And then she was introducing Emil to Mr Hathaway and feeling as though they were already quite old acquaintances. Mr Hathaway was a bank manager in Ryebridge. He was also chairman of the France Green Parish Council and the founder of the France Green Debating Society. Bank managers in England are usually Conservatives, but Mr Hathaway was a Liberal.

They had agreed that during the first evening they would avoid asking questions about how and why Emil had left Vienna. It would be better to keep to ordinary topics. It is 183difficult to keep to ordinary topics with a perfect stranger; even though Emil’s English was so good, the conversation flagged, and it was a relief when he said, ‘You have a piano. I, too, am fond of music.’

Now I shall be caught out, thought Mrs Hathaway. They are all so intensely musical, and suppose he asks me to play duets with him? If it were only the slow movements—but when everything gets black with semiquavers I always lose my head.

Emil showed no inclination for duets. Most of the time he played by ear. The things he played by ear were all unfamiliar to the Hathaways, but after a week or two they got to know his repertory; especially Mrs Hathaway, who had no bank to manage. The piano was clearly a great solace to Emil, even more so after it had been tuned. He played by the hour: sad melodies and dance tunes with a sorrowful hop in them. Hannah said she expected it was as good as knitting to the poor young gentleman. They all did their best to understand his position.

But it is difficult for people living in their busy, untroubled homes to understand the position of a refugee, unless, of course, that refugee is of a class which cooks or sews or looks after children. As the spring advanced, as the lawn needed mowing and the green peas needed sticking, the Hathaways hoped that Emil would find comfort in nature, but he still preferred art and remained indoors. He preferred art to politics, too. It was almost impossible to get him to talk about the Anschluss. Mr Hathaway was inclined to take a large view. Emil had left Vienna because he disapproved of Fascism. Mr 184Hathaway also disapproved of Fascism, more intellectually, if less violently, than Mrs Hathaway. Surely, he said to his wife, a common disapproval is common ground enough.

Other people in France Green could not leave it at that. Miss Forrester, for instance, examining the carnations in the border below the sitting-room window, made Mrs Hathaway quite an eloquent speech about the sufferings of the Jews.

‘Actually, Herr Kirchner is not a Jew,’ said Mrs Hathaway.

Miss Forrester swept on. ‘And I said to Mr Benson, I can’t understand it, I said. Surely you, as a churchwarden, should realize what is meant by religious persecution. It’s nonsense, I said, and it’s unchristian to go on talking of Mrs Hathaway’s Communist just because the poor young fellow is a Jew. What about the Bible? I said. Was that published by the Left Book Club? Oh, I was furious with him! Though I couldn’t say to him, as I can to you, that I, for one, am beginning to think there’s a great deal to be said for the Communists.’ She glanced in the window. The music continued. ‘If I met a Communist,’ said Miss Forrester slowly and clearly, ‘I would say to him, we have a great deal in common.’