forming a skin again”… Later she went to tea with him in his rooms in Lincolns Inn. He lifted a pile of books from the armchair before she sat down. ‘I’ve brought you a looking glass.’
‘Oh, Mother, how sweet of you.’
‘I saw it in Helena’s shop this morning and thought it just the thing to go over your fire. It will lighten the room. It’s got a piece chipped off in one place but it is a good one.’
‘I must try it at II0 once.’
‘It’s down in the car, dear. Tell Andrews to bring it up’…
A knock at the door.
“What can they want at this time? See who it is, Bradshawe.”
“Mr. Basil, my lady.”
“Oh, dear.”
Basil came in, so unlike the barrister of her dream that it required an effort to recognise him.
“I’ll ring for you in a few minutes, Bradshawe… Basil, I really can’t talk to you now. I have a great deal to say and I am very tired. Where have you been?”
“Different places.”
“You might have let me know. I expected you at dinner,’
“Had to go and dine with Alastair and Sonia. Was the party a success?”
“Yes, I think so, so far as can be expected I had to ask poor Toby Cruttwell. Who else was there I could ask at the last moment. I do wish you wouldn’t Eddie with things. Shut the jewel case like a good boy.”
“By the way, I’ve given up politics; did you know.”
“Yes, I am most distressed about the whole business—vexed and distressed, but I can’t discuss it now.
I’m so tired: It’s all arranged. You are to lunch with Sir Joseph Mannering at his club and he will explain everything. You are to meet some new girls and later have tea—I mean rooms—in Lincoln’s Inn. You’ll like that, won’t you, dear? Only you mustn’t ask about it now.”
‘What I came to say is that I’m just off to Azania.”
“No, no, dear boy. You are to lunch with Jo at The Travellers.”
“And I shall need some money.”
“It’s all decided.”
“You see I’m fed up with London and English politics. I want to get away. Azania is the obvious place. I had the Emperor to lunch once at Oxford. Amusing chap-The thing is this,” said Basil, scratching in his pipe with a delicate pair of gold manicure scissors from the dressing table. “Every year or so there’s one place on the globe worth going to where things are happening. The secret is to find out where and be on the spot in time.”
“Basil, dear, not with the scissors.”
“History doesn’t happen everywhere at once. Azania is going to be terrific. Anyway I’m off there tomorrow. Flying to Marseilles and catching the Messageries ship. Only I must raise at least five hundred before I start. Barbara wanted to give it to me but I thought the simplest thing was to compound for my year’s allowance. There may be a few debts that’ll want settling while I’m away. I thought of giving you a power of attorney…”
“Dear boy, you are talking nonsense. When you’ve had luncheon with Sir Joseph you’ll understand. We’ll get into touch with him first thing in the morning. Meanwhile run along and get a good night’s sleep. You aren’t looking at all well, you know.’
“I must have at least three hundred.”
“There. I’ve rung for Bradshawe. You’ll forget all about this place in the morning. Good-night, darling boy. The servants have gone up. Don’t leave the lights burning downstairs, will you?”
So Lady Seal undressed and sank at last luxuriously into bed. Bradshawe softly paddled round the room performing the last offices; she picked up the evening gown, the underclothes, and the stockings, and carried them outside to her workroom; she straightened the things on the dressing table, shut the drawers, wiped the points of the nail scissors with a wad of cotton; she opened the windows four inches at the top, banked up the fire with a shovelful of small coal, hitched on the wire guard, set a bottle of Vichy water and a glass on the chamber cupboard beside the bed and stood at the door one hand holding the milk tray, the other on the electric switch.
“Is that everything for the night, my lady?”
II3
“That’s all, Bradshawe. I’ll ring in the morning. Good-night,’
“Good-night, my lady.”
Basil went back to the telephone and called Mrs. Lyne. A soft, slightly impatient voice answered him. “Yes, who is it?”
“Basil.”
A pause.
“Hullo, are you there, Angela? Basil speaking.”
“Yes, darling, I heard. Only I didn’t quite know what to say… I’ve just got in… such a dull evening… I rang, you up to-day… couldn’t get on to you.”
“How odd you sound.”
“Well, yes… why did you ring up? It’s late.”
