Produced by Dagny John BickersDECEMBER LOVEBy Robert HichensDECEMBER LOVEBy Robert HichensPART ONECHAPTER IAlick Craven who was something in the Foreign Office had been livingin London except for an interval of military service during thewar for several years and had plenty of interesting friends andacquaintances when one autumn day in a club Frances Braybrooke whoknew everybody sat down beside him and began as his way was talkingof people Braybrooke talked well and was an exceedingly agreeable manbut he seldom discussed ideas His main interest lay in the doings ofthe human race the human animal to use a favorite phrase of his inwhat the human race was up to People were his delight He could notlive away from the centre of their activities He was never tiredof meeting new faces and would go to endless trouble to bring aninteresting personality within the circle of his acquaintance Cravenscomparative indifference about society his laziness in social matterswas a perpetual cause of surprise to Braybrooke who nevertheless wasalways ready to do Craven a good turn whether he wanted it done to himor not Indeed Craven was indebted to his kind old friend for variousintroductions which had led to pleasant times and for these he wasquite grateful Braybrooke was much older than most people though heseldom looked it and decades older than Craven and he had a genial wayof taking those younger than himself in charge always with a view totheir social advancement He was a very ancient hand at the socialgame he loved to play it and he wanted as many as possible to joinin provided of course that they were suitable for such a purposePerhaps he slightly resembled the worlds governess as a witty womanhad once called him But he was really a capital fellow and a mine ofworldly wisdomOn the occasion in question after chatting for about an hour hehappened to mention Lady SellingworthAdela Sellingworth as hecalled her Craven did not know her and said so in the simplest wayI dont know Lady SellingworthBraybrooke sat for a moment in silence looking at Craven over hiscarefully trimmed grey and brown beardHow very strange he said at lastWhy is it strangeAll these years in London and not know Adela SellingworthI know about her of course I know she was a famous beauty when KingEdward was Prince of Wales and was tremendously prominent in societyafter he came to the throne But I have never seen her about since Ihave been settled in London To tell the honest truth I thought LadySellingworth was what is called a back numberAdela Sellingworth a back numberBraybrooke bristled gently and caught his beardpoint with hisbroadfingered right hand His small observant hazel eyes rebukedCraven mildly and he slightly shook his head covered with thickcrinkly and carefully brushed hairWellbut Craven protested But surely she long ago retired from thefray Isnt she over sixtyShe is about sixty But that is nothing nowadaysNo doubt she had a terrific careerTerrific What do you mean exactly by terrificWhy that she was what used to be called a professional beauty asocial ruler immensely distinguished and smart and all that sort ofthing But I understood that she suddenly gave it all up I remembersomeone telling me that she abdicated and that those who knew her bestwere most surprised about itA woman told you that no doubtYes I think it was a womanAnything elseIf I remember rightly she said that Lady Sellingworth was the verylast woman one had expected to do such a thing that she was one of theold guard whose motto is never give up that she went on expectingand tacitly demanding the love and admiration which most men only givewith sincerity to young women long after she was no more young and hadbegun to lose her looks Perhaps it was all liesNo no There is something in itHe looked meditativeIt certainly was a sudden business he presently added I have oftenthought so It came about after her return from Paris some ten yearsagothat time when her jewels were stolenWere they said CravenWere theyBraybrookes tone just then really did rather suggest the worldsgovernessMy dear fellowyes they were to the tune of about fifty thousandpoundsWhat a dreadful business Did she get them backNo She never even tried to But of course it came out eventuallyIt seems to me that everything anyone wishes to hide does come outeventually in London said Craven with perhaps rather youthfulcynicism But surely Lady Sellingworth must have wanted to get herjewels back What can have induced her to be silent about such a lossIts a mystery I have wondered whyoften said Braybrooke gentlystroking his beardHe even slightly wrinkled his forehead until he remembered that suchan indulgence is apt to lead to permanent lines whereupon he abruptlybecame as smooth as a baby and addedShe must have had a tremendous reason But Im not aware that anyoneknows what it is unless he paused meditatively I have sometimessuspected that perhaps Seymour PortmanSir Seymour the generalYes He knows her better than anyone else does He cared for her whenshe was a girl through both her marriages and cares for her just asmuch still I believeHow were her jewels stolen Craven askedBraybrooke had roused his interest A woman who lost jewels worth fiftythousand pounds and made no effort to get them back must surely be anextraordinary creatureThey were stolen in Paris at the Gare du Nord out of a firstclasscompartment reserved for Adela Sellingworth That much came out throughher maidAnd nothing was doneI believe not Adela Sellingworth is said to have behaved mostfatalistically when the story came out She said the jewels weregone long ago and there was an end of it and that she couldnt bebotheredBotheredabout such a lossAnd whats more she got rid of the maidVery oddIt was Very odd Her abdication also was very odd and abrupt Shechanged her way of living gave up society let her hair go whiteallowed her face to do whatever it chose and in fact became very muchwhat she is nowthe most charming _old_ woman in LondonOh is she charmingIs she charmingBraybrooke