Loving, Living, Party Going

by Henry Green

  'I don't know for sure, but it'll be more than in factories.'

  'Yes, but I don't know the trade.'

  'They'd learn you. You see Bert there's not so many white men out there, here there's too many, that's what keeps wages low. I say go out to where a working chap's wanted, not where there's too many already.'

  'Well and if we did go out, what about the 'eat. Could you stand the 'eat. It's the tropics where tea grows you know.'

  'Oh yes I could stand it, yes I like it where it's warm.'

  'Ah, but it's hot out there. How'd you know you could?'

  'H.O.T. – warm,' she said and rubbed arm between palms of her hand. 'I know I could dear,' she said and he kissed her while she laughed at him. 'Crazyhead' he kept on saying to her then.

  Miss Glossop was downcast. We have seen her feeling, when she thought of Tom Tyler, had been like a tropical ocean with an infinite variety of colour. As her boat came near dry land you-could see coral reefs and the seaweed where in and out went bright fishes, as her thoughts turned to him so you could see all these in her eyes. Further out in the deep sea, in her deeper feeling about him when he was away, now and again dolphins came up to feed on the surface of that ocean. And in her passage she disturbed shoals of flying fish. These were the orchestration of her feelings, so transparently her feeling lapped him and her thoughts, in shoals, fed on the top, or hung poised for two moments in the shallows.

  All this was so when he had come back only more so – the dolphins played more often and her boat, thrusting along, disturbed more flying fish. In the shallows was a greater activity, halcyon weather. Every day shone the sun, every day the sea took on new values. And every day at that time there was a look about her eyes of an excited stupefaction at these things.

  Then, as we know, it was taken away. When he repulsed her it seemed she was on a boat surveying that discoloured feeling, that desolation in the sea when sky is grey and dark. And always the boat was circling round that land. Then, as we have seen, tropical birds came out and rested on this ship. One by one they reminded her she was on a particular sea, and near land very particular to her. Weeping, weeping, when she was reminded in this way of how bright her conceits had been, weeping she added to an ocean made up, as she was then thinking, of tears shed at the perfidy of man.

  Her mother, seeing this, insisted that she must go out often, to be distracted. So when she came to dinner with the Duprets, that dinner which had so often been put off, she was still circling round her memory of Tom Tyler, only each day she circled a little wider, a little farther off.

  But stretch this simile, and, having given Tom Tyler one island, make archipelago about him – though each day she circled farther from Mr Tyler yet she did not draw any nearer to where Dick lay. Nor any nearer to her mother's island.

  Mrs Dupret had told son she too had heard Miss Glossop was in love with Mr Tyler but that he was not in love with her. She told him he would catch the girl on the rebound. So when at last Miss Glossop came to dinner this moment seemed of great importance to him.

  When she came into room he dared not look at her. At the same time he could not answer girl he was talking to so she thought sudden blankness in him must be because of pains in his stomach. Mrs Dupret called out: 'Dick, where are your manners, darling? Here is Hannah,' and he went over. Then girl he had been talking to saw just how it all was, that he was in love. He went over. He shook Miss Glossop by the hand. He could not find anything to say to her. At last he said in despair: 'What have you been doing? I haven't seen you for ages.' She said something about country house-parties and hunt balls and he thought 'Oh if she could have said – I have been in love and have been thrown over then oh then he would have said – I am in love, but my love is not returned!' Then would they have talked of this, each sympathizing with the other and then gradually he would have taught her it was she he was in love with. Then she would have seen what miserable sort of man was Mr Tyler.

  As it was she said nothing and was another silence between them. Then he said he wished they would hurry up with dinner and she answered she was sorry she was so dull that he must long for escape to a meal. 'Not at all, no, no, it's only that I'm hungry. Heavens, I didn't mean...'

  'Oh all right, all right. Don't let's go on with that,' she said and said no more. He moved off feeling if he could shoot himself he would do then.

