The Simpkins Plot | Page 6

expensive place to live in.
"My servants went down there yesterday," said Miss King. She opened
her bag and groped among the contents as she spoke.
"Would you be very much shocked if I smoked a cigarette?" she asked.
"Not in the least," said Meldon. "I smoke myself."
"I was afraid--being a clergyman--you are a clergyman, aren't you?
Some people are so prejudiced against ladies smoking."
"I'm not," said Meldon. "I'm remarkably free from prejudices of any
kind. I pride myself on being open-minded. My wife doesn't smoke, but
that's merely because she doesn't like it. If she did, I shouldn't make the
slightest objection. All the same, you oughtn't to go puffing cigarettes
about the streets of Ballymoy. The Major's a bit old-fashioned in some
ways, and I don't expect Doyle is accustomed to see ladies smoking.

You'll have to be very careful. If you start people talking they may find
out who you are, and then there will certainly be unpleasantness."
"Would they disapprove of me?"
"Almost sure to. We Irish have the name of being a wild lot, I know;
but--well, if you don't mind my saying so, most of us would be rather
shy of you. I don't mind you myself in the least, of course. I'm not that
kind of man. Still, your reputation! You've been a good deal in the
papers, haven't you?"
Miss King, curiously enough, seemed pleased at this account of her
reputation. It is gratifying to a novelist to be famous, and even notoriety
is pleasant. She felt that, having braved the censure of Lady Hawkesby,
she could afford to despise the morality of the people of Ballymoy.
"The Major?" she said. "You've mentioned him once or twice. What
sort of man is he? Does my work shock him?"
"I expect it does," said Meldon. "I haven't seen him for some time, and
so we haven't discussed you. But from what I know of him I should say
that your work, as you call it, will shock him frightfully. You can't
altogether blame him. He's a bachelor, and has very strict ideas about a
wife's duty to her husband."
Miss King was moved by a desire to startle Meldon. She was really
engaged on quite an innocent novel, but she chose to pretend that she
was going on in her old way.
"What will he say," she said, "when he finds out that I'm going on with
my work under his very eyes, so to speak, in Ballymoy?"
Meldon sat up suddenly.
"You don't mean that? Surely you can't intend--"
"Now you're shocked," said Miss King, "and you said you wouldn't
be."

"I am a little. I didn't think I could be. But I am. I never imagined--"
"But that's exactly what I'm going to Ballymoy for. I want complete
quiet in a lonely place where I shan't be disturbed."
"Of course, it's no business of mine," said Meldon. "But don't you think
that perhaps you've done enough?"
"No. I have a great deal to do yet. If it were simply a question of
earning money--"
Meldon looked at her. She was very well dressed. The bag which lay
open at her side was fitted with silver-topped bottles. Her cigarette case
appeared to be of gold. She was travelling first class. She had taken
Ballymoy House for two months. He was quite ready to believe that
she did not want money.
"Do you mean to say that you're doing it simply for amusement?" he
asked.
"No. Not amusement." Her voice dropped to a kind of solemn whisper.
"For the love of my art."
Miss King took herself very seriously indeed, and was accustomed to
talk a good deal about her art. Literary people who might have known
better, and critics who certainly did know better, encouraged her. They
also talked about her art.
"Of course, if you look at it that way," said Meldon, "there's no more to
be said; but you mustn't expect me to help you."
"You!"
"No. As a clergyman I can't possibly do it. Nor will the Major, unless
he's greatly changed. I don't expect Doyle will either. He's president of
the local branch of the League, but I'm sure he draws the line at--"
"But I don't want any of you to help me. Why should I?"

"I'm glad to hear that, at all events," said Meldon. "For, unless under
very exceptional circumstances, I couldn't conscientiously assist you in
any way."
"You said just now," said Miss King, "that you had no prejudices, and
that nothing shocked you."
"Very few things do," said Meldon. "In fact I can't recollect ever having
been shocked before; but this idea is a little new to me. I candidly
confess that I never--hullo! We're slowing down into a station. Now I
expect there'll