The Complete Stories (65 page)

  The House looked on him with undisguised amazement and disgust and slowly meandered through the platoon drill with their customary negligence.

  Next Tuesday's uniform parade saw the House with tarnished buttons, mud caked boots, and fouled rifles as usual. Next day saw the whole platoon doing "defaulters."

  And so it went on, and gradually the House began to give way to his personality and even attained a certain sullen efficiency when suddenly a few days after the House Trials, an occurrence happened which altered the whole complexion of affairs.

  One afternoon Ross was sitting in the house captain's room reading, when Stewart burst in, in running change, rather dirty, obviously just returned from a run.

  Stewart was captain of Running and certain, people said, to be, at any rate, in the first three in the Five Mile—very possibly a winner.

  He sat down on the window seat and began idly fingering the congealing mud on his knees. Then he looked up. "Ross," he said in the drawl always affected by prefects & house captains in the House, "I suppose you know that you are playing hell with the House, with your corps-mania?" Ross said nothing but pushed his book onto the table after carefully marking the place. After a pause Stewart went on.

  "The House hasn't got either the time or inclination to do your beastly corps, and clubs properly. We've no chance for the Footer, I know, but we've got a damned good chance for the Five Mile Jerry; and we aren't going to throw it away to play soldiers."

  Still Ross said nothing; only the corners of his mouth moved.

  "Well to give you an example. I told young Merrivale that I wanted him for a training run today and he said that he had to clean his bayonet to show to you before hall, because it was rusty yesterday. I said I would make it all right with you, of course, but I can't train a team decently if your beastly bayonets are going to get in the way every minute."

  Then Ross spoke. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Merrivale's bayonet has got to be clean before he goes for any run."

  Stewart was genuinely astounded. "D'you mean to say you put your ruddy platoon shield before the Five Mile Jerry?" he demanded.

  "You put it rather crudely" drawled Ross, "but that is what, I suppose, it comes to eventually."

  Then Stewart lost his temper. "There's one thing you're forgetting" he said, "and that's that I'm not going to try and train a team with you getting in my light all the time. I'm a house-captain and needn't run if I don't want to. If you don't chuck your corps-mania I shan't run in the five-mile."

  Stewart of course meant this as a threat that could not be argued against, the idea that he would be taken at his word was unthinkable, as indeed in a cooler moment it would have been to Ross. But now he was out to score. "Then I suppose Caven will have to run after all—he's first spare man isn't he?"

  They had both made a decision which they knew quite well would be disastrous but now neither could withdraw. Stewart, who had a great sense for the dramatic, went straight to the house board and crossed himself off the head of the list in a breathless silence.

  The news spread round the House and then round the school with Oriental speed. The out-houses were openly exultant, the House sullen. Why, they asked, should they lose a cup, just because the bloods quarrelled. They split up into factions and argued incessantly. Ross had missed the House trials in the last two years & no one knew his capabilities as a runner, but he immediately began to train rigorously, and people soon saw that he meant to win the house the cup without Stewart, who watching with the appreciation of the connoisseur, saw that he was a very fine runner. The house settled down to watch the five mile as the settling of the feud.

  Stewart, very repentant, came down in a great coat to watch the finish. The House did not win.

  Personality and will can do as much as the Pelmen advertisements say, but they cannot force the pace up the Cow-Top and then lead a quarter mile sprint to Combs. A huddled heap after the Valley dyke was all that was left of Ross's training.

  A week later came the house Platoons competition and muffled up and very white Ross came down from the San to watch. He was bitterly conscious of his failure and wondering how he would be able to endure another term of the cold superiority of Stewart and the glowering animosity of the whole House.

  But suddenly he saw that the House Platoon were drilling as they had never drilled before or—thank God!—have since. Public opinion is the most unaccountable thing in the world and with his failure had suddenly come a popularity that he would never have enjoyed before had he been triumphant. The House, in their own great way were showing him their change of opinion. Their equipment was clean, and under Stewart as platoon commander they were drilling with an enthusiasm which went far to counteract the effect of the lethargy of their previous efforts.

