This FreedomHutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
General
This Freedom
Hutchinson, A. S. M. (Arthur Stuart-Menteth)
Marriage -- Fiction; Women -- Social and moral questions -- Fiction
It appeared, in interviews following that evening, that Huggo was not a
bit keen on the Oxford idea. He wanted to go into business. He was not
clear as to precisely what kind of business, but he wanted the freedom
and the excitement of earning his own living, not to be cooped up at
the “Varsity” like back at school again. Harry took a firm line. The
boy resented the firm line. Well, anyway, he argued, he couldn’t go till
October, it was only June now; all right, he’d go in October--if he
had to. Harry made arrangements for some reading through the summer
preparatory to Oxford. It upset plans made by Huggo. He thought
it “uncommonly hard” that he should have to spend the whole summer
“swotting.” Oh, well, if he had to, he had to. He had an invitation for
a month for that immediate time to Scotland. The reading was arranged
to start a month ahead. He didn’t in the least want to be out of London
just when there was so much going on and all his pals here; but anything
was better than sticking this kind of life at home, father always at
him; so he’d go to Scotland; he supposed he was entitled to a bit of
country holiday before they cooped him up? He went to Scotland.
Twice during that month Rosalie thought she saw Huggo in the West End.
But London was full of young men of the Huggo type. It wasn’t likely.
It turned out to have been very likely. It turned out that Huggo had
never been in Scotland at all but in London all the time. And much worse
than that. One evening, towards the end of the so-called Scotland month,
Huggo unexpectedly walked into the house. Rosalie was sitting with Harry
in the dining-room over the end of dinner. Doda was upstairs putting
last touches to herself before going out to a dance. Doda was eighteen
then (it was 1919), had left school, and, with a large circle of
friends, was going out a great deal. Benji was still at school, at
Milchester. Harry had never resumed relations with beloved Tidborough.
The door opened and Huggo walked in. His face was very flushed and his
articulation a little odd. When, after greetings, he sat down, he sat
down with a curiously unsteady thud and gave a little laugh and said,
“Whoa, mare, steady!”
It appeared, after explanations, that he had come to talk about “this
Oxford business.” “I really can’t very well go to Oxford now, father. I
really ought to start in some money-making business now, and I’ve got a
jolly good opening promised me. I really ought to take it.”
The decanters were on the table. He had already taken a glass of port.
He filled another and drank it.
“The fact is, I’m--married.”
There were some hard and bitter things said between his father and the
boy. The boy fumbled--he obviously had been drinking--between would not
or could not say very much as to who it was that he had married.
Harry said, “Who are her people? That’s a plain question, isn’t it?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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