第35章

Grief mounted into the brain and worked there disquietingly.Yesterday they had lamented:"She was a dear mother,a true wife:in our absence she neglected her health and died."Today they thought:"She was not as true,as dear,as we supposed."The desire for a more inward light had found expression at last,the unseen had impacted on the seen,and all that they could say was "Treachery."Mrs.Wilcox had been treacherous to the family,to the laws of property,to her own written word.

How did she expect Howards End to be conveyed to Miss Schlegel?Was her husband,to whom it legally belonged,to make it over to her as a free gift?Was the said Miss Schlegel to have a life interest in it,or to own it absolutely?Was there to be no compensation for the garage and other improvements that they had made under the assumption that all would be theirs some day?Treacherous!treacherous and absurd!

When we think the dead both treacherous and absurd,we have gone far towards reconciling ourselves to their departure.That note,scribbled in pencil,sent through the matron,was unbusinesslike as well as cruel,and decreased at once the value of the woman who had written it.

"Ah,well!"said Mr.Wilcox,rising from the table.

"I shouldn't have thought it possible."

"Mother couldn't have meant it,"said Evie,still frowning.

"No,my girl,of course not."

"Mother believed so in ancestors too--it isn't like her to leave anything to an outsider,who'd never appreciate.""The whole thing is unlike her,"he announced.

"If Miss Schlegel had been poor,if she had wanted a house,I could understand it a little.But she has a house of her own.Why should she want another?She wouldn't have any use of Howards End.""That time may prove,"murmured Charles.

"How?"asked his sister.

"Presumably she knows--mother will have told her.

She got twice or three times into the nursing home.Presumably she is awaiting developments.""What a horrid woman!"And Dolly,who had recovered,cried,"Why,she may be coming down to turn us out now!"Charles put her right."I wish she would,"he said ominously."I could then deal with her.""So could I,"echoed his father,who was feeling rather in the cold.Charles had been kind in undertaking the funeral arrangements and in telling him to eat his breakfast,but the boy as he grew up was a little dictatorial,and assumed the post of chairman too readily."I could deal with her,if she comes,but she won't come.

You're all a bit hard on Miss Schlegel."

"That Paul business was pretty scandalous,though.""I want no more of the Paul business,Charles,as I said at the time,and besides,it is quite apart from this business.

Margaret Schlegel has been officious and tiresome during this terrible week,and we have all suffered under her,but upon my soul she's honest.

She's not in collusion with the matron.I'm absolutely certain of it.Nor was she with the doctor.I'm equally certain of that.

She did not hide anything from us,for up to that very afternoon she was as ignorant as we are.She,like ourselves,was a dupe--"He stopped for a moment."You see,Charles,in her terrible pain your poor mother put us all in false positions.Paul would not have left England,you would not have gone to Italy,nor Evie and I into Yorkshire,if only we had known.Well,Miss Schlegel's position has been equally false.Take all in all,she has not come out of it badly."Evie said:"But those chrysanthemums--"

"Or coming down to the funeral at all--"echoed Dolly.

"Why shouldn't she come down?She had the right to,and she stood far back among the Hilton women.The flowers--certainly we should not have sent such flowers,but they may have seemed the right thing to her,Evie,and for all you know they may be the custom in Germany.

""Oh,I forget she isn't really English,"cried Evie.

"That would explain a lot."

"She's a cosmopolitan,"said Charles,looking at his watch."I admit I'm rather down on cosmopolitans.My fault,doubtless.I cannot stand them,and a German cosmopolitan is the limit.I think that's about all,isn't it?I want to run down and see Chalkeley.A bicycle will do.And,by the way,I wish you'd speak to Crane some time.I'm certain he's had my new car out.""Has he done it any harm?"

"No."

"In that case I shall let it pass.It's not worth while having a row."Charles and his father sometimes disagreed.

But they always parted with an increased regard for one another,and each desired no doughtier comrade when it was necessary to voyage for a little past the emotions.So the sailors of Ulysses voyaged past the Sirens,having first stopped one another's ears with wool.