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Francesca's almost motherly love for her possessions made her
peculiarly sensible to a feeling of annoyance and depression at the
accident； but she turned politely to listen to Mrs。 Greech's
account of a misfortune in which four soup…plates were involved。
Mrs。 Henry was not a brilliant conversationalist； and her flank was
speedily turned by Stephen Thorle； who recounted a slum experience
in which two entire families did all their feeding out of one
damaged soup…plate。
〃The gratitude of those poor creatures when I presented them with a
set of table crockery apiece； the tears in their eyes and in their
voices when they thanked me； would be impossible to describe。〃
〃Thank you all the same for describing it；〃 said Comus。
The listening eyes went swiftly round the table to gather evidence
as to how this rather disconcerting remark had been received； but
Thorle's voice continued uninterruptedly to retail stories of East…
end gratitude； never failing to mention the particular deeds of
disinterested charity on his part which had evoked and justified
the gratitude。 Mrs。 Greech had to suppress the interesting sequel
to her broken…crockery narrative； to wit； how she subsequently
matched the shattered soup…plates at Harrod's。 Like an imported
plant species that sometimes flourishes exceedingly； and makes
itself at home to the dwarfing and overshadowing of all native
species； Thorle dominated the dinner…party and thrust its original
purport somewhat into the background。 Serena began to look
helplessly apologetic。 It was altogether rather a relief when the
filling of champagne glasses gave Francesca an excuse for bringing
matters back to their intended footing。
〃We must all drink a health；〃 she said； 〃Comus； my own dear boy； a
safe and happy voyage to you； much prosperity in the life you are
going out to； and in due time a safe and happy return … 〃
Her hand gave an involuntary jerk in the act of raising the glass；
and the wine went streaming across the tablecloth in a froth of
yellow bubbles。 It certainly was not turning out a comfortable or
auspicious dinner party。
〃My dear mother；〃 cried Comus； 〃you must have been drinking healths
all the afternoon to make your hand so unsteady。〃
He laughed gaily and with apparent carelessness； but again Lady
Veula caught the frightened note in his laughter。 Mrs。 Henry； with
practical sympathy； was telling Francesca two good ways for getting
wine stains out of tablecloths。 The smaller economies of life were
an unnecessary branch of learning for Mrs。 Greech； but she studied
them as carefully and conscientiously as a stay…at…home plain…
dwelling English child commits to memory the measurements and
altitudes of the world's principal mountain peaks。 Some women of
her temperament and mentality know by heart the favourite colours；
flowers and hymn…tunes of all the members of the Royal Family； Mrs。
Greech would possibly have failed in an examination of that nature；
but she knew what to do with carrots that have been over…long in
storage。
Francesca did not renew her speech…making； a chill seemed to have
fallen over all efforts at festivity； and she contented herself
with refilling her glass and simply drinking to her boy's good
health。 The others followed her example； and Comus drained his
glass with a brief 〃thank you all very much。〃 The sense of
constraint which hung over the company was not； however； marked by
any uncomfortable pause in the conversation。 Henry Greech was a
fluent thinker； of the kind that prefer to do their thinking aloud；
the silence that descended on him as a mantle in the House of
Commons was an official livery of which he divested himself as
thoroughly as possible in private life。 He did not propose to sit
through dinner as a mere listener to Mr。 Thorle's personal
narrative of philanthropic movements and experiences； and took the
first opportunity of launching himself into a flow of satirical
observations on current political affairs。 Lady Veula was inured
to this sort of thing in her own home circle； and sat listening
with the stoical indifference with which an Esquimau might accept
the occurrence of one snowstorm the more； in the course of an
Arctic winter。 Serena Golackly felt a certain relief at the fact
that her imported guest was not； after all； monopolising the
conversation。 But the latter was too determined a personality to
allow himself to be thrust aside for many minutes by the talkative
M。P。 Henry Greech paused for an instant to chuckle at one of his
own shafts of satire； and immediately Thorle's penetrating voice
swept across the table。
〃Oh； you politicians！〃 he exclaimed； with pleasant superiority；
〃you are always fighting about how things should be done； and the
consequence is you are never able to do anything。 Would you like
me to tell you what a Unitarian horsedealer said to me at Brindisi
about politicians？〃
A Unitarian horsedealer at Brindisi had all the allurement of the
unexpected。 Henry Greech's witticisms at the expense of the Front
Opposition bench were destined to remain as unfinished as his
wife's history of the broken soup…plates。 Thorle was primed with
an ample succession of stories and themes； chiefly concerning
poverty； thriftlessness； reclamation； reformed characters； and so
forth； which carried him in an almost uninterrupted sequence
through the remainder of the dinner。
〃What I want to do is to make people think；〃 he said； turning his
prominent eyes on to his hostess； 〃it's so hard to make people
think。〃
〃At any rate you give them the opportunity；〃 said Comus；
cryptically。
As the ladies rose to leave the table Comus crossed over to pick up
one of Lady Veula's gloves that had fallen to the floor。
〃I did not know you kept a dog；〃 said Lady Veula。
〃We don't；〃 said Comus； 〃there isn't one in the house。〃
〃I could have sworn I saw one follow you across the hall this
evening；〃 she said。
〃A small black dog； something like a schipperke？〃 asked Comus in a
low voice。
〃Yes； that was it。〃
〃I saw it myself to…night； it ran from behind my chair just as I
was sitting down。 Don't say anything to the others about it； it
would frighten my mother。〃
〃Have you ever seen it before？〃 Lady Veula asked quickly。
〃Once； when I was six years old。 It followed my father
downstairs。〃
Lady Veula said nothing。 She knew that Comus had lost his father
at the age of six。
In the drawing…room Serena made nervous excuses for her talkative
friend。
〃Really； rather an interesting man； you know； and up to the eyes in
all sorts of movements。 Just the sort of person to turn loose at a
drawing…room meeting； or to send down to a mission…hall in some
unheard…of neighbourhood。 Given a sounding…board and a harmonium；
and a titled woman of some sort in the chair； and h