The Old Adam: A Story of Adventure

by Arnold Bennett

  V.

  Some time after the last hexameter had rolled forth, and the curtain hadfinally fallen on the immense and rapturous success of Carlo Trent'splay in three acts and in verse, Edward Henry, walking about the crowdedstage where the reception was being held, encountered Elsie April, whowas still in her gorgeous dress of green and silver. She was chattingwith Marrier, who instantly left her, thus displaying a discretion suchas an employer would naturally expect from a factotum to whom he waspaying three pounds a week.

  Edward Henry's heart began to beat in a manner which troubled him andmade him wonder what could be happening at the back of the soft-frilledshirt-front that he had obtained in imitation of Mr. Seven Sachs.

  "Not much elbow-room here!" he said lightly. He was very anxious to beequal to the occasion.

  She gazed at him under her emphasized eyebrows. He noticed that therewere little touches of red on her delightful nostrils.

  "No," she answered with direct simplicity. "Suppose we try somewhereelse."

  She turned her back on all the amiable and intellectual babble,descended three steps on the prompt side, and opened a door. The swishof her brocaded spreading skirt was loud and sensuous. He followed herinto an obscure chamber in which several figures were moving to and froand talking.

  "What's this place?" he asked. Involuntarily his voice was diminishedto a whisper.

  "It's one of the discussion-rooms," said she. "It used to be aclassroom, I expect, before the society took the buildings over. Yousee the theatre was the general schoolroom."

  They sat down inobtrusively in an embrasure. None among the mysteriousmoving figures seemed to remark them.

  "But why are they talking in the dark?" Edward Henry asked behind hishand.

  "To begin with, it isn't quite dark," she said. "There's the light ofthe street-lamp through the window. But it has been found that seriousdiscussions can be carried on much better without too much light....I'm not joking." (It was as if in the gloom her ears had caught hisfaint sardonic smile.)

  Said the voice of one of the figures:

  "Can you tell me what is the origin of the decay of realism? Can youtell me that?"

  Suddenly, in the ensuing silence, there was a click and a tiny electriclamp shot its beam. The hand which held the lamp was the hand of CarloTrent. He raised it and flashed the trembling ray in the inquirer'sface. Edward Henry recalled Carlo's objection to excessive electricityin the private drawing-room at Wilkins's.

  "Why do you ask such a question?" Carlo Trent challenged the enquirer,brandishing the lamp. "I ask you why do you ask it?"

  The other also drew forth a lamp and, as it were, cocked it and let itoff at the features of Carlo Trent. And thus the two stood, statuesqueand lit, surrounded by shadowy witnesses of the discussion.

  The door creaked and yet another figure, silhouetted for an instantagainst the illumination of the stage, descended into thediscussion-chamber.

  Carlo Trent tripped towards the newcomer, bent with his lamp, lifteddelicately the hem of the newcomer's trousers, and gazed at the colourof his sock, which was blue.

  "All right!" said he.

  "The champagne and sandwiches are served," said the newcomer.

  "You've not answered me, sir," Carlo Trent faced once more his opponentin the discussion. "You've not answered me."

  Whereupon, the lamps being extinguished, they all filed forth, the doorswung to of its own accord, shutting out the sound of babble from thestage, and Edward Henry and Elsie April were left silent and solitary tothe sole ray of the street-lamp.

  All the Five Towns shrewdness in Edward Henry's character, all thehusband in him, all the father in him, all the son in him, leapt to hislips and tried to say to Elsie, "Shall _we_ go and inspect the champagneand sandwiches too?" and failed to say these incantatory words ofsalvation!

  And the romantic adventurous fool in him rejoiced at their failure. Forhe was adventurously happy in his propinquity to that simple and sincerecreature. He was so happy, and his heart was so active, that he evenmade no caustic characteristic comment on the singular behaviour of thebeings who had just abandoned them to their loneliness. He was alsoproud because he was sitting alone nearly in the dark with a piquant andwealthy, albeit amateur, actress who had just participated in a triumphat which the spiritual aristocracy of London had assisted.