Shelley has died in his bed, which is perhaps more
than hedeserved. She sat nearly opposite to me, and I could watch her
withoutstaring. This was probably a sentence from one of Folliots silly books
ofreminiscences.
And yet brazen was not quite theword, for it
implies self-consciousness. He was never much out of my mind, andthe reports from
him were cheering.
He had begun to bore people,for the war had created
a mood unfavourable to his antique gossip.
Molliehad called her Corrie, and the name fitted
her.
He treated her shamefully after the Arabin
tradition.
Molliehad called her Corrie, and the name fitted
her.
I took him to dine at the Thursday Club, which had
just beenstarted.
I must think it all out again from thebeginning.
The thing was purely physical, for I found I couldthink quite clearly and sanely.
Ihope youve the right kind of bath salts, Mollie, or Ill be oncrutches to-morrow. Im
trying to find a beastly Greek islet, I said.
But there was one girl who caught and held my eyes.
If you play the fool you may haveindifferent health for the rest of your
days.
You see, we neither of us got better very quickly.
She had the air of being bored with her company.
Only her laugh was ugly, as ifit were a forced
thing. The vocalpeople were apt to be damaged sensitives, who were scarcely
typicalof the average man. Youll find heaps, Corrie dear,Mollie Nantley said, in the
box behind you.
Tom had to get up and read the Riot Act in thesmall
hours. But Vernon was a hard fellow todrive against his will. Vernon, talking idly
to Tom Nantley, suddenly found himselfaddressed. I was so glad to see Colonel
Milburne again.
Ihave noticed the same thing in other cases of head
wounds. Shelley has died in his bed, which is perhaps more than
hedeserved.
I suppose he had beenthere, for he had been
everywhere. He carried Swinburne and Beaudelaire astage further.
Her manner seemed to alternate between an almost
hoydenishvivacity and complete abstraction. You would have laughed if you could have
seen the way I spent mytime. Confound that girl, shehas probably gone to sleep in
her bath. Ihope youve the right kind of bath salts, Mollie, or Ill be oncrutches
to-morrow.
Oh, she has had one kind of success, but not the
best kind. But there was acertain quality, too, which under happier circumstances
might havemade them great. Butfor the present I had to put all that aside and think
only ofgetting well. But that has all gone, andI am back in the fog.
But, Ned dear, you ought to get him to go about
more, forhes really a little old-maidish. Shelley never invitedme, but if I had
arrived he could scarcely have turned me away.