第47章

AfewsuchpicturesofthoseearlydaysatBeckenhamstandout，andthenIfindmyselfamongtheChiselhurstmemories。TheChiselhurstmansionhad“grounds“ratherthanameregarden，andtherewasagardener’scottageandalittlelodgeatthegate。

TheascendantmovementwasalwaysfarmoreinevidencetherethanatBeckenham。ThevelocitywasincreasingOnenightpicksitselfoutastypical，as，initsway，markinganepoch。Iwasthere，Ithink，aboutsomeadvertisementstuff，onsomesortofbusinessanyhow，andmyuncleandaunthadcomebackinaflyfromadinnerattheRuncorns。(EventherehewasnibblingatRuncornwiththeideaofourgreatAmalgamationbuddinginhismind。)Igotdownthere，Isuppose，abouteleven。

Ifoundthetwoofthemsittinginthestudy，myauntonachair-armwithawhimsicalpensivenessonherface，regardingmyuncle，andhe，muchextendedandveryrotund，inthelowarm-chairdrawnuptothefender。

“Lookhere，George。”saidmyuncle，aftermyfirstgreetings。“I

justbeensaying：Wearen’tOhFay！”

“Eh？”

“NotOhFay！Socially！”

“OldFLY，hemeans，George——French！”

“Oh！Didn’tthinkofFrench。Oneneverknowswheretohavehim。

What’sgonewrongto-night？”

“Ibeenthinking。Itisn’tanyparticularthing。Iatetoomuchofthatfishystuffatfirst，likesaltfrogspawn，andwasabitconfusedbyolives；and——well，Ididn’tknowwhichwinewaswhich。HadtosayTHATeachtime。Itputsyourtalkallwrong。Andshewasn’tineveningdress，notliketheothers。Wecan’tgooninthatstyle，George——notaproperad。”

“I’mnotsureyouwereright。”Isaid，“inhavingafly。”

“Wegottodoitallbetter。”saidmyuncle，“wegottodoitinStyle。Smartbusiness，smartmen。Shetriestopassitoffashumorous“——myauntpulledagrimace——“itisn’thumorous！See！

We’reontheup-gradenow，fairandsquare。We’regoingtobebig。Wearen’tgoingtobelaughedatasPoovenoos，see！”

“Nobodylaughedatyou。”saidmyaunt。“OldBladder！”

“Nobodyisn’tgoingtolaughatme。”saidmyuncle，glancingathiscontoursandsuddenlysittingup。

Myauntraisedhereyebrowsslightly，swungherfoot，andsaidnothing。

“Wearen’tkeepingpacewithourownprogress，George。Wegotto。We’rebumpingagainstnewpeople，andtheysetuptobegentlefolks——etiquettedinnersandalltherestofit。Theygivethemselvesairsandexpectustobefish-out-of-water。Wearen’tgoingtobe。Theythinkwe’venoStyle。Well，wegivethemStyleforouradvertisements，andwe’regoingtogive’emStyleallthrough。Youneedn’tbeborntoittodancewellonthewiresoftheBondStreettradesmen。See？”

Ihandedhimthecigar-box。

“Runcornhadn’tcigarslikethese。”hesaid，truncatingonelovingly。“Webeathimatcigars。We’llbeathimallround。”

MyauntandIregardedhim，fullofapprehensions。

“Igotidees。”hesaiddarklytothecigar，deepeningourdread。

Hepocketedhiscigar-cutterandspokeagain。

“Wegottolearnalltherottenlittlegamefirst。See，F’rinstance，wegottogetsamplesofalltheblessedwinesthereare——andlearn’emup。Stern，Smoor，Burgundy，allof’em！ShetookSternto-night——andwhenshetasteditfirst——youpulledaface，Susan，youdid。Isawyou。Itsurprisedyou。Youbunchedyournose。Wegottogetusedtowineandnotdothat。Wegottogetusedtowearingeveningdress——YOU，Susan，too。”

“Alwayshavehadatende