CHAPTER 42 .sx Edmund did not intend to let the divorce affect his own good understanding with his father .sx But these failings of his mother's , thought Edmund , could be well enough borne .sx At a pinch he would point them out to her .sx He would certainly pay for it by having to listen to a certain amount of advice in return ; but then he liked her advice .sx It was generally sound ; for his mother was like a man , though she had female prejudices .sx She had an especially absurd prejudice against his cousin Stephen , for instance .sx Now that he was himself a man , said Edmund , it was time that something should be done about this obsession of his mother's .sx It was undignified :sx it was unreasonable :sx it was expensive .sx " You see , Mother , we are losing money .sx We've lost far too much money :sx and I can't for the life of me see that it was necessary .sx But you're so lavish , Mother , in your likes and dislikes .sx " " Edmund , I believe I give you far too much freedom .sx It's not many sons of twenty who are allowed to pry into their elders' money affairs .sx " " No , Mother .sx But you have brought me up to look on all this as my inheritance , haven't you now ?sx You know perfectly well that you've only been waiting for me to grow up , and that you won't be satisfied no more shall I , for that matter till we're back in London management again .sx " " Yes , " said she , and her dark eyes flashed from their dark hollows as if two swords were suddenly drawn .sx " Yes , when you put on your first play as an independent London manager , independent even of me , then I shall have done my work in the world , Edmund .sx Then I shall be ready to go home .sx " " Yes , Mother , that's very noble and effective .sx But all this touring round the provinces isn't helping us .sx We're paying expenses and we're living , but we're piling up no capital .sx And I'll tell you why .sx We're not capitalising our name .sx Cousin Stephen's for ever cutting us out .sx " " My dear Edmund , we more than cut out Stephen in return .sx For every penny we lose he loses a shilling .sx " " Yes , but Mother , why lose a penny or a shilling ?sx Why did Grandpapa and Uncle Russel succeed as they did ?sx Because they knew how to combine .sx They played into each other's hands .sx I tell you there ought not to be two Broome companies on tour in the same sort of plays , cutting each other's throats .sx Or if there are two companies they ought to be linked under one management .sx You know , Mother , if you and Cousin Stephen were in partnership , and if you'd each of you sack a .sx business manager and let me represent you both , we'd soon be back in London .sx Now look here , Mother , this is my scheme .sx I've been at it for weeks .sx " And he hauled a note-book from his pocket and dragged her down to a chair beside him :sx and for the next twenty minutes was pouring out facts and figures , reducing salaries , scheming circuits , giving a lecture upon the whole art of touring with profit in eighteen-ninety-one .sx He ended with " You see , Mother , it's no use telling me what Uncle Russel did thirty years ago .sx That's why businesses smash , because the old stagers will keep on saying 'when I was in the ark we did so-and-so .sx ' No , Mother , I don't mean to be rude .sx Of course your experience is invaluable .sx You always said when I was twenty-one you would hand over the whole concern to me .sx Well , that's a year off still .sx But I swear to you though , that when I am twenty-one this is what I shall do I shall go straight across to Cousin Stephen .sx So why not let me go now instead of frittering away another year ?sx Lord , I know I'm young .sx I haven't the experience to run this thing alone .sx But with you , Mother , backing me instead of fighting me , it could be done I swear it could .sx Mother , it's a chance of a lifetime and in another year it will be too late .sx Cousin Stephen will have smashed .sx " Her eyes shone .sx " I'd like to see that ending .sx I'd like to see your cousin smashed , crashed , wiped off the stage , wiped out of the history of the theatre .sx " " Oh yes , Mother , I know all about that .sx He crabbed your curtain or did you out of a laugh or something when you and he were both sixteen .sx I know !sx Yes , we're a vindictive lot , and proud of it .sx But oh bother , Mother , this isn't twenty years ago , this is today .sx God , I wish I could make you see what an opportunity it is !sx You can hate my Cousin Stephen as much as you like , and he can hate you " .sx " Does he ?sx " said she quickly .sx " Well , he won't discuss you , naturally .sx But he ain't exactly warm and cheerful when you're mentioned .sx But what I'm trying to say is you can hate each other as much as you like so long as you don't mix me up in it .sx It has nothing to do with me .sx What does concern me is my chance of going into management .sx If you and Cousin Stephen could only be brought to see where your real advantage lies !sx " " You don't know what you're asking , Edmund .sx " " Yes , I do .sx I'm asking you not to be sentimental .sx " She gave him an odd , furious , girlish " How dare you , Edmund ?sx " " Sentimental , I said , Mother .sx " " It's not .sx I'm not .sx If you knew what you are talking about And , Edmund , you shouldn't talk to me as if I were your own age , as if you knew as much about life as I do .sx " " Well , Mother , I know as much about modern life as you do .sx " " Yes , that's true , " she said reasonably .sx He got up very deliberately , came across to her , put his arms round her neck and kissed her .sx It was a rare gesture for him .sx They were not an emotional mother and son .sx " Dearest Mother , I've set my heart on this .sx " " I know , Edmund .sx " " Well , Mother , what about it ?sx You see the sense of it , don't you ?sx " " Oh yes , I see