sist going to see her own present； so that was quite a success； but the reception Rex gave next day at the Savoy for the wedding guests was very squalid。
'There was great awkwardness about the tenants。 In the end Bridey went down and gave them a dinner and bonfire there which wasn't at all what they expected in return for their silver soup tureen。
'Poor Cordelia took it hardest。 She had looked forward so much to being my bridesmaid … it was a thing we used to talk about long before I came out … and of course she was a very pious child； too。 At first she wouldn't speak to me。 Then on the morning of the wedding … I'd moved to Aunt Fanny Rossmon's the evening before； it was thought more suitable … she； came bursting in before I was up； straight from Farm Street； in floods of tears； begged me not to marry； then hugged me； gave me a dear little brooch she'd bought； and said she prayed I'd always be happy。 Always happy； Charles！
'It was an awfully unpopular wedding； you know。 Everyone took mummy's side； as everyone always did … not that she got any benefit from it。 All through her life mummy had all the sympathy of everyone except those she loved。 They all said I'd behaved abominably to her。 In fact； poor Rex found he'd married an outcast； which was exactly the opposite of all he'd wanted。
'So you see things never looked like going right。 There was a hoodoo on us from the start。 But I was still nuts about Rex。
'Funny to think of； isn't it？
'You know Father Mowbray hit on the truth about Rex at once； that it took me a year of marriage to see。 He simply wasn't all there。 He wasn't a plete human being at all。 He was a tiny bit of one； unnaturally developed； something in a bottle； an organ kept alive in a laboratory。 I thought he was a sort of primitive savage； but he was something absolutely modem and up…to…date that only this ghastly age could produce。 A tiny bit of a man pretending he was the whole。
'Well； it's all over now。'
It was ten years later that she said this to me in a storm in the Atlantic。
＇3＇
I RETURNED to London in the spring of 1926 for the General Strike。
It was the topic of Paris。 The French； exultant as always at the disfiture of their former friends； and transposing into their own precise terms our mistier notions from across the Channel； foretold revolution and civil war。 Every evening the kiosks displayed texts of doom； and； in the caf閟； acquaintances greeted one half…derisively with： 'Ha； my friend； you are better off here than at home； are you not？' until I and several friends in circumstances like my own came seriously to believe that our country was in danger and that our duty lay there。 We were joined by a Belgian Futurist； who lived under the； I think； assumed name of Jean de Brissac la Motte； and claimed the right to bear arms in any battle anywhere against the lower classes。
We crossed together； in a high…spirited； male party； expecting to find unfolding before us at Dover the history so often repeated of late； with so few variations； from all parts of Europe； that I； at any rate； had formed in my mind a clear； posite picture of 'Revolution' … the red flag on the post office； the overturned tram； the drunken N。C。O。s； the gaol open and gangs of released criminals prowling the streets； the train from the capital that did not arrive。 One had read it in the papers； seen it in the films； heard it at caf？tables again and again for six or seven years now； till it had bee part of one's experience； at second hand； like the mud of Flanders and the flies of Mesopotamia。
Then we landed and met the old routine of the customs…shed； the punctual boat…train； the porters lining the platform at Victoria and converging on the first…class carriages； the long line of waiting taxis。
'We'll separate；' we said； and see what's happening。 We'll meet and pare notes at dinner；' but we knew already in our hearts that nothing was happening； nothing； at any rate； which needed our presence。
'Oh dear； ' said my father； meeting me by chance on the stairs； 'how delightful to see you again so soon。' （I had been abroad fifteen months。） 'You've e at a very awkward time； you know。 They're having another of those strikes in two days … such a lot of nonsense … and I don't know when you'll be able to get away。'
I thought of the evening I was forgoing； with the lights ing out along the banks of the Seine； and the pany I should have had there … for I was at the time concerned with two emancipated American girls who shared a gar鏾nni鑢e in Auteuil … and wished I had not e。
We dined that night at the Caf？Royal。 There things were a little more warlike； for the Caf？was full of undergraduates who had e down for 'National Service'。 One group； from Cambridge； had that afternoon signed on to run messages for Trans…port House； and their table backed on another group's； who were enrolled as special constables。 Now and then one or other party would shout provocatively over the shoulder； but it is hard to e into serious conflict back to back； and the affair ended with their giving each other tall glasses of lager beer。
'You should have been in Budapest when Horthy marched in' said Jean。 'That was politics。'
A party was being given that night in Regent's Park for the 'Black Birds' who had newly arrived in England。 One of us had been asked and thither we all went。
To us； who frequented Bricktop's and the Bal N鑗re in the Rue Blomet； there was nothing particularly remarkable in the spectacle； I was scarcely inside the door when I heard an unmistakable voice； an echo from what now seemed a distant past。
'No；' it said； 'they are not animals in a zoo； Mulcaster； to be goggled at。 They are artists； my dear； very great artists； to be revered。'
Anthony Blanche and Boy Mulcaster were at the table where the wine stood。
'Thank God here's someone I know；' said Mulcaster； as I joined them。 'Girl brought me。 Can't see her anywhere。'
'She's given you the slip； my dear； and do you know why？ Because you look ridiculously out of place； Mulcaster。 It isn't your kind of party at all； you ought not to be here； you ought to go away； you know； to the Old Hundredth or some lugubrious dance in Belgrave Square。'
'Just e from one； ' said Mulcaster。 'Too early for the Old Hundredth。 I'll stay on a bit。 Things may cheer up。'
'I spit on you；' said Anthony。 'Let me talk to you； Charles。' We took a bottle and our glasses and found a er in another room。 At our feet five members of the 'Black Birds' orchestra squatted on their heels and threw dice。
'That one； ' said Anthony； 'the rather pale one； my dear； conked Mrs Arnold Frickheimer the other morning on the nut； my dear； with a bottle of milk。'
Almost immediately； inevitably； we began to talk of Sebastian。
'My dear； he's such a sot。 He came to live with me in Marseille last year when you threw him over； and really it was as much as I could stand。 Sip； sip； sip like a dowager all day long。 And so sly。 I was always missing little things； my dear； things I rather liked； once I lost two suits that had arrived from Lesley and Roberts that morning。 Of course； I didn't know it was Sebastian … there were some rather queer fish； my dear； in and out of my little apartment。 Who knows better than you my taste for queer fish？ Well； eventually； my dear； we found the pawnshop where Sebastian was p…p…popping them and then he hadn't got the tickets； there was a market for them； too； at the bistro。
'I can see that puritanical； disapproving look in your eye； dear Charles； as though you thought I had led the boy on。 It's one of Sebastian's less lovable qualities that he always gives the impression of being l…1…led on … like a little horse at a circus。 But I assure you I did everything。 I said to him again and again； 〃Why drink？ If you want to be intoxicated there are so many much more delicious things。〃 I took him to quite the best man； well； you know him as well as I do； Nada Alopov and Jean Luxmore and everyone we know has been to him for years … he's always in the Regina Bar … and then we had trouble over that because Sebastian gave him a bad cheque … a s…s…stumer； my dear … and a whole lot of very menacing men came round t