  It would make a splendid ending if the House could be allowed to win the Shield, but this is a story of school life and anyone who knows the House will know that that is out of the question. Suffice it to say, however, that they were third, and that as Ross went down the grass slope to Chapel that evening, arm in arm with Stewart it seemed almost as if he had forgiven the House rather than that they had forgiven him. And after all that is greatness.

  PORTRAIT OF YOUNG MAN WITH CAREER

  Jeremy came into my room at half-past six, just as I was assembling my sponge and towels and dressing gown and things for a bath. I saw him as I came out of my bedroom, looking for something to write a message on. He was making straight for my portfolio of drawing paper. I called and made myself known to him.

  Jeremy was in my house at school; he has what would be known in North Oxford as a "personality." That is to say he is rather stupid, thoroughly well satisfied with himself, and acutely ambitious. Jeremy purposes to be President of the Union.

  I said to him, "Hullo, Jeremy, I am afraid you find me on the point of going to have a bath. I never miss a bath before dinner; I shall tonight if I do not go at once. The bathroom is shut at seven. But do stay and drink some sherry won't you?"

  "Thanks," said Jeremy, and sat down.

  I reached for the decanter and found it empty. There must have been nearly a bottle there that morning.

  "Jeremy, that damned man of mine has finished the sherry. I am sorry."

  "Never mind. I'll just smoke a cigarette and go."

  My cigarettes are particularly large and take at least a quarter of an hour to smoke. I banished all my dreams of white tiles and steam and took a cigarette myself.

  "I haven't anything particular to say," said Jeremy, "I was just passing your College and thought I might as well drop in for a little. It is hard to know what to do before hall, isn't it?"

  "I generally have a bath."

  "Ah, our baths are not open at this hour."

  He propped his feet on the side of the fireplace. He was wearing that detestable sort of dark brown suede shoes that always looks wet.

  "Oh, I know one thing I wanted to ask you. I want to meet Richard Pares. I feel he is a man to know."

  "An amiable rogue."

  "Well, will you introduce me to him."

  "You know, I hardly know him."

  It was quite true and, besides, I dislike introducing Jeremy to people; as a rule he begins by calling them by their Christian names.

  "Nonsense, I'm always seeing you about together. I am not doing anything 'fore lunch on Tuesday. How about then? Or Friday I could manage, but I should prefer Tuesday."

  So it was arranged.

  There was a pause; I looked at my watch; Jeremy took no notice; I looked again.

  "What is the time," he said, "Twenty-three to. Oh, good!—hours yet."

  "Before a fool's opinion of himself the gods are silent—aye and envious too," I thought.

  "On Thursday I'm speaking ‘on the paper'."

  "Good."

  "About the Near East. Macedonia. Oil, you know."

  "Ah."

  "I think it ought to be rather a good speech."

  "Yes."

  "Evelyn, you aren't listening; now seriously, what do you really think is wrong with my speaking. What I feel about the Union myself is....."

  A blind fury, a mist of fire. We struggled together on the carpet. He was surprisingly weak for his size. The first blow with the poker he dodged and took on his shoulder; the second and third caved his forehead in. I stood up, quivering, filled with a beastly curiosity to find what was inside his broken skull. Instead I restrained myself and put his handkerchief over his face.

  Outside the door I met my scout. I forgot the sherry.

  "Hunt"—I almost clung to him. "There is a gentleman in the room lying on the carpet."

  "Yes sir. Drunk, sir?"

  I remembered the sherry. "No, as a matter of fact he's dead."

  "Dead, sir?"

  "Yes, I killed him."

  "You don't say so, sir!"

  "But Hunt, what are we to do about it?"

  "Well, sir, if he's dead, there doesn't seem to be much we can do, does there? Now I remember a gentleman on this staircase once, who killed himself. Poison. It must have been '93 I should think, or '94. A nice quiet gentleman, too, when he was sober. I remember he said to me....."

  The voice droned on, "... I liked your speech, but I thought it was ‘a little heavy.' What do you think Bagnall meant by that?"

