The Heart Of The Matter

hem. Through the wall he could hear Harris cleaning his teeth for the fifth time that day. Harris believed in dental hygiene. ‘It’s cleaning my teeth before and after every mea

bathroom. The Indian with the turban was sitting on the side of the bath fully dressed. He stared inscrutably back at Wilson and bowed. ‘Just

. Another servant stood by with iced drinks, and a punkah swayed in the background. Apparently these things were better managed in India. However, with one more effort, Wilson did get the wretched thing wrapped around him. It

e cool impertinence to pursue ... but when the door opened, it was only Harris: the

man?’ Harris asked,

‘

ing. I shall have the table all to myself.’ He

is. I’m sorr

s, old man, every Thursday night’ He looked a

isn’t. It’s th

bsorbs sweat, but that’s not where I sweat, old man. I’d rather wear braces, only the elastic

At Tal

did you

ce yesterday to pay his acc

ress for a Syrian, old ma

Are yo

out of you.’ Wilson began to undress again while Harris talked. He was a good listener. His brain was like a sieve through which the rubbish fell all day long. Sitting on the bed in his pan

th

Imprisoned f

In a b

ed as it always did a littl

From you he

For his serv

A smile to-day

ack at him, pink and healthy, plump and hopeless. Harris went happily on, ‘I said once to Scobie,’ and immedi

l wonder, old man. Sc

s too good

se?’ Harri

course.

unting for tastes. Go

must b

purt of energy, ‘God knows I wouldn’t mind something to be car

‘

eyes. ‘You’ll have to be done sooner or later, old man,’ Harris sai

eve in fortune-tel

d a half years. I thought then I was going to have leave after eighteen months. I know better now.’ The Indian watche

lson said. ‘Do me, b

off, old man, before t

ot afraid,’

urteously. He took Wilson’s hand in his. ‘It is a very interest

t are you

. One like yourself, sir, I

at’s a b

fficers are fi

five-shilling cla

Director of Agricult

only an ac

sir. A.D.C. and Major Sco

lson said. ‘Here’s

ian said. ‘You are sometimes at night an impatien

arris asked, lolli

tious. You are a dreame

from the finger which traced the lines upon his p

y secreted stray pieces from the larder in its folds. He said, ‘You are a secret man. You do not tell your friends about y

win, old man,’

ved in it enough, it would come true. Diffidence would b

to happen.’ He shifted his seat uncomfortably on the sharp edge of the bath and watched a cockroach like a large blood blister flattene

‘Il pense that you

vernment be pleased w

ill capture

, ‘I believe he thinks

’ Wilson said. ‘Not muc

too. You will win the lady of your heart. You will sail

al ten-bob

from the bath, and the cockroach flashed into hiding. ‘I can’t bear those things,’ Wil

ld man. But I evolved a system. Just

ought to

eyes with a kind of shame from the first sight of its disorder. In his own room he would

ok here,

figures lined against dates as in a cash-book. Then the letters D.D., and under them more figures. ‘It’s my score in

does D.D.

m into the wash-basin and they go down the waste-pipe.

‘

sometimes, playing against yourself. Why shouldn’t we make a match of it, old man? It needs skill, you know. T

having a try, but I’

g till you come back from Tallit’s. Well hav

If you

the curry. You know I could have laughed when the

rong, didn’t he?’ Wilson

montage of ribbons and bows: young men smelling mauve Sowers, a glossy cherry shoulder, an impassioned kiss. Wilson found there was only one other guest besides himself, Father Rank, a Catholic priest, wearing his long soutane. They sat in opposite corners of the room among the chaperons whom Father Rank explained were Tallit’s grandparents and parents, two uncles, what might have been a great-great-aunt, a cousin. Somewhere out of sight Tallit’s wife was preparing little dishes which wer

ly out for her granddaughter. ‘No, no,’ Wilson said vainly, shaking his head and smiling at the centenarian. The centenarian lifted his lip from a toothless gum and signalled with ferocity to Tallit’s younge

d and slid agilely from end to end of the room, a word to Wilson, a word to Father Rank. He reminded Wilson of a young ballet

ather Rank shouted across the room. ‘

in the office,’ Wilson sa

He explained to Wilson, ‘Diamonds are a sore subject with Tallit. He was taken in by the false ones last year. Yusef humbugg

