Anthony dropped his voice to a piercing whisper： 'My dear； let us not expose your little imposture before these good； plain people' … he gave a conspiratorial glance to the last remnants of the crowd … 'let us not spoil their innocent pleasure。 We know； you and I； that this is all t…t…terrible t…t…tripe。 Let us go； before we offend the connoisseurs。 I know of a louche little bar quite near here。 Let us go there and talk of your other c…c…conquests。'
It needed this voice from the past to recall me； the indiscriminate chatter of praise all that crowded day had worked on me like a succession of advertisement hoardings on a long road； kilometre after kilometre between the poplars； manding one to stay at some new hotel； so that when at the end of the drive； stiff and dusty； one arrives at the destination； it seems inevitable to turn into the yard under the name that had first bored； then angered one； and finally bee an inseparable part of one's fatigue。
Anthony led me from the gallery and down a side street to a door between a disreputable newsagent and a disreputable chemist； painted with the words 'Blue Grotto Club。 Members only。'
'Not quite your milieu； my dear； but mine； I assure you。 After all； you have been in your milieu all day。'
He led me downstairs； from a smell of cats to a smell of gin and cigarette…ends and the sound of a wireless。
'I was given the address by a dirty old man in the Boeuf sur le Toit。 I am most grateful to him。 I have been out of England so long； and really sympathetic little joints like this change so fast。 I presented myself here for the first time yesterday evening； and already I feel quite at home。 Good evening； Cyril。'
' 'Lo； Toni； back again？' said the youth behind the bar。
'We will take our drinks and sit in a er。 You must remember； my dear； that here you are just as conspicuous and； may I say； abnormal； my dear； as I should be in B…b…bratt's。'
The place was painted cobalt； there was cobalt lineoleum on the floor。 Fishes of silver and gold paper had been pasted haphazard on ceiling and walls。 Half a dozen youths were drinking and playing with the slot…machines； an older； natty； crapulous…looking man seemed to be in control； there was some sniggering round the fruit…gum machine； then one of the youths came up to us and said； 'Would your friend care to rhumba？'
'No； Tom； he would not； and I'm not going to give you a drink； not yet； anyway。 That's a very impudent boy； a regular little gold…digger； my dear。'
'Well；' I said； affecting an ease I was far from feeling in that den； what have you been up to all these years？'
'My dear； it is what you have been up to that we are here to talk about。 I've been watching you； my dear。 I'm a faithful old body and I've kept my eye on you。' As he spoke the bar and the bar…tender； the blue wicker furniture； the gambling…machines； the gramophone； the couple of youths dancing on the oilcloth； the youths sniggenng round the slots；。 the purple…veined； stiffly…； dressed elderly man drinking in the corner opposite us； the whole drab and furtive joint seemed to fade； and I was back in Oxford looking out over Christ Church meadow through a window of Ruskin…Gothic。 'I went to your first exhibition；' said Anthony； 'I found it … charming。 There was an interior of Marchmain House； very English； very correct； but quite delicious。 〃Charles has done something；〃 I said； 〃not all he will do； not all he can do； but something。〃
'Even then； my dear； I wondered a little。 It seemed to me that there was something a little gentlemanly about your painting。 You must remember I am not English； I cannot understand this keen zest to be well…bred。 English snobbery is more macabre to me even than English morals。 However； I said； 〃Charles has done something delicious。 What will he do next？〃
'The next thing I saw was your very handsome volume 〃Village and Provincial Architecture〃； was it called？ Quite a tome； my dear； and what did I find？ Charm again。 〃Not quite my cup of tea；〃 I thought； 〃this is too English。〃 I have the fancy for rather spicy things； you know； not for the shade of the cedar tree； the cucumber sandwich； the silver cream…jug； the English girl dressed in whatever English girls do wear for tennis … not that； not Jane Austen； not M…m…miss M…m…mitford。 Then； to be frank； dear Charles； I despaired of you。 〃I am a degenerate old d…d…dago；〃 I said 〃and Charles … I speak of your art； my dear … is a dean's daughter in flowered muslin。〃
'Imagine then my excitement at luncheon today。 Everyone was talking about you。 My hostess was a friend of my mother's； a Mrs Stuyvesant Oglander； a friend of yours； too； my dear。 Such a frump！ Not at all the society I imagined you to keep。 However； they； had all been to your exhibition； but it was you they talked of； how you had broke away； my dear； gone to the tropics； bee a Gauguin； a Rimbaud。 You can imagine how my old heart leaped。
' 〃Poor Celia；〃 they said； 〃after all she's done for him。〃 〃He owes everything to her。 It's too bad。〃 〃And with Julia；〃 they said； 〃after the way she behaved in America。〃 〃Just as she was going back to Rex。〃
' 〃But the pictures；〃 I said； 〃Tell me about them。〃
'Oh； the pictures；〃 they said； 〃they're most peculiar。〃 〃Not at all what he usually does。〃 〃Very forceful。〃 〃Quite barbaric。〃 〃I call them downright unhealthy；〃 said Mrs Stuyvesant Oglander。
'My dear； I could hardly keep still in my chair。 I wanted to dash out of the house and leap in a taxi and say； 〃Take me to Charles's unhealthy pictures。〃 Well； I went； but the gallery after luncheon was so full of absurd women in the sort of hats they should be made to eat； that I rested a little … I rested here with Cyril and Tom and these saucy boys。 Then I came back at the unfashionable time of five o'clock； all agog； my dear； and what did I find？ I found； my dear； a very naughty and very successful practical joke。 It reminded me of dear Sebastian when he liked so much to dress up in false whiskers。 It was charm again； my dear； simple； creamy English charm； playing tigers。'
'You're…quite right；' I said。
'My dear； of course I'm right。 I was right years ago … more years； I am happy to say； than either of us shows … when I warned you。 I took you out to dinner to warn you of charm。 I warned you expressly and in great detail of the Flyte family。 Charm is the great English blight。 It does not exist outside these damp islands。 It spots and kills anything it touches。 It kills love； it kills art； I greatly fear； my dear Charles； it has killed you。'
The youth called Tom approached us again。 'Don't be a tease； Toni； buy me a drink。' I remembered my train and left Anthony with him。
As I stood on the platform by the restaurant…car I saw my luggage and Julia's go past with Julia's sour…faced maid strutting beside the porter。 They had begun shutting the carriage doors when Julia arrived； unhurried； and took her place in front of me。 I had a table for two。 This was a very convenient train； there was half an hour before； dinner and half and hour after it； then； instead of changing to the branch line； as had been the rule in Lady Marchmain's day； we were met at the junction。 It was night as we drew out of Paddington； and the glow of the town gave place first to the scattered lights of the suburbs； then to the darkness of the fields。
'It seems days since I saw you；' I said。
'Six hours； and we were together all yesterday。 You look worn out。'
'It's been a day of nightmare … crowds； critics； the Clarences； a luncheon party at Margot's； ending up with half an hour's well…reasoned abuse of my pictures in a pansy bar。。。I think Celia knows about us。'
'Well； she had to know some time。'
'Everyone seems to know。 My pansy friend had not been in London twenty…four hours before he'd heard。'
'Damn everybody。'
'What about Rex？'
'Rex isn't anybody at all；' said Julia； 'he just doesn't exist。' The knives and forks jingled on the table as we sped through the darkness； the little… circle of gin and vermouth in the glasses lengthened to oval； contracted again； with the sway of the carriage； touched the lip； lapped back again； never spilt； I was leaving the day behind me。 Julia