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The fame of virtuous deeds, of generosity, of peace-making, of fidelity, was in that state of society as easily attainable by women as by men. The Unas, Finolas, Sabias, Lasarinas, were as certain of immortality as the Hughs, Cathals, Donalds and Conors, their sons, brothers, or lovers.
Hughs really thinks you are interested. Of course, she wants to, for if you were, it would mean that a man like her husband could have no chance." Astonished at this flash of cynical inspiration, and ashamed of such plain speaking, she checked herself. Hilary had turned away. Cecilia touched his arm. "Hilary, dear," she said, "isn't there any chance of you and B " Hilary's lips twitched.
The skirmish of that conversation had lasted now for many days ever since the death of the Hughs' baby. "Well," Martin was saying, "what are you going to do? It's no good to base it on the baby; you must know your own mind all round. You can't go rushing into real work on mere sentiment." "You went to the funeral, Martin. It's bosh to say you didn't feel it too!"
Passing into her room, she opened her wardrobe door. 'Bother the woman! she thought. 'I do want that gentian dress got ready, but now I simply can't give it to her to do. Since in the flutter of her spirit caused by the words of Mrs. Hughs, Cecilia felt she must do something, she decided to change her dress.
For the first time, perhaps, Cecilia was conscious that a sample of the class she was so interested in was exposed to view beneath her nose. 'The Hughs live somewhere there, she thought. 'After all I think B. ought to know about that man. She might speak to father, and get him to give up having the girl to copy for him the whole thing's so worrying.
Being man and woman, they naturally took a different line of chase, Cecilia hunting in one grove and Stephen in another. Thus ran Stephen's pack of meditations: 'If old Hilary has been giving her money and clothes and that sort of thing, he's either a greater duffer than I took him for, or there's something in it. B.'s got herself to thank, but that won't help to keep Hughs quiet.
But he's like a madman when he's in liquor, and he says he'll go to Mrs. Hilary " "Go to my sister? What about? The ruffian!" At hearing her husband called a ruffian by another woman the shadow of resentment passed across Mrs. Hughs' face, leaving it quivering and red. The conversation had already made a strange difference in the manner of these two women to each other.
There seemed to be expressed in it the knowledge bred by immemorial experience and immemorial time: This law before which we stand was not made by us! As dogs, when they hear the crack of a far whip, will shrink, and in their whole bearing show wary quietude, so Hughs and Mrs. Hughs, confronted by the questionings of Law, made only such answers as could be dragged from them.
And, very conscious of his natural disabilities for a decision on a like, or indeed on any, subject except, perhaps, a point of literary technique, he got up from his writing-table, and, taking his little bulldog, went out. His intention was to visit Mrs. Hughs in Hound Street, and see with his own eyes the state of things. But he had another reason, too, for wishing to go there ....
Following out the instinct planted so deeply in human nature for treating with the utmost care and at great expense when dead those, who, when alive, have been served with careless parsimony, there started from the door of No. 1 in Hound Street a funeral procession of three four-wheeled cabs. The second bore Mrs. Hughs, her son Stanley, and Joshua Creed. The third bore Martin Stone.
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