H. Wells - Ann Veronica

embroidery that enhanced the gentle gravity of her style, and her

black hair flowed off her open forehead to pass under the control

of a simple ribbon of silver. A silver necklace enhanced the

dusky beauty of her neck. Both husband and wife affected an

unnatural ease of manner for the benefit of the efficient

parlor-maid, who was putting the finishing touches to the

sideboard arrangements.

"It looks all right," said Capes.

"I think everything's right," said Ann Veronica, with the roaming

eye of a capable but not devoted house-mistress.

"I wonder if they will seem altered," she remarked for the third

time.

"There I can't help," said Capes.

He walked through a wide open archway, curtained with deep-blue

curtains, into the apartment that served as a reception-room.

Ann Veronica, after a last survey of the dinner appointments,

followed him, rustling, came to his side by the high brass

fender, and touched two or three ornaments on the mantel above

the cheerful fireplace.

"It's still a marvel to me that we are to be forgiven," she said,

turning.

"My charm of manner, I suppose. But, indeed, he's very human."

"Did you tell him of the registry office?"

"No--o--certainly not so emphatically as I did about the play."

"It was an inspiration--your speaking to him?"

"I felt impudent. I believe I am getting impudent. I had not

been near the Royal Society since--since you disgraced me.

What's that?"

They both stood listening. It was not the arrival of the guests,

but merely the maid moving about in the hall.

"Wonderful man!" said Ann Veronica, reassured, and stroking his

cheek with her finger.

Capes made a quick movement as if to bite that aggressive digit,

but it withdrew to Ann Veronica's side.

"I was really interested in his stuff. I WAS talking to him

before I saw his name on the card beside the row of microscopes.

Then, naturally, I went on talking. He--he has rather a poor

opinion of his contemporaries. Of course, he had no idea who I

was."

"But how did you tell him? You've never told me. Wasn't it--a

little bit of a scene?"

"Oh! let me see. I said I hadn't been at the Royal Society

soiree for four years, and got him to tell me about some of the

fresh Mendelian work. He loves the Mendelians because he hates

all the big names of the eighties and nineties. Then I think I

remarked that science was disgracefully under-endowed, and

confessed I'd had to take to more profitable courses. 'The fact

of it is,' I said, 'I'm the new playwright, Thomas More. Perhaps

you've heard--?' Well, you know, he had."

"Fame!"

"Isn't it? 'I've not seen your play, Mr. More,' he said, 'but

I'm told it's the most amusing thing in London at the present

time. A friend of mine, Ogilvy'--I suppose that's Ogilvy &

Ogilvy, who do so many divorces, Vee?--'was speaking very highly

of it--very highly!' " He smiled into her eyes.

"You are developing far too retentive a memory for praises," said

Ann Veronica.

"I'm still new to them. But after that it was easy. I told him

instantly and shamelessly that the play was going to be worth ten

thousand pounds. He agreed it was disgraceful. Then I assumed a

rather portentous manner to prepare him."

"How? Show me."

"I can't be portentous, dear, when you're about. It's my other

side of the moon. But I was portentous, I can assure you. 'My

name's NOT More, Mr. Stanley,' I said. 'That's my pet name.' "

"Yes?"

"I think--yes, I went on in a pleasing blend of the casual and

sotto voce, 'The fact of it is, sir, I happen to be your

son-in-law, Capes. I do wish you could come and dine with us

some evening. It would make my wife very happy.' "

"What did he say?"

"What does any one say to an invitation to dinner point-blank?

One tries to collect one's wits. 'She is constantly thinking of

you,' I said."

"And he accepted meekly?"

"Practically. What else could he do? You can't kick up a scene

on the spur of the moment in the face of such conflicting values

as he had before him. With me behaving as if everything was

infinitely matter-of-fact, what could he do? And just then

Heaven sent old Manningtree--I didn't tell you before of the

fortunate intervention of Manningtree, did I? He was looking

quite infernally distinguished, with a wide crimson ribbon across

him--what IS a wide crimson ribbon? Some sort of knight, I

suppose. He is a knight. 'Well, young man,' he said, 'we

haven't seen you lately,' and something about 'Bateson &

Co.'--he's frightfully anti-Mendelian--having it all their own

way. So I introduced him to my father-in-law like a shot. I

think that WAS decision. Yes, it was Manningtree really secured

your father. He--"

"Here they are!" said Ann Veronica as the bell sounded.

Part 2

They received the guests in their pretty little hall with genuine

effusion. Miss Stanley threw aside a black cloak to reveal a

discreet and dignified arrangement of brown silk, and then

embraced Ann Veronica with warmth. "So very clear and cold," she

said. "I feared we might have a fog." The housemaid's presence

acted as a useful restraint. Ann Veronica passed from her aunt

to her father, and put her arms about him and kissed his cheek.

"Dear old daddy!" she said, and was amazed to find herself

shedding tears. She veiled her emotion by taking off his

overcoat. "And this is Mr. Capes?" she heard her aunt saying.

All four people moved a little nervously into the drawing-room,

maintaining a sort of fluttered amiability of sound and movement.

Mr. Stanley professed a great solicitude to warm his hands.

"Quite unusually cold for the time of year," he said.

"Everything very nice, I am sure," Miss Stanley murmured to Capes

as he steered her to a place upon the little sofa before the

fire. Also she made little pussy-like sounds of a reassuring

nature.

"And let's have a look at you, Vee!" said Mr. Stanley, standing

up with a sudden geniality and rubbing his hands together.

Ann Veronica, who knew her dress became her, dropped a curtsy to

her father's regard.

Happily they had no one else to wait for, and it heartened her

mightily to think that she had ordered the promptest possible

service of the dinner. Capes stood beside Miss Stanley, who was

beaming unnaturally, and Mr. Stanley, in his effort to seem at

ease, took entire possession of the hearthrug.

"You found the flat easily?" said Capes in the pause. "The

numbers are a little difficult to see in the archway. They ought

to put a lamp."

Her father declared there had been no difficulty.

"Dinner is served, m'm," said the efficient parlor-maid in the

archway, and the worst was over.

"Come, daddy," said Ann Veronica, following her husband and Miss

Stanley; and in the fulness of her heart she gave a friendly

squeeze to the parental arm.

"Excellent fellow!" he answered a little irrelevantly. "I didn't

understand, Vee."

"Quite charming apartments," Miss Stanley admired; "charming!

Everything is so pretty and convenient."

The dinner was admirable as a dinner; nothing went wrong, from

the golden and excellent clear soup to the delightful iced

marrons and cream; and Miss Stanley's praises died away to an

appreciative acquiescence. A brisk talk sprang up between Capes

and Mr. Stanley, to which the two ladies subordinated themselves

intelligently. The burning topic of the Mendelian controversy