my head were cast-iron. I simply can’t get drunk; so it’s no good saying that, Phil.”
“But why on earth did you want to get drunk?”
“Because getting drunk,” explained Mrs. Stratton with dignity, “is the only thing worth while. In a life such as I have to lead, getting drunk is the only thing that’s real.”
“ Oh, rubbish,” said Dr. Chalmers, far too robustly.
Mrs. Stratton rolled her eyes. “You can say that, of course. You just don’t happen to know me, that’s all—not the real me.”
Dr. Chalmers dropped into a chair. He knocked out the pipe he had retrieved, and refilled it.
“Now look here, Ena, aren’t you talking a little wildly? I’m quite sure Ronald hadn’t the slightest wish to get rid of you, nor David. If they really did pick you up, then it must have been just horse-play. You mustn’t take that sort of thing seriously, you know.” Dr. Chalmers’s voice was quite treacly with soothing syrup.
“Ronald will find he’s got to take me seriously,” said Ena, setting her mouth like a rat-trap.
“How do you mean?”
“I could make things very awkward for Ronald. Very awkward. And that’s just what I intend to do.”
“But how?”
“I don’t like that woman he thinks he’s going to marry. Mrs. Lefroy.”
“Oh, don’t you? I think she’s particularly charming.”
“Yes, no doubt. It takes a woman to see through her type. I call her a bad lot.”
“Really, Ena, you mustn’t say that kind of thing, you know.”
Ena began to breathe more quickly. “I shall say exactly what I like. I shall say what I think. Mrs. Lefroy isn’t the kind of woman whom I intend to have as a sister-in-law.”
“But why?”
“She’s been extremely rude to me this evening.”
“Oh come, Ena, I’m sure she didn’t mean to be.”
“Oh yes, she did. Do you think I don’t know?”
“But what has she done?”
“Nothing! That’s just the point. She just nodded to me, in the most off-hand way, when we arrived, and hasn’t spoken a word to me all the evening. If she thinks she can treat me like that, she’? quite mistaken.”
“Ena, you’re exaggerating again.”
“I tell you I’m not, Phil. I know. Margot was bad enough, but this woman’s worse. But I can get my own back on them. They’ll soon see that.”
“What are you thinking of doing, Ena? “Dr. Chalmers asked, re-lighting his pipe.
“It’s not what I’m thinking of doing, it’s what I’m jolly well going to do. I’m going to write to the King’s Proctor about the two of them.”
“Oh, nonsense, Ena. You can’t do a thing like that.”
“Can’t I? They’ll very soon see whether I can or not. No, it’s no good you saying anything, Phil. I’ve been thinking about it, up here, and I’ve made up my mind. It’s simply horrible the way they go on. Somebody ought to stop it in any case.”
“But my dear girl, you’ve nothing to go on. This is only guesswork. You’ve no evidence.”
Ena uttered a hard little bray of a laugh. “Oh yes, I have. I’m afraid they’ll be surprised, but I have. And evidence that they won’t be able to explain away, either.”
“But how could you possibly have got it?”
“Never mind that, Phil; I’ve got it. And I’m going to use it. You can tell Ronald so, if you like. I don’t care. If he thinks he can treat me like that in public, he’ll find he’s very much mistaken.”
Dr. Chalmers sighed. The emollient did not seem to have acted. “You’ll feel quite different in the morning, Ena. Believe me, you will.”
“Then I don’t believe you, Phil,” said Mrs. Stratton shortly.
Dr. Chalmers sighed again. He did not believe himself either.
Mrs. Stratton’s bosom began to heave once more. “And as for David …”
“Yes?” asked Dr. Chalmers, disguising with difficulty his apprehension.
Mrs. Stratton sat for a moment or two in silence, while the heaving of her bosom grew more and more tumultuous. Then she almost threw herself round in her
“But why on earth did you want to get drunk?”
“Because getting drunk,” explained Mrs. Stratton with dignity, “is the only thing worth while. In a life such as I have to lead, getting drunk is the only thing that’s real.”
“ Oh, rubbish,” said Dr. Chalmers, far too robustly.
Mrs. Stratton rolled her eyes. “You can say that, of course. You just don’t happen to know me, that’s all—not the real me.”
Dr. Chalmers dropped into a chair. He knocked out the pipe he had retrieved, and refilled it.
“Now look here, Ena, aren’t you talking a little wildly? I’m quite sure Ronald hadn’t the slightest wish to get rid of you, nor David. If they really did pick you up, then it must have been just horse-play. You mustn’t take that sort of thing seriously, you know.” Dr. Chalmers’s voice was quite treacly with soothing syrup.
“Ronald will find he’s got to take me seriously,” said Ena, setting her mouth like a rat-trap.
“How do you mean?”
“I could make things very awkward for Ronald. Very awkward. And that’s just what I intend to do.”
“But how?”
“I don’t like that woman he thinks he’s going to marry. Mrs. Lefroy.”
“Oh, don’t you? I think she’s particularly charming.”
“Yes, no doubt. It takes a woman to see through her type. I call her a bad lot.”
“Really, Ena, you mustn’t say that kind of thing, you know.”
Ena began to breathe more quickly. “I shall say exactly what I like. I shall say what I think. Mrs. Lefroy isn’t the kind of woman whom I intend to have as a sister-in-law.”
“But why?”
“She’s been extremely rude to me this evening.”
“Oh come, Ena, I’m sure she didn’t mean to be.”
“Oh yes, she did. Do you think I don’t know?”
“But what has she done?”
“Nothing! That’s just the point. She just nodded to me, in the most off-hand way, when we arrived, and hasn’t spoken a word to me all the evening. If she thinks she can treat me like that, she’? quite mistaken.”
“Ena, you’re exaggerating again.”
“I tell you I’m not, Phil. I know. Margot was bad enough, but this woman’s worse. But I can get my own back on them. They’ll soon see that.”
“What are you thinking of doing, Ena? “Dr. Chalmers asked, re-lighting his pipe.
“It’s not what I’m thinking of doing, it’s what I’m jolly well going to do. I’m going to write to the King’s Proctor about the two of them.”
“Oh, nonsense, Ena. You can’t do a thing like that.”
“Can’t I? They’ll very soon see whether I can or not. No, it’s no good you saying anything, Phil. I’ve been thinking about it, up here, and I’ve made up my mind. It’s simply horrible the way they go on. Somebody ought to stop it in any case.”
“But my dear girl, you’ve nothing to go on. This is only guesswork. You’ve no evidence.”
Ena uttered a hard little bray of a laugh. “Oh yes, I have. I’m afraid they’ll be surprised, but I have. And evidence that they won’t be able to explain away, either.”
“But how could you possibly have got it?”
“Never mind that, Phil; I’ve got it. And I’m going to use it. You can tell Ronald so, if you like. I don’t care. If he thinks he can treat me like that in public, he’ll find he’s very much mistaken.”
Dr. Chalmers sighed. The emollient did not seem to have acted. “You’ll feel quite different in the morning, Ena. Believe me, you will.”
“Then I don’t believe you, Phil,” said Mrs. Stratton shortly.
Dr. Chalmers sighed again. He did not believe himself either.
Mrs. Stratton’s bosom began to heave once more. “And as for David …”
“Yes?” asked Dr. Chalmers, disguising with difficulty his apprehension.
Mrs. Stratton sat for a moment or two in silence, while the heaving of her bosom grew more and more tumultuous. Then she almost threw herself round in her
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