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"Oh, Esther wouldn't like to hear you using that kind of language, Father."

Harry had no intention of being facetious but he just couldn't let the opportunity slip past. He felt for a moment like laughing he felt drunk with power. He had it in him to break this man, this pompous, big-headed, conniving, sly, lecherous man. He knew also in this moment that the feeling he'd had for his father-in-law, had always had for him, had been hate. Not a Christian feeling; that being so, he hadn't put a name to it' before. "Are you drunk?"

"I could be."

Dave Rippon brought himself forward in his chair, and leaning across the table peered at his son-in-law. He didn't look drunk, he didn't sound drunk, but there was something different about him. After a moment of dead silence he leant against the back of his chair again, and, nodding his head slowly, he said, "You're going to brazen it out, eh?"

"Brazen what out?"

"Now look here. You know as well as I do what we're talking about.

You've been having an affair haven't you, with the girl, Ray, in the pool? "

"Having an affair? Me? What on earth gave you that idea?"

Dave Rippon again sat in silence; there was no indignation in his son-in-law's voice. His denial was smooth, calm. He tried thing on you. She's been blackmailing you, hasn't she? "

"Blackmailing me?" Harry now dug his finger into his chest.

"Now look here, I don't know what your game is, but don't play it with me. Now stop acting the goat. I know you've been receiving letters from that girl, and a girl like that doesn't keep writing letters to no purpose. Now you either come clean or I'm going to go further into it.

Take your choice."

"What do you mean, go further into it?"

"What do I mean?" Dave Rippon's bushy eyebrows were moving up to his receding hair line.

"I mean just that, I'm going to get to the bottom of it. You happen to be my daughter's husband. You have a standard to keep up and I won't stand for any jiggery-pokery towards ..."

"Shut up 1' The spittle spurted from Harry's lips on the words, and if there had been bullets aimed straight at him Dave Rippon couldn't have been more startled. His face, in fact his whole attitude when he rose to his feet, looked comical. When at last he brought out, " What did I hear you say? " Harry said in the same tone, " Do you want me to repeat it? And I wouldn't bother standing up if I were you, it's going to be a longish session. "

"Have you gone mad?"

"Yes, slightly, because hearing you putting on a sanctimonious act is enough to drive anyone mad. And I'm going to tell you something. I've listened to it for the last time ... Sit down!" He now stabbed his index finger towards the chair, but Dave Rippon didn't sit down, not immediately anyway; he didn't resume his seat until Harry said, "I've told you, it's going to be a long session. Where would you like me to start? With Alice Howell, alias Colonel Callow, or nearer home ...

with. Miss Bateman?"

He thought for a moment that his father-in-law was going to have a seizure. He watched his heavy face flush slightly, then turn a ghastly grey, a pasty doughy grey. He watched the blue eyes darken and swell out of their sockets; he watched the prominent Adam's apple jerk between the collar and the thickening chin. He saw one white hand, with its well tended finger nails, paw at the end of the desk, and for a moment he

-. ^^g m xiuiiL ui mm again, staring at him as if he was watch;U ing horns growing out of his head. He let him get his breath before he said, "Well now, take your choice."

Dave Rippon didn't speak but continued to stare at Harry. He was recovering himself, but not sufficiently to make any retort when Harry said, "Of all the two-faced, mealy-mouthed, dirty old swines on God's earth, you beat them all."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." Dave Rippon's voice seemed to be dragged up from some great depths.

"I'll speak to you how I like. You've lauded it over every body for years, held yourself up as a moral example my home's been built on ...

Father's standards." He gave an impression of Esther's voice.

"God, it's unbelievable. And all the time you've not only had one woman on the side but two."

Dave Rippon made no rejoinder to this; he just continued to stare at the new edition of his son-in-law, and Harry went on, "You'd like to know how I found out about your little games, wouldn't you? Well, I'll tell you this much because she asked me to tell you, Miss Bateman; she told me she's been your mistress for fifteen years and that she's had a child by you and that you've visited her twice a week, never failing.

