Page 417 - lady-chatterlys-lover

Sir Malcolm, however, had no sympathy with the unsat-
isfactory mysticism of the famous C. E. Florence. He saw
too much advertisement behind all the humility. It looked
just like the sort of conceit the knight most loathed, the
conceit of self-abasement.
’Where did your game-keeper spring from?’ asked Sir
Malcolm irritably.
’He was a collier’s son in Tevershall. But he’s absolutely
presentable.’
The knighted artist became more angry.
’Looks to me like a gold-digger,’ he said. ‘And you’re a
pretty easy gold-mine, apparently.’
’No, Father, it’s not like that. You’d know if you saw him.
He’s a man. Clifford always detested him for not being
humble.’
’Apparently he had a good instinct, for once.’
What Sir Malcolm could not bear was the scandal of his
daughter’s having an intrigue with a game-keeper. He did
not mind the intrigue: he minded the scandal.
’I care nothing about the fellow. He’s evidently been able
to get round you all right. But, by God, think of all the talk.
Think of your step-mother how she’ll take it!’
’I know,’ said Connie. ‘Talk is beastly: especially if you
live in society. And he wants so much to get his own divorce.
I thought we might perhaps say it was another man’s child,
and not mention Mellors’ name at all.’
’Another man’s! What other man’s?’
’Perhaps Duncan Forbes. He has been our friend all his
life.’

1 Lady Chatterly’s Lover