  Very disturbed he went to his mother and drew her aside. He said she must change places at dinner, he could not sit next to Hannah. Mrs Dupret became helpless. She said what was the matter? and he answered Hannah was angry with him, would not speak to him.

  'But how can I change all the places now dear. Look here comes Pringle now.'

  'Dinner is served madam.'

  'No dear, you must sit next her, it's too late now. And I don't suppose she is angry with you, darling. How can I change all the places now, I can't, can I?'

  Terribly disturbed he took her down to dinner. People on either side of them began talking away from them, they were left high and dry.

  When, party went he stayed on over – was nothing for him to do in London, the business ran itself, nothing to do but sign cheques on Thursday and this was Tuesday. He took boat and rowed on the river. What a new year, he thought in mind, what a new year, father dead and now Miss Glossop was over, that was done with!

  River was brown and flowed rapidly down to the sea. On either side the violet land under this grey sky. Trees on either side graciously inclined this way and that, leaning on his oars he watched these and rooks that out of the sky came peaceably down on fields.

  He thought in his mind here was end of another chapter, another episode done with (Miss Glossop had been rude to him whenever she could be rude.) He thought his mistake had been at all to mix with these people, he had no place here, he was like father in that who had never really mixed but had led his own life. Why, he asked in mind, should you leave your life lying about to be cut in pieces by Miss Glossop. And, when it was cut to ribbons, for other Miss Glossops to watch it lying there and be diverted by it. One should go away he thought.

  One might go to foreign countries but what was in these but nausea of travelling, hotels, trains, languages you did not know, Americans? Besides it was work he wanted.

  So gradually he decided he would go to Birmingham. Hadn't mother told him it was his own fault now if works were not satisfactory. He would take Walters and Archer and they would spend a week or two there. They would have a grand clear out, Tarver was not having a square deal – an early spring cleaning. Work, that was it, he would work.

  14

  Tuesday afternoon Mr Dupret went to London. He went to offices. He found Mr Walters and said he wanted him to come down also to factory tomorrow. Mr Walters said he was too busy, and what did he want him for? Mr Dupret said he was going to make thorough study of the place, such as he could not do when father was alive. He said he was taking Archer with him. Walters asked why he wanted to take Archer?

  'Because I want to!'

  'Right you are Dick. How long will you be down there?'

  Mr Dupret said he did not know yet. When Walters was gone he was very angry with him. He thought Mr Walters couldn't be bothered to come down could he, and oh yes Walters ran the business didn't he! Well, Mr Dupret was going to run business now.

  Meanwhile Mr Archer was telephoning Tarver that they were coming down, he did not know what for.

  Meanwhile Mr Craigan was in bed. He was coming to work in morning and a shower had caught him, had wetted his clothes through, and all day he had worked in wet clothes so that next morning he stayed in bed with a fever. His hands trembled, trembled at the bed-clothes. Lily was very frightened.

  What was most on the old man's mind was thought of Bert Jones. He felt pretty certain Dupret factory would not turn him off when he got old age pension, when he had said they would it was only because he was depressed, yet you could not go on always working and he looked forward to living in Dale's house, with Lily his wife, till the end
. They were both grateful to him, he had saved, and was more money in their house than in any on the street. But if she married Jones then those two would go off, Gates would leave him, he would be alone as he was when he first came to Birmingham.

  Year after year Lily had grown to be his daughter, not Gates' daughter. Craigan was fonder of her now than if she had been his own. And Bert he knew, he knew was no good, he would never bring regular money to the house.

  Lily came in then. Mr Craigan suddenly began talking and before he knew when or how, he was having it out with her.

  He spoke calmly. He said Jones was a decent living man but that was it, he was too quiet a man he said, he knew the sort. They would never stay long in the same job that kind, he said, and what a woman wanted was man who brought in the money regular. Then look at his trade, were too many in it. He said he had worked for years and years now, best part of half a century, and he had learned it was not governments nor good times or bad that raised wages, but the demand for men. She had also thought of that.

