魔手31

Eleven

I
On the following day I went mad. Looking back on it, that is really the onlyexplanation I can find.

I was due for my monthly visit to Marcus Kent… I went up by train. Tomy intense surprise Joanna elected to stay behind. As a rule she was eagerto come and we usually stayed up for a couple of days.

This time, however, I proposed to return the same day by the eveningtrain, but even so I was astonished at Joanna. She merely said enigmatic-ally that she’d got plenty to do, and why spend hours in a nasty stuffytrain when it was a lovely day in the country?

That, of course, was undeniable, but sounded very unlike Joanna.

She said she didn’t want the car, so I was to drive it to the station andleave it parked there against my return.

The station of Lymstock is situated, for some obscure reason known torailway companies only, quite half a mile from Lymstock itself. Halfwayalong the road I overtook Megan shuffling along in an aimless manner. Ipulled up.

“Hallo, what are you doing?”

“Just out for a walk.”

“But not what is called a good brisk walk, I gather. You were crawlingalong like a dispirited crab.”

“Well, I wasn’t going anywhere particular.”

“Then you’d better come and see me off at the station.” I opened thedoor of the car and Megan jumped in.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“London. To see my doctor.”

“Your back’s not worse, is it?”

“No, it’s practically all right again. I’m expecting him to be very pleasedabout it.”

Megan nodded.

We drew up at the station. I parked the car and went in and bought myticket at the booking office. There were very few people on the platformand nobody I knew.

“You wouldn’t like to lend me a penny, would you?” said Megan. “ThenI’d get a bit of chocolate out of the slot machine.”

“Here you are, baby,” I said, handing her the coin in question. “Sure youwouldn’t like some clear gums or some throat pastilles as well?”

“I like chocolate best,” said Megan without suspecting sarcasm.

She went off to the chocolate machine, and I looked after her with a feel-ing of mounting irritation.

She was wearing trodden over shoes, and coarse unattractive stockingsand a particularly shapeless jumper and skirt. I don’t know why all thisshould have infuriated me, but it did.

I said angrily as she came back:

“Why do you wear those disgusting stockings?”

Megan looked down at them, surprised.

“What’s the matter with them?”

“Everything’s the matter with them. They’re loathsome. And why wear apullover like a decayed cabbage?”

“It’s all right, isn’t it? I’ve had it for years.”

“So I should imagine. And why do you—”

At this minute the train came in and interrupted my angry lecture.

I got into an empty first-class carriage, let down the window and leanedout to continue the conversation.

Megan stood below me, her face upturned. She asked me why I was socross.

“I’m not cross.” I said untruly. “It just infuriates me to see you so slack,and not caring how you look.”

“I couldn’t look nice, anyway, so what does it matter?”

“My God,” I said. “I’d like to see you turned out properly. I’d like to takeyou to London and outfit you from tip to toe.”

“I wish you could,” said Megan.

The train began to move. I looked down into Megan’s upturned, wistfulface.

And then, as I have said, madness came upon me.

I opened the door, grabbed Megan with one arm and fairly hauled herinto the carriage.

There was an outraged shout from a porter, but all he could do was dex-terously to bang shut the door again. I pulled Megan up from the floorwhere my impetuous action had landed her.

“What on earth did you do that for?” she demanded, rubbing one knee.

“Shut up,” I said. “You’re coming to London with me and when I’ve donewith you you won’t know yourself. I’ll show you what you can look like ifyou try. I’m tired of seeing you mooch about down at heel and all any-how.”

“Oh!” said Megan in an ecstatic whisper.

The ticket collector came along and I bought Megan a return ticket. Shesat in her corner looking at me in a kind of awed respect.

“I say,” she said when the man had gone. “You are sudden, aren’t you?”

“Very,” I said. “It runs in our family.”

How to explain to Megan the impulse that had come over me? She hadlooked like a wistful dog being left behind. She now had on her face the in-credulous pleasure of the dog who has been taken on the walk after all.

“I suppose you don’t know London very well?” I said to Megan.

“Yes, I do,” said Megan. “I always went through it to school. And I’vebeen to the dentist there and to a pantomime.”

“This,” I said darkly, “will be a different London.”

We arrived with half an hour to spare before my appointment in HarleyStreet.

I took a taxi and we drove straight to Mirotin, Joanna’s dressmaker.

Mirotin is, in the flesh, an unconventional and breezy woman of forty-five,Mary Grey. She is a clever woman and very good company. I have alwaysliked her.

I said to Megan. “You’re my cousin.”

“Why?”

“Don’t argue,” I said.

Mary Grey was being firm with a stout Jewess who was enamoured of askintight powder-blue evening dress. I detached her and took her aside.

“Listen,” I said. “I’ve brought a little cousin of mine along. Joanna wascoming up but was prevented. But she said I could leave it all to you. Yousee what the girl looks like now?”

“My God, I do,” said Mary Grey with feeling.

“Well, I want her turned out right in every particular from head to foot.

Carte blanche. Stockings, shoes, undies, everything! By the way, the manwho does Joanna’s hair is close round here, isn’t he?”

“Antoine? Round the corner. I’ll see to that too.”

“You’re a woman in a thousand.”

“Oh, I shall enjoy it — apart from the money — and that’s not to besneezed at in these days—half my damned brutes of women never paytheir bills. But as I say, I shall enjoy it.” She shot a quick professionalglance at Megan standing a little way away. “She’s got a lovely figure.”

“You must have X-ray eyes,” I said. “She looks completely shapeless tome.”

Mary Grey laughed.

“It’s these schools,” she said. “They seem to take a pride in turning outgirls who preen themselves on looking like nothing on earth. They call itbeing sweet and unsophisticated. Sometimes it takes a whole season be-fore a girl can pull herself together and look human. Don’t worry, leave itall to me.”

“Right,” I said. “I’ll come back and fetch her about six.”

 

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