‘But I am not in the least cultured, Uncle Lawrence.’
‘I use the infernal word for want of a better, and by it I don’t mean learning. I mean the stamp left by blood plus bringing-up, the two taken strictly together. If that French woman had had your bringing-up, she yet wouldn’t have had your stamp, Dinny; nor would you with her bringing-up have had her stamp. Now look at this pre-war Russian; more fluid and more fluent than any of the others. I found her in the Caledonian Market. That woman must have wanted to go deep into everything, and never wanted to stay there long. I’ll wager she ran through life at a great pace, and, if alive, is still running; and it’s taking much less out of her than it would take out of you. The face gives you the feeling that she’s experienced more emotions, and been less exhausted by them than any of the others. Here’s my Spaniard; perhaps the most interesting of the lot. That’s woman brought up apart from man; I suspect she’s getting rare. There’s a sweetness here, a touch of the convent; not much curiosity, not much energy, a lot of pride, very little conceit; might be devastating in her affections, don’t you think, and rather difficult to talk to? Well, Dinny, will you sit to my young man?’
‘If you really want me to, of course.’
‘I do. This is my hobby. I’ll arrange it. He can come down to you at Condaford. I must get back now and see ‘Snubby’ off. Have you proposed to him yet?’
‘I read him to sleep last night with Hubert’s diary. He dislikes me intensely. I daren’t ask him anything. Is he really “a big noise”, Uncle Lawrence?’
Sir Lawrence nodded mysteriously. ‘Snubby,’ he said, ‘is the ideal public man. He has practically no feelers, and his feelings are always connected with Snubby. You can’t keep a man like him down; he will always be there or thereabouts. India-rubber. Well, well, the State needs him. If we were all thin-skinned, who would sit in the seats of the mighty? They are hard, Dinny, and full of brass tacks. So you’ve wasted your time?’
‘I think I’ve tied a second string to my bow.’
‘Excellent. Hallorsen’s off too. I like that chap. Very American, but sound wood.’
He left her, and, unwilling to encounter again either the india-rubber or the sound wood, Dinny went up to her room.
Next morning by ten o’clock, with the rapidity peculiar to the break-up of house-parties, Fleur and Michael were bearing Adrian and Diana off to Town in their car; the Muskhams had departed by train, and the Squire and Lady Henrietta were motoring across country to their Northamptonshire abode; Aunt Wilmet and Dinny alone were left, but the Tasburghs were coming to lunch and bringing their father.
‘He’s amiable, Dinny,’ said Lady Mont: ‘Old School, very courtly, says “Nevah,” “Evah,” like that. It’s a pity they’ve no money. Jean is strikin’, don’t you think?’
‘She scares me a little, Aunt Em; knows her own mind so completely.’
‘Match-makin’,’ replied her aunt, ‘is rather amusin’. I haven’t done any for a long time. I wonder what Con and your mother will say to me. I shall wake up o’ nights.’
‘First catch your Hubert, Auntie.’
‘I was always fond of Hubert; he has the family face – you haven’t, Dinny, I don’t know where you get your colourin’ – and he looks so well on a horse. Where does he get his breeches?’
‘I don’t believe he’s had a new pair since the war, Auntie.’
‘And he wears nice long waistcoats. Those short waistcoats straight across are so abbreviatin’. I shall send him out with Jean to see the rock borders. There’s nothin’ like portulaca for bringin’ people together. Ah! There’s Boswell and Johnson – I must catch him.’
Hubert arrived soon after noon, and almost the first thing he said was:
‘I’ve changed my mind about having my diary published, Dinny. Exhibiting one’s sore finger is too revolting.’
Thankful that as yet she had taken no steps, she answered meekly:
‘Very well, dear.’
‘I’ve been thinking: If they’re not going to employ me here I might get attached to a Soudan regiment; or I believe they’re short of men for the Indian Police. I shall be jolly glad to get out of the country again. Who’s here?’
‘Only Uncle Lawrence, Aunt Em, and Aunt Wilmet. The Rector and his family are coming to lunch – the Tasburghs, they’re distant cousins.’
‘Oh!’ said Hubert, glumly.
She watched the advent of the Tasburghs almost maliciously. Hubert and young Tasburgh at once discovered mutual service in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf. They were talking about it when Hubert became conscious of Jean. Dinny saw him give her a long look, inquiring and detached, as of a man watching a new kind of bird; saw him avert his eyes, speak and laugh, then gaze back at her.