It was just three weeks after the baby's death, and Dodo was sitting
in her room about eleven o'clock in the morning, yawning dismally over
a novel, but she was conscious of a certain relief, a sense of effort
suspended. Late the evening before, Lord Chesterford had consulted
her about some business down at Harchester, and Dodo, in a moment of
inspiration, had said that it must be done by someone on the spot, that
an agent was not to be trusted, and that if Chesterford liked she would
go. This, of course, led to his offering to go himself, and would Dodo
come with him? Dodo had replied that she was quite willing to go, but
that there was no need of both of them making a tiresome journey on an
infernally hot day. Chesterford had felt, rather wistfully, that he
would not mind the journey if Dodo was with him, but he had learned
lately not to say such things. Dodo was apt to treat them as nonsense.
"My coming with you wouldn't make it any cooler, or less insufferably
dusty," she would have said. The result was that Chesterford went, and
Dodo was left alone' in London, with a distinct sense of relief and
relaxation.
Dodo's next move was to send a note to Jack, saying that he was going
to come and lunch with her. She was not conscious of any sense of
deception in this, but she had seen that Chesterford had not cared to
see anybody since the baby's death, except Mrs. Vivian, whereas she
longed to be in the midst of people again. So, whenever opportunities
occurred, she had been in the habit of seeing what she could of her
friends, but was very careful not to bore her husband with them. She
was quite alive to the truth of Mrs. Vivian's remarks.
But though Dodo felt a great relief in her husband's absence, she was
more than ever conscious of the unutterable stupidity of spending,
day after day doing nothing. It was something even to keep it up with
Chesterford, but now there was nothing to do--nothing. Still, Jack, was
coming to lunch, and perhaps she might get through a few hours that
way. Chesterford had said Be would be back that night late or next
morning.
The footman came in bearing a card. "Jack already," thought Dodo, with
wonder. But it was not Jack. Dodo looked at it and pondered a moment.
"Tell Lady Bretton I will see her," she said.
A few moments afterwards Lady Bretton rustled into the room. Dodo had
always thought her rather like a barmaid, and she was sure that she
would attract many customers at any public-house. She was charmingly
pretty, and always said the right thing. Dodo felt she ought to know
why she had come, but couldn't quite remember. But she was not left in
doubt long.
"Dearest Dodo," said Lady Bretton, "I have wanted to come and see you
dreadfully, only I haven't been able. You know Lucas has been at home
all this week."
Then it flashed upon Dodo.
"He comes of age to-day, you know, and we are giving a ball. I was so
dreadfully shocked to hear your bad news, and am delighted to see you
looking so well considering. Is Lord Chesterford at home?"
"No," said Dodo, as if weighing something in her mind. "He may come
to-night, but I don't really expect him till to-morrow morning."
"Has he gone on some visit?" asked she. "I didn't suppose--"
"No, he's only gone on business to Harchester. He hasn't, of course,
been out at all. But--"
Dodo paused.
Then she got quickly up from her chair, and clapped her hands.
"Yes, I will come. I am dying to go out again. Who leads the cotillion
with me? Tommy Ledgers, isn't it? Oh, I shall enjoy it. I'm nearly dead
for want of something to do. And he can dance, too. Yes, I'll come,
but I must be back by half-past two. Chesterford will perhaps come by
the night train getting here at two. I daresay it will be late. Are
you going to have the mirror figure? Do have it. There's no one like
Ledgers for leading that. He led it here with me. It will be like
escaping from penal servitude for life. Talk of treadmills! I'm at the
point of death for want of a dance. Let it begin punctually. I'll be
there by ten sharp if you like. Tell Prince Waldenech I'm coming. He
wrote to say he wouldn't go unless I did. He's badly in love with me.
That doesn't matter, but he can dance. All those Austrians can. I'm
going to have a regular debauch."
