‘Independence,’ said Adrian. ‘I understand the feeling.’
‘Well, if you put it that way, sir, so do I. Still they’ve got wretched home in there, and everything of the best in the ’ospital.’
‘ “Be it never so humble – ” ’ quoted Adrian.
‘That’s right. And in my opinion it’s responsible for these slums. Very slummy round these parts, but try and move the people, and don’t they let you know! The Vicar does good work, reconditionin’ the ’ouses, as they call it. If you want him, I’ll go and tell him.’
‘Oh! I’ll wait.’
‘You’d be surprised,’ said the policeman, ‘the things people’ll put up with sooner than be messed about. And you can call it what you like: Socialism, Communism, Government by the people for the people, all comes to that in the end, messin’ you about. Here! You move on! No hawkin’ in this street!’
A man with a barrow who had looked as if he had been going to cry ‘Winkles!’ altered the shape of his mouth.
Adrian, stirred by the confusion of the policeman’s philosophy, waited in hopes of more, but at this moment Hilary emerged and came towards them.
‘It won’t be their fault if she lives,’ he said, and, answering the policeman’s salute, added: ‘Are those petunias coming up, Bell?’
‘They are, sir; my wife thinks no end of ’em.’
‘Splendid! Look here! You’ll pass the hospital on your way home, you might ask about that child for me; and ring me if the news is bad.’
‘I will, Vicar; pleased to do it.’
‘Thanks, Bell. Now, old man, let’s go in and have some tea.’
Mrs Hilary being at a meeting, the brothers had tea by themselves.
‘I’ve come about Dinny,’ said Adrian, and unfolded her story.
Hilary lighted a pipe. ‘That saying,’ he said at last: ‘ “Judge not that ye be not judged”, is extraordinarily comforting, until you’ve got to do something about it. After that it appears to amount to less than nothing; all action is based on judgements, tacit or not. Is Dinny very much in love?’
Adrian nodded. Hilary drew deeply at his pipe.
‘I don’t like it a little bit, then. I’ve always wanted a clear sky for Dinny; and this looks to me like a sirocco. I suppose no amount of putting it to her from other people’s points of view is any good?’
‘I should say none.’
‘Is there anything you want me to do?’
Adrian shook his head. ‘I only wanted your reaction.’
‘Just sorrow that Dinny’s going to have a bad time. As to that recantation, my cloth rises on me, but whether it rises because I’m a parson, or a public-school Englishman, I don’t know. I suspect the older Adam.’
‘If Dinny means to stick to this,’ said Adrian, ‘one must stick to her. I always feel that if a thing one hates has to happen to a person one loves, one can only help by swallowing the idea of it whole. I shall try to like him and see his point of view.’
‘He probably hasn’t one,’ said Hilary. ‘Au fond, you know, like “Lord Jim”, he just jumped; and he almost certainly knows it at heart.’
‘The more tragic for them both; and the more necessary to stand by.’
Hilary nodded.
‘Poor old Con will be badly hit. It gives such a chance to people to play the Pharisee. I can see the skirts being drawn aside.’
‘Perhaps,’ said Adrian, ‘modern scepticism will just shrug its shoulders and say: “Another little superstition gone west!” ’
Hilary shook his head.
‘Human nature, in the large, will take the view that he kowtowed to save his life. However sceptical people are nowadays about religion, patriotism, the Empire, the word gentleman, and all that, they still don’t like cowardice – to put it crudely. I don’t mean to say that a lot of them aren’t cowards, but they still don’t like it in other people; and if they can safely show their dislike, they will.’
‘Perhaps the thing won’t come out.’
‘Bound to, one way or another; and, for young Desert, the sooner the better. Give him a chance to captain his soul again. Poor little Dinny! This’ll test her sense of humour. Oh! dear me! I feel older. What does Michael say?’
‘Haven’t seen him since.’
‘Do Lawrence and Em know?’
‘Probably.’
‘Otherwise it’s to be kept dark, eh?’
‘Yes. Well, I must be getting on.’
‘I,’ said Hilary, ‘shall carve my feelings into my Roman galley; I shall get half an hour at it, unless that child has collapsed.’