She must have felt pretty grim to tell me that, don't you think, a decorous, self-contained woman like Miss Bateman? She must have gone through something and been pretty cut up to give you away in one foul swoop like that. You'll have to ask her on Monday why she did it, for as she said, she'll be away for the week-end. I'd like to be here when you explain about Mrs. Howell and the Colonel. And you'd better be careful what you say, you'd better not make a bigger liar out of yourself than you already are, because she knows a great deal does Miss Bate man."

"Get out!" The words were thin, hardly moving the lips at all.

Harry didn't move. He-knew he had said enough, more than enough.

Whichever way things went this would likely be the end of him in Peamarsh's, but at this moment he didn't give a damn, except perhaps that it would all come as a shock to Esther. In a way he was sorry for her because she was so damned fond of her father, too fond. That kind of feeling should be cut out, or at least hied down, when a woman took a husband.

Looking back now he could see that Esther had never looked upon him as master in his own house; mentally she was still living under her father's roof. Well, there were lots of people going to get lots of jolts before this affair was over, but there was one thing he'd make plain to Esther from now on: he was running his own life, and hers, and the children's as long as the latter needed him. He thought quizzically that he might even have to do it on the dole, but however he had to do it he would do it.

Now, in his own time, he rose to his feet. But he had to drag his eyes from those of his father-in-law before he turned about and went out of the room.

The clock in the outer office said twenty-past five. In his own office he found Ada still there, her face full of apprehension. He said calmly, "Everything's all right; there's nothing to worry about. Get yourself off home."

There'd be plenty of time for her to worry when the lid blew right off, at present it was only eased up slightly. How quick and how high the lid went depended on his father-in-law's reactions and these in turn depended on the outcome of his meeting with Miss Bateman. He saw how things would work. His father-in-law would go straight along to her place now and try and patch things up. But with his new knowledge of Miss Bateman-he couldn't see her allowing the rift to close; she had cut too deeply. Yet at the same time he couldn't visualise her opening her mouth wide; if she wanted to get another responsible post she wouldn't get it by blackening her last employer.

The week-end he saw as a time of waiting. Should he, he asked himself, use it to put his own case before Esther? Tell her everything that had happened since the office party? Then tell her why he was coming clean? He didn't know; he'd have to see how things turned out because bringing low in her estimation, at one go, the two men in her life would be too much altogether. It was strange but if he had the choice of whom to expose, he would have chosen to tell his own story because he knew it would have hurt her less. The knowledge wasn't pleasant to face up to but it was nevertheless true. in

boisterous way and as she tugged oS his coat, he said, "Hold on, hold on, leave me my shirt. What's all the rush, anyway?"

In answer she said, "I thought you'd never come." Then taking him by the arm she led him towards the sitting-room and inside she pointed and said, "There I Isn't that nice?"

He looked at the low table set before the fire and when he stood over it and saw only two cups and saucers and two plates arranged, he said,

"Where's everybody?"

"Mother was at the Young Wives' Group meeting. She phoned to say she'd be held up, a committee or something, she'll be back about half-past six. And John is staying on for a lecture. Terry is down at Tony Barnham's and Elsie-had to go to the dentist's, and so I thought, tea for two before the fire. Isn't it lovely? And look'--she pointed"

--I've done a plate of toast, all dripping with butter, soggy. " She wrinkled up her nose.

"Sit down. There's your slippers.

I'll just make the tea. "

As she dashed out of the room he looked after and and shook his head slowly; then he sat down on the couch and put on his slippers. From the hate-filled meeting of an hour ago to this. And would he ever have this again, tea before the fire, just him and Gail? As he turned towards the door and watched her coming in, her face bright, the teapot held out like a sacrifice, he thought. Oh my God! What'll it do to her when she knows? and of a sudden it became imperative that she shouldn't know, that all this messy business concerning himself and his father- in-law should be hushed up; no price should be too high to pay for his daughter to continue seeing him in the light of 'a nice bloke'.

