'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 in the intervening years； but it still spoke in the pure； authentic accent of its prime； the same words of hope。
'I don't mean that they'll be paupers； the old boy will always be good for an odd thirty thousand a year； but there'll be a shakeup ing soon； and when the upper…classes get the wind up； their first idea is usually to cut down on the girls。 I'd like to get the little matter of a marriage settlement through； before it es。'
We had by no means reached the cognac； but here we were on the subject of himself。 In twenty minutes I should have been ready for all he had to tell。 I closed my mind to him as best I could and gave myself to the food before me； but sentences came breaking in on my happiness； recalling me to the harsh； acquisitive world which Rex inhabited。 He wanted a woman； he wanted the best on the market； and he wanted her at his own price； that was what it amounted to。
'。。。Ma Marchmain doesn't like me。 Well； I'm not asking her to。 It's not her I want to marry。 She hasn't the guts to say openly： 〃You're not a gentleman。 You're an adventurer from the Colonies。〃 She says we live in different atmospheres。 That's all right； but Julia happens to fancy my atmosphere。。。Then she brings up religion。 I've nothing against her Church； we don't take much account of Catholics in Canada； but that's different； in Europe you've got some very posh Catholics。 All right； Julia can go to church whenever she wants to。 I shan't try and stop her。 It doesn't mean two pins to her； as a matter of fact； but I like a girl to have religion。 What's more； she can bring the children up Catholic。 I'll make all the 〃promises〃 they want。。。Then there's my past。 〃We know so little about you。〃 She knows a sight too much。 You may know I've been tied up with someone else for a year or two。'
I knew； everyone who had ever met Rex knew of his affair with Brenda Champion； knew also that it was from this affair that he derived everything which distinguished him from every other stock…jobber； his golf with the Prince of Wales； his membership of Bratt's； even his smoking…room radeship at the House of mons； for； when he first appeared there； his party chiefs did not say of him； 'Look； there is the promising young member for north Gridley who spoke so well on Rent Restrictions。' They said： 'There's Brenda Champion's latest'； it had done him a great deal of good with men； women he could usually charm。
'Well； that's all washed up。 Ma Marchmain was too delicate to mention the subject； all she said was that I had 〃notoriety〃。 Well； what does she expect as a son…in…law … a sort of half…baked monk like Brideshead？ Julia knows all about the other thing； if she doesn't care； I don't see it's anyone else's business。'
After the duck came a salad of watercress and chicory in a faint mist of chives。 I tried to think only of the salad。 I succeeded for a time in thinking only of the souffl？ Then came the cognac and the proper hour for these confidences。 '。。。Julia's just rising twenty。 I don't want to wait till she's of age。 Anyway； I don't want to marry without doing the thing properly。。。nothing hole…in…corner。。。I have to see she isn't jockeyed out of her proper settlement。 So as the Marchioness won't play ball I'm off to see the old man and square him。 I gather he's likely to agree to anything he knows will upset her。 He's at Monte Carlo at the moment。 I'd planned to go there after dropping Sebastian off at Zurich。 That's why it's such a bloody bore having lost him。'
The cognac was not to Rex's taste。 It was clear and pale and it came to us in a bottle free from grime and Napoleonic cyphers。 It was only a year or two older than Rex and lately bottled。 They gave it to us in very thin tulip…shaped glasses of modest size。
'Brandy's one of the things I do know a bit about；' said Rex。 'This is a bad colour。 What's more； I can't taste it in this thimble。'
They brought him a balloon the size of his head。 He made them warm it over the spirit lamp。 Then he rolled the splendid spirit round； buried his face in the fumes； and pronounced it the sort； of stuff he put soda in at home。