thoughtfully.
‘Why now especially?’
‘Morgan will make—some ghastly muddle.’
‘Poor Tallis.’ And poor Morgan, thought Simon. Poor poor Morgan. Proud Morgan. I must try to help her, he thought. I shall go to her. I shall help her to pick up the pieces. And with the phrase ‘pick up the pieces’ a curious thrill of pleasure shot through him. He would enjoy that somehow, helping Morgan to pick up the pieces.
The car turned into Priory Grove.
‘Oh do look at that poodle, Axel. Isn’t he perfectly sweet?’
‘Don’t be soppy, dear boy. Yes, he is rather nice.’
‘I do wish we could have a cat, Axel. Don’t you think we could?’
‘It would be too much of a responsibility, Simon. We did agree about that before, you know. We’re out all day. How would it get in and out?’
‘We could have a cat-flap.’
‘A cat-flap! Sorry, no!’
‘I would accept the responsibility. And think of the pleasure of a beastie in the house!’
‘One beastie in the house is quite enough! We’d be enslaved by the animal.’
‘But I’d love that!’
‘ “If you want to eat spaghetti you must use your teeth.” Wittgenstein.’
‘I don’t think Wittgenstein really said any of those things you say he said!’
‘Hell, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to park.’
‘When I first knew this road there wasn’t a single car in it.’
‘You make that remark every time we go to Rupert’s.’
‘Sorry to be such a bore, darling!’
‘No, no, it’s rather nice and cosy to hear these repetitions.’
‘Axel!’
‘Yes.’
‘The way your hair grows down the back of your neck drives me completely and absolutely crazy.’
‘Good show.’
‘Will you love me forever?’
‘Haven’t the faintest idea.’
‘I’ll love you forever.’
‘Decent of you. Could we get in there, I wonder?’
‘No, I don’t think so. You’re Apollo and I’m Marsyas. You’ll end by flaying me.’
‘That’s an image of love, actually. Apollo and Marsyas.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘The agony of Marsyas is the inevitable agony of the human soul in its desire to achieve God.’
‘The things you know.’
‘The things you failed to learn at the Courtauld.’
‘I don’t believe it though. Someone is flayed really. And there’s only blood and pain and no love.’
‘You think our planet is like that.’
‘I think our planet is like that?’
‘No redeeming grace?’
‘None at all.’
‘None, Simon?’
‘Well, only this kind.’
‘What do you mean, only this kind? Now, Simon, please, not just outside Rupert’s house!’
CHAPTER THREE
‘OH HELLO MY DEARS!’ cried Hilda, jumping up.
Axel and Simon emerged through the French windows into the garden. Simon lifted his hand against the dazzle from the flickering blue pool.
‘Sorry we’re late, darling,’ said Simon. ‘Here, we’ve brought you a tiny bouquet with lots and lots of love. Let me kiss you. Hello, Rupert. Whoopee and all that.’
‘We congratulate you on the longevity of your married bliss,’ said Axel. ‘Evening, Rupert. We meet again.’
‘Oh Simon, what wonderful flowers and so many of them! I don’t think anyone has ever given me such a huge bunch in my life. You’re positively staggering under it!’
‘Good, I hoped to break a record.’
‘Let me refresh them in the pool. Then I’ll find a vase directly. Axel, could you open this bottle of champagne, you do it in such a masterly way and Rupert always smashes something. I’m afraid Rupert and I seem to have drunk nearly a whole bottle while we were waiting for you!’
‘Very sensible of you,’ said Simon. ‘Now we must catch up. Gosh, it’s hot. We expected to find you in the pool.’
The cork flew out and plopped neatly into the water. Creamy champagne flowed into four glasses.
‘Happiness, my pets!’ cried Simon. ‘Happiness!’
‘Happiness!’ they all said and drank.
‘I’ll just put these in a vase,’ said Hilda. Carrying the flowers she moved
‘Why now especially?’
