James, quick to take alarm, began: "You don't look well. I expect you've
taken a chill--it's liver, I shouldn't wonder. Your mother'll give
you...."
But Emily broke in quietly: "Have you brought Irene?"
Soames shook his head.
"No," he stammered, "she--she's left me!"
Emily deserted the mirror before which she was standing. Her tall, full
figure lost its majesty and became very human as she came running over
to Soames.
"My dear boy! My dear boy!"
She put her lips to his forehead, and stroked his hand.
James, too, had turned full towards his son; his face looked older.
"Left you?" he said. "What d'you mean--left you? You never told me she
was going to leave you."
Soames answered surlily: "How could I tell? What's to be done?"
James began walking up and down; he looked strange and stork-like
without a coat. "What's to be done!" he muttered. "How should I know
what's to be done? What's the good of asking me? Nobody tells me
anything, and then they come and ask me what's to be done; and I should
like to know how I'm to tell them! Here's your mother, there she stands;
she doesn't say anything. What I should say you've got to do is to
follow her.."
Soames smiled; his peculiar, supercilious smile had never before looked
pitiable.
Pages:
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444