Henry and Cato Read Online Free

by, any woman will value a slavish faithfulness. For a while she expected him to teach her things. They were to have discussions. Once he gave her a book list, and nothing more came of that. Their relations remained intimate yet formal.
    And he was really rather beautiful even now, he thought, as he often consoled himself by looking into the mirror. His flowing hair was a greyish white, and with his twinkling eyes and scarcely wrinkled face he looked like a sort of mad sage, and passed for vastly wise as he played the eccentric and made younger people laugh. It was a pity about the false teeth, but if he smiled carefully they were not conspicuous. He had lived on talk and curiosity and drink and the misfortunes of his friends. Only now life was more solitary and he could hardly believe that he had achieved so little and was sixty-six.
    â€˜Will he stay?’ said Gerda.
    â€˜I shouldn’t think so.’
    â€˜You’re not thinking.’
    â€˜How do I know what he’ll do?’
    â€˜Will he stay in England, will he stay here?’
    â€˜I shouldn’t think he’ll stay here, it’s so damned dull. I mean—’
    â€˜Will he want to make changes?’
    â€˜No, why should he? He’ll find out from Merriman what’s in the kitty and skip off back to America.’
    â€˜I wish we hadn’t sold the Oak Meadow.’
    â€˜Well, Sandy wanted that boat in a hurry—’
    â€˜Bellamy says John Forbes is going to build on it.’
    â€˜I don’t suppose Henry will even remember the Oak Meadow.’
    â€˜Will he live in London?’
    â€˜Darling, he’s a stranger to us, we can’t know what he’ll do, he probably doesn’t know himself.’
    â€˜He’s not a stranger to me, he’s my son.’
    Lucius, sucking his teeth, said nothing.
    â€˜Why don’t you say something? I wish you wouldn’t fidget so.’
    â€˜Yes, of course he’s your son. We must be very kind to him.’
    â€˜Why do you say that?’
    â€˜Oh, I don’t know, I mean, coming back here, so long away—’
    â€˜You meant something special by it.’
    â€˜No, I didn’t.’
    â€˜Are you implying that I’ve been unkind to him?’
    â€˜No!’
    â€˜Or unjust to him?’
    â€˜No! Gerda, don’t always imagine I mean something.’
    â€˜Why not?’
    â€˜I mean you keep thinking he’ll arrive with a plan. He won’t. We’ll have to make the plan. Well, you will. Henry was never able to make a decision in his life. He’ll arrive a shy awkward gentle muddle-headed young man as he always was.’
    â€˜He’s not such a young man. And he wasn’t very gentle to you in New York.’
    â€˜He was jealous.’
    â€˜Oh don’t talk such rubbish. I should have gone to Sperriton. I see that now. I ought to have seen how he lived.’
    â€˜He didn’t want you to.’
    â€˜You persuaded me not to go.’
    â€˜I didn’t! I never persuaded you of anything!’
    â€˜ I wonder if he was living with a woman. Perhaps he’ll announce that he’s married.’
    â€˜Perhaps he will.’
    â€˜You’re not being very helpful. You’d better go to bed.’
    â€˜I am a bit tired.’
    â€˜You’re looking cross-eyed. It’s the whisky. Must you have another? You know what it costs now.’
    â€˜I wasn’t going to have another.’
    â€˜I don’t know how I shall live through this next week till he comes.’
    â€˜You’ll live. Only do stop speculating, no wonder I’m crosseyed.’
    â€˜Which bedroom should we put him in?’
    â€˜His own, of course.’
    â€˜It’s so small.’
    â€˜If he doesn’t like it he can move. After all he owns the place now!’
    â€˜I think I’ll put him in the cherry blossom room. The radiator still works in there. And Queen Anne’s not heated. Oh