itself.
Then, after a long silence, he carefully folded up the letters and gave them back. Smiley waited for him to speak, but he said nothing.
After a few moments Smiley got up and walked quietly from the room.
10 Little Women
Shane Hecht smiled, and drank some more sherry. ‘You must be dreadfully important,’ she said to Smiley, ‘for D’Arcy to serve decent sherry. What are you, Almanach de Gotha ?’
‘I’m afraid not. D’Arcy and I were both dining at Terence Fielding’s on Friday night and D’Arcy asked me for sherry.’
‘Terence is wicked , isn’t he? Charles loathes him. I’m afraid they see Sparta in quite different ways … Poor Terence. It’s his last Half, you know.’
‘I know.’
‘So sweet of you to come to the funeral yesterday. I hate funerals, don’t you? Black is so insanitary. I always remember King George V’s funeral. Lord Sawley was at Court in those days, and gave Charles two tickets. So kind. I always think it’s spoilt us for ordinary funerals in a way. Although I’m never quite sure about funerals, are you? I have a suspicion that they are largely a lower-class recreation; cherry brandy and seed cake in the parlour. I think the tendency of people like ourselves is for a quiet funeral these days; no flowers, just a short obituary and a memorial service later.’ Her small eyes were bright with pleasure. She finished her sherry and held out her empty glass to Smiley.
‘Would you mind, dear? I hate sherry, but Felix is so mean.’
Smiley filled her glass from the decanter on the table.
‘Dreadful about the murder, wasn’t it? That beggar-woman must be mad. Stella Rode was such a nice person, I always thought … and so unusual . She did such clever things with the same dress … But she had such curious friends. All for Hans the woodcutter and Pedro the fisherman, if you know what I mean.’
‘Was she popular at Carne?’
Shane Hecht laughed gently: ‘No one is popular at Carne … but she wasn’t easy to like … She would wear black crêpe on Sundays … Forgive me, but do the lower classes always do that? The townspeople liked her, I believe. They adore anyone who betrays Carne. But then she was a Christian Scientist or something.’
‘Baptist, I understand,’ said Smiley unthinkingly.
She looked at him for a moment with unfeigned curiosity. ‘How sweet,’ she murmured. ‘Tell me, what are you?’
Smiley made some facetious reply about being unemployed, and realised that it was only by a hair’s-breadth that he had avoided explaining himself to Shane Hecht like a small boy. Her very ugliness, her size and voice, coupled with the sophisticated malice of her conversation, gave her the dangerous quality of command. Smiley was tempted to compare her with Fielding, but for Fielding other people scarcely existed. For Shane Hecht they did exist: they were there to be found wanting in the minute tests of social behaviour, to be ridiculed, cut off and destroyed.
‘I read in the paper that her father was quite well off. From the North. Second generation. Remarkable really how unspoilt she was … so natural … You wouldn’t think she needed to go to the launderette or to make friends with beggars … Though, of course, the Midlands are different, aren’t they? Only about three good families between Ipswich and Newcastle. Where did you say you came from, dear?’
‘London.’
‘How nice. I went to tea with Stella once. Milk in first and Indian. So different,’ and she looked at Smiley suddenly and said, ‘I’ll tell you something. She almost aroused an admiration in me, I found her so insufferable. She was one of those tiresome little snobs who think that only the humble are virtuous.’ Then she smiled and added, ‘I even agreed with Charles about Stella Rode, and that’s saying something. If you’re a student of mankind, do go and have a look at him, the contrast is riveting.’ But at that moment they were joined by D’Arcy’s sister, a bony,
Then, after a long silence, he carefully folded up the letters and gave them back. Smiley waited for him to speak, but he said nothing.
After a few moments Smiley got up and walked quietly from the room.
10 Little Women
Shane Hecht smiled, and drank some more sherry. ‘You must be dreadfully important,’ she said to Smiley, ‘for D’Arcy to serve decent sherry. What are you, Almanach de Gotha ?’
‘I’m afraid not. D’Arcy and I were both dining at Terence Fielding’s on Friday night and D’Arcy asked me for sherry.’
‘Terence is wicked , isn’t he? Charles loathes him. I’m afraid they see Sparta in quite different ways … Poor Terence. It’s his last Half, you know.’
‘I know.’
‘So sweet of you to come to the funeral yesterday. I hate funerals, don’t you? Black is so insanitary. I always remember King George V’s funeral. Lord Sawley was at Court in those days, and gave Charles two tickets. So kind. I always think it’s spoilt us for ordinary funerals in a way. Although I’m never quite sure about funerals, are you? I have a suspicion that they are largely a lower-class recreation; cherry brandy and seed cake in the parlour. I think the tendency of people like ourselves is for a quiet funeral these days; no flowers, just a short obituary and a memorial service later.’ Her small eyes were bright with pleasure. She finished her sherry and held out her empty glass to Smiley.
‘Would you mind, dear? I hate sherry, but Felix is so mean.’
Smiley filled her glass from the decanter on the table.
‘Dreadful about the murder, wasn’t it? That beggar-woman must be mad. Stella Rode was such a nice person, I always thought … and so unusual . She did such clever things with the same dress … But she had such curious friends. All for Hans the woodcutter and Pedro the fisherman, if you know what I mean.’
‘Was she popular at Carne?’
Shane Hecht laughed gently: ‘No one is popular at Carne … but she wasn’t easy to like … She would wear black crêpe on Sundays … Forgive me, but do the lower classes always do that? The townspeople liked her, I believe. They adore anyone who betrays Carne. But then she was a Christian Scientist or something.’
‘Baptist, I understand,’ said Smiley unthinkingly.
She looked at him for a moment with unfeigned curiosity. ‘How sweet,’ she murmured. ‘Tell me, what are you?’
Smiley made some facetious reply about being unemployed, and realised that it was only by a hair’s-breadth that he had avoided explaining himself to Shane Hecht like a small boy. Her very ugliness, her size and voice, coupled with the sophisticated malice of her conversation, gave her the dangerous quality of command. Smiley was tempted to compare her with Fielding, but for Fielding other people scarcely existed. For Shane Hecht they did exist: they were there to be found wanting in the minute tests of social behaviour, to be ridiculed, cut off and destroyed.
‘I read in the paper that her father was quite well off. From the North. Second generation. Remarkable really how unspoilt she was … so natural … You wouldn’t think she needed to go to the launderette or to make friends with beggars … Though, of course, the Midlands are different, aren’t they? Only about three good families between Ipswich and Newcastle. Where did you say you came from, dear?’
‘London.’
‘How nice. I went to tea with Stella once. Milk in first and Indian. So different,’ and she looked at Smiley suddenly and said, ‘I’ll tell you something. She almost aroused an admiration in me, I found her so insufferable. She was one of those tiresome little snobs who think that only the humble are virtuous.’ Then she smiled and added, ‘I even agreed with Charles about Stella Rode, and that’s saying something. If you’re a student of mankind, do go and have a look at him, the contrast is riveting.’ But at that moment they were joined by D’Arcy’s sister, a bony,
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