"I'm delighted," said Lady Bretton. "I came here to ask you whether you
couldn't possibly come, but I hardly dated. Dear Dodo, it's charming of
you. It will make all the difference. I was in despair this morning. I
had asked Milly Cornish to lead with Ledgers, but she refused, unless I
asked you again first. We'll have a triumphant arch, if you like, with
'Welcome to Dodo' on it."
"Anything you like," said Dodo; "the madder the merrier. Let's see, how
does the hoop figure go?"
Dodo snatched up an old cotillion hoop from where it stood in the
corner with fifty other relics, and began practising it.
"We must have this right," she said; "it's quite new to most people.
You must tell Tommy to come here for an hour this afternoon, and we'll
rehearse. You start with it in the left hand, don't you? and then
cross it over, and hold your partner's hoop in the right. Damn--I beg
your pardon--but it doesn't go right. No, you must send Ledgers. Shall
I want castanets? I think I'd better. We must have the new Spanish
figure. Ah, that is right."
Dodo went through a series of mysterious revolutions with the hoop.
"I feel like a vampire who's got hold of blood again," said Dodo,
pausing to get her breath. "I feel like a fish put back into the
water, like a convict back in his own warm nest. No charge for mixed
metaphors. Supplied free, gratis, _and_ for nothing," she said, with
emphasis.
Lady Bretton put her head a little on one side, and gushed at her. Her
manners were always perfect.
"Now, I'm going to send you off," said Dodo. "Jack's coming to lunch,
and I've got a lot to do. Jack who?' Jack Broxton, of course. Will he
be with, you to-night? No?--I shall tell him I'm coming. You see if he
doesn't come too. You sent him a card, of course. After lunch I shall
want Tommy. Mind he comes. Good-bye."
Dodo felt herself again. There was the double relief of Chesterford's
absence, and there was something to do. She hummed a little French
song, snapped her castanets, and pitched her novel into the grate.
"Oh, this great big world," she said, "you've been dead, and I've been
dead for a month. Won't we have a resurrection this evening! Come in,
Jack," she went on, as the door opened. "Here's your hoop. Catch it! Do
you know the hoop figure? That's right; no, in your left hand. That's
all with the hoop. Now we waltz."
Jack had a very vague idea as to why he happened to be waltzing with
Dodo. It seemed to him rather like "Alice in Wonderland." However,
he supposed it was all right, and on they went. A collision with the
table, and a slow Stygian stream of ink dropping in a fatal, relentless
manner on to the carpet, caused a stoppage, and Dodo condescended to
explain, which she did all in one sentence.
"Chesterford's gone to Harchester after some stuffy business, and I'm
going to the Brettons' ball, you must come, Jack, I'm going to lead the
cotillion with Tommy, I simply must go, I'm dying to go out again;
and, oh, Jack, I'm awfully glad to see you, and why haven't you been
here for the last twenty years, and I'm out of breath, never mind the
ink."
Dodo stopped from sheer exhaustion, and dropped a blotting-pad on to
the pool of ink, which had now assumed the importance of an inland lake.
"Blanche has been here this morning," she continued, "and I told her
I'd come, and would bring you. You must come, Jack. You're an awfully
early bird, and I haven't got any worms for you, because they've all
turned, owing to the hot weather, I suppose, and I feel so happy I
can't talk sense. Tommy's coming this afternoon to practise. What time
is it? Let's go and have lunch. That will do instead of worms. If
Chesterford goes to attend to bailiff's business, why shouldn't I go
and dance? It really is a kindness to Blanche. Nothing ought to stand
in the way of a kindness. She was in despair; she told me so: herself.
She might have committed suicide. It would have been pleasant to have a
countess's corpse's blood on your head, wouldn't it?"
"I thought Chesterford was here," said Jack.
"Oh, I'm not good enough for you," remarked Dodo. "That's very kind of
you. I suppose you, wouldn't have come, if you had known I should have
had no one to meet you. Well, there isn't a soul, so you can go away if
you like, or join the footmen in the servants' hall. Oh, I am so glad
to be doing something again."