  'Take foundry work,' he said, 'the young chaps won't 'ave it now, it's too dirty for 'em and too hard, you can't get lads to start in foundries nowadays. In a few years there won't 'ardly be any moulders left and those that can do a clean job then will get any money, any amount o' money!'

  He said she ought to think it over. 'Love's all right for them that 'as Rolls Royces' he said, 'but for the wives of working men it's the money that comes in regular at the end of the week that tells.' He went on, unfortunately, saying didn't she have any gratitude. towards him? What sort of life would she have had with her father, didn't she think he, Craigan, deserved a home when he was too old for work.

  'Why, grandad,' she said, 'you ain't too old for work, there's years in you yet' she said and loved him. Going away she thought of these things. She thought how faithful Dale was to her. And all this time heart had been sinking a little before adventure of going away. (Mr Craigan of course did not know they planned to go away.) She thought more of Jim Dale. He was more practical. And as Mr Craigan said it was the practical that tells. But really it was most practical to go away.

  At cinema.

  'It's like this Lil,' Mr Jones said in whispers, 'when I get out to Canada I may not get a job straight off. I may 'ave to look about a bit and with no money coming in I expect we'll 'ave a tightish time of it to start with. It stands to reason we shall. Then what's the good in your coming out with me just at first. You wait till I get settled in and I'll send word to you.'

  'Yes then yes, then you don't want to 'ave me,' said Miss Gates in a calm voice.

  'Get out, of course I do.' He tried to kiss her but she turned face away.

  'Yes, that's it, off you'll go and leave no address and I'll never have another word of you.'

  'I tell you I'll send for you, of course I will.'

  'Will you?'

  'Crazyhead.' He kissed her. She drew back.

  'But I'll go out along with you, thank you my man,' she said. 'It may make two mouths to feed, yes, but there'll be four hands instead of two. They say there's any amount of work for girls out there.'

  'Well I 'adn't thought of that. There's something in that Lil.'

  'In course there is, silly. I know you're trying to get away from me. But just you try it on. Yes you were.'

  'Crazyhead,' he said, but nearly all spontaneity had gone of their relations to each other.

  'Oh Bert I wish your dad and mother did live in Brummagem and not in Liverpool. It's costly when we want a talk and it's raining and we 'ave to go to the movies to be out of the wet. 'Ow's your technical school going?'

  He lied. He said it was interesting, that he had not missed any classes.

  Walters had telephoned Mr Bridges to say Mr Dupret was coming down. The line had been bad, Bridges had not heard what time he was coming or how long he was staying. So when he arrived Mr Bridges was still making last minute inspection of the factory.

  When Mr Dupret arrived he went with Archer straight to Mr Tarver's office. Cummings found Bridges and told him Mr Dupret had just got in with Archer with him, and had gone to Tarver. Mr Bridges stood still and then, at hearing this, an arrow as it might be pierced him, transfixed his heart. Mr Dupret comes into Tarver's office, Mr Archer with him.

  'Good-morning Tarver, how are we this morning,' said Mr Richard, hearty, thinking he was using Mr Tarver's language.

  'Why squire' Mr Tarver said. He pretended to be surprised, 'Come in sir, come in. The fact is we've not much work in but we're always busy in this department. How are you Archer? As a matter of fact I believe Mr Bridges is going to start the men on short time tomorrow. But this is a bit of a surprise isn't it. Fancy seeing you down 'ere' he said to Mr Archer.

  'Short time, that's a pity' said Mr Dupret. Why wasn't I told he said in mind?

  'Yes here we are on a little expedition down into the provinces' said Mr Archer, 'isn't that so sir? We've left the gay metropolis to pay you a little visit John.'

  'Didn't you know we were coming?' said Mr Dupret.

  'No sir, I didn't hear a word.'

  'That's funny' Mr Dupret said, 'I heard Mr Walters telephone the general manager, I thought he would have told you.'

  'Mr Bridges didn't say anything about it,' Tarver said and thought he would say it was just like him not to say a word, but he remembered then how he had said similar things to Mr Dupret before and it had not come off. So he thought he would let silences speak for themselves.

