The Heart Of The Matter

ards the bridge over the river that still c

by myself,’ Wilson said, panting a li

ie said, ‘It’s m

rds them balancing a pail of water on her head; a child naked except for a red bead necklace round the waist played in a little dust-paved yard among

behind us?’ Mrs Scobie said. ‘And a few hundred yards up

was gathering inside the boom; tiny boats moved like flies between the ships; above them the ashy trees and the burnt s

This is what I thought it

nd loves the pla

e eyesight. He sees what he likes to see. He doesn’t se

ees you,’

oesn’t, because I’ve

u aren’t

Oh yes

ing his face into a careful careless whistle. But he cou

ke,’ Louise said,

He stood aside to let a labourer go by. He

‘we get to the best point of all -

tumbling on again along the ridge track. He had no small

h green slopes falling down towards the great flat glaring bay - when she wanted

Who’s

My hus

I’d heard you call him somethi

hates it. I try not to when other peo

a little further - to

ise said, ‘before dark. The ra

k will be downh

or for equality. In his romantic, humble, ambitious mind he could conceive only a relationship with a waitress, a cinema usherette, a landlady’s daughter in Battersea or with a queen - this was a queen. He began to mutter again at her heels - ‘so good’ - between pants, his p

breath again against the wooden wall of the small abandoned

s like the steam left only a moment ago by a passing train. On the forever-closed guichet somebody had chalked a crude phallic figure. Wilson cou

‘Th

ank God, I shall b

You are not

sending me to

s was so unexpected that it was like a t

w better than he did that his face was not made to expres

He’ll

said - he, he, he chiming back in his

be happier

e could

’s quite easy really when you get the hang of it. ‘He’ll be happier without me,’ she repeated. An ant moved from the woodwork on to her neck and he leant close to flick it away. He had no other motive. When he took his mouth away from hers

carrying on the conversation

down into his right eye and he brushed it away; on the guich

if it hadn’t been for the mone

‘Wh

nd fro - of Father Rank’s laugh coming up along the path. ‘Good evening, good evening,’ Father Rank called. His stride lengthened and he caught a foot in his soutane and

see who we wer

he did. What d

biggest gossi

t things that m

s doesn’t

doesn’t,’ she sai

with you, Louise,’

the second t

hat makes any difference

rse I like y

ou wouldn’t ca

you got ano

‘Ed

now where you are. Suddenly you are calling someone Bear or Ticki, and the real names s

don’t you

m. I told you. I’m go

you, Louise,’

old are yo

Thirty

hirty-two, and I am

doesn’t

ic. It does matter. It matters much more than lo

and then tore up the sky, climbing vertically: the wind pressed the two

long will

Half a

me down. They stood inside the station and heard the water hurled upon

is grim,’ L

God’s sake, Wilson,’ she said, ‘don’t let’s have a petting party.’ She h

rry ... I di

. ‘I like you, Wilson,’ she said, ‘but I’m not a nursing sister who expects to be taken whenever she fi

love you

e told me. Do you think there

hen are you going to

icki can rai

a lot. Perhaps you

age somehow. He

ife ins

, he’s t

it to you myself. But I’

t mice in here, Ticki

o remember the features of someone he had once known who had gone away. One would build them up i

l do anyth

‘A moment ago you sai

ut he has a terrible se

cried furiously out, ‘Keep still

e anything funny happened to me. I’ll remember this for months, for months.’ But it seemed to Wilson that he would reme

ures moved to and fro carrying packages. ‘What’s up now?’ Louise exclaimed, and began to run down the road. Wilson panted after her. Ali c

’ he said, and grinned

. ‘I thought I’d have to write a note,’ and Wilson saw that in fact he had already begun one.

earth’s happ

ot to get of

wait for the tra

‘

I come w

y, dear. I’ll have to take Al

hat’s h

trouble over y

‘Seri

‘

. It was madness to le

ry, Wilson. Help yourself. Get a bottle of soda

ng will you

r tomorrow, with any luck. Why don’

be all right h

oy and leave you Ali, but

Ali, dear. It will be like th

r,’ Wilson said. ‘I’m sorry I

e sheltering in the old station. Very sensible of you. He got a drenching

your glass, sir?

ever takes mo

n. Stay and keep Louise company for a bit. I’ve got to

You’re too old, Ticki, for this. Drivin

ness, tact, you can’t let a young man handle it.’ He took another drink of wh

r forgive Pembe

ngs if we knew the facts.’ He smiled unwillingly at Wilson. ‘A policeman sh

I could be

word books Wilson saw her mouth tighten just as a moment ago he had seen Scobie flinch at the name of Ticki, and for the first time he

od-bye,

ood-bye

on. See he has enough

ll above and the taste of lipstick. For exactly an hour and a half the mark of his mouth had been the last on hers. He felt n

e had taken more whisky than he was accustomed to, and perhaps that was w

They watched him climb laboriously in, and she went sadly on, ‘Is

tch. ‘They don’t even give him a good driver,’ she said. ‘The good driver will have taken Fraser and the rest

and read it aloud. My dear, I have had to leave for Bamba. Keep t

erton,’ she rep

ho’s Pe

but when Butterworth went sick, they left him in charge. Anybody could have told them there

w, hadn’t I?’ Wilson said

we’ve been alone five minutes in a house with a bed in it. Alone, of cours

I could be

ether there’s a rat in the bedroom? I don’t want the small boy t

ll be very

I don’

face-powder in the room - it seemed to him the most memorable scent he had ever known. He stood again by the door taking the whole room in - the child’s photograph, the pots of cream, the dress laid out by Ali for the