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“We find that the deceased died from falling down a chalk pit.”
“That,” said the coroner, “is death from misadventure.”
“We wish to express our sympathy with the widow.”
Di
CHAPTER 31
When she had come to from smiling, Di
“Can we go now, Uncle Hilary?”
“It would be as well, Di
Outside, in the damp October air, for the day was English autumn personified, she said:
“Let’s go for a little breather, Uncle, and get the smell of that Court out of us.”
They turned down towards the distant sea, walking at a good pace.
“I’m frightfully anxious to know what went before me, Uncle; did I say anything contradictory?”
“No. It came out at once in Diana’s evidence that Ferse had come back from the Home, and the coroner treated her tenderly. It was lucky they called me before Adrian, so that his evidence was only a repetition of mine, and he was no way conspicuous. I feel quite sorry for the journalists. Juries avoid suicide and unsound mind when they can, and, after all, we don’t know what happened to poor Ferse at that last minute. He may quite easily have run on over the edge, it was pretty blind there and the light was failing.”
“Do you really think that, Uncle?”
Hilary shook his head. “No, Di
“Yes, oh! yes! What will happen to Diana and Uncle Adrian, now?”
Hilary filled his pipe and stopped to light it. “Well, my dear, I’ve given Adrian some advice. I don’t know whether he’ll take it, but you might back it up if you get a chance. He’s waited all these years. He’d better wait another.”
“Uncle, I agree terribly.”
“Oh!” said Hilary, surprised.
“Yes. Diana is simply not fit to think even of him. She ought to be left to herself and the children.”
“I’m wondering,” said Hilary, “whether one couldn’t wangle some ‘bones’ expedition that would take him out of England for a year.”
“Hallorsen!” said Di
“Good! But would he take him?”
“If I asked him,” said Di
Hilary again gave her a quizzical look. “What a dangerous young woman you are! I daresay the Trustees would give Adrian leave. I can set old Shropshire and Lawrence on to it. We must go back now, Di
Di
“I do admire you, Uncle Hilary.”
Hilary stared. “I doubt if I follow you, my dear.”
“Oh! you know what I mean: you’ve got all the old ‘I serve’ tradition, and that kind of thing; and yet you’re so frightfully up-to-date, and tolerant, and free-thinking.”
“H’m!” said Hilary, emitting a cloud of smoke.
“I’m sure you believe in birth control?”
“Well,” said Hilary, “the position there is ironical for us parsons. It used to be considered unpatriotic to believe in limiting our population. But now that flying and poison gas have made food for powder u
“And you don’t believe in hell.”
“I do, they’ve got it.”
“You support games on Sundays, don’t you?” Hilary nodded. “And sun bathing with nothing on?”
“I might, if there were any sun.”
“And pyjamas and smoking for women.”
“Not stinkers; emphatically not stinkers.”
“I call that undemocratic.”
“I can’t help it, Di
Di
“It’s a Cathedral town, my dear.”
“Well, I think the amount of modernity is awfully overestimated.”
“You don’t live in London, Di
“Then I’m still old-fashioned. I’m not a bit good at expressing things.”
“That’s your sense of humour, Di
“I’ll think that over.”
“Yes, but don’t lose your sense of humour, Di
“I expect so, Hubert’s remand won’t be till after that mail boat comes in, and that’s not for ten days yet.”
“Well, give my love to Condaford. I don’t suppose I’ll ever have days again quite so good as when we were children there.”
“That’s what I was thinking, Uncle, when I was waiting to be the last little nigger boy.”
“You’re a bit young for that conclusion, Di
“I am.”
“What, in love?”
“No, in waiting.”
“Fearsome process, being in love,” said Hilary. “Still, I never regretted it.”
Di
“What if you took it again, Uncle?”
“Ah! there,” said Hilary, knocking his pipe out on a pillar box, “I’m definitely out of it. In my profession we can’t run to it. Besides, I’ve never really got over my first attack.”
“No,” said Di
“You’ve said a mouthful. Here’s the station. Good-bye, and bless you! I sent my bag down this morning.” He waved his hand and was gone.
On reaching the hotel Di
“Fond of glass, Uncle?”
“Terribly fond of good glass, Di
Di
“Have you been talking to Hilary?”
“Yes.”
“He wants me to keep away for a year.”
“So do I.”
“It’s a long time, Di
“Would you go on Professor Hallorsen’s expedition if he wanted you?”
“He wouldn’t want me.”
“Yes, he would.”