"I'm awfully glad you're coming to-night," said Jack; "it'll do you
good."
"Ain't it a lark?" remarked Dodo, in pure Lancashire dialect, helping
herself largely to beefsteak. "Jack, what'll you drink? Do you want
beer? I'll treat you to what you like. You may dissolve my pearls in
vinegar, if it will give you any satisfaction. Fetch Mr. Broxton my
pearls, I mean some beer," said Dodo, upsetting the salt. "Really,
Jack, I believe I've gone clean cracked. I've upset a lot of salt
over your coat. Pour some claret upon it. Oh, no, that's the other
way round, but I don't see why it shouldn't do. Have some more steak,
Jack. Where's the gravy spoon? Jack, have you been trying to steal the
silver? Oh, there it is. Have some chopped carrots with it. Who's that
ringing at our door-bell? I'm a little--Who is it, Walter? Just go out
and see. Miss Staines? Tell her there's lunch going on and Jack's here.
There's an inducement. Jack, do you like Edith? She's rather loud. Yes,
I agree, but we all make a noise at times. Can't she stop? Oh, very
well, she may go away again. I believe she wouldn't come because you
were here, Jack. I don't think she likes you, but you're a very good
sort in your way. Jack, will you say grace? Chesterford always says
grace. Well, for a Christian gentleman not to know a grace! Bring some
cigarettes, Walter, or would you rather have a cigar, Jack? And some
black coffee. Well, I'm very grateful for _my_ good dinner, and I don't
mind saying so."
Dodo went on talking at the top of her voice, quite continuously. She
asked Jack a dozen questions without waiting for the answer.
"Where shall we go now, Jack?" she continued, when they had finished
coffee--Dodo took three cups and a cigarette with each. "We must go
somewhere. I can leave word for Ledgers to wait. Let's go to the Zoo
and see all the animals in cages. Ah, I sympathise with them. I have
only just got out of my cage myself."
Dodo dragged Jack off to the Zoo, on the top of a bus, and bought
buns for the animals and fruit for the birds, and poked a fierce lion
with the end of her parasol, which the brute bit off, and nearly fell
over into the polar bear's tank, and had all her money stolen by a
pickpocket.
Then she went back home, and found Lord Ledgers, whom she put through
his paces, and then she had tea, and dressed for the ball. She had
ordered a very remarkable ball-dress from Worth's, just before the
baby's death, which had never yet seen the light. It was a soft grey
texture, which Dodo said looked like a sunlit mist, and it was strictly
half mourning. She felt it was a badge of her freedom, and put it on
with a fresh burst of exultation. She had a large bouquet of orchids,
which Lord Bretton had caused to be sent her, and a fan painted by
Watteau, and a French hair-dresser came and "did" her hair. By this
time dinner was ready; and after dinner she sat in her room smoking and
singing French songs to Lord Ledgers, who had come to fetch her, and
at half-past nine the carriage was announced. About the same moment
another carriage drove up to the door, and as Dodo ran downstairs she
found her husband in the hall.
She looked at him a moment with undisguised astonishment, and a frown
gathered on her forehead.
"You here?" she said. "I thought you weren't coming till late."
"I caught the earlier train," he said; "and where are you off to?"
"I'm going to the Brettons' ball," said Dodo frankly; "I can't wait."
He turned round and faced her.
"Oh, Dodo, so soon?" he said.
"Yes, yes, I must," said Dodo. "You know this kills me, this, sticking
here with nothing to do from day to day, and nothing to see, and nobody
to talk to. It's death; I can't bear it."
"Very well," he said gently, "you are quite right to go if you want to.
But I am not coming, Dodo."
Dodo's face brightened.
"No, dear, they don't expect you. I thought you wouldn't be back."
"I shouldn't go in any case," said he.