| And he makes a little ripple in Washington society, becomes friendly with a few congressmen, meets the most important hostess in townFor a while he is in danger of becoming military adviser to Washington Society
But always he is branching outThe confusions, the cross-impulses are concealed now, buried under the concentration with which he worksOn a thirty-day leave in the summer of '37 he pays a visit to his brother-in-law, who is vacationing in MaineThey have become very friendly during Cummings's tour of duty in Washington
On one of the afternoons in a sailboat:
You know, I've always disagreed with the family, EdwardThrough no fault of your own they've never entirely approved of youI bolsas prada think their backward attitude is a little distressing, but of course you understand it
I think I do, Minot(There is this other network of emotions and ambitions which recurs now and thenThe ineffable perfection of Boston, which had beckoned him, leaves him always curiously satisfied yet troubledHe has traded on Boston in Washington, he knows cynically, aware of himself, but there is still the attraction and the uncertainty His speech sounds florid in his earsMargaret has been mighty fine about it all
Wonderful woman, that sister of mine
I think it a shame I didn't know you very well years agoYou really would have fitted into the departmentI've watched you develop, Edward; I think, when the ceramic chanel occasion demands, you have as much perception and tact, you grasp the core of a situation as quickly as any man I knowIt's a pity it's too late now
I think sometimes I might have been good at it, Cummings agreesBut you know I'll be lieutenant colonel in a year or two, and after that I'm free of seniorityIt might be a little impolitic to brag, but I should make colonel within a year afterYou don't speak French, do you?
A fair amountI learned some over there in '17, and I've kept up with it since
The brother-in-law fingers his chinYou know, Edward, I suppose it's one of the laws of government, but there are always many points of view in a departmentI'll tell you, I've been wondering if you couldn't tiffany silver be sent on a little joust to France, in your capacity as an officer of course
What about, Minot?
Oh, it's nebulousA few talks here and thereAn element in the department is attempting to change our Spain policyI don't think they're going to succeed but it would be disastrous if they should, be tantamount to handing Gibraltar to the RussiansWhat worries me is FranceSo long as they stay on the fence I don't think there's a chance of our trying anything by ourselves
I'm to keep them on the fence?
Nothing so big as thatI've got some assurances, some financial contracts which might put a little pressure in the proper placesThe thing to remember is that everyone in France can be bought, none of ladies omega watches them has clean hands
I wonder if I could get away
We're sending a military mission to France and ItalyI can work it through the War DepartmentI'll have quite a briefing to give you, but that should give you no trouble
I'm very interested, Cummings saysThe problems of manipulationHe trails off, not finishing the sentence
The water slaps past, resolves itself again behind the stern, quietly, softly, like a cat grooming its furBeyond the catboat the sunlight is scattered over the bay, tinkling upon the water
We might as well put back, the brother-in-law says
The shore line is wooded, olive-green, a pristine cove
I never get over this, he says to CummingsI still expect to see Indians in the white ceramic chanel watch forest |