Phyllida didn't know. His father, I think she told me, was a surveyor, and she presumed that he intended to be a surveyor too. And an excellent profession, I should imagine, with the big estates being broken up and the properties changing hands everywhere. Brackenbury had an offer for the Hall—some wealthy contractor... I couldn't help smiling to think how our father would have dealt with him. Brackenbury let him off far too lightly, I thought, and tried to justify himself to me by saying that it was a very tempting offer... As if they needed money...
I had made up my mind at the outset to do nothing precipitate. The war has made girls quite dangerously romantic, and any opposition might have created—artificially—a most undesirable attachment. I knew that Phyllida had these young officers through her hands in dozens; and, though I was naturally anxious, I knew that in a few weeks or months our paragon would be back in Flanders or Devonshire—out of Christine Malleson's hospital, at all events. I commended my spirit, so to say...
He came to call—Colonel Butler did. I so little expected him—or any one else, for that matter; the war has done that for us—that I'd given no orders, and he was shewn up. Norden—you remember him? They took him for the army, though I wrote a personal letter to the War Office... A man with varicose veins and three small children... Norden would have known better, but I'd no one but maids, who don't know and don't care... Colonel Butler was shewn up, still not quite at ease, and I made myself as gracious as possible. D'you know, I thought it quite dear of him? His mother had told him that he must always call at any house where he'd had a meal—even luncheon, apparently, in war-time; as Will said, when I told him, I'm glad there aren't many wild mothers like that, roaming at large... He sat and talked—quite intelligently; I want to give him his due—; I rang for tea... He hadn't learned the art of going... We got on famously until he began speaking of Phyllida; the first time it was "your niece," then almost at once "Phyllida." I said "Lady Phyllida"—I must have said it three times, but he was quite impervious. Then Phyllida came in and openly called him "Hilary." ... They were dining together, it seemed, and going to a play. I try to conceal my palæolithic remains in dealing with Phyllida, but I did say "By yourselves?" Oh, yes, the most natural thing in the world... I reminded her that Will was home on leave, but the hint was not taken. Off they went...
If I were not very fond of Phyllida, I shouldn't take so much trouble about her... And I always have to remember that Ruth is too busy painting and powdering ever to think of her own daughter. I suppose she feels that her looks are the only thing that keeps Brackenbury enslaved... What was I saying? Oh, about poor Phyllida. It is to my credit that I insisted on a proper settlement when Brackenbury was mooning about like a love-sick boy; she has four thousand when she's of age and she'll have another three when the parents die—enough, you will agree, to tempt some men. I happened to mention at dinner that this Colonel Butler had called, and Will became greatly concerned. It was quite disinterested, because I have always felt that, if he ever dropped the handkerchief, I could make a good guess who would pick it up. Will quite clearly thought, with me, that Colonel Butler was in earnest and that poor Phyllida was slipping into his toils...
An opportunity came to me two or three days before my operation. Phyllida—she was quite brazen about it—admitted that she had dined with her hero four times in one week. That was on a Saturday; I'm glad to say that she hasn't become democratic enough to go to these picture-houses, and there was nothing to do on Sunday. I told her she might ask Colonel Butler to dine with us. And, when he came, I took occasion to speak rather freely to him.
"I can't help seeing," I said, "that you are very intimate with my niece."
"Oh, I'm devoted to Phyllida," he answered.
"Then," I said, "you'd cut your hand off before you did anything to make people talk about her."
And then I rehearsed these dinners and plays...
"It's not my business," I said. "Phyllida regards me as a lodging-house keeper, but, if your intentions are honourable, I think you should make them known to my brother, Lord Brackenbury." ..