One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

One of Our Conquerors
Church, and she asked Nesta to come with her.
She returned five minutes before the hour of lunch, having
left Nesta with Mrs. John. Louise de Seilles undertook to
bring Nesta home at the time she might choose. Fenellan,
Mr. Pempton, Peridon and Catkin, lunched and chatted.
Nataly chatted. At a quarter to three o’clock Victor’s carriage
was at the door. He rose: he had to keep an appointment.
Nataly said to him publicly: ‘I come too.’ He stared and nodded.
In the carriage, he said: ‘I’m driving to the Gardens, for
a stroll, to have a look at the beasts. Sort of relief. Poor crazy
woman! However, it ‘s a comfort to her: so … !’
‘I like to see them,’ said Nataly. ‘I shall see her. I have to do it.’
Up to the gate of the Gardens Victor was arguing to dissuade
his dear soul from this very foolish, totally unnecessary,
step. Alighting, he put the matter aside, for good angels
to support his counsel at the final moment.
Bears, lions, tigers, eagles, monkeys: they suggested no more
than he would have had from prints; they sprang no reflection,
except, that the coming hour was a matter of indifference
to them. They were about him, and exercised so far a
distraction. He took very kindly to an old mother monkey,
relinquishing her society at sight of Nataly’s heave of the
bosom. Southward, across the park, the dread house rose.
He began quoting Colney Durance with relish while sarcastically
confuting the cynic, who found much pasture in these
Gardens. Over Southward, too, he would be addressing a
popular assembly to-morrow evening. Between now and then
there was a ditch to jump. He put on the sympathetic face of
grief. ‘After all, a caged wild beast hasn’t so bad a life,’ he
said. —To be well fed while they live, and welcome death as
a release from the maladies they develop in idleness, is the
condition of wealthy people:—creatures of prey? horrible
thought! yet allied to his Idea, it seemed. Yes, but these good
caged beasts here set them an example, in not troubling relatives
and friends when they come to the gasp! Mrs. Burman’s
invitation loomed as monstrous—a final act of her cruelty.
His skin pricked with dews. He thought of Nataly beside
him, jumping the ditch with him, as a relief—if she insisted
on doing it. He hoped she would not, for the sake of her
composure.
It was a ditch void of bottom. But it was a mere matter of
an hour, less. The state of health of the invalid could bear
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