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and sensuously, as if he were antlClpating the comforts of civilian
life-a perpetual shore leave in Hawaii. The Harknesses, however,
cowed him. He would begin to feel out the subject of his resignation
and observe in a wheedle obscurely loaded with significance that
"certain
cits,
no brighter than you or I, pay income taxes as large
as a captain's yearly salary."
Commander Harkness, unfortunately, was inclined to draw im–
proper conclusions from such remarks. Disregarding the "romance
of commerce," he would break out into ungentlemanly tirades against
capital. "Yiss, old Bob," he would splutter, "when I consider the
ungodly hoards garnered in by the insurance and broking gangs, it
breaks my heart. Riches, reaches, overreaches!
If
Bob and I had
half the swag that Harkness of Yale has just given Lowell of Harvard
to build Georgian houses for Boston quee-eers with British accents!"
He rumbled on morosely about retired naval officers "forced to live
like coolies on their half-pay. Hurrah for the Bull Moose Party!"
he'd shout. "Hurrah for Boss Curley! Hurrah for the Bolshies!"
Nothing prevented Commander Billy from telling about his
diplomatic mission in 1918, when "his eyes had seen the Bolshie
on his native heath." He had been in Budapest "during the brief
sway of Bela Kun. Was Bela going to give those Hunkyland money–
bags and educators the boot into the arms of American philanthropy!"
Then Mother would say, hopefully, "Mama always said that
the
old
Hungarians
did
have taste. Billy, your reference to Budapest
makes me heartsick for Europe. I am dying for Bob and Bobby to
spend next summer at Etretat."
Commander Billy Harkness specialized in verses like "The Croix
de Guerre":
"[
toast the guy, who, crossing over,
Abode in London for a year,
The guy who to his wife and lover
Returned with conscience clean and clear,
Who nightly prowling Piccadilly
Gave icy stares to floozies wild,
And when approached said. <Bilgy Billy
Is mama's darling angel child-'
Now he's the guy who rates the eroy dee geer!"
