pgw.uneasymoney-第2部分

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merous　circles　in　which　he　moved；　were　the　inevitable　conitant　of　popularity；　he　was　satisfied。　And　this　modest　ambition　had　been　realized　for　him　by　a　group　of　what　he　was　accustomed　to　refer　to　as　decent　old　bucks；　who　had　installed　him　as　secretary　of　that　aristocratic　and　exclusive　club；　Brown's　in　St　James　Street；　at　an　annual　salary　of　four　hundred　pounds。　With　that　wealth；　added　to　free　lodging　at　one　of　the　best　clubs　in　London；　perfect　heath；　a　steadily…diminishing　golf　handicap；　and　a　host　of　friends　in　every　walk　of　life；　Bill　had　felt　that　it　would　be　absurd　not　to　be　happy　and　contented。
　But　Claire　had　made　a　difference。　There　was　no　question　of　that。　In　the　first　place；　she　resolutely　declined　to　marry　him　on　four　hundred　pounds　a　year。　She　scoffed　at　four　hundred　pounds　a　year。　To　hear　her　talk；　you　would　have　supposed　that　she　had　been　brought　up　from　the　cradle　to　look　on　four　hundred　pounds　a　year　as　small　change　to　be　disposed　of　in　tips　and　cab　fares。　That　in　itself　would　have　been　enough　to　sow　doubts　in　Bill's　mind　as　to　whether　he　had　really　got　all　the　money　that　a　reasonable　man　needed；　and　Claire　saw　to　it　that　these　doubts　sprouted；　by　confining　her　conversation　on　the　occasions　of　their　meeting　almost　entirely　to　the　great　theme　of　money；　with　its　minor　sub…divisions　of　How　to　get　it；　Why　don't　you　get　it？　and　I'm　sick　and　tired　of　not　having　it。
　She　developed　this　theme　to…day；　not　only　on　the　stairs　leading　to　the　grillroom；　but　even　after　they　had　seated　themselves　at　their　table。　It　was　a　relief　to　Bill　when　the　arrival　of　the　waiter　with　food　caused　a　break　in　the　conversation　and　enabled　him　adroitly　to　change　the　subject。
　'What　have　you　been　doing　this　morning？'　he　asked。
　'I　went　to　see　Maginnis　at　the　theatre。'
　'Oh！'
　'I　had　a　wire　from　him　asking　me　to　call。　They　want　me　to　call。　They　want　me　to　take　up　Claudia　Winslow's　part　in　the　number　one　pany。'
　'That's　good。'
　'Why？'
　'Wellerwhat　I　meanwell；　isn't　it？　What　I　mean　is；　leading　part；　and　so　forth。'
　'In　a　touring　pany？'
　'Yes；　I　see　what　you　mean；'　said　Lord　Dawlish；　who　didn't　at　all。　He　thought　rather　highly　of　the　number　one　panies　that　hailed　from　the　theatre　of　which　Mr　Maginnis　was　proprietor。
　'And　anyhow；　I　ought　to　have　had　the　part　in　the　first　place　instead　of　when　the　tour's　half　over。　They　are　at　Southampton　this　week。　He　wants　me　to　join　them　there　and　go　on　to　Portsmouth　with　them。'
　'You'll　like　Portsmouth。'
　'Why？'
　'Wellergood　links　quite　near。'
　'You　know　I　don't　play　golf。'
　'Nor　do　you。　I　was　forgetting。　Still；　it's　quite　a　jolly　place。'
　'It's　a　horrible　place。　I　loathe　it。　I've　half　a　mind　not　to　go。'
　'Oh；　I　don't　know。'
　'What　do　you　mean？'
　Lord　Dawlish　was　feeling　a　little　sorry　for　himself。　Whatever　he　said　seemed　to　be　the　wrong　thing。　This　evidently　was　one　of　the　days　on　which　Claire　was　not　so　sweet…tempered　as　on　some　other　days。　It　crossed　his　mind　that　of　late　these　irritable　moods　of　hers　had　grown　more　frequent。　It　was　not　her　fault；　poor　girl！　he　told　himself。　She　had　rather　a　rotten　time。
