‘What does she think she’s doing? She’s kept that poor man hanging on for two years and now she’s just dismissed him like a bad servant.’
‘Rupe isn’t very rich, and she wants to live comfortably. Lots of people want that.’
‘I might have known you’d make excuses for her,’ Elsie said. ‘That girl doesn’t know the meaning of love.’
Amos shrugged. ‘I’m not sure I do.’
‘It’s an unlucky man who falls for Jane.’
Elsie’s criticism of Jane was making Amos uncomfortable. He said: ‘Jane is one of those women who are liked by men and disliked by women. I don’t understand why.’
‘I do.’
The audience went quiet and Amos pointed to the stage, relieved to escape the argument. Three actors had appeared, and now one of them said: ‘In sooth, I know not why I am so sad.’
‘I know why I’m sad,’ Elsie said.
Amos wondered what she meant, but he got caught up in the play. When Antonio explained that all his wealth was invested in ships currently at sea, Amos murmured to Elsie: ‘I appreciate what that’s like, having valuable goods in transit, being worried sick about whether they’re safe.’
He felt restless in the second scene, when Portia complained about not being allowed to choose a husband for herself, but having to marry the winner of a contest having to do with choosing the right box out of three: one of gold, one of silver and one of lead. ‘Why would her father do such a thing?’ he said. ‘It makes no sense.’
‘It’s a fairy tale,’ Elsie said.
‘I’m too old for fairy tales.’
The whole thing came alive when Shylock appeared in the third scene. He stormed onto the stage wearing a false nose and a wig that looked like a bright red bush, and when the audience booed he rushed to the front of the stage and snarled at them. At first they laughed at him. Then came the moment when he agreed to lend Antonio three thousand ducats, on condition that if Antonio failed to reimburse him on time he would pay a forfeit. ‘Let the forfeit be nominated for an equal pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken in what part of your body it pleaseth me,’ Shylock said with sly malice.
‘He’ll never agree to that,’ Amos said, then he gasped when Antonio said: ‘Content, i’faith, I’ll seal to such a bond.’
During the intermission there was a ballet, but much of the audience ignored it, choosing instead to stretch their legs, buy food and drink, and chat to their friends. Elsie disappeared. The sound of conversation among so many people rose to a roar. Amos noticedthat Jane made a beeline for Viscount Northwood. She was a shameless social climber, but Henry Northwood did not seem to mind. Amos moved closer to hear what Jane was saying.
‘My father says we shouldn’t hate Jews,’ Jane said. ‘What do you think, Lord Northwood?’
‘I can’t say I care for foreigners of any type,’ he replied.
‘I agree with you,’ said Jane.
Jane would agree with anything Northwood said, Amos thought sourly. She didn’t really hate Jews, she just loved noblemen.
‘English is best,’ Northwood said.
‘Oh, yes. All the same, I’d like to travel. Have you been abroad?’
‘I spent a year on the continent. Picked up a few words of French and German, and bought some pictures in Italy.’
‘Lucky you! Are you a lover of painting?’
‘In my simple soldierly way, you know. Anything with horses in it, or dogs.’
‘I’d love to see your pictures one day.’
‘Oh, well, of course, yes, but they’re at Earlscastle, and I’ve so much to do here in Kingsbridge. You see, the militia, even though it doesn’t serve overseas, has taken over the defence of our country so that the regular army is free to fight abroad.’ Suddenly Henry was loquacious, Amos observed, now that the subject was military. Henry added: ‘But that depends on the militia being ready to fight, you see.’
Jane did not want to talk about the militia. ‘I’ve never been to Earlscastle,’ she said.
Amos did not linger to hear Henry’s response to this heavy hint, because the play was recommencing. He hurried back to his seat. As he sat down Elsie said: ‘Will you walk me home afterwards?’
‘Of course,’ he said.
