The Death of the Heart - Elizabeth Bowen [96]
What help she did not find in the picture she found in its oak frame and the mantelpiece underneath. After inside upheavals, it is important to fix on imperturbable things. Their imperturbableness, their air that nothing has happened renews our guarantee. Pictures would not be hung plumb over the centres of fireplaces or wallpapers pasted on with such precision that their seams make no break in the pattern if life were really not possible to adjudicate for. These things are what we mean when we speak of civilisation: they remind us how exceedingly seldom the unseemly or unforeseeable rears its head. In this sense, the destruction of buildings and furniture is more palpably dreadful to the spirit than the destruction of human life. Appalling as the talk with Daphne had been, it had not been so finally fatal, when you looked back at it, as an earthquake or a dropped bomb. Had the gas stove blown up when Portia lit it, blowing this nice room into smithereens, it would have been worse than Portia's being called spying common. Though what she had said had apparently been dreadful, it had done less harm than a bombardment from the sea. Only outside disaster is irreparable. At least, there would be dinner at any minute; at least she could wash her hands in Vinolia soap.
Before the last chime of the temple bells, Mrs. Hectomb had raised the cover and was carving the joint. She did not know that the boys had been to a pub; she understood that they had been for a turn. When Portia slipped into her place between Daphne and Dickie, she was at once requested to pass the broccoli. Upon Waikiki Sunday dinner, the curtain always went up with a rush: they ate as though taking part in an eating marathon. Eddie seemed to be concentrating on Dickie—evidently the drinks had gone off well. Now and then he threw Daphne a jolly look. As he passed up his plate for a second helping of mutton, he said to Portia, "You look very clean."
"Portia always looks clean," said Mrs. Heccomb proudly.
"She looks so clean. She must just have been washing. She's still no lady; she uses soap on her face."
Dickie said: "No girl's face is the worse for soap."
"They all think so. They clean with grease out of pots."
"No doubt. But the question is, do they clean?"
"Oh, have you got enlarged pores on your mind? Those are one of the worries I leave behind in the office. They are one of our greatest assets; in fact I have just been doing a piece about them. I began: 'Why do so many Englishmen kiss with their eyes shut?' but somebody else made me take that out."
"I must say, I don't wonder."
"Still, I'm told Englishmen do. Of course I take that on hearsay: I've got no way to check up."
There were signs, all round the table, of Eddie's having once more gone too far, and Portia wished he would take more care. However, by the time the plum tart came in, the talk had begun to take a happier turn.
They examined night starvation, imperfectly white washing, obesity, self distrust and lustreless hair. Eddie had the good taste not to bring up his two great professional topics—halitosis and flabby busts. Doris had found the nine-pennyworth of cream too stiff to turn out of the carton, so brought it in as it was, which made Mrs. Heccomb flush. Daphne said: "Goodness, it's like butter," and Eddie spooned a chunk of it out for her. By this time, she looked at him with a piglike but not unfriendly eye. When they had had cream crackers and gorgonzola they rose to settle heavily on the settee. Eddie said: "Another gambit of ours is fullness after meals."
Evelyn Bunstable was said to be dropping in, to give Portia's boy friend the once over. However, at about a quarter to three, just when Daphne had asked if they all meant to stick about, something better and far more important happened: Mr. Bursely reappeared. Dickie heard him first, looked out of the window and said: "Why, who have we here!" Mrs. Heccomb, coming back from the stairs on her way up to lie down, went quite a long way out into the sun porch, then said: "It's that Mr. Bursely, I think."