Of Human Bondage - W. Somerset Maugham.mobi [271]
“Now we shan’t be disturbed,” he said, turning to Philip. “I’ve arranged with Betty not to let the children come in till I call them.”
Philip gave him a startled look, but before he could take in the meaning of the words, Athelny, fixing his glasses on his nose with the gesture habitual to him, went on.
“I wrote to you last Sunday to ask if anything was the matter with you, and as you didn’t answer I went to your rooms on Wednesday.”
Philip turned his head away and did not answer. His heart began to beat violently. Athelny did not speak, and presently the silence seemed intolerable to Philip. He could not think of a single word to say.
“Your landlady told me you hadn’t been in since Saturday night, and she said you owed her for the last month. Where have you been sleeping all this week?”
It made Philip sick to answer. He stared out of the window.
“Nowhere.”
“I tried to find you.”
“Why?” asked Philip.
“Betty and I have been just as broke in our day, only we had babies to look after. Why didn’t you come here?”
“I couldn’t.”
Philip was afraid he was going to cry. He felt very weak. He shut his eyes and frowned, trying to control himself. He felt a sudden flash of anger with Athelny because he would not leave him alone; but he was broken; and presently, his eyes still closed, slowly in order to keep his voice steady, he told him the story of his adventures during the last few weeks. As he spoke it seemed to him that he had behaved inanely, and it made it still harder to tell. He felt that Athelny would think him an utter fool.
“Now you’re coming to live with us till you find something to do,” said Athelny, when he had finished.
Philip flushed, he knew not why.
“Oh, it’s awfully kind of you, but I don’t think I’ll do that.”
“Why not?”
Philip did not answer. He had refused instinctively from fear that he would be a bother, and he had a natural bashfulness of accepting favors. He knew besides that the Athelnys lived from hand to mouth, and with their large family had neither space nor money to entertain a stranger.
“Of course you must come here,” said Athelny. “Thorpe will tuck in with one of his brothers and you can sleep in his bed. You don’t suppose your food’s going to make any difference to us.”
Philip was afraid to speak, and Athelny, going to the door, called to his wife.
“Betty,” he said, when she came in. “Mr. Carey’s coming to live with us.”
“Oh, that is nice,” she said. “I’ll go and get the bed ready.”
She spoke in such a hearty, friendly tone, taking everything for granted, that Philip was deeply touched. He never expected people to be kind to him, and when they were it surprised and moved him. Now he could not prevent two large tears from rolling down his cheeks. The Athelnys discussed the arrangements and pretended not to notice to what a state his weakness had brought him. When Mrs. Athelny left them Philip leaned back in his chair, and looking out of the window laughed a little.
“It’s not a very nice night to be out, is it?”
CII
Athelny told Philip that he could easily get him something to do in the large firm of linen-drapers in which he himself worked. Several of the assistants had gone to the war, and Lynn and Sedley with patriotic zeal had promised to keep their places open for them. They put the work of the heroes on those who remained, and since they did not increase the wages of these were able at once to exhibit public spirit and effect an economy; but the war continued and trade was less depressed; the holidays were coming, when numbers of the staff went away for a fortnight at a time: they were bound to engage more assistants. Philip’s experience had made him doubtful whether even then they would engage him; but Athelny, representing himself as a person of consequence in the firm, insisted that the manager could refuse him nothing. Philip, with his training in Paris, would be very useful; it was only a matter of waiting a little and he was bound to get a well-paid job to design costumes and draw posters. Philip made a poster for the summer sale and Athelny took it away. Two days later he brought it back, saying that the manager admired it very much and regretted with all his heart that there was no vacancy just then in that department. Philip asked whether there was nothing else he could do.