the sense of it .sx " " Well , Mother , will you meet Cousin Stephen ?sx " " He won't meet me .sx " " That's what he said .sx " " Oh , so you've talked to him already ?sx " " Of course , Mother !sx I crack the soft nuts first .sx " " Edmund , Edmund !sx " Donna protested , but her tone was fond and she laughed as he meant that she should .sx She could not resist her son .sx She loved strength and respected it .sx It was about the only quality in man or woman that she did respect :sx and her own son , her own making , was the strongest human being she had ever encountered , stronger than her father because he had so little imagination , stronger than herself because she loved him so much .sx She looked at him , her eyes running over his physical strength and delighting in it as her ears delighted in his easy decided tones , and her face told him that he was winning .sx " Well , Mother ?sx Come , Mother !sx " " If I meet him , Edmund , what do you want me to do ?sx " " Back me , Mother , whatever I say .sx " " I should always do that , Edmund , whatever I was feeling .sx " " And and be kind to Cousin Stephen .sx I say , Mother , what did you have the row about ?sx " " You told me to stick to the present , Edmund .sx " " I say , Mother , don't be meek .sx " " Well , dear boy , you're taking things out of my hands , aren't you ?sx You've presented me with a criticism of the last twenty years of my life and you have told me quite kindly and definitely that I managed it very badly .sx " " Don't be unfair , " said Edmund impatiently .sx " I'll try not to be .sx " Then , because she could not bear to see him frown " Oh , Edmund , do you want this so much ?sx " " Well , Mother , " said he , brightening into confidences because he felt her resistance weakening sentence by sentence " you see it's in some sort a a test of me of my power to get my own way .sx If I can make you and Cousin Stephen do what I want , I shall be , it seems to me , pretty sure that I'm on the right lines .sx " " What for , Edmund ?sx " " For making everyone else do what I want , of course .sx Mother , I do want my life to be a huge success .sx Mastery that's the greatest thing in life .sx Mastery .sx I want to master everybody .sx " " And if you meet someone you can't master , Edward , sooner or later ?sx " He frowned .sx " I'd beat him somehow .sx " " Suppose you couldn't ?sx " " Oh , how I'd hate him .sx " " I don't hate you , Edmund , though you generally get me to give in to you .sx " " Well , if you didn't I should hate you , Mother .sx " " Oh , my son !sx " " I should .sx " " Edmund , if one day your son said the same thing to you ?sx " " My own son ?sx I should see that he kept his place .sx " " Pooh !sx You'll be proud of him as I am of you .sx " " I'd like to see a son of mine try it on , that's all .sx " He laughed .sx " I'd break him .sx Then I'd build him up again .sx But first I'd break him .sx " " Yet I don't want to break you , Edmund , though you are too much for me .sx " " Ah yes , but that's because we agree , Mother .sx We agree so well .sx You know well enough that you think as I do about this business .sx So make an end of it , Mother !sx Do what I want .sx You're only making objections , you know , to amuse yourself .sx " She folded her hands , smiling , bitter , submissive .sx " Very well , Edmund !sx Make an appointment .sx But I won't go to your cousin's house .sx " He laughed .sx " And he said he wouldn't come to Regent's Park .sx Childish , I call it .sx " " Oh no .sx It's just that you don't understand your cousin .sx " " Yes , well , they say these little things count .sx I can't see why .sx But we can meet at the lawyer's if that pleases you both .sx Mother , I'm awfully grateful to you , really I am .sx There's no-one in the world like you .sx I do admire you , Mother .sx Mother , you're a marvel , a marvel , a marvel !sx Oh , I'm half mad with excitement .sx " And he gave her the hug of a schoolboy .sx A week later he dashed into her room whilst she was still dressing , the morning post in his hands .sx " Mother , it's fixed .sx They come up from Birmingham on the ten o'clock train .sx He'll meet us at half past three .sx " " Dear boy , I have my appointment at half past three for the new dresses .sx " " Oh , damn , they've got to go .sx Half past three , Mother !sx Can't you fit earlier ?sx I'll call for you in Long Acre .sx " And at a quarter past three he was waiting for her outside the theatrical costumier's a street or two away from the Glory Hole .sx The narrow dingy street was all but impassable , for Covent Garden Market , like a woman tiring half way through her spring cleaning , goes to sleep early in her emptied house , and leaves her goods to choke all the lanes and alleys for a quarter of a mile in all directions during the rest of the day .sx The confusion of coster barrows , wheeled crates of fruit and flowers , huge vans with dray-horses and swinging backs , hurrying market-folk , burly flower women , was increased by the hansoms in search of short cuts to the Glory Hole , the Opera , the Lyceum or to the lodging houses and innumerable private burrows of the theatre conies .sx Out of such a burrow and it had once been a lord's house came Domina Broome .sx She groped her way down the vast musty darkness of the grand staircase , but caught her trailing skirt on the broken last step , half fell , clutched at the balustrade end and so saved herself from a downright tumble .sx But she wrenched her arm badly , and came out into the bright spring daylight rather white , rather shaken , and was glad of Edmund's help into the waiting hansom .sx Once in , with the apron shut upon them , she lay back , curiously unnerved , her lip trembling .sx She had so wanted to be alert and in full control of herself , but she could not help her lip trembling from the silly fall .sx