``I'll tell you something very odd,'' he said. ``Who do you think is here?''
``Who?''
``Our old friend Beaver.''
``Why's that odd particularly?''
``Oh I don't know. I'd forgotten all about him, hadn't you? D'you think he sent Angela a telegram as he did to us?''
``I daresay.''
Tony supposed Beaver must be fairly lonely and took pains to be agreeable to him. He said, ``All kinds of changes since we saw you last. Brenda's taken a flat in London.''
``Yes, I know.''
``How?''
``Well, my mother let it to her, you know.''
Tony was greatly surprised and taxed Brenda with this. ``You never told me who was behind your flat. I might not have been so amiable if I'd known.''
``No, darling, that's why.''
Half the house party wondered why Beaver was there; the other half knew. As a result of this he and Brenda saw each other very little, less than if they had been casual acquaintances, so that Angela remarked to her husband, ``I daresay it was a mistake to ask him. It's so hard to know.''
Brenda never started the subject of the half finished letter, but she noticed that Beaver was wearing his ring, and had already acquired a trick of twisting it as he talked.
On New Year's Eve there was a party at a neighbouring house. Tony went home early and Beaver and Brenda returned together in the back of a car. Next morning, while they were having breakfast, she said to Tony, ``I've made a New Year resolution.''
``Anything to do with spending more time at home?''
``Oh no, quite the reverse. Listen, Tony, it's serious. I think I'll take a course of something.''
``Not bone setters again. I thought that was over.''
``No, something like economics. You see I've been thinking. I don't really do anything at all at present. It's absurd to pretend I'm any use to John, the house runs itself. It seemed to me time I took to something. Now you're always talking about going into Parliament. Well if I had done a course of economics I could be some use canvassing and writing speeches and things--you know, the way Marjorie did when Allan was standing on the Clydeside. There are all sorts of lectures in London, to do with the University, where girls go, Don't you think it's rather a good idea?''
``It's one better than the bone setters,'' Tony admitted. That was how the New Year began.
CHAPTER THREE
IT is not uncommon at Brat's Club, between nine and ten in the evening, to find men in white ties and tail coats sitting by themselves and eating, in evident low spirits, large and extravagant dinners. They are those who have been abandoned at the last minute by their women. For twenty minutes or so they have sat in the foyer of some restaurant, gazing expectantly towards the revolving doors and alternately taking out their watches and ordering cocktails, until at length a telephone message has been brought them that their guests are unable to come. Then they go to Brat's half hoping to find friends but, more often than not, taking a melancholy satisfaction in finding the club deserted or peopled by strangers. So they sit there, round the walls, morosely regarding the mahogany tables before them, and eating and drinking heavily.
It was in this mood and for this reason that, one evening towards the middle of February, Jock Grant-Menzies arrived at the club.
``Anyone here?''
``Very quiet tonight, sir. Mr. Last is in the dining room.'' Jock found him seated in a corner; he was in day clothes; the table and the chair at his side were littered with papers and magazines; one was propped up in front of hire. He was half way through dinner and three quarters of the way through a bottle of Burgundy. ``Hullo,'' he said. ``Chucked? Come and join me.''
It was some time since Jock had seen Tony; the meeting embarrassed him slightly, for like all his friends, he was wondering how Tony felt and how much he knew about Brenda and John Beaver. However, he sat down at Tony's table.
``Been chucked?'' asked Tony again.
``Yes, it's the last time I ask that bitch out.''
``Better have a drink. I've been drinking a whole lot. Much the best thing.''
They took what was left of the Burgundy and ordered another bottle.
``Just come up for the night,'' said Tony. ``Staying here.''
``You've got a flat now haven't you?''
``Well Brenda has. There isn't really room for two ... we tried it once and it wasn't a success.''
``What's she doing tonight?''
``Out somewhere. I didn't let her know I was coming ... silly not to, but you see I got fed up with being alone at Hetton and thought I'd like to see Brenda so I came up suddenly on the spur of the moment, just like that. Damned silly thing to do. Might have known she'd be going out somewhere ... she's very high principled about chucking ... so there it is. She's going to ring me up here later, if she can get away.''
They drank a lot. Tony did most of the talking. ``Extraordinary idea of hers, taking up economics,'' he said. ``I never thought it would last but she seems really keen on it ... I suppose it's a good plan. You know there wasn't really much for her to do all the time at Hetton. Of course she'd rather die than admit it, but I believe she got a bit bored there sometimes. I've been thinking it over and that's the conclusion I came to. Brenda must have been bored ... Daresay she'll get bored with economics some time ... Anyway she seems cheerful enough now. We've had parties every week-end lately ... I wish you'd come down sometimes, Jock. I don't seem to get on with Brenda's new friends.''
``People from the school of economics?''
``No, but ones I don't know. I believe I bore them. Thinking it over that's the conclusion I've come to. I bore them. They talk about me as `the old boy.' John heard them.''
``Well, that's friendly enough.''
``Yes, that's friendly.''
They finished the Burgundy and drank some port. Presently Tony said, ``I say, come next week-end, will you?''
``I think I'd love to.''
``Wish you would. I don't see many old friends ... Sure to be lots of people in the house, but you won't mind that will you? ... sociable chap, Jock ... doesn't mind people about. I mind it like hell.'' They drank some more port. Tony said, ``Not enough bathrooms, you know ... but of course you know. You've been there before, often. Not like the new friends who think me a bore. You don't think I'm a bore, do you?''
``No, old boy.''
``Not even when I'm tight, like this? ... There would have been bathrooms. I had the plans out. Four new ones. A chap down there made the plans ... but then Brenda wanted the flat so I had to postpone them as an economy ... I say, that's funny. We had to economize because of Brenda's economics.''
``Yes, that's funny. Let's have some port.''
Tony said, ``You seem pretty low tonight.''
``I am rather. Worried about the Pig Scheme. Constituents keep writing.''
``I felt low, bloody low, but I'm all right again now. The best thing is to get tight. That's what I did and I don't feel low any more ... discouraging to come to London and find you're not wanted. Funny thing, you feel low because your girl's chucked, and I feel low because mine won't chuck.''
``Yes, that's funny.''
``But you know I've felt low for weeks now ... bloody low ... how about some brandy?''
``Yes, why not? After all there are other things in life besides women and pigs.''
They had some brandy and after a time Jock began to cheer up.
Presently a page came to their table to say, ``A message from Lady Brenda, sir.''
``Good, I'll go and speak to her.''
``It's, not her ladyship speaking. Someone was sending a message.''
``I'll come and speak to her.''
He went to the telephone in the lobby outside. ``Darling,'' he said.
``Is that Mr. Last? I've got a message here, from Lady Brenda.''