A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh [60]
more burgundy by the way." "Did Brenda say that?" "Yes. And then you'd been going round a bit with other girls yourself. There was some woman with a Moorish name you had to stay at Hetton while Brenda was there. Well that's a bit thick you know. I'm all for people going their own way but if they do, they can't blame others, if you see what I mean." "Did Brenda say that?" "Yes. Don't think I'm trying to lecture you or anything, but all I feel is that you haven't any right to be vindictive to Brenda, as things are." "She said I drank and was having an affair with the woman with a Moorish name." "Well I don't know she actually said that, but she said you'd been getting tight lately and that you were certainly interested in that girl." The fat young man opposite Tony ordered prunes and cream. Tony said he had finished dinner. He had imagined during the preceding week-end that nothing could now surprise him. "So that really explains what I want to say," continued Reggie blandly. "It's about money. I understand that when Brenda was in a very agitated state just after the death of her child, she consented to some verbal arrangement with you about settlements." "Yes, I'm allowing her five hundred a year." "Well you know I don't think that you have any right to take advantage of her generosity in that way. It was most imprudent of her to consider your proposal-she admits now that she was not really herself when she did so." "What does she suggest instead?" "Let's go outside and have coffee." When they were settled in front of the fire in the empty smoking room, he answered, "Well I've discussed it with the lawyers and with the family and we decided that the sum should be increased to two thousand." "That's quite out of the question. I couldn't begin to afford it." "Well, you know, I have to consider Brenda's interests. She has very little of her own and there will be no more coming to her. My mother's income is an allowance which I pay under my father's will. I shan't be able to give her anything. I am trying to raise everything I can for an expedition to one of the oases in the Lybian desert. This chap Beaver has got practically nothing and doesn't look like earning any. So you see-" "But, my dear Reggie, you know as well as I do that it's out of the question." "It's rather less than a third of your income." "Yes but almost every penny goes on the estate. Do you realise that Brenda and I together haven't spent half the amount a year on our personal expenses. It's all I can do to keep things going as it is." "I didn't expect you'd take this line, Tony. I think its extremely unreasonable of you. After all it's absurd to pretend in these days that a single man can't be perfectly comfortable on four thousand a year. It's more than I've ever had." "It would mean giving up Hetton." "Well I gave up Brakeleigh, and I assure you, my dear fellow, I never regret it. It was a nasty wrench at the time of course, old association and everything like that, but I can tell you this, that when the sale was finally through I felt a different man, free to go where I liked..." "But I don't happen to want to go anywhere else except Hetton." "There's a lot in what these labour fellows say, you know. Big houses are a thing of the past in England I'm afraid." "Tell me, did Brenda realise when she agreed to this proposal that it meant my leaving Hetton." "Yes, it was mentioned I think. I daresay you'll find it quite easy to sell to a school or something like that. I remember the agent said when I was trying to get rid of Brakeleigh that it was a pity it wasn't Gothic because schools and convents always go for Gothic. I daresay you'll get a very comfortable price and find yourself better off in the end than you are now." "No. It's impossible," said Tony. "You're making things extremely awkward for everyone," said Reggie. "I can't understand why you are taking up this attitude." "What is more I don't believe that Brenda ever expected or wanted me to agree." "Oh yes, she did, my dear fellow. I assure you of that." "It's inconceivable." "Well, said Reggie, puffing