Esther didn't matter, not really, she could take care of her emotions, they were already set. Her reactions would be decided between her and God and she would receive comfort from righteousness.

But not so his daughter; God would hold no comfort for Gail. If her father ceased to be 'a nice bloke', it would affect her whole life.

For one wild moment he thought of getting on the phone to his father-in-law and asking him if he could talk the matter over again.

When he gave an audible "Huh!" Gail said, "What did you say?" and in reply he smiled at her and answered, "I've got the kindest, and most beautiful daughter in the world."

When she tell across his unees ne actually groanea--sue was lying in the same position as Betty Ray had lain, and it brought back the incident as plainly as if it had happened yesterday. But, contrary to when Gail had put her arms around him that night up in the bedroom and he had repulsed her violently, he now took her hand gently in his and said softly, "Don't ever stop loving me, Gail, will you?" and she, after a moment of surprise that brought her eyes wide and her mouth agape, said, "As if ever I could, Dad. Fancy even thinking a thing like that."

They were at their evening meal when Dave Rippon came into the room.

Harry had his back to the door, and he did not turn round when Esther, from the far end of the table, said, "Oh hello, Father. This is a surprise; I thought you were going away for the weekend."

"I've changed my mind, I'm getting too old for jaunts. Have you a bite for a hungry man?"

Harry had been about to carry some food to his mouth, but when Esther had spoken the fork had become stationary in midair; now he returned the food -to his plate and waited for Dave Rippon to come into view.

He knew that Esther's attitude would have told her father immediately that as yet she knew nothing.

"Move up and let your grandfather sit down." Esther was speaking to Terry when Gail said, "Come and sit beside me, Grandfather."

"Thank you. Thank you, my dear."

Now Dave Rippon turned to his daughter and asked, "Sure I won't be robbing anybody ?"

"Don't be silly. Father." Esther closed her eyes at such a question.

"Where's Mrs. O'Toole?" He always gave his son-in-law's grandmother her full tide.

"She's got a slight chill," said Esther; "I'm keeping her in bed."

"Good idea, good idea." Dave Rippon nodded in agreement.

That he had not addressed himself in any way to Harry was not really unusual; they worked in the office and this made formal greetings unnecessary.

"3

^ . _ -. ---_, _ , * . ^y. ^ JU^ were going to York to see the Colonel. " This was followed by a moment of complete silence; then Dave Rippon, looking down at his plate, said, " Oh, I think the old boy was having me on. I'm not going to rush off at his beck and call. I'm getting a bit tired these days, feeling my age I suppose. "

"Nonsense," said Esther soothingly.

"But anyway, I've always told you, you work too hard."

"It's a modern complaint, my dear, and it's not going to get any better. And these two will find it out shortly." He nodded from John to Terry, then asked, "How's work going with you, John.?"

"Oh, not too bad, Grandfather."

"You really have got your mind set on this engineering?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so." John smiled across the table, and the smile altered his face completely and made him appear strikingly good-looking.

"What about you, Terry? Still going to be an architect, eh?"

"No, Grandfather." Terry shook his head solemnly.

"I've decided that my mission in life is to lead a pop group."

John spluttered part of the food from his mouth; Gail let out a loud crack of a laugh; Esther, too, laughed; her father smiled; only Harry's face remained straight.

"You know what?" Dave Rippon wagged his fork, first at one boy, then at the other, as he said, "You could both do worse than come into Peamarsh's. The firm's going places, get ting bigger and bigger every year. You should think about it. And think about it very seriously from now on, with your father to be a director soon, and not exactly junior either."

Harry lowered his knife and fork to his plate but held on to the handles. So this was it. In some way or other he had silenced Miss Bateman; now he was making sure of him. For a moment a gust of fierce hot anger rose in him and he thought, be damned if he will! Then Gall's hand came across the end of the table and touched his arm, and Esther was saying, "Oh, Father! When did this happen?"

"Oh, it's been on the books for some time, but ... but I like to be sure of things, know my ground so to speak."

"Who's leaving?" said Esther now, excitedly.