  It was the voice of Jeremy. My head cleared. We were still there on opposite sides of the fire. He was still talking.

  "... Scaife said....."

  At seven o'clock Jeremy rose. "Well, I mustn't keep you from your bath. Don't forget about asking Richard to lunch on Tuesday, will you? Oh, and Evelyn, if you know the man who reports the Union for the Isis, you might ask him to give me a decent notice this time."

  I try to think that one day I shall be proud of having known Jeremy. Till then.....

  ANTONY, WHO SOUGHT THINGS THAT WERE LOST

  Revolution came late to St. Romeiro and suddenly. Cazarin, the journalist who had been educated in Paris, was said to have proclaimed it. Messengers came to him with the news that students at Vienna had driven out Prince Metternich and perhaps had murdered him; that all Lombardy was in revolt, that the Pope had fled and all his cardinals. And from the coast the fishermen brought other tales, of how the foreigners were torturing men and women at Venice and of things that were done in Naples; how when the Pope left Rome the pillars of St. Peter's were shaken and many of the peasants affirmed that it was the Emperor Napoleon who had done these things, not knowing that he was dead.

  Thus and thus revolution came to St. Romeiro and Cazarin and the people came out in the heat of the day and cried before the Duke's palace; Cazarin crying for liberty and the people for the removal of the duty on olives. Then the news came that the Duke had fled and with him all his family. So the people broke down the iron gates which the Duke's grandfather had brought from Milan and burst into the Palace. And they found only a very few, very young soldiers, and since these seemed ill inclined to resist, they killed them; and then feeling much enraged at their own valour, they sought what further they might do. And they cried, "To the Castle!" for there were the prisoners kept and each had some near relative who for some crime or foolishness was imprisoned.

  And Cazarin remembered the Count Antony who had been shut up with his lady in the Castle ten years ago. But when the prison was broken open, they found many debtors and thieves and a poor mad woman who had thought herself to be the Queen of Heaven, but of the Count Antony they found nothing, nor of his lady.

  Now this is the story of Antony, called by his friends, "Antony, who sought things that were lost." Cazarin, who had been educated at Paris, learned it, in part from what he himself knew and in part from what the turnkey told him.

  He was a tall man, this Count Antony, and very beautiful and he was born of a proud family. His fathers had been great men in Italy and had fought with the Spaniards against the French and had their origin, it was said, from no less a person than a Pope himself. And Count Antony had the estates of his fathers and their beauty, but there was that in the heart of Antony which none of his fathers had known. And for this cause Antony's friends called him, "Antony, who sought things that were lost," because he seemed always to be seeking in the future for what had gone before.

  And Antony was betrothed to the Lady Elizabeth who was fair and gentle, and with his sad, wondering eyes he would watch her, for she moved graciously; and in the eyes of both of them was love greater than the fathers of Antony had known.

  But there were whisperings at St. Romeiro at this time; behind high shutters men would sit long over their wine and talk of "Freedom" and "Unity" and many foolish words; and they would swear oaths together round the table and sign papers, being very young and somewhat kindled with wine. And these things seemed noble to the Count Antony.

  But the whisperings were too loud and echoed in the Palace; and thus it was that one day, as he returned from visiting the Lady Elizabeth, he found men of the ducal guard waiting before his house; and they took him to the Castle. Then the Lady Elizabeth, full of love for him, cried to the Duke and prayed for Antony. And when her prayers for his liberty were of no avail she prayed that she might be locked up with him, for, she said, there would be no captivity where Antony was and no freedom where he was not; for she was still a maid and very full of love. And the Duke who, albeit a great lover in his time, was now sunken into a life of gluttony, was afraid of the love in the Lady Elizabeth's eyes and so granted her wish; thus she was borne to the Castle, rejoicing.

  These things Cazarin had seen with his own eyes before he went to Paris; what followed after to Antony and Elizabeth he learned from the turnkey, a lame and ugly man, before he was killed by the people of St. Romeiro.