| Set Display | Please Turn On Your Virtual Bookmarks | Help Support This Site | Table of Contents | Arnold Bennett |
The Risks of Life - The Plain Man and His Wife
| | Page 17 of 33 | | |
III - The Risks of Life
I
By one of those coincidences for which destiny is sometimes responsible, the two very opposite plain men whom I am going to write about were most happily named Mr. Alpha and Mr. Omega; for, owing to a difference of temperament, they stood far apart, at the extreme ends of the scale.
In youth, of course, the differences between them was not fully apparent; such differences seldom are fully apparent in youth. It first made itself felt in a dramatic way, on the evening when Mr. Alpha wanted to go to the theatre and Mr. Omega didn't. At this period they were both young and both married, and the two couples shared a flat together. Also, they were both getting on very well in their careers, by which is meant that they both had spare cash to rattle in the pockets of their admirably-creased trousers.
"Come to the theatre with us to-night, Omega?" said Mr. Alpha.
"I don't think we will," said Mr. Omega.
"But we particularly want you to," insisted Mr. Alpha.
"Well, it can't be done," said Mr. Omega.
"Got another engagement?"
"No."
"Then why won't you come? You don't mean to tell me you're hard up?"
"Yes, I do," said Mr. Omega.
"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourself. What have you been doing with your money lately?"
"I've taken out a biggish life assurance policy, and the premiums will be a strain. I paid the first yesterday. I'm bled white."
"Holy Moses!" exclaimed Mr. Alpha, shrugging his shoulders.
The flat was shortly afterwards to let. The exclamation "Holy Moses!" may be in itself quite harmless, and innocuous to friendship, if it is pronounced in the right, friendly tone. Unfortunately Mr. Alpha used it with a sarcastic inflection, implying that he regarded Mr. Omega as a prig, a fussy old person, a miser, a spoilsport, and, indeed, something less than a man.
"You can only live your life once," said Mr. Alpha.
And they curved gradually apart. This was in 1893.
II
Nearly twenty years later--that is to say, not long since--I had a glimpse of Mr. Alpha at a Saturday lunch. Do not imagine that Mr. Alpha's Saturday lunch took place in a miserable garret, amid every circumstance of failure and shame. Success in life has very little to do with prudence. It has a great deal to do with courage, initiative, and individual force, and also it is not unconnected with sheer luck.
Mr. Alpha had succeeded in life, and the lunch at which I assisted took place in a remarkably spacious and comfortable house surrounded by gardens, greenhouses, garages, stables, and all the minions necessary to the upkeep thereof. Mr. Alpha was a jolly, a kind-hearted, an immensely clever, and a prolific man. I call him prolific because he had five children. There he was, with his wife and the five children; and they were all enjoying the lunch and themselves to an extraordinary degree. It was a delight to be with them. 
 | |||||||||||
 |
|
|
|||||||||