The Remains of the Day - By Kazuo Ishiguro Page 0,85
I found at the back of my garage. But it’ll be enough for you to reach Crosby Gate and you can fill up good and proper there.’
The village centre of Moscombe, in the morning sunshine, could be seen to be a number of small shops surrounding a church, the steeple of which I had seen from the hill yesterday evening. I had little chance to study the village, however, for Dr Carlisle turned his car briskly into the driveway of a farmyard.
‘Just a little short cut,’ he said, as we made our way past barns and stationary farm vehicles. There seemed to be no persons present anywhere, and at one point, when we were confronted by a closed gate, the doctor said: ‘Sorry, old chap, but if you wouldn’t mind doing the honours.’
Getting out, I went to the gate, and as soon as I did so, a furious chorus of barking erupted in one of the barns near by, so that it was with some relief that I rejoined Dr Carlisle again in the front of his Rover.
We exchanged a few pleasantries as we climbed a narrow road between tall trees, he inquiring after how I had slept at the Taylors and so forth. Then he said quite abruptly:
‘I say, I hope you don’t think me very rude. But you aren’t a manservant of some sort, are you?’
I must confess, my overwhelming feeling on hearing this was one of relief.
‘I am indeed, sir. In fact, I am the butler of Darlington Hall, near Oxford.’
‘Thought so. All that about having met Winston Churchill and so on. I thought to myself, well, either the chap’s been lying his head off, or – then it occurred to me, there’s one simple explanation.’
Dr Carlisle turned to me with a smile as he continued to steer the car up the steep winding road. I said:
‘It wasn’t my intention to deceive anyone, sir. However …’
‘Oh, no need to explain, old fellow. I can quite see how it happened. I mean to say, you are a pretty impressive specimen. The likes of the people here, they’re bound to take you for at least a lord or a duke.’ The doctor gave a hearty laugh. ‘It must do one good to be mistaken for a lord every now and then.’
We travelled on in silence for a few moments. Then Dr Carlisle said to me: ‘Well, I hope you enjoyed your little stay with us here.’
‘I did very much, thank you, sir.’
‘And what did you make of the citizens of Moscombe? Not such a bad bunch, are they?’
‘Very engaging, sir. Mr and Mrs Taylor were extremely kind.’
‘I wish you wouldn’t call me “sir” like that all the time, Mr Stevens. No, they’re not such a bad bunch at all around here. As far as I’m concerned, I’d happily spend the rest of my life out here.’
I thought I heard something slightly odd in the way Dr Carlisle said this. There was, too, a curiously deliberate edge to the way he went on to inquire again:
‘So you found them an engaging bunch, eh?’
‘Indeed, Doctor. Extremely congenial.’
‘So what were they all telling you about last night? Hope they didn’t bore you silly with all the village gossip.’
‘Not at all, Doctor. As a matter of fact, the conversation tended to be rather earnest in tone and some very interesting viewpoints were expressed.’
‘Oh, you mean Harry Smith,’ the doctor said with a laugh. ‘You shouldn’t mind him. He’s entertaining enough to listen to for a while, but really, he’s all in a muddle. At times you’d think he was some sort of Communist, then he comes out with something that makes him sound true blue Tory. Truth is, he’s all in a muddle.’
‘Ah, that is very interesting to hear.’
‘What did he lecture you on last night? The Empire? The National Health?’
‘Mr Smith restricted himself to more general topics.’
‘Oh? For instance?’
I gave a cough. ‘Mr Smith had some thoughts on the nature of dignity.’
‘I say. Now that sounds rather philosophical for Harry Smith. How the devil did he get on to that?’
‘I believe Mr Smith was stressing the importance of his campaigning work in the village.’
‘Ah, yes?’
‘He was impressing upon me the point that the residents of Moscombe held strong opinions on all manner of great affairs.’
‘Ah, yes. Sounds like Harry Smith. As you probably guessed, that’s all nonsense, of course. Harry’s always going around trying to work everybody up over issues. But the truth is, people are happier left alone.’