No time for going out. I hear things are going very well up in your constituency.” She was often behind-hand with her news. As they went up the Duke said, “Clever young fellow that. Wonder if he’ll ever come to anything though.”
Basil went into the dark little study next to the front door and rang up the Trumpingtons.
“Sonia, are you and Alastair doing anything to-night?”
“We’re at home. Basil, what have you been doing to Alastair. I’m furious with you. I think he’s going to die.”
“We had rather a racket. Shall I come to dinner?”
“Yes, do. We’re in bed.”
He drove to Montagu Square and was shown up to their room. They lay in a vast, low bed, with a backgammon board between them. Each had a separate telephone, on the tables at the side, and by the telephone a goblet of ‘black velvet.’ A bull terrier and a chow flirted on their feet. There were other people in the room, one playing the gramophone, one reading, one trying Sonia’s face things at the dressing table. Sonia said, “It’s such a waste not going out after dark. We have to stay in all day because of duns.”
Alastair said, “We can’t have dinner with these infernal dogs all over the place.”
Sonia: “You’re a cheerful chap to be in bed with, 102 aren’t you?” and to the dog, “Was oo called infernal woggie by owid man? Oh, God, he’s made a mess again.”
Alastair: “Are those chaps staying to dinner?”
“We asked one.”
“Which?”
“Basil.”
“Don’t mind him, but all those others.”
“I do hope not.”
They said: “Afraid we’ll have to. It’s so late to go anywhere else.”
Basil: “How dirty the bed is, Sonia.”
“I know. It’s Alastair’s dog. Anyway you’re a nice one to talk about dirt.”
“Isn’t London hell.”
Alastair: “I don’t anyway see why those chaps shouldn’t have dinner downstairs.”
They said: “It would be more comfortable.”
“What are their names?”
“One we picked up last night. The other has been staying here for days.”
“It’s not only the expense I mind. They’re boring.”
They said: “We wouldn’t stay a moment if we had anywhere else to go.”
“Ring for dinner, sweet. I forget what there is, but I know it’s rather good. I ordered it myself.”
There was whitebait, grilled kidneys and toasted 103 cheese. Basil sat between them on the bed and they ate from their knees. Sonia threw a kidney to the dogs and they began a fight.
Alastair: “It’s no good. I can’t eat anything.”
Sonia’s maid brought in the trays. She asked her: “How are the gentlemen getting on downstairs?”
“They asked for champagne.”
“I suppose they’d better have it. It’s very bad.”
Alastair: “It’s very good.”
“Well, it tasted awful to me. Basil, sweety, what’s your news.”
“I’m going to Azania.”
“Can’t say I know much about that. Is it far?”
“Yes.”
“Fun?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, Alastair, why not us too?”
“Hell, now those dogs have upset everything again.”
“How pompous you’re being.”
After dinner they all played happy families. “Have you got Miss Chipps, the Carpenter’s daughter.”
“Not at home but have you got Mr. Chipps the Carpenter? Thank you and Mrs. Chipps the Carpenter’s wife. Thank you and Basil have you got Miss Chipps? Thank you. That’s the Chipps family.”
Basil left early so as to see his mother before she went to bed.
Sonia said, “Good-bye, darling. Write to me from where ever it is. Only I don’t expect we’ll be living here much