,’ Tallit said, standing midwa

sef. They say he passes false diamonds, smuggles real ones, sells bad liquor, hoards co

a single thing you hear in this place. Otherwise everybody would be living with someone e

id,’ Yusef is

t the authorit

Syrian yet. Oh, often I’ve seen the police as pleased as Punch carrying their happy morning faces around, just

to have been a p

s? There are more policemen in this to

‘Who

less in moderation, but you’ve taken four already. Look here, Ta

‘Bake

people humorously on through the rainy and the dry months. Could its cheeriness ever have comforted a single soul? Wilson wondered: had it even comfo

and sat himself down at a table which like the chairs hugged the wan. There were only a few places laid and Wil

g something about a

erything is an official secret, to remind people that their tongues were made to talk with and that the truth is meant to be spoken about. Look at Tallit now,’ Father Rank went on. Tallit was raising the corner of his

w. He sat down silently beside the centenarian, and his sister served the

oo is enterta

ather Rank said, ‘but I find your dinner more dig

as all that being

re going to be next month, say - what’s on the way by sea, and hell pay for his information.’ If I saw a girl go hi, I’d think it was

a police office

e priest said. ‘None of them are such

ar brought Yusef home,’ Tallit s

s earning a bit on the

careful not to get out. Of course I am not

ce about it’ His eyes roamed the room. ‘Not twice,’ he said. ‘I’d lay next Sunday’s collection that everything was all right,

he tried to tiptoe by, but Harris heard him. ‘I’ve been listening for you, old man,’ he said, waving an

e. I thought y

grown on me, old man. We might have a monthly prize. I can

th irony, ‘There mi

ve happened, old man. Th

its greying net, the armchair with collapsible back, the dressing-table littered with old Picture Po

ur rooms alternat

weapon sh

d squeaked under Wilson’s feet and Harris turned

red. Don’t you thi

there’s one - over the dressing-table. You can have first shot,’ but as t

d Harris, as he moved on tiptoe across the creaking floor, began to weave the light of his torch backwards and forwards

into comers: the lust of the hunt touched Wilson’s imagination. At first their manner to each other was ‘sporting’; they would call out, ‘Good-sho

g after the same bird,

starte

our one, old man

e same. He did

‘Oh

shouldn’t go for the same one. You dro

in the rules,’ H

ps not in y

’ Harris said, ‘I

with the shoe from six feet away. The shoe landed smartly on the soap and the cockroach span into the

lson said. ‘It was dead w

ight have been just unconscious - concu

ur rules

the Queensberry r

eat drained from his armpits. But as he stood there beside his own bed, seeing the replica of Harris’s room around him, the washbasin, the table, the grey mosquito-net, even the cockroach fastened on t

he sense of guilt still heavy upon him. On his way down to breakfast he paused outside Harris’s door. There was no sound. He knocked, but the

What i

y Harris, abou

e got a touch of fever. I wa

ault. You are quite

toss up for

l come in

That’s

ay from Harris. He had been in to the Commissioner’s offi

bie said, ‘what a

pass. There are so many passes one has to have

u going to can on

t to be bothered wi

another chat about books. I don’t

suppose you ha

have a taste for reading, that’s all. Come into my office a moment while I ring up Louise. She’ll

ie’s office. He examined it as a general might examine a battleground, and yet it was difficult to regard

ee this

e slightly protruding, slightly reddened eyes dwelt on him with a kind of spe

ts into things

ne. His intonation changed: it was as if he were reading a part - a part which called for tenderness and patience, a part which had

very good plan to

alk, and when you get back I’ll have a drink ready for you. Stay to din

he Commissioner. He said, ‘I was just coming a

er said. ‘He came in to have a word w

carrying with him, as well as his file, a breath of the Zoo behind. The day was heavy with unshed rain:

ece of blotting-paper under his wrist to absorb the sweat as