　It　was　always　Lord　Dawlish's　habit　on　these　occasions　to　make　this　excuse　for　Claire。　It　was　such　a　satisfactory　excuse。　It　covered　everything。　But；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　rather　rotten　time　which　she　was　having　was　not　such　a　very　rotten　one。　Reducing　it　to　its　simplest　terms；　and　forgetting　for　the　moment　that　she　was　an　extraordinarily　beautiful　girlwhich　his　lordship　found　it　impossible　to　doall　that　it　amounted　to　was　that；　her　mother　having　but　a　small　ine；　and　existence　in　the　West　Kensington　flat　being　consequently　a　trifle　dull　for　one　with　a　taste　for　the　luxuries　of　life；　Claire　had　gone　on　the　stage。　By　birth　she　belonged　to　a　class　of　which　the　female　members　are　seldom　called　upon　to　earn　money　at　all；　and　that　was　one　count　of　her　grievance　against　Fate。　Another　was　that　she　had　not　done　as　well　on　the　stage　as　she　had　expected　to　do。　When　she　became　engaged　to　Bill　she　had　reached　a　point　where　she　could　obtain　without　difficulty　good　parts　in　the　touring　panies　of　London　successes；　but　beyond　that　it　seemed　it　was　impossible　for　her　to　soar。　It　was　not；　perhaps；　a　very　exhilarating　life；　but；　except　to　the　eyes　of　love；　there　was　nothing　tragic　about　it。　It　was　the　cumulative　effect　of　having　a　mother　in　reduced　circumstances　and　grumbling　about　it；　of　being　pelled　to　work　and　grumbling　about　that；　and　of　achieving　in　her　work　only　a　semi…success　and　grumbling　about　that　also；　thatbacked　by　her　looksenabled　Claire　to　give　quite　a　number　of　people；　and　Bill　Dawlish　in　particular；　the　impression　that　she　was　a　modern　martyr；　only　sustained　by　her　indomitable　courage。
　So　Bill；　being　requested　in　a　peevish　voice　to　explain　what　he　meant　by　saying；　'Oh；　I　don't　know；'　condoned　the　peevishness。　He　then　bent　his　mind　to　the　task　of　trying　to　ascertain　what　he　had　meant。
　'Well；'　he　said；　'what　I　mean　is；　if　you　don't　show　up　won't　it　be　rather　a　jar　for　old　friend　Maginnis？　Won't　he　be　apt　to　foam　at　the　mouth　a　bit　and　stop　giving　you　parts　in　his　panies？'
　'I'm　sick　of　trying　to　please　Maginnis。　What's　the　good？　He　never　gives　me　a　chance　in　London。　I'm　sick　of　being　always　on　tour。　I'm　sick　of　everything。'
　'It's　the　heat；'　said　Lord　Dawlish；　most　injudiciously。
　'It　isn't　the　heat。　It's　you！'
　'Me？　What　have　I　done？'
　'It's　what　you've　not　done。　Why　can't　you　exert　yourself　and　make　some　money？'
　Lord　Dawlish　groaned　a　silent　groan。　By　a　devious　route；　but　with　unfailing　precision；　they　had　e　homing　back　to　the　same　old　subject。
　'We　have　been　engaged　for　six　months；　and　there　seems　about　as　much　chance　of　our　ever　getting　married　as　ofI　can't　think　of　anything　unlikely　enough。　We　shall　go　on　like　this　till　we're　dead。'
　'But；　my　dear　girl！'
　'I　wish　you　wouldn't　talk　to　me　as　if　you　were　my　grandfather。　What　were　you　going　to　say？'
　'Only　that　we　can　get　married　this　afternoon　if　you'll　say　the　word。'
　'Oh；　don't　let　us　go　into　all　that　again！　I'm　not　going　to　marry　on　four　hundred　a　year　and　spend　the　rest　of　my　life　in　a　pokey　little　flat　on　the　edge　of　London。　Why　can't　you　make　more　money？'
