V
It was raining slightly, but he dared not return to the house for hisumbrella. In the haze and wet of the shivering October night the clockof Bleakridge Church glowed like a fiery disc suspended in the sky,and, mysteriously hanging there, without visible means of support,it seemed to him somehow to symbolize the enigma of the universe andintensify his inward gloom. Never before had he had such feelings tosuch a degree. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that never beforehad the enigma of the universe occurred to him. The side gates clickedas he stood hesitant under the shelter of the wall, and a figureemerged from his domain. It was Bellfield, the new chauffeur, goingacross to his home in the little square in front of the church.Bellfield touched his cap with an eager and willing hand, as newchauffeurs will.
"Want the car, sir?... Setting in for a wet night!"
"No, thanks."
It was a lie. He did want the car. He wanted the car so that he mightride right away into a new and more interesting world, or at anyrate into Hanbridge, centre of the pleasures, the wickedness and thecommerce of the Five Towns. But he dared not have the car. He darednot have his own car. He must slip off noiseless and unassuming. Evento go to Dr Stirling's he dared not have the car. Besides, he couldhave walked down the hill to Dr. Stirling's in three minutes. Not thathe had the least intention of going to Dr. Stirling's. No! His wifeimagined that he was going. But she was mistaken. Within an hour, whenDr. Stirling had failed to arrive, she would doubtless telephone andget her Dr. Stirling. Not, however, with Edward Henry's assistance!
He reviewed his conduct throughout the evening. In what particular hadit been sinful? In no particular. True, the accident to the boy was amisfortune, but had he not borne that misfortune lightly, minimized itand endeavoured to teach others to bear it lightly? His blithe humourought surely to have been an example to Nellie! And as for the episodeof the funeral march on the Pianisto, really, really, the tiresomelittle thing ought to have better appreciated his whimsical drollery!
But Nellie was altered; he was altered; everything was altered.He remembered the ecstasy of their excursion to Switzerland. Heremembered the rapture with which, on their honeymoon, he had claspeda new opal bracelet on her exciting arm. He could not possibly havesuch sensations now. What was the meaning of life? Was life worthliving? The fact was--he was growing old. Useless to pretend tohimself that it was not so. Both he and she were growing old. Only,she seemed to be placidly content, and he was not content. And moreand more the domestic atmosphere and the atmosphere of the districtfretted and even annoyed him. To-night's affair was not unique. But itwas a culmination. He gazed pessimistically north and south alongthe slimy expanse of Trafalgar Road, which sank northwards in thedirection of Dr. Stirling's, and southwards in the direction of joyousHanbridge. He loathed and despised Trafalgar Road. What was the useof making three hundred and forty-one pounds by a shrewd speculation?None. He could not employ three hundred and forty-one pounds toincrease his happiness. Money had become futile for him. Astoundingthought! He desired no more of it! He had a considerable income frominvestments, and also at least four thousand a year from the FiveTowns Universal Thrift Club, that wonderful but unpretentiousorganization which now embraced every corner of the Five Towns--thatgorgeous invention for profitably taking care of the pennies of theworking-classes--that excellent device, his own, for selling to theworking-classes every kind of goods at credit prices after havingreceived part of the money in advance!
"I want a change!" he said to himself, and threw away his cigar.
After all, the bitterest thought in his heart was, perhaps, that, onthat evening he had tried to be a "card," and, for the first time inhis brilliant career as a "card," had failed. He, Henry Machin, whohad been the youngest Mayor of Bursley years and years ago, he,the recognized amuser of the Five Towns, he, one of the greatest"characters" that the Five Towns had ever produced! He had failed ofan effect!
He slipped out on to the pavement and saw, under the gas-lamp, on thenew hoarding of the football ground, a poster intimating that duringthat particular week there was a gigantic attraction at the EmpireMusic Hall at Hanbridge. According to the posters there was a giganticattraction every week at the Empire, but Edward Henry happened to knowthat this week the attraction was indeed somewhat out of the common.And to-night was Friday, the fashionable night for the bloods and themodishness of the Five Towns. He looked at the church clock andthen at his watch. He would be in time for the "second house," whichstarted at nine o'clock. At the same moment an electric tram-car camethundering up out of Bursley. He boarded it and was saluted by theconductor. Remaining on the platform he lit a cigarette and tried tofeel cheerful. But he could not conquer his depression.
"Yes," he thought, "what I want is change--and a lot of it, too!"
CHAPTER II
THE BANK-NOTE