Mummery

ectly well that she was somewhere in the West End, but in that small crowded area it was possible to avoid meeting. People quickly fell into a groove and lived

astard frivolity of the houses whose appeal was b

e with Freeland, who lashed out at him, rolled out a number of hard words, such as 'blackguard,'

you fi

ld has no people. Julia and I are father and mother t

her do exactly as she

leave her

tain

ious with him for interfering, and she scolded him unt

u going to d

a to Freeland, whose conception of love was besotte

intimacy than any she had yet found among human beings, whose shallow business and fussy importance always hurt and exasperated her.... More clearly than ever she knew that there was only Charles and his work that mattered to her at all. She saw him occasionally and knew that he was entirely happy. He wrote to her every day and his plans were maturing famously. Lord Verschoyle was more and more interested

r with him continually, she could not check his delighted absorption in his committee. This was properly and duly constituted. It had a chairman, Professor Laverock, and Mr Clott acted also as its secretary in an honorary capacity, his emoluments from Charles being more than sufficient for his needs. It met regularly once a month in studios and drawing-rooms. The finest unofficialised brains in London were gathered together, and nervous men eyed each other suspiciously and anxiously until Charles appeared, with Mr Clott fussing and moving round him like a tug round a great lin

t other members, but it seemed impossible to lure any really successful person into the net. No actor-manager, no Royal Academician, no poet with a healthy circulation could be found to give practical expression to his sympathy, though admira

ng than Ascot. He had some taste in art, but only cared for modern pictures, which he could buy for fifty or a hundred pounds. Indeed he was much too nice for his altogether exceptional opportunities for wasting money, for he loathed vulgarity, and the only people who could tell him how to waste his wealth-stable-touts, art-dealers, women of the West End-were essentially vulgar, and he could not endure their society.... He had five houses, but all he needed was an apartment of three rooms, and he was haunted and made miserable by the idea, not without a fairly solid foundation, that young women and their mammas

of it. He was hotly pursued at the moment by Lady Tremenheer, who had two daughters, and he longed ardently to disgrace himself, but so perfect was his taste that he could not do it-in the ordinary way. Charles was outrageous, but so famous as to carry it off, and Verschoyle seized upon the

ch assembled intellect could not resist the wealth that through the generations had been gathered up to surround the gentle personality of Horace Biningham, Lord Verschoyle, who smiled be

share in the triumph of that side of his activities that she consented and was the only woman present. With Professor Laverock in the chair, Mr Clott read the minutes of the last meeting, upon which, as nothing had happened, there was no comment. Clara sat in a corner by the door and looked from f

o the committee.... Rarely can a room have contained so much eager idealism, r

uffs which he always wore in his desire to be taken for an English

always open with a welcome to every talent, from that of the highest and mo

one sighed

In Germany art is honoured. Nietzsche, whom I acknowledge as my compeer, is to be commemorated with an enormous stadium upon a hill. In Engla

f Sir Henry Butcher. If only Charles had consulted her she would have c

shall be at once a school and a palace of art. There will be one theatre on the German model, an

glish climate?' asked Adolph Grif

t were thought necessary. There will be attached to the indoor theatre an experimental stage to which I of course shall devote most

d for our present purpo

eral inventions of my own, and an adjustable proscenium. The staff will consist of myself, a dozen instructors in the various art

n and rosy with youth had carried all before it. He warmed to his task, talked on as the candles burned low, and at

onfident that he had his hearers with him. 'I have put my e

eatre . . . .

atre . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . .

music . . .

als, etc. . .

birds and fis

thers stared. Others pulled their noses or smoothe

. I didn't quite ca

aware of the changed atmosp

utiful birds flying in the outdoor theatre. In the c

snapped Griffenberg, who was deeply wounded. 'I canno

unable to cope with any practical point they chose to raise. It would have been fair for Griffenberg to take exception to his estimates, but not to the birds and fis

nsolently if Mr Mann proposed to publish the scheme as it stood, and Charles, who did not detect the insolence, s

r as the Commi

t inter

, and Mr Mann sent with it what I may say is a very beau

ust a little ashamed, though with a certain brav

eard their remarks as they departed. 'Birds and fishes.' ...

mly for their support and explaining that if he had been somewhat long in

e, a little uneasy, but entranced by Charles's voice and what seemed to him his superb audacity. They three stood and talked themselves into oblivion of the wo

from the other two, who talked hard against each other, neither listening

to catch Charles out on the birds and

rschoyle. 'Things are important to him.

said Clara. 'I hope you won't. It is a great pi

ra's mind also. He liked Charles's extravagance: it made him feel wicked, but also he was kind and could not bring himself to hurt Clara. He had never in his life felt that he was of the slightest importance to any on

eople who have never been heard of outside London. I

oyle l

ink we need them.... Now, if it were you, Mrs Mann'-for he had

s is a woman. If it were not for

ng him to din

save the situation without realisin

, 'but it hurts me to hear you speak of yourself

tee, for, as her grandfather used to say, a committee is a device by which the incompetent check the activities of the competent.... She liked Verschoyle. He was a lonel

,' she said to her c

king of a home elsewhere. She consented, and he took her back to her rooms, lea