Part 3

When Ann Veronica found herself in her father’s study that evening it

seemed to her for a moment as though all the events of the past six

months had been a dream. The big gray spaces of London, the shop-lit,

greasy, shining streets, had become very remote; the biological

laboratory with its work and emotions, the meetings and discussions,

the rides in hansoms with Ramage, were like things in a book read and

closed. The study seemed absolutely unaltered, there was still the same

lamp with a little chip out of the shade, still the same gas fire, still

the same bundle of blue and white papers, it seemed, with the same pink

tape about them, at the elbow of the arm-chair, still the same father.

He sat in much the same attitude, and she stood just as she had stood

when he told her she could not go to the Fadden Dance. Both had dropped

the rather elaborate politeness of the dining-room, and in their faces

an impartial observer would have discovered little lines of obstinate

wilfulness in common; a certain hardness--sharp, indeed, in the father

and softly rounded in the daughter--but hardness nevertheless, that made

every compromise a bargain and every charity a discount.

“And so you have been thinking?” her father began, quoting her letter

and looking over his slanting glasses at her. “Well, my girl, I wish you

had thought about all these things before these bothers began.”

Ann Veronica perceived that she must not forget to remain eminently

reasonable.

“One has to live and learn,” she remarked, with a passable imitation of

her father’s manner.

“So long as you learn,” said Mr. Stanley.

Their conversation hung.

“I suppose, daddy, you’ve no objection to my going on with my work at

the Imperial College?” she asked.

“If it will keep you busy,” he said, with a faintly ironical smile.

“The fees are paid to the end of the session.”

He nodded twice, with his eyes on the fire, as though that was a formal

statement.

“You may go on with that work,” he said, “so long as you keep in harmony

with things at home. I’m convinced that much of Russell’s investigations

are on wrong lines, unsound lines. Still--you must learn for yourself.

You’re of age--you’re of age.”

“The work’s almost essential for the B.Sc. exam.”

“It’s scandalous, but I suppose it is.”

Their agreement so far seemed remarkable, and yet as a home-coming the

thing was a little lacking in warmth. But Ann Veronica had still to get

to her chief topic. They were silent for a time. “It’s a period of crude

views and crude work,” said Mr. Stanley. “Still, these Mendelian fellows

seem likely to give Mr. Russell trouble, a good lot of trouble. Some of

their specimens--wonderfully selected, wonderfully got up.”

“Daddy,” said Ann Veronica, “these affairs--being away from home

has--cost money.”

“I thought you would find that out.”

“As a matter of fact, I happen to have got a little into debt.”

“NEVER!”

Her heart sank at the change in his expression.

“Well, lodgings and things! And I paid my fees at the College.”

“Yes. But how could you get--Who gave you credit?

“You see,” said Ann Veronica, “my landlady kept on my room while I

was in Holloway, and the fees for the College mounted up pretty

considerably.” She spoke rather quickly, because she found her father’s

question the most awkward she had ever had to answer in her life.

“Molly and you settled about the rooms. She said you HAD some money.”

“I borrowed it,” said Ann Veronica in a casual tone, with white despair

in her heart.

“But who could have lent you money?”

“I pawned my pearl necklace. I got three pounds, and there’s three on my

watch.”

“Six pounds. H’m. Got the tickets? Yes, but then--you said you

borrowed?”

“I did, too,” said Ann Veronica.

“Who from?”

She met his eye for a second and her heart failed her. The truth

was impossible, indecent. If she mentioned Ramage he might have a

fit--anything might happen. She lied. “The Widgetts,” she said.

“Tut, tut!” he said. “Really, Vee, you seem to have advertised our

relations pretty generally!”

“They--they knew, of course. Because of the Dance.”

“How much do you owe them?”

She knew forty pounds was a quite impossible sum for their neighbors.

She knew, too, she must not hesitate. “Eight pounds,” she plunged, and

added foolishly, “fifteen pounds will see me clear of everything.” She

muttered some unlady-like comment upon herself under her breath and

engaged in secret additions.

Mr. Stanley determined to improve the occasion. He seemed to deliberate.

“Well,” he said at last slowly, “I’ll pay it. I’ll pay it. But I do

hope, Vee, I do hope--this is the end of these adventures. I hope you

have learned your lesson now and come to see--come to realize--how

things are. People, nobody, can do as they like in this world.

Everywhere there are limitations.”

“I know,” said Ann Veronica (fifteen pounds!). “I have learned that. I

mean--I mean to do what I can.” (Fifteen pounds. Fifteen from forty is

twenty-five.)

He hesitated. She could think of nothing more to say.

“Well,” she achieved at last. “Here goes for the new life!”

“Here goes for the new life,” he echoed and stood up. Father and

daughter regarded each other warily, each more than a little insecure

with the other. He made a movement toward her, and then recalled the

circumstances of their last conversation in that study. She saw his

purpose and his doubt hesitated also, and then went to him, took his

coat lapels, and kissed him on the cheek.

“Ah, Vee,” he said, “that’s better! and kissed her back rather clumsily.

“We’re going to be sensible.”

She disengaged herself from him and went out of the room with a grave,

preoccupied expression. (Fifteen pounds! And she wanted forty!)