Chapter 2 Of Those On The Floor Above.docx

Chapter 2 Of Those On The Floor Above.docx

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Chapter2OfThoseOnTheFloorAbove

Chapter2OfThoseOnTheFloorAbove

WHILEPROFESSORBLINKWELLandhisniecediscussedbusiness,finance,andmatterswhichmightbedesignatedbyamoresinisterword,Mr.CyrilB.Thurlow,UnitedStatesAmbassadortotheCourtofSt.James,andhisdaughterIrene,wereconsuminganequallysatisfactorybreakfastofgrapefruitandshreddedwheatintheirownsuiteonthefloorabove.

Mr.Thurlow,whosenamehadbeenprominenttwoyearsbeforeasaprobablecandidatefortheUnitedStatespresidency,butwhohadwithdrawninfavourofamorepopularcandidate,hadbeensubsequentlyappointed-inrecognitionofthepartyloyaltywhichhehadshown,andotherexcellentqualificationstotheofficewhichhenowheld.

Havingsecuredthatexaltedposition,hehadmaintaineditshightraditionstothesatisfactionofthenationsconcerned,andwasseldomabsentfromhisofficialresidenceinLondon;butonthisoccasion,thepoliticalskiesbeingclear,andtherebeingasufficientintervalduringwhichnoceremonialfunctionswouldrequirehispresence,hehadlefthisofficialdutiesinthehandsofcapablesecretaries,andfollowedinclinationandhisdaughter'swishesbymakingashortvisittoParis.

Mr.ThurlowwasanAlabamacotton-planter,ofsubstantialwealth,andassuredsocialposition.Hewasknownasamanofsomethingmorethansuperficialscholarship,asacollectorofmedievaltapestries,andasoneofthethreebestafter-dinnerspeakersofhisraceandgeneration.

Hehadshownanothersideofhischaracter,andhadgreatlyincreasedhispopularitywithhisfellow-citizensfiveyearsbeforewhenhehadcomesuddenlyuponthreemenwhowereintheactofkidnappinghisdaughter,inaccordancewithoneofthebestknowncustomsafhisnativeland.

Decliningtheusualinvitationtoraisehishands,hehadpulledouthisowngunwithsuchcelerity,andusedittosucheffect,thatthepolicehadbeensubsequentlycalledupontodonomorethanremoveonedyingandtwoseriouslywoundedmen,whilehisowninjurieshadbeenconfinedtoagrazedcheekandanabbreviationofthe-littlefingerofthelefthand,whichhadbeenshotoffattheupperjoint.

HespokeexcellentEnglish,withaslightpleasantSouthern-Statesdrawl;andthoughheinsistedonpronouncingschedulewithak,forwhichauthoritycanbeadvanced,itisimprobablethatheeverexpressedapprovalofafellow-manbydescribinghimasaswellguy.

HisdaughterIrene,avivaciouslyattractive,ratherimpulsivegirlofnineteenortwentyyears,anonlyandmotherlesschild,hadleftcollegeatherurgency,andtohisownsatisfaction,whenhehadbeenappointedtohispresentposition,sothatshecouldaccompanyhimtoEngland.

Onarrivinginthatcountry,shehadmadeitaprimaryoccupationtodiscoverdescendantsofherFather'sScottishancestors,orlivingrelativesofhermother,whowastraditionallyconnectedwiththeShropshireCharlings.

InthispursuitshehaddonenomoreforherfatherthantoidentifyhisfamilywiththatofanAlexanderThurlowwhowastheproprietorofageneralstoreinasmallvillagenearHaddington.Themanwasofdubiouscharacter,andlessthandubioussobriety,andtherelationshiphadbeenleftunclaimed,afterherfather'sinclinationshadbeenexpressedwithasmuchfreedomofemphasisashewouldoftenallowhimselftouseinhisdaughter'spresence.

Butshehadbeenmoresuccessful,atleasttoherown,ifnottotheambassador's,mindinhersearchforhermother'skin.Theyprovedtobenumerous,ofagoodaveragerespectability,andincludingsomeofmorethanaveragesocialstatus.Consideredbroadly,theywereafamilyinwhichcharmofmannerandspeech,aresilientoptimism,andanopportunistabilitytoavoidtheimpactofadversecircumstance,wereconspicuousabovethemoresolidandpedestrianvirtues,thoughitwouldbeuncharitabletosuggestthatthesemaynothavebeenalsopresent.

Amongthem,WilliamKindell,cousinofLordSparshott,whohadbeenlivinginLondon,withmoreevidenceofleisurethanoccupation,hadshownsomedispositiontoacceptthegenerousEmbassyhospitalitywhichMr.Thurlowhadofferedtothefamilyofhisdeadwife,andwhichhehadlackedexcusetowithdrawwhenhehadobserved,withsomeinwarddissatisfaction,thattheyoungmanappearedtobegaininganexceptionalmeasureofhisdaughter'sregard,especiallyashecouldnotdetectanythinginhisconducteitheropentocriticisminitselforsuggestingthatheregardedIrenewithmorethanthefriendlinessnaturaltotheiragesanddispositions,andtotheblood-relationshipthatexistedbetweenthem.

