“I can’t tell you what was conveyed to them by what I said.”
“Don’t quibble, sir. Was the word divorce mentioned?”
“I don’t remember it.”
“You don’t remember it? Did you or did you not leave them with the impression that you might be wanting to take proceedings?”
“I don’t know. I told them that things were difficult.”
“So you have said before. That is not an answer to my question.”
Dinny saw the Judge’s head poked forward.
“The petitioner has said, Mr. Instone, that he does not know the impression left on his lawyers’ minds. What are you driving at?”
“My Lord, the essence of my case—and I am glad to have this opportunity of stating it succinctly—is that from the moment the petitioner had acted in such a way—whatever it was—as caused his wife to leave him, he was determined to divorce her, and ready to snatch at anything that came along to secure that divorce.”
“Well, you can call his solicitor.”
“My Lord!”
Those simple words were like a shrug of the shoulders put into sound.
“Well, go on!”
With a sigh of relief Dinny caught the sound of finality in the voice of the ‘handicapped’ Instone.
“You wish to suggest to the jury that although you instituted these proceedings on the first and only gossip you heard, and although you added a claim for damages against a man you have never spoken to—that in spite of all this you are a forbearing and judicious husband, whose only desire was that his wife should come back to him?”
Her eyes went for the last time to the face up there, more hidden by its mask than ever.
“I wish to suggest nothing to the jury.”
“Very well!”
There was a rustling of silk behind her.
“My Lord,” the slow, rich voice intoned, “since my friend has made so much of the point, I will call the petitioner’s solicitor.”
‘Very young’ Roger, leaning across, said:
“Dornford wants you all to lunch with him…”
Dinny could eat practically nothing, afflicted by a sort of nausea. Though more alarmed and distraught during Hubert’s case, and at the inquest on Ferse, she had not felt like this. It was her first experience of the virulence inherent in the conduct of actions between private individuals. The continual suggestion that the opponent was mean, malicious and untruthful, which underlay every cross-examining question, had affected her nerves.
On their way back to the court, Dornford said:
“I know what you’re feeling. But remember, it’s a sort of game; both sides play according to the same rules, and the Judge is there to discount exaggeration. When I try to see how it could be worked otherwise, I can’t.”
“It makes one feel nothing’s ever quite clean.”
“I wonder if anything ever is.”
“The Cheshire cat’s grin did fade at last,” she murmured.
“It never does in the Law Courts, Dinny. They should have it graven over the doors.”
Whether owing to that short conversation, or because she was getting used to it, she did not feel so sick during the afternoon session, devoted to examination and cross-examination of the stewardess and enquiry agents. At four o’clock the petitioner’s case was closed, and ‘very young’ Roger cocked his eye at her, as who should say: “The Court will now rise, and I shall be able to take snuff.”
CHAPTER 30
In the taxi, on the way back to South Square, Clare was silent, till, opposite Big Ben, she said suddenly:
“Imagine his peering in at us in the car when we were asleep! Or did he just invent that, Dinny?”
“If he’d invented it, he would surely have made it more convincing still.”
“Of course, my head WAS on Tony’s shoulder. And why not? You try sleeping in a two-seater.”
“I wonder the man’s torch didn’t wake you.”
“I daresay it did; I woke a lot of times with cramp. No; the stupidest thing I did, Dinny, was asking Tony in for a drink that night after we went to the film and dined. We were extraordinarily green not to realise we were being shadowed. Were there a frightful lot of people in Court?”
“Yes, and there’ll be more tomorrow.”
“Did you see Tony?”
“Just a glimpse.”
“I wish I’d taken your advice and let it go. If only I were really in love with him!”
Dinny did not answer.
Aunt Em was in Fleur’s ‘parlour.’ She came towards Clare, opened her mouth, seemed to remember that she shouldn’t, scrutinised her niece, and said suddenly:
“Not so good! I do dislike that expression; who taught it me? Tell me about the Judge, Dinny; was his nose long?”
“No; but he sits very low and shoots his neck out.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t ask him, dear.”
Lady Mont turned to Fleur.
“Can Clare have her dinner in bed? Go and have a long bath, my dear, and don’t get up till tomorrow. Then you’ll be fresh for that Judge. Fleur, you go with her, I want to talk to Dinny.” When they had gone, she moved across to where the wood fire burned.
“Dinny, comfort me. Why do we have these things in our family? So unlike—except your great-grandfather; and he was older than Queen Victoria when he was born.”
“You mean he was naturally rakish?”
“Yes, gamblin’, and enjoyin’ himself and others. His wife was long-sufferin’. Scottish. So odd!”
“That, I suppose,” murmured Dinny, “is why we’ve all been so good ever since.”
“What is why?”
“The combination.”
“It’s more the money,” said Lady Mont; “he spent it all.”
“Was there much?”
“Yes. The price of corn.”
“Ill-gotten.”
“His father couldn’t help Napoleon. There were six thousand acres then, and your great-grandfather only left eleven hundred.”
“Mostly woods.”
“That was the woodcock shootin’. Will the case be in the evenin’ papers?”
“Certain to be. Jerry’s a public man.”
“Not her dress, I hope. Did you like the jury?”
Dinny shrugged. “I can’t ever tell what people are really thinking.”
“Like dogs’ noses, when they feel hot and aren’t. What about that young man?”
“He’s the one I’m truly sorry for.”
“Yes,” said Lady Mont. “Every man commits adultery in his heart, but not in cars.”
“It’s not truth but appearances that matter, Aunt Em.”
“Circumstantial, Lawrence says—provin’ they did when they didn’t. More reliable that way, he thinks; otherwise, he says, when they didn’t you could prove they did. Is that right, Dinny?”
“No, dear.”
“Well, I must go home to your mother. She doesn’t eat a thing—sits and reads and looks pale. And Con won’t go near his Club. Fleur wants us and them to go to Monte Carlo in her car when it’s over. She says we shall be in our element, and that Riggs CAN drive on the right-hand side of the road when he remembers.”
Dinny shook her head.
“Nothing like one’s own hole, Auntie.”
“I don’t like creepin’,” said Lady Mont. “Kiss me. And get married soon.”
When she had swayed out of the room, Dinny stood looking out into the Square.
How incorrigible was that prepossession! Aunt Em and Uncle Adrian, her father and her mother, Fleur, yes and even Clare herself—all anxious that she should marry Dornford and be done with it!
And what good would it do any of them? Whence came this instinct for pressing people into each other’s arms? If she had any use in the world, would that increase it? ‘For the procreation of children,’ went the words of the old order. The world had to be carried on! Why had the world to be carried on? Everybody used the word ‘hell’ in connection with it nowadays. Nothing to look forward to but brave new world!
‘Or the Catholic church,’ she thought, ‘and I don’t believe in either.’
She opened the window, and leaned against its frame. A fly buzzed at her; she blew it away, and it instantly came back. Flies! They fulfilled a purpose. What purpose? While they were alive they were alive; when they were dead they were dead. ‘But not half-alive,’ she thought. She blew again, and this time the fly did not come back.