　'I　did　have　a　dash　at　it；　you　know。　I　waylaid　old　BodgerColonel　Bodger；　on　the　mittee　of　the　club；　you　knowand　suggested　over　a　whisky…and…soda　that　the　management　of　Brown's　would　be　behaving　like　sportsmen　if　they　bumped　my　salary　up　a　bit；　and　the　old　boy　nearly　strangled　himself　trying　to　suck　down　Scotch　and　laugh　at　the　same　time。　I　give　you　my　word；　he　nearly　expired　on　the　smoking…room　floor。　When　he　came　to　he　said　that　he　wished　I　wouldn't　spring　my　good　things　on　him　so　suddenly；　as　he　had　a　weak　heart。　He　said　they　were　only　paying　me　my　present　salary　because　they　liked　me　so　much。　You　know；　it　was　decent　of　the　old　boy　to　say　that。'
　'What　is　the　good　of　being　liked　by　the　men　in　your　club　if　you　won't　make　any　use　of　it？'
　'How　do　you　mean？'
　'There　are　endless　things　you　could　do。　You　could　have　got　Mr　Breitstein　elected　at　Brown's　if　you　had　liked。　They　wouldn't　have　dreamed　of　blackballing　any　one　proposed　by　a　popular　man　like　you；　and　Mr　Breitstein　asked　you　personally　to　use　your　influenceyou　told　me　so。'
　'But；　my　dear　girlI　mean　my　darlingBreitstein！　He's　the　limit！　He's　the　worst　bounder　in　London。'
　'He's　also　one　of　the　richest　men　in　London。　He　would　have　done　anything　for　you。　And　you　let　him　go！　You　insulted　him！'
　'Insulted　him？'
　'Didn't　you　send　him　an　admission　ticket　to　the　Zoo？'
　'Oh；　well；　yes；　I　did　do　that。　He　thanked　me　and　went　the　following　Sunday。　Amazing　how　these　rich　Johnnies　love　getting　something　for　nothing。　There　was　that　old　American　I　met　down　at　Marvis　Bay　last　year'
　'You　threw　away　a　wonderful　chance　of　making　all　sorts　of　money。　Why；　a　single　tip　from　Mr　Breitstein　would　have　made　your　fortune。'
　'But；　Claire；　you　know；　there　are　some　thingswhat　I　mean　is；　if　they　like　me　at　Brown's；　it's　awfully　decent　of　them　and　all　that；　but　I　couldn't　take　advantage　of　it　to　plant　a　fellow　like　Breitstein　on　them。　It　wouldn't　be　playing　the　game。'
　'Oh；　nonsense！'
　Lord　Dawlish　looked　unhappy；　but　said　nothing。　This　matter　of　Mr　Breitstein　had　been　touched　upon　by　Claire　in　previous　conversations；　and　it　was　a　subject　for　which　he　had　little　liking。　Experience　had　taught　him　that　none　of　the　arguments　which　seemed　so　conclusive　to　himto　wit；　that　the　financier　had　on　two　occasions　only　just　escaped　imprisonment　for　fraud；　and；　what　was　worse；　made　a　noise　when　he　drank　soup；　like　water　running　out　of　a　bathtubhad　the　least　effect　upon　her。　The　only　thing　to　do　when　Mr　Breitstein　came　up　in　the　course　of　chitchat　over　the　festive　board　was　to　stay　quiet　until　he　blew　over。
　'That　old　American　you　met　at　Marvis　Bay；'　said　Claire；　her　memory　flitting　back　to　the　remark　which　she　had　interrupted；　'well；　there's　another　case。　You　could　easily　have　got　him　to　do　something　for　you。'
　'Claire；　really！'　said　his　goaded　lordship；　protestingly。　'How　on　earth？　I　only　met　the　man　on　the　links。'
　'But　you　were　very　nice　to　him。　You　told　me　yourself　that　you　spent　hours　helping　him　to　get　rid　of　his　slice；　whatever　that　is。'
　'We　happened　to　be　the　only　two　down　there　at　the　time；