The Book and the Brotherhood Read Online Free Page B

had all coveted that man’s praise, far away in that short golden piece of the past. They had coveted his praise and his love. Gerard had carried off the famous prize. But what he really wanted was to be praised and loved the most. It was hard to believe now that Jenkin had been his nearest rival.
    Jenkin, who knew exactly what Gerard was thinking, began to laugh. He sat down abruptly spilling his drink.
    ‘Did he ask you to translate something?’ said Gerard.
    ‘Yes, the brute. He planted me in front of a piece of Thucydides.’
    ‘How did you manage?’
    ‘I said I couldn’t make head or tail of it.’
    ‘What did he say?’
    ‘He laughed and patted my arm.’
    ‘He was always soft on you.’
    ‘He always expected more of you.’
    Gerard did not dispute this.
    ‘I’m sorry I didn’t say I was going to see Levquist,’ said Jenkin, serious now, ‘so that we could go together. But I knew that he’d play that old trick on me. I don’t mind failing, but I’d rather you weren’t there.’
    Gerard found this explanation entirely satisfactory.
    ‘How you men do live in the past!’ said Rose.
    ‘Well, you were remembering Jean just now,’ said Jenkin, ‘standing on her head in the punt. It was May Morning.’
    ‘Were you there?’ said Rose. ‘I’d forgotten. Gerard was there, and Duncan – and – and Sinclair.’
    The door flew open and Gulliver Ashe blundered in.
    Gerard said at once, ‘Gull, have you seen Tamar and Conrad? I quite forgot to tell them about coming up here.’
    ‘I saw them,’ said Gulliver. He spoke clearly but with the careful solemnity of the drunk man. ‘I
saw
them. And at that very moment Conrad rushed off, leaving her alone.’
    ‘Leaving her
alone
?’ said Rose.
    ‘I conversed with her. Then I too left her. That is all that I can report.’
    ‘You
left
her?’ said Gerard, ‘how could you, how perfectly rotten! You left her standing by herself?’
    ‘Her escort not being far off, I presumed,’ said Gulliver.
    ‘You’d better go and look for her at once,’ said Gerard.
    ‘Give him a drink first,’ said Jenkin, hauling himself up from his chair. ‘I expect Conrad’s turned up again.’
    ‘I’ll have a word with him if he hasn’t!’ said Gerard. ‘Fancy leaving her alone even for a moment!’
    ‘I expect it was a call of nature,’ said Jenkin, ‘he rushed in behind the laurels, the myrtle, the ivy.’
    ‘It was
not
a call of nature,’ said Gulliver. He could see from the behaviour of his audience that they did not yet know his great news. ‘Do you know? Well, obviously you don’t. Crimond is here.’
    ‘
Crimond? Here
?’
    ‘Yes.
And
he’s wearing a
kilt
.’
    Gulliver took the glass of champagne offered to him by Jenkin and sat down in the chair Jenkin had vacated.
    Their dismay was even greater than Gull had hoped for. They stared at each other appalled, with stiffened faces and indrawn lips. Rose, who rarely showed her emotions, had flushed and put a hand to her face. She was the first to speak. ‘How
dare
he come here!’
    ‘It’s his old college too,’ said Jenkin.
    ‘Yes, but he must have known –’
    ‘That it’s our territory?’
    ‘He must have known we’d all be here,’ said Rose, ‘he must have come on purpose.’
    ‘Not necessarily,’ said Gerard. ‘There’s nothing to be alarmed about. But we’d better go and find Duncan and Jean. They may not know –’
    ‘If they do know they’ve probably gone home!’ said Rose.
    ‘I bloody hope not,’ said Jenkin. ‘Why should they? They can just keep away from him. God!’ he added, ‘and I was just looking forward to seeing the old coll and getting quietly plastered with you lot!’
    ‘I’ll go and tell them,’ said Gulliver. ‘I haven’t seen them, but I expect I can find them.’
    ‘No,’ said Gerard, ‘you stay here.’
    ‘Why? Am I under arrest? Aren’t I supposed to look for Tamar?’
    ‘Duncan and Jean may come here,’ said Rose, ‘hadn’t someone better