Living by Henry Green & Adam Thirlwell

Author:Henry Green & Adam Thirlwell
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: [No data]
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2017-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

10

LEAVING house-party Mr. Dupret went to Birmingham. When he heard Mr. Bridges was already gone on leave he was glad. He did not want to see Mr. Bridges. Indeed, now he knew it was not for him but Tom Tyler that Miss Glossop smiled and lilted, heart was out of him.

So when he came he sent for Mr. Cummings and just said he hoped everything was all right. Mr. Cummings made no impression on his mind. When he had gone Mr. Dupret sat on in office. He thought, and slowly tried to gather up energy inside him. At last he went up into Mr. Tarver’s office.

“Very glad to see you sir!”

“I’m sorry Mr. Bridges is ill!”

“Yes, it’s a shame he’s bad.” (Mr. Tarver was in great spirits this morning) “But you mark my words squire,” he said, “they’ll all go together.”

“What on earth do you mean, they’ll all go together?”

“Well you see Mr. Dupret” said Tarver and he went red, “I meant they were getting on, you can’t be sixty-one and expect to feel on top of the world.”

“I don’t want any intrigue Tarver,” Mr. Dupret said in tired voice, “we’ve all got to pull together or we’ll be nowhere in no time.”

“You mustn’t take what I say wrong, sir, we all work for the good of the firm, we all pull together, though we’re all sorts and different sizes.”

“That’s it,” said Mr. Dupret, and felt like he was nurse at school for infants and surely this man Tarver was mad. Why did he call you squire?

“Mr. Tarver, I thought when Mr. Bridges came back I would suggest to him your having another draughtsman. And really if Bumpus is always getting ill like this we had better part with him.”

“Don’t take Bumpus from me,” Mr. Tarver said dangerously. He rose from his chair. “I couldn’t do without him, Mr. Dupret, for God’s sake.”

This one was pleased. The man had spirit. “Right you are,” said he, “I didn’t know if you thought a lot of him, that’s all. And I promise to get you another. Or rather you and Bumpus, and of course Mr. Bridges will have to choose a further draughtsman between you.”

“It’s been needed, I only said to the wife the other night I didn’t see how I could go on short-handed like this with the new machine I’m bringing out. But with another man we’ll eat it up colonel.”

Beaming he came up and shook Dupret by the hand.

Mr. Dupret thought perhaps he was mad after all but enthusiastic anyway, not all words like old Bridges, and he was a young man, Arthur thought well of him. Yes, damn it, he would show them and give Tarver pat on the back. So he asked Tarver if he was coming round works with him, and together they went round, Tarver visibly glad.

As they went round works, Mr. Dupret and Mr. Tarver, behind them was Cummings. He dodged behind machinery and everything they did he noticed, every time they stopped to look at something he took it to be complaints.

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