Jackson's Dilemma Read Online Free PDF Page A

got that Turner, the Pink One it was called?’
    ‘Yes. How did you know about the Turner?’
    ‘It was lent for the Turner exhibition. Your ancestors had very good taste. Of course I am not implying that you and your father lacked it.’
    ‘That is just as well.’
    ‘Of course you have the latest burglar alarms I assume. Are you writing a novel?’
    ‘No. Why should I be writing a novel?’
    ‘Everyone writes novels nowadays. Someone told me you were. I feel that you have much to write about.’
    ‘And you are a painter.’
    ‘Yes, I am a painter. One day soon I shall paint you.’
    ‘How is your swimming pool getting on?’ Mildred asked Benet.
    ‘Oh, it’s rather at a standstill, actually I’m still just planning it.’
    ‘All those marble columns? The girls are longing for it to be ready! Isn’t it good news about Anna, pity she isn’t here tonight.’
    ‘She’s coming tomorrow.’
    ‘It’s time they came back from France. It’s so sad that Lewen didn’t live to see—’
    ‘So you’re going into the Courtauld?’ Tuan was saying to Rosalind.
    ‘No, not yet anyway, I’m just taking a course—’
    ‘But you are a painter!’
    ‘I have tried painting, but I’ve given it up for the moment.’
    ‘You must feel so happy about Marian.’
    ‘Yes, but I’m rather worried about myself.’
    ‘What about?’
    ‘About tomorrow. I’ve never been a bridesmaid before and I’m afraid I shall fall or drop the bouquet or start to cry.’
     
     
     
    Sylvia had gone home. The sequence of her beautiful dishes was nearing its end. She never forgot that Mildred was a vegetarian. The first dish was vegetarian anyway, consisting of salads of all kinds of fresh green leaves with a cheese soufflé. From here Mildred went on to spinach and leek pie, the others to a delicate leg of lamb. The pudding was of course summer pudding, but special. Bottles of Uncle Tim’s claret were consumed. Mildred was not against this, if not taken in excess. They had now been arguing for some time about politics, Owen dominating as usual.
    ‘What we need is a return to Marxism, early Marx of course, Marxism was created when Marx and Engels saw the starving poor of Manchester. We’ve got to get rid of our vile, stupid, rapacious bourgeois civilisation, capitalism must go, just look at it now, what a senseless government—’
    ‘I agree with you about the poor people,’ said Mildred, ‘and our unhappy leaders may be in difficulties, but we must hold on to our morals, we must civilise and spiritualise politics, and most of all we must develop a believable form of Christianity before it is too late.’
    ‘It is already too late. You are a disciple of Uncle Tim, you worship T.E. Lawrence, Simone Weil worshipped him too, at least the poor girl never knew he was a liar and a cheat—’
    ‘He wasn’t,’ said Mildred, ‘he was cheated, he didn’t know that he would not be able to help the Arabs—’
    ‘Can you believe a single word of what he said happened at Deraa?’
    ‘I believe it,’ said Benet. This was a touchstone often skirmished around.
    ‘It was a fantasy, he was after his own glory, then he spent the rest of his life punishing himself, and then he committed suicide—’
    ‘He didn’t commit suicide,’ said Benet, ‘it was an accident.’
    Mildred said, ‘Of course there is such a thing as redemptive suffering, but—’
    ‘There is no redemptive suffering,’ said Owen, ‘only remorse - remorse is what is real — Uncle Tim knew it all right - and your philosopher friend Heidegger, Benet, except of course he’s Anti-Christ—’
    ‘He’s not my friend,’ said Benet. ‘I daresay he is Anti-Christ.’
    ‘You love him,’ said Owen. ‘You are sinking into his evil!’
    Benet smiled.
    Mildred said, ‘I think it is time for a rapprochement of philosophy and theology, and Christianity must learn from the religions of the east, and they must learn—’
    ‘In that case,’ said Owen, ‘there will be