‘Morgan will make—some ghastly muddle.’
‘Poor Tallis.’ And poor Morgan, thought Simon. Poor poor Morgan. Proud Morgan. I must try to help her, he thought. I shall go to her. I shall help her to pick up the pieces. And with the phrase ‘pick up the pieces’ a curious thrill of pleasure shot through him. He would enjoy that somehow, helping Morgan to pick up the pieces.
The car turned into Priory Grove.
‘Oh do look at that poodle, Axel. Isn’t he perfectly sweet?’
‘Don’t be soppy, dear boy. Yes, he is rather nice.’
‘I do wish we could have a cat, Axel. Don’t you think we could?’
‘It would be too much of a responsibility, Simon. We did agree about that before, you know. We’re out all day. How would it get in and out?’
‘We could have a cat-flap.’
‘A cat-flap! Sorry, no!’
‘I would accept the responsibility. And think of the pleasure of a beastie in the house!’
‘One beastie in the house is quite enough! We’d be enslaved by the animal.’
‘But I’d love that!’
‘ “If you want to eat spaghetti you must use your teeth.” Wittgenstein.’
‘I don’t think Wittgenstein really said any of those things you say he said!’
‘Hell, there doesn’t seem to be anywhere to park.’
‘When I first knew this road there wasn’t a single car in it.’
‘You make that remark every time we go to Rupert’s.’
‘Sorry to be such a bore, darling!’
‘No, no, it’s rather nice and cosy to hear these repetitions.’
‘Axel!’
‘Yes.’
‘The way your hair grows down the back of your neck drives me completely and absolutely crazy.’
‘Good show.’
‘Will you love me forever?’
‘Haven’t the faintest idea.’
‘I’ll love you forever.’
‘Decent of you. Could we get in there, I wonder?’
‘No, I don’t think so. You’re Apollo and I’m Marsyas. You’ll end by flaying me.’
‘That’s an image of love, actually. Apollo and Marsyas.’
‘How do you mean?’
‘The agony of Marsyas is the inevitable agony of the human soul in its desire to achieve God.’
‘The things you know.’
‘The things you failed to learn at the Courtauld.’
‘I don’t believe it though. Someone is flayed really. And there’s only blood and pain and no love.’
‘You think our planet is like that.’
‘I think our planet is like that?’
‘No redeeming grace?’
‘None at all.’
‘None, Simon?’
‘Well, only this kind.’
‘What do you mean, only this kind? Now, Simon, please, not just outside Rupert’s house!’
CHAPTER THREE
‘OH HELLO MY DEARS!’ cried Hilda, jumping up.
Axel and Simon emerged through the French windows into the garden. Simon lifted his hand against the dazzle from the flickering blue pool.
‘Sorry we’re late, darling,’ said Simon. ‘Here, we’ve brought you a tiny bouquet with lots and lots of love. Let me kiss you. Hello, Rupert. Whoopee and all that.’
‘We congratulate you on the longevity of your married bliss,’ said Axel. ‘Evening, Rupert. We meet again.’
‘Oh Simon, what wonderful flowers and so many of them! I don’t think anyone has ever given me such a huge bunch in my life. You’re positively staggering under it!’
‘Good, I hoped to break a record.’
‘Let me refresh them in the pool. Then I’ll find a vase directly. Axel, could you open this bottle of champagne, you do it in such a masterly way and Rupert always smashes something. I’m afraid Rupert and I seem to have drunk nearly a whole bottle while we were waiting for you!’
‘Very sensible of you,’ said Simon. ‘Now we must catch up. Gosh, it’s hot. We expected to find you in the pool.’
The cork flew out and plopped neatly into the water. Creamy champagne flowed into four glasses.
‘Happiness, my pets!’ cried Simon. ‘Happiness!’
‘Happiness!’ they all said and drank.
‘I’ll just put these in a vase,’ said Hilda. Carrying the flowers she moved
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