• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

'What does it amount to?' Tietjens said patiently: 'What Sylvia "let drop"?'

'Only,' the General answered, 'that you are--that your views are--immoral. Of course they often puzzle me. And, of course, if you have views that aren't the same as other people's, and don't keep them to yourself, other people will suspect you of immorality. That's what put Paul Sandbach on your track!...and that you're extravagant...Oh, hang it...Eternal hansoms, and taxis and telegrams...You know, my boy, times aren't what they were when your father and I married. We used to say you could do it on five hundred a year as a younger son...And then this girl too...' His voice took on a more agitated note of shyness--pain...'It probably hadn't occurred to you...But, of course, Sylvia has an income of her own...And, don't you see...if you outrun the constable and...In short, you're spending Sylvia's money on the other girl, and that's what people can't stand.' He added quickly: 'I'm bound to say that Mrs Satterthwaite backs you through thick and thin. Thick and thin! Claudine wrote to her. But you know what women are with a handsome son-in-law that's always polite to them. But I may tell you that but for your mother-in-law, Claudine would have cut you out of her visiting list months ago. And you'd have been cut out of some others too...

Tietjens said:

'Thanks. I think that's enough to go on with...Give me a couple of minutes to reflect on what you've said...'

'I'll wash my hands and change my coat,' the General said with intense relief.

At the end of two minutes Tietjens said:

'No; I don't see that there is anything I want to say.' The General exclaimed with enthusiasm:

'That's my good lad! Open confession is next to reform...And...and try to be more respectful to your superiors...Damn it; they say you're brilliant. But I thank heaven I haven't got you in my command...Though I believe you're a good lad. But you're the sort of fellow to set a whole division by the ears...A regular...what's 'is name? A regular Dreyfus!'

'Did you think Dreyfus was guilty?' Tietjens asked.

'Hang it,' the General said, 'he was worse than guilty--the sort of fellow you couldn't believe in and yet couldn't prove anything against. The curse of the world...

Tietjens said:

'Ah.'

'Well, they are,' the General said: 'fellows like that unsettle society. You don't know where you are. You can't judge. They make you uncomfortable...A brilliant fellow too! I believe he's a brigadier-general by now...' He put his arm round Tietjens' shoulders.

'There, there, my dear boy,' he said, 'come and have a sloe gin. That's the real answer to all beastly problems.'

It was some time before Tietjens could get to think of his own problems. The fly that took them back went with the slow pomp of a procession over the winding marsh road in front of the absurdly picturesque red pyramid of the very old town. Tietjens had to listen to the General suggesting that it would be better if he didn't come to the golf-club till Monday. He would get Macmaster some good games. A good, sound fellow that Macmaster now. It was a pity Tietjens hadn't some of his soundness!

Two city men had approached the General on the course and had used some violent invectives against Tietjens: they had objected to being called ruddy swine to their faces: they were going to the police. The General said that he had told them himself, slowly and guiltily, that they were ruddy swine and that they would never get another ticket at that club after Monday. But till Monday, apparently, they had the right to be there and the club wouldn't want scenes. Sandbach, too, was infuriated about Tietjens.

Tietjens said that the fault lay with the times that permitted the introduction into gentlemen's company of such social swipes as Sandbach. One acted perfectly correctly, and then a dirty little beggar like that put dirty little constructions on it and ran about and bleated. He added that he knew Sandbach was the General's brother-in-law, but