A friend told me about him. Chap called Austin Nunne. Do you know him?
No. There's a Mrs Nunne who comes here. Perhaps he's some relation?
Her son. Austin suggested I should talk to Father Carruthers. What do you think?
What about?
I'd just like to meet him, that's all. He sounds interesting.
He is. Terribly clever. He's written several books. He's written a life of Chehov, and a book on Dante. He's writing a book on Marcel at the moment.
Could I meet him, do you think?
Well, yes, it shouldn't be difficult to arrange. But listen, will you promise me something? Well, never mind… I'll go and see about that tea.
Sorme stopped himself from crossing to the bookshelf, knowing there was nothing to read. He was beginning to regret coming. He had forgotten how irritating Robin Maunsell could be. The idea of speaking to Father Carruthers had also lost its attraction, for some reason. He yawned.
The door opened, and a young priest looked in. He said:
Ah, excuse me. You are waiting for someone?
He spoke with a foreign accent that Sorme did not recognise.
I wanted to see Father Carruthers, Sorme said.
I think he is asleep. I will go and see.
Sorme started to say: Don't bother… but the door closed again. A moment later, someone kicked the door. Sorme opened it for Maunsell, who carried a loaded tray.
Good boy. It's lovely to see you again, Gerard. But you've got a terrible pallor.
Have you been overworking?
Can you imagine me working?
Oh yes. You're not the ornamental type at all. You ought to work. Why don't you take a job?
Why should I?
You wouldn't get so bored. And you do get bored, don't you?
Yes, I get bored.
Then you should take a job.
Maunsell poured milk into the cups from the china jug, and sugared them.
Why should I take a job? All right, I get bored. What does that prove? That I don't know what to do with my time. And what do you suggest? Waste it by working. It's not logical. By the way, before I forget… someone popped his head round the door and asked me who I wanted to see. And I said Father Carruthers, and he went off to see.
Priest with a foreign accent, very young.
Ah, Father Rakosi. He's a Hungarian refugee. You are silly.
Anyway, he said Father Carruthers would be asleep.
I expect he will be. He doesn't often get up, you know. He suffers from some obscure stomach complaint. But you ought not to have let Father Rakosi go off to see.
Why?
Well, I was going to see.
Oh, sorry. He'd gone before I could stop him. Would you pass the sugar, please?
Someone tapped on the door. The Hungarian priest came in again. He looked surprised to see Maunsell.
Excuse me… I thought you were waiting to see Father Carruthers?
I'm sorry… Sorme began.
Maunsell said: Is he awake?
Yes. He says he can see people for the next hour.
You'd better go up, Gerard. We can have a talk afterwards.
The priest smiled, nodded at them, and went out. Sorme called: Thank you.
You are silly, Gerard. Why didn't you wait for me?
Sorry. I didn't realise he'd arrange it so quickly.
Oh, never mind. You'd better go up now.
I can drink my tea here, can't I?
No, you hadn't better. Take it up with you. Come on. I'll show you the way.
Sorme followed him up the thickly carpeted stairs. On the first landing, a blue plaster madonna stood in a niche, her hands raised in blessing. Maunsell knocked gently on the door at the end of the corridor. He pushed it open and allowed Sorme to pass in.
This is Gerard Sorme, father. He's a friend of Mrs Nunne.
The priest was sitting up in bed, surrounded by white pillows. He wore a nightgown of some coarse blue material. Maunsell closed the door, and left them alone together.
Not Mrs Nunne, Sorme said. Her son.
Ah, Austin. I haven't seen him for a long time. How is he? Do sit down.
His face struck Sorme as one of the ugliest he had ever seen; without actually being deformed, it was crudely and gratuitously ugly, with the strong lines of a gargoyle.
The jaw was too big; it would have had the effect of overbalancing the face if it had not been for the forehead, which also jutted, and had a sharp, vertical crease down the middle, as if someone had hit him with a crowbar. The large nose was slightly flattened; the mouth was wide, and spread across the face like a fissure. The eyes were small, almost colourless. If a lamp had been suspended overhead, they would have disappeared completely in the shadow of his brows. Sorme tried hard to remember where he had seen the face before, or where he had seen one like it. Then he remembered: the bust of Charley Peace in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud's. The thought made him smile. The priest smiled back friendlily. He seated himself in the armchair near the fire, saying:
Austin's fine, father. He suggested that I should come and see you.
What did you say your name was?
Sorme, father, Gerard Sorme.
Sorme? Sorme… I know the name. It's a rare name, isn't it?
I've never met anyone else with it, outside my family…
The priest held up his hand to silence him. The furrow in the brow might have been an incision. For a few seconds, he frowned, concentrating.
Ah, I remember! Father Grey of Campion House. Did you ever know him, by any chance?
Sorme felt unaccountably guilty; he said:
Yes, I did. He instructed me once.
Good! the priest said. He was smiling happily again. I don't often forget a name.
Yes… Father Grey talked to me about you once. Why did you give up instruction?
I… I… I didn't get on with Father Grey to begin with.
Why not?
He seemed to want to convince me that Catholics were decent blokes after all.
You know the sort of thing? Beef-eating, beer-drinking RAF padre style. And he had no time for mysticism. He spent three instruction periods convincing me that St Peter was really the first Pope. I got fed-up.
The priest said sympathetically:
I understand. Father Grey isn't everyone's idea of a Catholic… which is no doubt just as well.
Sorme grinned, waiting. The pale, blue-grey eyes contemplated him steadily. The priest said, smiling:
Well, you keep coming back, don't you? Why?
Sorme frowned, shrugging. It was difficult to find an answer. The soft voice pressed him:
Do you think you'll become a Catholic one of these days?
I may, I suppose.
But do you expect to?
No, not really, father. I don't mean it's impossible…
Quite. But have you no idea what you're looking for?
No, father, not really.
