§3
He sat at his lunch alone next day at one of the little tables men choose when they shun company. But to the right of him was the table of the politicians, Adolphus Blenker and Pope of the East Purblow Experiment, and Sir Piper Nicolls, and Munk, the editor of the Daily Rectification, sage men all and deep in those mysterious manipulations and wire-pullings by which the liberal party organization was even then preparing for itself unusual distrust and dislike, and Horatio Blenker was tenoring away after his manner about a case of right and conscience, “Blenking like Winking” was how a silent member had put it once to Brumley in a gust of hostile criticism. “Practically if she marries again, she is a pauper,” struck on Brumley’s ears.
“Of course,” said Mr. Brumley, and stopped eating.
“I don’t know if you remember the particulars of the Astor case,” began Munk....
Never had Mr. Brumley come so frankly to eavesdropping. But he heard no more of Lady Harman. Munk had to quote the rights and wrongs of various American wills, and then Mr. Pope seized his opportunity. “At East Purblow,” he went on, “in quite a number of instances we had to envisage this problem of the widow——”
Mr. Brumley pushed back his plate and strolled towards the desk.
It was exactly what he might have expected, what indeed had been at the back of his mind all along, and on the whole he was glad. Naturally she hesitated; naturally she wanted time to think, and as naturally it was impossible for her to tell him what it was she was thinking about.
They would marry. They must marry. Love has claims supreme over all other claims and he felt no doubt that for her his comparative poverty of two thousand a year would mean infinitely more happiness than she had ever known or could know with Sir Isaac’s wealth. She was reluctant, of course, to become dependent upon him until he made it clear to her what infinite pleasure it would be for him to supply her needs. Should he write to her forthwith? He outlined a letter in his mind, a very fine and generous letter, good phrases came, and then he reflected that it would be difficult to explain to her just how he had learnt of her peculiar situation. It would be far more seemly to wait either for a public announcement or for some intimation from her.
And then he began to realize that this meant the end of all their work at the Hostels. In his first satisfaction at escaping that possible great motor-car and all the superfluities of Sir Isaac’s accumulation, he had forgotten that side of the business....
When one came to think it over, the Hostels did complicate the problem. It was ingenious of Sir Isaac....
It was infernally ingenious of Sir Isaac....
He could not remain in the club for fear that somebody might presently come talking to him and interrupt his train of thought. He went out into the streets.
These Hostels upset everything.
What he had supposed to be a way of escape was really the mouth of a net.
Whichever way they turned Sir Isaac crippled them....