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'No。 My dealings with that family are over。'
'I think mine are just beginning；' said Rex。 'I say； I've got a lot to talk about； and I promised a chap at the Travellers' I'd give him his revenge this afternoon。 Won't you dine with me？'
'Yes。 Where？'
'I usually go to Ciro's。'
'Why not Paillard's？'
'Never heard of it。 I'm paying you know。'
'I know you are。 Let me order dinner。'
'Well； all right。 What's the place again？' I wrote it down for him。 'Is it the sort of place you see native life？'
'Yes； you might call it that。'
'Well； it'll be an experience。 Order something good。'
'That's my intention。'
I was there twenty minutes before Rex。 If I had to spend an evening with him； it should； at any rate； be in my own way。 I remember the dinner well … soup of oseille； a sole quite simply cooked in a white…wine sauce； a caneton ？la presse； a lemon souffl？ At the last minute； fearing that the whole thing was too simple for Rex； I added caviar aux blinis。 And for wine I let him give me a bottle of 1906 Montrachet； then at its prime； and； with the duck； a Clos de B鑪e of 1904。
Living was easy in France then； with the exchange as it was； my allowance went a long way and I did not live frugally。 It was very seldom； however； that I had a dinner like this； and I felt well disposed to Rex； when at last he arrived and gave up his hat and coat with the air of not expecting to see them again。 He looked round the sombre little place with suspicion as though hoping to see apaches or a drinking party of students。 All he saw was four senators with napkins tucked under their beards eating in absolute silence。 I could imagine him telling his mercial friends later： '。。。interesting fellow I know； an art student living in Paris。 Took me to a funny little restaurant … sort of place you'd pass without looking at … where there was some of the best food I ever ate。 There were half a dozen senators there； too； which shows you it was the right place。 Wasn't at all cheap either。'
'Any sign of Sebastian？' he asked。
'There won't be；' I said； 'until he needs money。'
'It's a bit thick； going off like that。 I was rather hoping that if I made a good job of him； it might do me a bit of good in another direction。'
He plainly wished to talk of his own affairs； they could wait； I thought； for the hour of tolerance and repletion； for the cognac； they could wait until the attention was blunted and one could listen with half the mind only； now in the keen moment when the ma顃re d'h魌el was turning the blinis over in the pan； and； in the background； two humbler men were preparing the press； we would talk of myself。
'Did you stay long at Brideshead？ Was my name mentioned after I left？'
'Was it mentioned？ I got sick of the sound of it； old boy。 The Marchioness got what she called a 〃bad conscience〃 about you。 She piled it on pretty thick； I gather； at your last meeting。'
〃'Callously wicked〃； 〃wantonly cruel〃。'
'Hard words。'
' 〃It' doesn't matter what people call you unless they call you pigeon pie and eat you up。〃 '
'Eh？'
'A saying。'
'Ah。' The cream and hot butter mingled and overflowed； separating each glaucous bead of caviar from its fellows； capping it in white and gold。
'I like a bit of chopped onion with mine； ' said Rex。 'Chap who…knew told me it brought out the flavour。'
'Try it without first I said。 'And tell me more news of myself。'
'Well； of course； Greenacre； or whatever he was called … the snooty don … he came a cropper。 That was well received by all。
He was the blue…eyed boy for a day or two after you left。 Shouldn't wonder if he hadn't put the old girl up to pitching you out。 He was always being pushed down our throats； so in the end Julia couldn't bear it any more and gave him away。'
'Julia did？ '
'Well； he'd begun to stick his nose into our affairs； you see。 Julia spotted he was a fake； and one afternoon when Sebastian was tight … he was tight most of the time … she got the whole story of the Grand Tour out of him。 And that was the end of Mr Samgrass。 After that the Marchioness began to think she might have been a bit rough with you。'
'And what about the row with Cordelia？'
'That eclipsed everything。 That kid's a walking marvel … she'd been feeding Sebastian whisky right under our noses for a week。 We couldn't think where he was getting it。 That's when the Marchioness finally crumbled。'
The soup was delicious after the rich blinis … hot； thin； bitter； frothy。
'I'll tell you a thing； Charles； that Ma Marchmain hasn't let on to anyone。 She's a very sick woman。 Might peg out any minute。 George Anstruther saw her in the autumn and put it at two years。'
'How on earth do you know？'
'It's the kind of thing I hear。 With the way her family are going on at the moment； I wouldn't give her a year。 I know just the man for her in Vienna。 He put Sonia Bamfshire on her feet when everyone including Anstruther had despaired of her。 But Ma Marchmain won't do anything about it。 I suppose it's something to do with her crackbrain religion； not to take care of the body。'
The sole was so simple and unobtrusive that Rex failed to notice it。 We ate to the music of the press … the crunch of the bones； the drip of blood and marrow the tap of the spoon basting the thin slices of breast。 There was a pause here of a quarter of an hour； while I drank the first glass of the Clos de B鑪e and Rex smoked his first cigarette。 He leaned back； blew a cloud of smoke across the table； and remarked； 'You know； the food here isn't half bad； someone ought to take this place up and make something of it。'
Presently he began again on the Marchmains：
'I'll tell you another thing； too … they'll get a jolt financially soon if they don't look out。'
'I thought they were enormously rich。'
'Well； they are rich in the way people are who just let their money sit quiet。 Everyone of that sort is poorer than they were in 1914； and the Flytes don't seem to realize it。 I reckon those lawyers who manage their affairs find it convenient to give them all the cash they want and no questions asked。 Look at the way they live … Brideshead and Marchmain House both going full blast； pack of foxhounds； no rents raised； nobody sacked； dozens of old servants doing damn all； being waited on by other servants； and then besides all that there's the old boy setting up a separate establishment … and setting it up on no humble scale either。 D'you know how much they're overdrawn？'
'Of course I don't。'
'Jolly near a hundred thousand in London。 I don't know what they owe elsewhere。 Well； that's quite a packet； you know； for people who aren't using their money。 Ninety…eight thousand last November。 It's the kind of thing I hear。'
Those were the kind of things he heard； mortal illness and debt； I thought。
I rejoiced in the Burgundy。 It seemed a； reminder that the world was an older； and better place than Rex knew； that mankind in its long passion had learned another wisdom than his。 By chance I met this same wine again； lunching with my wine merchant in St James's Street； in the first autumn of the war； it had softened and faded