled over to him.
Whats it all about?
Bob wagged his tail, looked hard at the drawers of the bureau and uttered an appealing squeak.
Want something thats in here?
Charles pulled open the top drawer. His eyebrows rose.
Dear, dear, he said.
At one side of the drawer was a little pile of treasury notes[49].
Charles picked up the bundle and counted them. With a grin he removed three one pound notes and two ten shilling ones and put them in his pocket. He replaced the rest of the notes carefully in the drawer where he had found them.
That was a good idea, Bob, he said. Your Uncle Charles will be able at any rate[50] to cover expenses. A little ready cash always comes in handy[51].
Bob uttered a faint reproachful bark as Charles shut the drawer.
Sorry old man, Charles apologized. He opened the next drawer. Bobs ball was in the corner of it. He took it out.
Here you are. Enjoy yourself with it. Bob caught the ball, trotted out of the room and presently bump, bump, bump, was heard down the stairs.
Charles strolled out into the garden. It was a fine sunny morning with a scent of lilac.
Miss Arundell had Dr Tanios by her side. He was speaking of the advantage of an English educationa good educationfor children and how deeply he regretted that he could not afford such a luxury for his own children.
Charles smiled with satisfied malice. He joined in the conversation in a light-hearted manner, turning it adroitly into entirely different channels.
Emily Arundell smiled at him quite amiably. He even fancied that she was amused by his tactics and was subtly encouraging them.
Charles spirits rose. Perhaps, after all, before he left Charles was an incurable optimist.
Dr Donaldson called for Theresa in his car that afternoon and drove her to Worthem Abbey, one of the local beauty spots. They wandered away from the Abbey itself into the woods.
There Rex Donaldson told Theresa at length about his theories and some of his recent experiments. She understood very little but listened in a spellbound manner, thinking to herself:
How clever Rex isand how absolutely adorable!
Her fiancé paused once and said rather doubtfully:
Im afraid this is dull stuff for you, Theresa.
Darling, its too thrilling, said Theresa, firmly. Go on. You take some of the blood of the infected rabbit?
Presently Theresa said with a sigh:
Your work means a terrible lot to you, my sweet.
Naturally, said Dr Donaldson.
It did not seem at all natural to Theresa. Very few of her friends did any work at all, and if they did they made extremely heavy weather about it[52].
She thought as she had thought once or twice before, how singularly unsuitable it was that she should have fallen in love with Rex Donaldson. Why did these things, these ludicrous and amazing madnesses, happen to one? A profitless question. This had happened to her.
She frowned, wondered at herself. Her crowd had been so gayso cynical. Love affairs were necessary to life, of course, but why take them seriously? One loved and passed on.