Henry Green - Nothing

"I wish I could see my way through" the young Mr Weatherby complained almost fretfully.

"How d'you mean?"

"No one tells me anything" he said.

"What d'you want them to do Philip, quite?"

"Explain to me the way they fed" he elaborated.

"When I went to Uncle Ned he couldn't say a word."

"But what d'you expect them to feel?"

"After all" the young man said "when you go and get engaged you don't just look for silence. It makes one wonder. Does Mary's father approve or doesn't he?"

"Has it ever occurred to you Philip that more than half the time John may just be wondering about himself?"

"Well naturally. But he can spare half a thought to his own daughter can't he?"

"In what way?"

"How do you mean? It's her marriage isn't it?"

"He might be thinking of his own affairs mightn't he?"

"Mr Pomfret? At his age? Why he's a million."

"Good heavens" she said "how old d'you imagine I am?"

"Then you don't mean-"

"I certainly don't" she replied with finality. "All I say is everyone has a right to their own lives haven't they?"

"In what way?" he inquired.

"You're one of these talkers Philip" she announced.

"You don't go out and do things."

"I may not but I work surely?"

"Well there's more to life than working for the government."

"I don't see what you're getting at" he objected. "How you spend your day is a part of your life, you can't get away from it."

"But Philip one's evenings are a means to get right apart from what you and I have to do for a living in the daytime."

"D'you know" he said "I can't see why."

"Then oughtn't you to go into politics Philip?"

"I might at that."

"Oh no my dear" she protested "you're hopeless."

"I've got no chance?" he cried.

"I didn't say so at all. What you and Mary decide is none of my business. You've simply got to take the plunge, there you are, and hope for the best."

"Without Mamma's consent?"

"Why yes Philip if needs be. Doesn't Mary see this my way?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't much experience of women. That's the reason I came round if you want to know."

"You're not asking me to give that to you?" she asked and he blushed. "I'm sorry Philip" she went on. "Forget it. But the truth is I fancy there's going to be another wedding in your family soon if I'm not very much mistaken."

"You and Mr Pomfret d'you mean?"

"Since when were you two related? At any rate you haven't married Mary yet have you?"

"I see you're against Mary and me as well" he said.

"I'm not" she protested. "But you've no right to link my name with John's. What on earth d'you know about it? Of course I'm not going to marry him. ever, not that he's asked me. Grow up, be your age for mercy's sake. All I was trying to say is he'll wed your mamma or bust."

"My mother! He can't! She's too old!!"

"No older than he is."

"You can't be serious."

"I am, Philip. Never more so."

"Will they want a double wedding then?"

"With Mary and you? Listen Philip if you take my advice you'll rush that nice girl off to the Registry Office al ways suposing she'll still have you, and get the fell deed done without a word more said to a soul."

"But that wouldn't be straight" he objected and after a good deal more of this sort of argument during which, however, Liz became somewhat nicer to him, Philip Weatherby took himself away no nearer a decision, or so it seemed.

IN A few days' time Mrs Weatherby again had John Pomfret to dinner following which, after a gay discussion of generalities all through the meal, she led the man into the next room to settle him over a whisky and soda, and immediately began, "Oh my dear isn't it too frightful about one's money."

"I know" he moaned.

"John even little Penelope's overdrawn now!"

He roared with laughter while she smiled.

"No Jane you can't mean that? Not at her age!"

"But yes" the mother insisted. "Only a trifle of course, the tiny sum a great aunt left the little brigand for her beautiful great eyes. Yet she had a letter from the bank manager Tuesday. I read it out to Pen and we both simply shrieked, she has such a sense of humour already. Still it is dreadful isn't it?"

Mrs Weatherby did not seem greatly disturbed.

"Well Jane"-Mr Pomfret beamed-"she's started young, there's no getting away from that."

"I wish everything didn't go on so" she continued. "Oh John I went to see the awful Mr Thicknesse again who makes me quake in my shoes whenever I meet him like one of those huge things at the zoo."

"Yes I suppose we must have a talk about the children sometime" Mr Pomfret said without obvious enthusiasm.

"No no, damn the children if you'll please excuse the expression. Just for tonight let's be ourselves. I mean we still have our own lives to lead haven't we? No but what is one to do with these banks?"

"Exactly what I ask myself three or four times a week."

"I never learned to cook, isn't it terrible, and if I started now I'd be so extravagant you see. Honestly I believe I save by having darling lsabella. With the price things are, you can't play about with what little food you do get can you?"

"I'll fry an egg with anyone but not much else" he said.

"And then there's Pen. Even if darling Mother never saw I had cooking lessons she did at least leave me an inkling of essentials from her beloved sweet example, so I do realize it's no earthly use to experiment over a growing child's food. Once I started that I wouldn't be playing the game with my little poppet would I?"

"Oh quite" he agreed, relaxed and smiling.

"So what is one to do?" she demanded. "Just go on in the old way until there's nothing left?"

"I decide and decide to make a great change in my life but I always seem to put it off" he said.

"Don't I know, darling!" she cried. "Oh I don't say that to blame, I spoke of myself. But those children we've agreed not to mention, John, have changed my ideas. I believe my dear I'm almost beginning to have a plan!"

"Never start a hat shop" he advised. "They invariably fail."

"You are truly sweet" she commented with a small frown which he did not appear to notice. "You see it wasn't that at all, something quite different. The simplest little plot imaginable. Only this. Two people live cheaper than one! They always have and will."

"You're not to take in a lodger Jane" he said sharply.

"But mine is a very especial sort of one" she murmured. "He's you!!"

Mr Pomfret sat bolt upright. There was a pause.

"Look here you know" he protested at last "you've got to consider how people'll talk."

"I can't think the sort of person you imagine I'm like now" she said. "We'd have to be married of course."

There was another longish pause while they watched each other. At last a half-smile came over his face.

"And Penelope?" he asked.

"Why she dotes on you John" Mrs Weatherby cried.

"You know what you've told me ever since that unfortunate affair when I married her in front of the fire here?"

"Don't be absurd darling. This is real. Besides it's me who's marrying you, remember. The sweet saint would never even dare to deny her own mother anything."

"But didn't she get very worked up over Mary and Philip?"

"This is precisely what will put all that right out of her sainted little mind don't you see? Oh John do agree you believe me!" Mrs Weatherby cried.

"Of course if you say so Jane, about Pen. Yet you did once just hint how jealous she was."

"Then she'll simply have to get over it" the mother replied with evident disappointment in her lovely voice. "In any case I'd, oh, pondered sending her away to boarding school. She's young but I've begun to think it's time."

He came over, sat by her side on the sofa and took her hand.