And another image came to me; of an arctic hut and a trapper alone with his furs and oil lamp and log fire; everything dry and ship…shape and warm inside; and outside the last blizzard of winter raging and the snow piling up against the door。 Quite silently a great weight forming against the timber; the bolt straining in its socket; minute by minute in the darkness outside the white heap sealing the door; until quite soon when the wind dropped and the sun came out on the ice ' slopes and the thaw set in a block would move; slide; and tumble; high above; gather weight; till the whole hillside seemed to be falling; and the little lighted place would open and splinter and disappear; rolling with the avalanche into the ravine。
'5'
MY divorce case; or rather my wife's; was due to be heard at about the same time as Brideshead was to be married。 Julia's would not e up till the following term; meanwhile the game of General Post … moving my property from the Old Rectory to my flat; my wife's from my flat to the Old Rectory; Julia's from Rex's house and from Brideshead to my flat; Rex's from Brideshead to his house; and Mrs Muspratt's from Falmouth to Brideshead … was in full swing and we were all; in varying degrees; homeless; when a halt was called and Lord Marchmain; with a taste for the dramatically inopportune which was plainly the prototype of his elder son's; declared his intention; in view of the international situation; of returning to England and passing his declining years; in his old home。
The only member of the family to whom this change promised any benefit was Cordelia; who had been sadly abandoned in the turmoil。 Brideshead; indeed; had made a formal request to her to consider his house her home for as long as it suited her; but when she learned that her sister…in…law proposed to install her children there for the holidays immediately after the wedding; in the charge of a sister of hers and the sister's friend; Cordelia had decided to move; too; and was talking of setting up alone in London。 She now found herself; Cinderella…like; promoted ch鈚elaine; while her brother and his wife who had till that moment expected to find themselves; within a matter of days; in absolute mand; were without a roof; the deeds of conveyance; engrossed and ready for signing; were rolled up; tied; and put away in one of the black tin boxes in Lincoln's Inn。 It was bitter for Mrs Muspratt; she was not an ambitious woman; something very much less grand than Brideshead would have contented her heartily; but she did aspire to find some shelter for her children over Christmas。 The house at Falmouth was stripped and up for sale; moreover; Mrs Muspratt had taken leave of the place with some justifiably rather large talk of her new establishment; they could not return there。 She was obliged in a hurry to move her furniture from Lady Marchmain's room to a disused coach…house and to take a furnished villa at Torquay。 She was not; as I have said; a woman of high ambition; but; having had her expectations so much raised; it was disconcerting to be brought so low so suddenly。 In the village the working party who had been preparing the decorations for the bridal entry; began unpacking the Bs on the bunting and substitutin Ms; obliterating the Earl's points and stencilling balls and strawberry leaves on the painted; coronets; in preparation for Lord Marchmain's return。
News of his intentions came first to the solicitors; then to Cordelia; then to Julia and me; in a rapid succession of contradictory cables。 Lord Marchmain would arrive in time for the wedding; he would arrive after the wedding; having seen Lord and Lady Brideshead on their way through Paris; he would see them in Rome。 He was not well enough to travel at all; he was just starting; he had unhappy memories of winter at Brideshead and would not e until spring was well advanced and the heating apparatus overhauled; he was ing alone; he was bringing his Italian household; he wished his return to be unannounced and to lead a life of plete seclusion; he would give a ball。 At last a date in January was chosen which proved to be the correct one。
Plender preceded him by some days; there was a difficulty here。 Plender was not an original member of the Brideshead household; he had been Lord Marchmain's servant in the yeomanry; and had only once met Wilcox on the painful occasion of the removal of his master's luggage when it was decided not to return from the war; then Plender had been valet; as; officially; he still was; but he had; in the past years introduced a kind of suffragan; a Swiss body…servant; to attend to the wardrobe and also; when occasion arose; lend a hand with less dignified tasks about the house; and had in effect bee majordomo of that fluctuating and mobile household; sometimes he even referred to himself on the telephone as 'the secretary'。 There was an acre of thin ice between him and Wilcox。
Fortunately the two men took a liking to one another; and the thing was solved in a series of three…cornered discussions with Cordelia。 Plender and Wilcox became joint grooms of the chambers; like 'Blues' and Life Guards with equal precedence; Plender having as his particular province his Lordship's own apartments and Wilcox a sphere of influence in the public rooms; the senior footman was given a black coat and promoted butler; the non…descript Swiss; on arrival; was to have plain clothes and full valet's status there was a general increase in wages to meet the new dignities; and all were content。
Julia and I; who had left Brideshead a month before; thinking we should not return; moved back for the reception。 When the day came; Cordelia went to the station and we remained to greet him at home。 It was a bleak and gusty day。 Cottages and lodges were decorated; plans for a bonfire that night and for the village silver band to play on the terrace; were put down; but the house flag; that had not flown for twenty…five years; was hoisted over the pediment; and flapped sharply against the leaden sky。 Whatever harsh voices might be bawling into the microphones of central Europe; and whatever lathes spinning in the armament factories; the return of Lord Marchmain was a matter of first importance in his own neighbourhood。
He was due at three o'clock。 Julia and I waited in the drawing…room until Wilcox; who had arranged with the stationmaster to be kept informed; announced 'the train is signalled'; and a minute later; 'the train is in; his Lordship is on the way。' Then we went to the front portico and waited there with the upper servants。 Soon the Rolls appeared at the turn in the drive; followed at some distance by the two vans。 It drew up; first Cordelia got out; then Cara; there was a pause; a rug was handed to the chauffeur; a stick to the footman; then a leg was cautiously thrust forward。 Plender was by now at the car door; another servant … the Swiss valet … had emerged from a van; together they lifted Lord Marchmain out and set him on his feet; he felt for his stick; grasped it; and stood for a minute collecting his strength for the few low steps which led to the front door。
Julia gave a little sigh of surprise and touched my hand。 We had seen him nine months ago at Monte Carlo; when he had been an upright and stately figure; little changed from when I first met him in Venice。 Now he was an old man。 Plender had told us his master had been unwell lately: he had not prepared us for this。
Lord Marchmain stood bowed and shrunken; weighed down by his great…coat; a white muffler fluttering untidily at his throat; a cloth cap pulled low on his forehead; his face white and lined; his nose coloured by the cold; the tears which gathered in his eyes came not from emotion but from the east wind; he breathed heavily。 Cara tucked in the end of his muffler and whispered something to him。 He raised a gloved hand … a schoolboy's glove of grey wool … and made a small; weary gesture of greeting to the group at the door; then; very slowly; with his eyes on the ground before him; he made his way into the house。
They took off his coat and cap and muffler and the kind of leather jerkin which he wore under them; thus stripped he seemed more than ever wasted but more elegant; he