“Have a bit of chicking Ro.”
“No my love no not all the perfumes of Araby—not all the chickens of Cheshire. Have some paté Miss Hens’—No? You despise paté?”
A maid came briskly in and looked helpfully round.
“Who’s your half past one patient Ley?” asked Mrs. Orly nervously.
“Buck,” rapped Mr. Leyton. “We going to wait for Mr. Hancock, Mater?”
“No, of course not. Keep some things hot Emma and bring in the sweets.”
“Have some more chicken Miss Hens’—Emma!” he indicated his son with a flourish of his serviette. “Wait upon Mr. Leyton, serve him speedily.”
Emma arrested looked helpfully about, smiled in brisk amusement, seized some dishes and went out.
Mrs. Orly’s pinched face expanded. “Silly you are, Ro.” Miriam grinned, watching dreamily. Mr. Leyton’s flushed face rose and dipped spasmodically over the remains of his salad.
“Bucking for Buck”—laughed Mr. Orly in a soft falsetto.
“Ro, you are silly, who’s Buck, Ley?”
“Don’t question the officer Nelly.”
“Ro, you are absurd,” laughed Mrs. Orly.
“Help the jellies dearest,” shouted Mr. Orly in a frowning whisper. “Have some jelly, Miss Hens’. It’s all right Ley … glad you so busy, my son. How many did you have this morning?” Mopping his brow and whisking his person with his serviette he glanced sidelong.
“Two,” said Mr. Leyton, noisily spooning up jelly, “any more of that stuff mater, how about Hancock?”
“There’s plenty here,” said Mrs. Orly helping him. Miriam laboured with her jelly and glanced at the dish. People wolfed their food. It would seem so conspicuous to begin again when the fuss had died down; with Mr. Orly watching as if feeding were a contemptible self-indulgence.
“Had a beastly gold case half the morning,” rapped Mr. Leyton and drank, with a gulp.
“Get any help?” said Mr. Orly glancing at Miriam.
“No,” said Mr. Leyton in a noncommittal tone, reaching across the table for the cheese.
“Hancock too busy?” asked Mr. Orly. “Have some more jelly, Miss Hens’n.”
“No thank you,” said Miriam.
“A bit of cheese; a fragment of giddy Gorgonzola.”
“No thanks.”
Mrs. Orly brushed busily at her bodice, peering down with indrawn chin. The room was close with gas. If Mr. Hancock would only come down and give her the excuse of attending to his room.
“What you doing s’aafnoon?” asked Mr. Leyton.
“I, my boy, I don’t know,” said Mr. Orly with a heavy sigh, “string myself up, I think.”
“You’d much better string yourself round the Outer Circle and take Lennard’s advice.”
“Good advice my boy—if we all took good advice … eh Miss Hens’n? I’ve taken twenty grains of phenacetin this morning.”
“Well, you go and get a good walk,” said Mr. Leyton clattering to his feet. “S’cuse me, Mater.”
“Right my boy! Excellent! A Daniel come to judgment! All right Ley—get on with you. Buck up and see Buck. Oh‑h‑h my blooming head. Excuse my language Miss Hens’n. Ah! Here’s the great man. Good morning Hancock. How are you? D’they know you’re down?”
Mr. Hancock murmured his greetings and sat down opposite Miriam with a grave preoccupied air.
“Busy?” asked Mr. Orly turning to face his partner.
“Yes—fairly,” said Mr. Hancock pleasantly.
“Wonderful man. … Ley’s gone off like a bee in a gale. D’they know Hancock’s down Nelly?”
Miriam glanced at Mr. Hancock wishing he could lunch in peace. He was tired. Did he too feel oppressed with the gas and the pale madder store cupboards? … glaring muddy hot pink?
“I’ve got a blasted head on … excuse my language. Twenty of ’em, twenty to dinner.”
“Oh yes?” said Mr. Hancock shifting in his chair and glancing about.
“Nelly! D’they know he’s down? Start on a paté, Hancock. The remains of the banquet.”
“Oh … well, thanks.”
“You never get heads do ye?”
Mr. Hancock smiled and began a murmuring response as he busied himself with his paté.
“Poor Ro he’s got a most awful head. … How’s your uncle Mr. Hancock?”
“Oh—thank you. … I’m afraid he’s not very flourishing.”
“He’s better than he used to be, isn’t he?”
“Well—yes, I think perhaps on the whole he is.”
“You ought to have been there, Hancock. Cleave came. He was in no end of form. Told us some fine ones. Have a biscuit and butter Miss Hens’n.”
Miriam refused and excused herself.
On her way upstairs she strolled into Mr. Leyton’s room. He greeted her with a smile—polishing instruments busily.
“Mr. Hancock busy?” he asked briskly.
“M’m.”
“You busy? I say if I have Buck in will you finish up these things?”
“All right, if you like,” said Miriam, regretting her sociable impulse. “Is Mr. Buck here?” She glanced at the appointment book.
“Yes, he’s waiting.”
“You haven’t got anybody else this afternoon,” observed Miriam.
“I know. But I want to be down at Headquarters by five in full kit if I possibly can. Has the Pater got anybody?”
“No. The afternoon’s marked off—he’s going out, I think. Look here, I’ll clear up your things afterwards if you want to go out. Will you want all these for Mr. Buck?”
“Oh—all right, thanks; I dunno. I’ve got to finish him off this afternoon and make him pay up.”
“Why pay up? Isn’t he trustworthy?”
“Trustworthy? A man who’s just won three hundred pounds on a horse and chucked his job on the strength of it.”
“What a fearfully insane thing to do.”
“Lost his head.”
“Is he very young?”
“Oo—’bout twenty-five.”
“H’m. I spose he’ll begin the rake’s progress.”
“That’s about it. You’ve just about hit it,” said Mr. Leyton with heavy significance.
Miriam lingered.
“I boil every blessed thing after he’s been … if that’s any indication to you.”
“Boil them!” said Miriam vaguely distressed and pondering over Mr. Leyton standing active and aseptic between her and some horror … something infectious … it must be that awful mysterious thing … how awful for Mr. Leyton to have to stop his teeth.
“Boil ’em,” he chuckled knowingly.
“Why on earth?” she asked.
“Well—there you are,” said Mr. Leyton—“that’s all I can tell you. I boil ’em.”
“Crikey,” said Miriam half in response and half in comment on his falsetto laugh, as she made for the door. “Oh, but I say, I don’t understand your boiling apparatus, Mr. Leyton.”
“All right, don’t you worry. I’ll set it all going and shove the things in. You’ve only to turn off the gas and wipe ’em. I daresay I shall have time
