Henry Green - Nothing

Mrs Weatherby faced him squarely at this.

"Wait a moment John please" she said in a level voice. "Exactly what have you on your mind?"

"Awkward" he grumbled. "Damned awkward! It's simply as an old friend t feel that it may reflect on you and yours" he said.

She pushed away from in front of her the plate which by now was dry as if a cat had licked it.

"But my dear" she cried "on me? After all I've done? When he wouldn't have darling Mother's which I'm almost sure Mary has never even seen. You mean poor Philip's one's too cheap?"

"I do."

"I don't call fifteen guineas cheap."

"Not for what he got."

"Oh my dear I can't think when I've been so upset in my life" she gasped but not altogether convincingly. He laid a hand over hers which she did not withdraw.

"To do a thing like that might come back on us both" he said.

"You mean our mends-?"

"Yes."

"What does Liz say?" she asked.

"I don't know for the very simple reason that I haven't inquired" he answered. "And I shan't."

"So you're just guessing, is that it John?"

"I've lived long enough in our lot not to have to asks."

He proceeded to serve Mrs Weatherby with lobster mayonnaise.

"Well if it all doesn't come back on my poor shoulders" she murmured. "When I've done nothing but my best."

"All the same Jane we must find something."

"But oh they're so independent" she wailed.

"Can't he give her another?"

"What with?"

"How d'you mean Jane, what with? You could sell the solitaire couldn't you and let him have the proceeds?"

"And he does go on so, that they must live on what they earn."

"Well my dear" he said "we haven't been into that together yet have we? The last time you'd just come from seeing Thicknesse and didn't feel like it if you remember."

"No more I do now John."

"All right. I don't wish to press you. But we shall have to take some step about this engagement ring or we might be a laughingstock."

"John" she announced after a pause "sometimes I feel rather inclined to say 'damn the children, they're more trouble than they're worth.'"

"Well I don't know about that Jane."

"Don't you? But why can't they do things the way we did?"

"Money I suppose. Besides I wouldn't care for 'em to get into the mess we got into."

"Now darling you're not to speak so of what is still absolutely sacred to me. How delicious this lobster is! Where did you go to find it?" He told her.

She ate with evident appreciation.

"You don't care for Philip's hats either I hear?" she said sweetly.

"No more I do" Mr Pomfret replied.

"On the whole wouldn't you say John it's rather best for them to make their own mistakes?"

"It all depends."

"In what way dear?"

He turned very white.

"I don't want us to look ridiculous Jane!"

She raised her eyebrows and stared coolly at him.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" she said.

In a trembling voice, with an obvious and complete loss of temper he cried all at once "By trying to stop this marriage by saying as I'm told you are that Philip is my son."

She put knife and fork carefully down on the plate, turned her face half away from him, closed her eyes and waited in silence. Within twenty seconds two great tears had slipped from beneath black lashes and were on their way over her full cheeks, shortly followed by others. But she made no sound.

He blew his nose loudly, his colour began to come back. He watched her. Soon his breathing became normal again.

"I'm sorry" he muttered at last.

"Excuse me" she said getting up from the table and hastened out of the room. He waited. He hung his head to listen, perhaps for the front door. When the bathroom lock clicked he appeared to relax.

Eventually she returned tike a ship in full sail. He stood as she came in the door. She stopped close enough to hit him.

"How dare you!!" she hissed.

"Oh my dear I do apologize" he said and wrung his hands. "Last thing in the world I wished to blurt out."

"How dare you John!"

"Look here sit down once more Jane. That silly remark slipped from me I swear it!"

"I oughtn't to stay here another minute" she announced and sat in her place. He seated himself. He mopped at his face with a handkerchief. She watched her plate of lobster mayonnaise. "This is Liz's doing" she added.

"No Jane don't" he implored.

"Well that was her wasn't it?"

"Yes I suppose so."

She took up knife and fork again, began to push the food around the plate.

"I say it for your own good John" she said. "You should have nothing more to do with that young woman before she ruins you!"

"Now Jane" he cried raising a glass to his lips with trembling hands.

"Because when you allow the squalid girls you choose for your wicked selfish pleasures to interfere between my son and your girl then you aren't fit."

"And Richard Abbot?" he muttered.

"Is one of nature's gentlemen" she royally replied.

"Now not another word of this or I leave at once never to step over your doorstep again."

After which the conversation limped for some time, then she laughed and in another thirty minutes he tried a laugh and in the end as old friends they parted early without another mention of the children.

A WEEK later Miss Jennings did something she had never done before, she asked Richard Abbot round for a drink.

"Have you heard about poor darling John?" she said and giggled. "His doctor's told him he's got a touch of this awful diabetes."

"Good Lord, sorry to learn that."

She giggled again.

"No one knows. Of course he toId me. I'm so very wortied for him. Isn't it merciful they discovered about insulin in time?"

"No danger in diabetes nowadays" Mr Abbot agreed. "Rotten thing to catch though."

"How ought he to look after himself Richard?"

"Just take it easy and they can give themselves the injections."

"Themselves? Injections! Oh no surely a woman must do for them. I mean you can't jab a needle into your own arm surely?"

"Or a leg. That's what they say Lizo."

"Of course there's Mary" Miss Jennings continued. "She could be the one until she actually marries Philip. But once those two get away on their own then how will John manage, Richard?"

"They can do it for themselves" he repeated.

"Does Jane know?"

"The way to give hypodermics? Couldn't say I'm sure."

"No no I naturally didn't mean was Jane a nurse. Has she heard d'you think?"

"Couldn't be certain. Not mentioned a word to me."

"Because I'll tell you what. John's having diabetes like this alters everything. There is bound to be a change in Jane's whole attitude to the children's marriage."

"Can't follow you at all."

"Oh but of course you do. Don't play the innocent, Richard. She's been simply fixed on stopping it by every means. But now he'll need looking after she won't leave Mary home to do the nursing."

"And d'you imagine John will have no say in that?" Mr Abbot inquired. "He's got you hasn't he? You'll have to take lessons Liz."

"He's got me all right" she said. "Yes. But have I got him, there's the question" and she laughed outright, then at once grew serious once again.

"Then will he have terrible pricks all over his poor arms and legs?" she cried.

He gently laughed.

"Oh come Liz" he argued. "That's only a detail."

"A detail? Will there be something else as well then?"

"No but what's the matter with a few dots on his skin?"

"I thought you meant he might have to have some other ghastly treatment Richard. I was so nervous for a minute. I believe you're teasing me you horrid man."

"You're all right Liz."

"I wish I was. Has Jane really said nothing to you about the marriage?"

"Not to me."

"Because she'll force it on now, you mark my words."