Resentment was swamped in curiosity. The fellow might be genuinely in love with Ivy, though he modelled himself too closely on the dramatically strong, silent man who bluffly admitted that he was of flesh and blood like other men, that others must take him as they found him. Or he might be trying only to re-establish his ascendancy for a few days or weeks until some other woman came his way. Ivy might boast that she had won free of him, but at least she half-believed in him, at least she had let him off without a word of reproach, at least she was susceptible and even in danger, if he set himself to win her back. Was this new assurance and elation more than the response of a woman’s vanity when she found two men equally desirous of marrying her? Eric looked impatiently on the week which still lay ahead of him. When their engagement was announced, Gaymer must inevitably take himself off, but it was possible to compress a great deal of mischief into one week.
After dinner Eric went out of his way to open conversation with his moody neighbour.
“I understand you’re going to be demobilized shortly,” he began.
“There’s some talk of it,” was the guarded answer.
“What are you thinking of doing?,” Eric persisted, though his companion put no hint of welcome into his manner.
“I’m looking for a well-paid job with good holidays and short hours. Do you know of any?”
“I know of several men who started looking for just that job when they went down from Oxford a dozen years ago. But for the war they’d still be looking for it.”
“Well, if you hear of anything,” said Gaymer in a tone of dismissal, “mind you let me know. Or perhaps you wouldn’t care to take the responsibility of recommending my name? You expressed yourself very fluently on the one occasion when you honoured me with a visit.”
He was clearly undecided whether to end the conversation or to pick a quarrel. Eric knew that it would be wisest to turn round and talk to General Maitland, but Gaymer always employed a contemptuous insolence of manner which roused any combativeness that his audience might have.
“Did I say anything that wasn’t justified?,” Eric asked with an effort of memory.