NowIrenebrokeashortsilencetoask,inthepseudo-casualvoiceofonewhoisself-consciousofspeakingtoooftenonasubjectwhichfillsthemind,andyetcannotresisttheinclinationtodoso,"DidyounoticethatWillKindell'sbeenheresinceyesterday?

"Towhichheansweredwithavagueillogicalfeelingofgrievance（fortheH?

telSplendidewasequallyopentoallwhodressedintherightway,avoidedpublicdisgrace,andcouldpayitsbills）:

"Kindell?

Iwonderwhateverhe'sdoinghere.Isupposehe'snotfollowingus?

"

Irenewouldhavelikedtofeelthatthesuppositionwaswrong,butshehadsomereluctantreasonforadifferentopinion.Shesaid:

"No.Idon'tthinkheknowswe'rehere.It'smorelikelytobesomethingtodowithaProfessorBlinkwell,orsomenamelikethat,onthefloorbelow.IsawhimtalkinglastnighttotheProfessor'sdaughter,unlessshe'shiswife,afatJewish-lookingwoman,buthedidn'tnoticemeasIpassed."

Theambassadorsurprisedhimselfbysaying,"Well,ifhe'sstayinghere,you'dbetteraskhimtolookusup."

Hespokefrommingled,unanalysedfeelingswhichpulledcontraryways.Hewasnaturallyhospitable,andunlikelytofailinfriendlyofficestowardsakinsmaninastrangecity.HehadaclearperceptionthatthepermissionwouldpleaseIrenetodowhichwasalwayshisfirstaim.Hedidnotwishtheyoungman,forwhomhehadonlymoderateliking,tobecometooattractivetoher,buthehadanunreasonablefeelingofresentmentattheideathatWilliamKindellmightnotvaluethatwhichhedidnotmeanhimtohave.IfIreneshouldshowlikingforhim,itwouldbeintolerableforhimtogivepreferencetoProfessorBlinkwell'sniece!

Hethoughthedetected,beyondthefact,atoneofhostilejealousyinIrene'sdescriptionoftheladyinquestion.Likemanymenofspareframe,hehadatendencytoadmirewomenofthemorefleshytypes,andMyramighthavehadsomejustcauseforannoyancehadsheknownthatanyonecalledherfat.Acontrolledplumpness,equallyduetolaziness,goodliving,andaplacidityofconsciencesuchasispossibleonlytothosewhocandoevilwithoutregret,wouldbeafairerdescriptionofthecurvestowhichtheambassadorhadpaidthetributeofanadmiringglanceashehadpassedheruponthestairs.ButtoIrene,subconsciousofherownlitheslimnessandhertenyearsadvantageofyouth,fatwasthefittingword.

Irenehesitatedinherreply,thesimplicityofherdesireforhercousin'scompanywarringagainstthefeminineinstinctthataimslesstopursuethanattractpursuit."Idon'tthink,"shesaid,"I'llcallhimupifhedoesn'tknowthatwe'rehere.Iexpectweshallrunacrosshimsomewhere."

"Yes,"herfatheragreeddrily,"I'dsayweshall."

Heroseupfromthebreakfast-tablesayingthathehadsomecorrespondencewithwhichtodeal,butnomorethancouldbeclearedoffinacoupleofhours.Afterthat,perhapsanearlylunch,andthenwherewouldsheliketogo?

Irenesaidshewouldthinkitover.Herfatherretiredtohisownroom,andlefthertoathoughtfulsolitude,similartothatofMyraonthefloorbelow.

AndmeanwhileWilliamKindell,thecommonsubjectofthesetwoverydifferentconversations,havingbreakfastedinthemoreexpeditiousmannerofthosewhomconversationdoesnotdivert,hadstrolledintothesmoking-roomtopickupapaperwhichhedidnotread,whilehisthoughtsdweltuponthetwoyoungwomenwhohadbeentalkingofhim.

ItwastruethathehadnotseenIrenewhenshehadpassedhimtheeveningbefore,butheknewthatshewasthere,havingsignedthehotelregisterimmediatelybelowtheentryofCyrilB.Thurlowandhisdaughter.Theinformationwouldhavebeenmorewelcomehadhenotcomeinpursuitofanothergirl,andseenalsothepossibilitythathisappearancemightbemisinterpreted,intheabsenceofanexplanationhecouldnotgive.

HelikedIrene,as,indeed,itwaseasytodo.Hadhispositionbeenfree,whentheyhadfirstmet,herownreadylikingforhimmighthavewakenedawarmerresponse.ButthatwasonlyafewdaysafterhisintroductiontoMyraBlinkwell,andthecommencementofaflirtationwhichappearedtohavebeenstimulatedratherthancooledbyherownlazilygood-humouredindifference.

Myramightsaylittleanddoless,butshewasoneofthosewomenwhosephysicalappearancesuggests（perhapsdelusively）,avoluptuousnessofpassionwhichiswaitingtobeawakened,likeafireunlit,butwhichhasbeengenerouslylaid,withpilingofamplelogs.