Free From London Far by Michael Innes Page A

deplorably plain that the vision conjured up in Mrs Martin’s mind by this information was altogether impertinent to the matter.
    ‘With a statue, that is to say. The Adonis of Capri.’
    ‘The Adonis of the coal-cellar, I should have said.’ As she uttered this severe witticism Mrs Martin looked more attentively at the girl. ‘Well, well, well,’ she added with sudden placidity, ‘it mightn’t be a bad thing if I began by turning on the barfs.’

 
     
VI
    It was an hour later. Meredith, made philosophical by the rare indulgence of cutlets and sherry, leant forward and poked at a hospitable if diminutive fire.
    ‘Despite your charming fancy’, he said, ‘I must lay claim to all the years that time has laid upon me. But the fact is that even at my age new facets of human nature are constantly being revealed to one. Here is a woman with whom I have lodged since some time before the war. During this long period my conduct has been almost painfully exemplary. And yet, upon the first occasion of my introducing a lady into the establishment in somewhat unconventional circumstances, all this goes for nothing. Mrs Martin at once supposes me fallen into immoral courses. What I say in the matter she unhesitatingly ignores. Only after a personal appraisal of yourself for which I must really apologize does she relinquish a thoroughly nasty view.’
    Meredith laughed unexpectedly. ‘And, having provided us with some very tolerable coffee, she is now, I don’t doubt, investigating the mores of Titian and Giotto.’ He laid down the pipe which he had just picked up from the mantelpiece. ‘By Jove! Do you know I believe I have some cigarettes?’ He jumped up. ‘Ten cigarettes for you – I haven’t the faintest doubt you smoke – and for me two ounces of tobacco which I bought in a commonplace little shop this afternoon. Do you know Johnson’s London ? “Their ambush here relentless ruffians lay”. And “Here falling houses thunder on your head”. It is extremely odd that lines so apposite should have been running in my mind as I bought the stuff. Yes, here are the cigarettes – and now let me find you a match. You and I, it is clear, have a tale to tell each other. And I think we might begin by exchanging names.’
    The girl had curled up on a sofa and now looked at him through a perfectly defined smoke-ring which she had formed from her first puff of tobacco. ‘Yes, Mr Meredith.’
    Meredith laid down his pipe once more and looked at her in surprise. ‘I don’t think I heard Mrs Martin–’
    The girl smiled. ‘Martial,’ she said. ‘I used to come to your lectures on Martial at Cambridge.’
    ‘Good heavens! That must be nearly twelve years ago.’ Meredith was oddly pleased. ‘You know, as simple, expository lectures they weren’t at all bad.’
    ‘And they seemed to be extempore. Which made me not so astounded at your dazzling performance this afternoon. Seconds after being dubbed Vogelsang you were piping like the veriest songster of the grove. But not before I had recognized you – and it was lucky that I did. Otherwise I should never have tumbled to it that you were on my side. By the way, my name is Jean Halliwell.’
    ‘God bless my soul! Do you mean to say you wrote those papers on Minoan weapons in the Hellenic Review ?’ Meredith was so surprised that he had jumped up from his chair. ‘And I took you for an adventuress or the sort of person sent out by newspapers.’
    ‘I’m terribly sorry to be nothing so romantic. But I did write them and hope to write some more.’
    ‘Of course you wrote them.’ Meredith was quite confused. ‘And I assure you that by “adventuress” I did not at all imply – That is to say–’ He caught Jean Halliwell’s eye, recovered suddenly, and sat down again, chuckling, to stuff his pipe. ‘I liked them. The ordonnance is markedly good. But I am bound to say that in some of your conclusions–’ Meredith was once more on his feet, scanning the