Books Do Furnish a Room by Anthony Powell Read Free Book Online

awful.’
    ‘I’d no idea you were a close
friend.’
    Bagshaw’s past activities,
especially at the time when he was seeing a good deal of Quiggin, might well
have brought him within Erridge’s orbit, though I had never connected them in
my mind.
    ‘I didn’t know Warminster well.
Always liked him when we met, and of course sorry to hear the sad news, but why
it might be ominous for me was quite apart from personal feelings. The fact was
he was putting up the money for a paper I’m supposed to be editing. I was on
the point of telling you about it.’
    At this period there was
constant talk of ‘little magazines’ coming into being. Professionally speaking,
their establishment was of interest as media for placing articles, reviewing
books, the various pickings of literary life. Erridge had toyed with some such
project for years, although the sort of paper he contemplated was not likely to
be of much use to myself. It was no great surprise to hear he had finally
decided to back a periodical of some sort. The choice of Bagshaw as editor was
an adventurous one, but, if they knew each other already, Bagshaw’s recommendation
of himself as a ‘professional rebel’ might well have been sufficient to get a
job in Erridge’s gift.
    ‘A new publishing firm, Quiggin
& Craggs, is going to produce the magazine. Warminster – Erry, as you call
him – was friends with both directors. You must know J. G. Quiggin. Doubt if he’s
ever been CP, but Craggs has been a fellow-traveller for years, and my old
friend Gypsy toes the Party line as consistently as anyone could.’
    ‘What’s Gypsy got to do with
it?’
    ‘As Craggs’s wife.’
    ‘Gypsy married to Craggs?’
    ‘Has been for a year or two.
Quiggin’s an interesting case. He’s always had Communist leanings, but afraid
to commit himself. JG doesn’t like too many risks. He feels he might get into
more trouble as a Party Member than outside. He hasn’t got Craggs’s staying
power.’
    ‘But Erry wasn’t a Communist at
all. In many ways he disapproved, I believe, though he never came out in the
open about it.’
    ‘No, but he got on all right
with JG and Howard Craggs. There was even a suggestion he did more than get on
well with Gypsy at one time. He was going to back the publishing firm too,
though they are to be run quite separately.’
    ‘What’s the magazine to be
called?’
    ‘
Fission
.
That was thought to strike the right note for the Atomic Age. Something to
catch the young writers coming out of the services – Trapnel, for example. That
was why I mentioned him. The firm would, of course, be of a somewhat Leftward
tendency, given its personnel, but general publishing, not like Boggis &
Stone. The magazine was to be Warminster’s toy to do more or less what he liked
with. I hope his demise is not going to wreck things. It was he who wanted me
to edit it There were one or two others after the job. Gypsy wasn’t all that
keen for me to get it, in spite of old ties. I know a bit too much.’
    Bagshaw’s lack of orthodoxy,
while at the same time soaked in Left-Wing lore, was something to make
immediate appeal to Erridge, once considered. Then another idea occurred to me.
It was worth firing a shot at random.
    ‘You’ve been seeing Miss Ada Leintwardine
about all this?’
    Bagshaw was not in the least
taken aback. He stroked his moustache, an utterly unsuitable appendage to his
smooth round somewhat priest-like face, and smiled.
    ‘You know Ada? I thought she
was my secret. Where did you run across her?’
    He listened to an account of
what had taken place in Sillery’s rooms; then nodded, as if understanding all.
    ‘Sillery’s an interesting case
too. I’ve heard it suggested he’s been in the Party himself for years. Myself I
think not, though there’s no doubt he’s given quite a bit of support from time
to time in his day. I’d be interested to know where he really stands. So the