The previous head-gardener, Dale, for whom the middle-aged Parker had had a _tendresse_, had been killed in the War. She looked askance at his successor Rudge for wearing dead men’s shoes, and for being that unpardonable thing—a married man; and into the bargain he was a dissenter. Then there was Minchin, the handsome cowman, whom Dick was thinking of putting into the garden....
It was all very complicated; but seeing that light is sometimes thrown on the psychology of the hyper-civilised by the researches of anthropologists among Bantus and Red Indians, perhaps these tales of Parker deserved a certain attention—at any rate, behind them there loomed three tremendous forces: sex, religion and the dead....
One day, to the surprise of every one but the Doña, there arrived in time for dinner Dick’s dearest friend, Hugh Mallam.
He was a huge shaggy creature, if possible, more boyish than Dick. He and Dick were delighted at seeing each other, for Hugh lived in Devonshire and rarely came as far north as Plasencia, and all through dinner plied each other with old jokes and old memories; and from the roars of laughter that reached the drawing-room after they had been left to themselves they were evidently enjoying themselves extremely over their port wine.
The next morning Teresa coming into the morning-room, found the Doña and Hugh standing before the fire, the Doña looking angry and scornful while Hugh, in an instructive and slightly irritated voice, was saying: “Sorry, Doña, but I _can’t_ help it ... I can’t help being the same sort of person with Dick that I’ve always been ... it’s like that ... I know it’s very wrong of him and all that, but I can’t help being the same sort of person with him I’ve always been ... I....”
“Yes, yes, Hugh, you’ve said that before. But do you realise what a serious thing it is for me and the children? You _seemed_ very shocked and sympathetic in your letter—for one thing, a family man simply can’t afford to spend these sums; then there’s the scandal—so bad for the business and Arnold ... and you promised me yesterday....”
“I know, but I tell you, as soon as I saw old Dick I knew that I couldn’t lecture him, one can’t change.... _I can’t help being the same sort of person with him I’ve always been._ But I really am most awfully sorry about it all—the old blackguard!”