Free The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham Page B

manner.
    ‘I say, my dear, you really mustn’t come her in working hours. I’ve got an awful lot to do and we don’t want to give people a chance to gossip.’
    She gave him a long look with those beautiful eyes of her and tried to smile, but her lips were stiff and she could not.
    ‘I wouldn’t have come unless it was necessary.’
    He smiled and took her arm.
    ‘Well, since you’re here come and sit down.’
    It was a bare room, narrow, with a high ceiling; its walls were painted in two shades of terra cotta. The only furniture consisted of a large desk, a revolving chair for Townsend to sit in and a leather arm-chair for visitors. It intimidated Kitty to sit in this. He sat at the desk. She had never seen him in spectacles before; she did not know that he used them. When he noticed that her eyes were on them he took them off.
    ‘I only use them for reading,’ he said.
    Her tears came easily and now, she hardly knew why, she began to cry. She had no deliberate intention of deceiving, but rather an instinctive desire to excite his sympathy. He looked at her blankly.
    ‘Is anything the matter? Oh, my dear, don’t cry.’
    She took out her handkerchief and tried to check her sobs. He rang the bell and when the boy came to the door went to it.
    ‘If any one asks for me say I’m out.’
    ‘Very good, sir.’
    The boy closed the door. Charlie sat on the arm of the chair and put his arm round Kitty’s shoulders.
    ‘Now, Kitty dear, tell me all about it.’
    ‘Walter wants a divorce,’ she said.
    She felt the pressure of his arm on her shoulder cease. His body stiffened. There was a moment’s silence, then Townsend rose from her chair and sat down once more in his.
    ‘What exactly do you mean?’ he said.
    She looked at him quickly, for his voice was hoarse, and she saw that his face was dully red.
    ‘I’ve had a talk with him. I’ve come straight from the house now. He says he has all the proof he wants.’
    ‘You didn’t commit yourself, did you? You didn’t acknowledge anything?’
    Her heart sank.
    ‘No,’ she answered.
    ‘Are you quite sure?’ he asked, looking at her sharply.
    ‘Quite sure,’ she lied again.
    He leaned back in his chair and stared vacantly at the map of China which was hanging on the wall in front of him. She watched him anxiously. She was somewhat disconcerted at the manner in which he had received the news. She had expected him to take her in his arms and tell her he was thankful, for now they could be together always; but of course men were funny. She was crying softly, not now to arouse sympathy, but because it seemed the natural thing to do.
    ‘This is a bloody mess we’ve got into,’ he said at length. ‘But it’s no good losing our heads. Crying isn’t going to do us any good, you know.’
    She noticed the irritation in his voice and dried her eyes.
    ‘It’s not my fault, Charlie. I couldn’t help it.’
    ‘Of course you couldn’t. It was just damned bad luck. I was just as much to blame as you were. The thing to do now is to see how we’re going to get out of it. I don’t suppose you want to be divorced any more than I do.’
    She smothered a gasp. She gave him a searching look. He was not thinking of her at all.
    ‘I wonder what his proofs really are. I don’t know how he can actually prove that we were together in that room. On the whole we’ve been about as careful as any one could be. I’m sure that old fellow at the curio shop wouldn’t have given us away. Even if he’d seen us go in there’s not reason why we shouldn’t hunt curios together.’
    He was talking to himself rather than to her.
    ‘It’s easy enough to bring charges, but it’s damned difficult to prove them; any lawyer will tell you that. Our line is to deny everything, and if he threatens to bring an action we’ll tell him to go to hell and we’ll fight it.’
    ‘I couldn’t go into court, Charlie.’
    ‘Why on earth not? I’m afraid you’ll have to. God knows, I don’t