The Bachelors by Muriel Spark

which she was tapping on the edge of the
ash-tray.
    ‘I
shall never believe he’s guilty,’ she said. ‘Never.’ Ronald thought, ‘How that
second, histrionic “never” diminishes her — how it debases this striking girl
to a commonplace.’
    ‘I’ll
always believe in his innocence,’ she said. ‘Always. No matter what the
evidence is.’
    ‘I
haven’t yet looked at the document,’ Ronald said. ‘I am sure it will not be
incriminating to your friend.’
    She
looked up at him. ‘Why are you sure?’
    ‘Because
he is your friend,’ Ronald said.
    Something
in his tone made Matthew collect his senses. ‘I haven’t been indiscreet in
talking about the letter, have I?’ he said.
    ‘It’s
perfectly understandable,’ Ronald said.
    ‘After
all, you told me about it.’
    ‘That’s
right,’ Ronald said, ‘I did.’
    Matthew
kept looking uncomfortably at Ronald. But he chattered on, desperately, in his
desire to depreciate the girl’s lover.
    ‘Ronald
says Patrick Seton has been convicted of forgery before.’
    ‘Well,
I don’t believe it. He’s been abroad a lot of his life at famous séances. He
was married at one time. His divorce is coming through shortly, and we’re
getting married. Colonel Scorbin, who’s one of the leading spiritualists in
Mrs. Marlene Cooper’s Circle, and a colonel, said to me, “Patrick is one of
those rare persons who are born to do great things and to suffer injustice and
persecution.” I said to him, “I believe it,” and I do believe it and I always
will, always.’
    She
seemed not sure how to look at Ronald, whether to show a predominance of
hostility which might frighten him, or of fear which might move him to pity; or
whether to affect charm and win him over. She offered all three in a way, by
holding her head loftily as she regarded him, by pleading with her eyes under
their lashes, and by sitting with the elbow over her chair so that her breasts
rose unmistakably towards him.
    Matthew
realised that he had caused Ronald to be the centre of her attention rather
than achieved his desire to discredit Patrick.
    Alice’s
ten-minute rest was up. She sauntered about with her long swing among the
tables and the trailing ivy of the ‘Oriflamme’ taking orders for coffee.
Matthew and Ronald stayed for a while and she returned as often as she could to
their table, once pausing with her tray, on the way to serve a customer, to say
to Ronald what was still on her mind.
    ‘The
case may not come off. Have you any idea if the case will be brought?’
    ‘No. It
has nothing to do with me.’
    ‘It
would be easy to frame up a case against Patrick, with that letter.’
    ‘Nothing
will be framed up,’ Ronald said. ‘Please forget about the letter.’
    Matthew
said, ‘Can I meet you after the shop’s closed and take you home?’
    ‘Yes,’
she said, and she nodded. ‘Yes.’
    Matthew
had not expected her assent.
    ‘Are
you sure?’ he said, instantly afterwards feeling like a lout.
    ‘Yes,
yes, I’m sure.’ She was looking at Ronald.
    ‘I’ll
be back here at the “Oriflamme” at ten to twelve,’ Matthew said. She was
looking at Ronald.
    ‘Goodnight,
Alice,’ Ronald said.
    ‘Can’t
you do something for Patrick?’ she said to Ronald.
    He
said, ‘You should not expect anything of Patrick Seton. Leave him.’
    Matthew
and Ronald walked along the Chelsea Embankment. Matthew said, ‘I didn’t expect
her to let me fetch her tonight. I’d better ‘phone my sister. She’s expecting
me to stay with her tonight because my brother-in-law’s gone over to Dublin
with my other uncle, and she doesn’t like to be alone in the house with the
children. I’d better ‘phone and tell her I’ll be late. Did you mind me telling
Alice about that document you’ve got to inspect? Was it confidential?’
    ‘It was
confidential.’
    ‘Oh,
you should have made that clear when you told me. But I wanted Alice to know
what she’s got hold of in this Patrick