  'Didn't he?' said Mr Dupret and Archer winked at Tarver, Tarver winked back.

  Was a silence and then was loud noise on the stairs. Mr Bridges came in. Effusively he greeted young Mr Richard. Then he saw Archer.

  'Why dammit it's Archer' he said shaking hands violently. 'What are you doing down 'ere?'

  'Holiday-making,' said Mr Archer, 'holiday-making.'

  'Well he won't get much of a holiday down here will 'e John, if that's what he's come for, it's work down here by God, work all the time.'

  'When you don't put the place on short time,' Mr Dupret said.

  'Ah, I hate to do it, I hate to see the men not drawing their full money at the end of the week. But what can you do? There's no place in all Brummagem that isn't the same. There's no money about, there's nobody buying now, they make do with the old stuff till times get better. But come along to my room will you Mr Dupret.'

  As they were going out of the door Mr Bridges said he was sorry he had not been there when they had arrived, but he had been in the shops. 'What train are you catching back to town so I can order the car.'

  'Well we shan't be going back tonight,' said Mr Dupret, 'we've come down to have a thorough look round the place. We'll be five or six days here.'

  'That's grand,' said Mr Bridges and asked in his mind – what was it now, what was it? Why hadn't Walters told him, he cried in his mind, not that he had anything to hide, but just so as to know to be able to keep him from Tarver and so forth.

  Mr Dale was very solitary kind of man. So when Thursday came and was no work at Dupret's, (for it was first day of the short time that was starting now) being a fine day he went walking into country.

  This day he was bad-tempered. He was young man and he knew he could get work in another foundry he knew of where was better money to be picked up on piece work, for in Dupret foundry was only day work. He was young man, the hard piece-work would not hurt him and again he ought to work in as many shops as he could to learn his trade, as all foundries have different ways of working. And now Dupret's were on short time, he was getting still less money. But he was grateful to Mr Craigan, he could not leave the old man, who was too slow now to work on his own.

  Craigan had private money. Mr Dale was more comfortable in Mr Craigan's house than he would be elsewhere and he had to give Lily less money than he would a landlady because in their house were three wage-earners and but four mouths. If he went to work in another foundry he thought Craigan would not let him stay on.

  And was Lily.

 
He was half hoping he would come across them walking, he knew they were out this way together. Just now he hated her. It was she was keeping him back and on low wages, gratitude or not he would have left Craigan if it hadn't been for her. And he would look at no other girl.

  Just then he came across them. It was at crossroads and they came from behind houses there, walking together very close.

  Lily was excited at short time being started in Dupret factory. Eagerly she and Mr Jones had talked of this. More and more she wanted now to go away. She called to Jim to come and talk with them, to discuss how long this three day week would last at Dupret's. But Mr Dale made as if he did not hear.

  She called again, much louder. Then Mr Dale, anger bursting over in him, picked up small stone and threw it at them, as a boy might, and at once he walked away.

  Mr Jones to make show of dignity shouted hey, hey, no more than hey because the stone had not come near them, but Dale went off.

  That day Mr Dupret sat alone with Bridges in his office. He was very calm, he hated all of them now in a bored way.

  'Mr Bridges,' said he 'we've got to have what the French call a little explanation.'

  The Froggies, Mr Bridges said in mind, nerves on edge, the Froggies what have they got to do with it damn 'em.

  'The point is this, I'm head of this business now and everything must go through me. You see it's only fair, all the money that's put into it is mine.'

  'Of course it's yours,' said Mr Bridges 'and...'

  'No, let me do the talking. The point is that my father with all the whole lot of interests he had hadn't the time to go into everything. Well I'm not on. any boards, this is practically the only concern I'm in, and I want you and Walters to get out of the habit of doing things above my head and without my knowing it'

  'What d'you mean? I...'

  'I mean this, that you and Walters for better or worse, and quite naturally, pretty well ran this business on your own before my father died. But it's different now, I want to take a hand in it.'