"Oh, I suppose we all have our fastnesses," he said with a laugh which politely waived any claim to superiority without expressly abandoning it.
"Doesn"t one give up the key of the gates by marrying?"
"My dear Kate, read your Bluebeard again!"
Mrs. Raymore relapsed into the silence that was almost habitual to her, but it pa.s.sed through her mind that the conversation had soon turned from Sibylla to Grantley himself, or at least had dealt with Sibylla purely in her bearing on Grantley; it had not increased her knowledge of Mrs. Imason as an independent individual.
"Well, with business what it is," said Fanshaw in his loud voice--a voice that had a way of stopping other people"s voices--"we must cut it down somewhere."
"Oh, you"re as rich as Crsus, Fanshaw!" objected young Blake.
"I"m losing money every day! Christine and I were discussing it as we drove here."
"I like your idea of discussion, John," remarked Christine in her delicate tones, generally touched with sarcasm. "I couldn"t open my lips."
"He closured you, and then threw out your Budget?" asked Grantley.
"He almost stripped my gown from my back, and made an absolute clutch at my diamonds."
"I put forward the reasonable view," Fanshaw insisted rather heatedly.
"What I said was, begin with superfluities----"
"Are clothes superfluities?" interjected Christine, watching the gradual flushing of her husband"s face with mischievous pleasure.
"Nothing is superfluous that is beautiful," said Selford; he lisped slightly, and spoke with an affected air. "We should retrench in the grosser pleasures--eating and drinking, display, large houses----"
"Peculiar dogs!" suggested Blake, chaffing Mrs. Selford.
"Oh, but they are beautiful!" she cried.
"Horses!" said Christine, with sharp-pointed emphasis. "You should really be guided by Mr. Selford, John."
"Every husband should be guided by another husband. That"s axiomatic,"
said Grantley.
"I"m quite content with my own," smiled Mrs. Selford. "d.i.c.k and I always agree."
"They must be fresh from a row," Tom Courtland whispered surlily to Mrs.
Raymore.
"About money matters the man"s voice must in the nature of things be final," Fanshaw insisted. "It"s obvious. He knows about it; he makes it----"
"Quite enough for him to do," Christine interrupted. "At that point we step in--and spend it."
"Division of labour? Quite right, Mrs. Fanshaw," laughed Blake. "And if any of you can"t manage your department, I"m ready to help."
"They can manage that department right enough," Fanshaw grumbled. "If we could manage them as well as they manage that----" He took a great gulp of champagne, and grew still redder when he heard Christine"s scornful little chuckle.
Raymore turned to Sibylla with a kind fatherly smile.
"I hope we"re not frightening you, Mrs. Imason? Not too much of the seamy side?"
Blake chimed in on her other hand:
"I"m here to maintain Mrs. Imason"s illusions."
"If we"re talking of departments, I think that"s mine, Blake, thank you," called Grantley with a laugh.
"I"m sure I"ve been most considerate." This was Lady Harriet"s first contribution to the talk. "I haven"t said a word!"
"And you could a tale unfold?" asked Blake.
She made no answer beyond shrugging her fine shoulders and leaning back in her chair as she glanced across at her husband. A moment"s silence fell on the table. It seemed that they recognised a difference between troubles and grievances which could be discussed with more or less good-nature, or quarrelled over with more or less acerbity, and those which were in another category. The moment the Courtlands were in question, a constraint arose. Tom Courtland himself broke the silence, but it was to talk about an important cricket-match. Lady Harriet smiled at him composedly, unconscious of the earnest study of Sibylla"s eyes, which were fixed on her and were asking (as Mrs. Raymore would have said) many questions.
When the ladies had gone, Fanshaw b.u.t.tonholed Raymore and exhibited to him his financial position and its exigencies with ruthless elaboration and with a persistently implied accusation of Christine"s extravagance.
Selford victimised young Blake with the story of a picture which he had just picked up; he declared it was by a famous Dutch master, and watched for the effect on Blake, who showed none, never having heard of the Dutch master. Tom Courtland edged up to Grantley"s side; they had not met since Grantley"s wedding.
"Well, you look very blooming and happy, and all that," he said.
"First-rate, old boy. How are you?"
Tom lowered his voice and spoke with a cautious air.
"I"ve done it, Grantley--what I wrote to you. By G.o.d, I couldn"t stand it any longer! I"d sooner take any risk. Oh, I shall be very careful! I shan"t give myself away. But I had to do it."
Grantley gave a shrug.
"Oh, well, I"m sorry," he said. "That sort of thing may turn out so awkward."
"It"d have to be infernally awkward to be worse than what I"ve gone through. At any rate I get away from it sometimes now, and--and enjoy myself."
"Find getting away easy?"
"No; but as we must have shindies, we may as well have them about that.
I told Harriet she made the house intolerable, so I should spend my evenings at my clubs."
"Oh! And--and who is she?"
He looked round warily before he whispered:
"Flora Bolton."
Grantley raised his brows and said one word:
"Expensive!"
Tom nodded with a mixture of ruefulness and pride.