Mauritius

Chapter 21

She had an advantage, but she failed to use it skillfully.

Maurice's routine became regular.He eats a hearty breakfast and takes the 36:[-] train to London, where he reads The Daily Telegraph.He works until one o'clock, eats very little lunch, and works all afternoon.When you get home, do some light exercise and eat a big meal.Read the evening paper in the evening, give orders, or play billiards or bridge.

On Wednesdays he spent the night at Clive's small apartment in London, and the weekends were likewise inviolable."You mustn't interfere with Maurice's Wednesdays or weekends. He's going to be pissed like hell," the women said at home.

Clive successfully passed the barrister's examination, but before he could qualify, he came down with a mild case of influenza and a fever.After entering the recovery period, Morris was infected when he visited him, and he was also bedridden.As a result, the two of them didn't see much of each other for several weeks.After finally seeing him, Clive was still pale and nervous.He liked the Halls better than Pippa's, and came to stay a little, hoping that good food and peace would restore him.He ate very little, and the three words were always "doing nothing is useless".

"I'm working as a barrister so that I may become a politician someday," he answered Ada's question to him. "But what am I doing as a politician? Who wants me?"

"Your mother says the whole county wants you."

"All the county wants is a Radical. I've talked to more people than my mother. They're not interested in us idlers anymore. We'll drive around and find something to do. Posturing in various It's a joyless game. Nobody plays it like that except in England. (Maurice, I'm going to Greece.) No one wants us, they need Just a comfortable family."

"But politicians are providing comfortable families," said Kitty sharply.

"Is it 'is' or 'should'?"

"Well, it's quite the same thing."

…is' and 'should' are not the same thing. said Ada's mother, proud of understanding the difference. "You shouldn't bother Mr. Durham, but you..."

...is'. ’ Ada cut in, and the whole family laughed, making Clive jump.

...is' and 'should'," concludes Mrs Hall, "are quite different. "

"Not necessarily so," Clive retorted.

"Not necessarily so. You must remember, Kitty," she agreed, slightly reprimanding.Other times he doesn't care what she says.Kitty still insisted aloud that the two were one and the same.Ada muttered, Morris was silent.He had eaten in peace, and was accustomed to such gossip at the table, ignoring how disturbed his friend was.While waiting for the food to be served, he told an anecdote.Everyone listened in silence.He spoke slowly and clumsily, paying no attention to his words or trying to be interesting.Clive suddenly yelled, "Ah—I'm going to faint!" and fell off the chair.

"Bring a pillow, Kitty. Ada, cologne," ordered their brother.He let go of Clive's collar. "Mom, Fan Fan. It's not me, it's him..."

"How useless..." Clive murmured, before Maurice kissed him.

"I'm all right now."

The girls and a servant ran in.

"I can walk now," he said, and the color came back to his face.

"No way," cried Mrs. Hall. "Maurice carries you—Mr Durham, put your arms around Maurice."

"Come on, man. Please doc, someone make a phone call." He picked up his friend, and Clive wept weakly.

"Maurice, I'm a fool."

"Just be a fool," Maurice said, and carried Clive upstairs, undressed him, and let him spit on the bed.Mrs. Hall knocked, and he went out, saying quickly, "Mother, you don't have to tell anyone I kissed Durham."

"Oh, of course not."

"He didn't like it. I was so confused that I did it without even thinking about it. You know, we're best friends, almost kin."

This is enough.She loves to share little secrets with her son, and it reminds her of the old days when she was precious to him.Ada sent a hot water bottle.He caught it, went into the room and carried it to the patient's bedside.

"Let the doctor see my virtue," said Clive sobbing.

"I wish he could see."

"why?"

Maurice lit a cigarette and sat on the edge of the bed. "We want him to see you at your worst. Why is Pippa making you travel?"

"I'm considered recovered."

"Damn it."

"Can we go in?" Ada asked loudly through the door.

"No. Please come in alone, doctor."

"Here he is," cried Kitty from a distance.After giving their names, a man not much older than them came in.

"Hi, Jowett." Maurice greeted from the side. "Cure this guy for me. He had the flu and was supposed to be cured. Then he passed out and kept crying."

"That's what happens," said Mr. Jowett, putting a thermometer in Clive's mouth. "Are you overworked?"

"Isn't it? Now they say they want to go to Greece."

"Ah, you can go. Now you go out first, and I will go downstairs to see you later."

Maurice obeyed, and Clive must have been very ill.About 10 minutes later, Jowett came out and told Mrs. Hall it was nothing serious—just a relapse.He wrote a prescription and said he would send a nurse.Maurice followed him into the garden, and laying his hand on the doctor's arm, said: "Tell me now how ill he is. This is not a relapse, or anything else, and tell me the truth."

"He's all right," said the doctor.He had always prided himself on telling the truth, and it bothered him a little. "I thought you'd figured it out. The hysteria is gone, and he's falling asleep. It's a relapse, and he's got to be more careful this time than before, that's all."

"How long will this usual relapse of which you speak be delayed? Is it possible at any moment that he will suffer such appalling afflictions?"

"He was just a little unwell - he thought he caught a cold in the car."

"Joett, don't you say that to me. A grown man doesn't cry unless it's pretty serious."

"It's just weakness."

"Oh, you can say whatever you want," said Maurice, removing his hand. "And I'm holding you back."

"It doesn't matter at all, my young friend, and I am waiting to answer any questions you may have."

"Well, if it's mild, why did you send a nurse?"

"Just to keep him happy. I know he's well off."

"Can't we make him happy?"

"Where? Because I'm afraid of contagion. I told your mother that none of you should go into the ward, but you were already in there."

"I thought you meant my sisters."

"And you too—especially you, because you've already been infected by him once."

"I don't want a nurse."

"Mrs. Hall has called the nurse's station."

"Why the hell is everything the way it is?" said Maurice, raising his voice. "I'll nurse him myself."

"The next step is to push the baby in the pram."

"Excuse me, what did you say?"

Jowett laughed out loud and walked away.

Maurice told his mother in an unquestionable tone that he must sleep in the ward.For fear of waking Clive, he didn't let the bed be moved in. Instead, he lay on the floor with his head resting on a footstool, reading by candlelight.After a while Clive squirmed and said feebly, "Oh, damn it. Oh, damn it."

"What do you want?" Maurice called.

"I have a stomachache."

Maurice lifted him from the bed and sat him on the commode.After a while, he hugged him back again.

"I can walk. You shouldn't be doing this."

"You would do the same for me."

He carried the toilet to the end of the corridor and rinsed it.Now Clive was disreputable and weak, and he loved this friend more than ever.

"You shouldn't," Clive repeated when he returned. "Too dirty."

"I don't care," said Maurice, lying down, "and go back to sleep."

"The doctor told me he was sending a nurse."

"What do you want a nurse for? It's just mild diarrhea. As far as I'm concerned, you could have diarrhea all night long. Honestly, I don't care—I'm not saying this to please you. I just don't care." .”

"I can't—you have to go to work—"

"Hey, Clive, would you rather have a skilled nurse or me? One is scheduled to come tonight, but I've left a message to send her away when she does. Because I'd rather not go to work , look after you yourself. I thought you would like to do the same."

Clive was silent for a long time, Maurice even thought he was asleep.Finally he sighed and said, "I think I'd rather have a nurse."

"Okay. She makes you more comfortable than I do. Maybe you're right."

Clay