Tfee Garden Varty
But Beryl  was  strong.   She  slipped,   ducked, wrenched free.
'You are vile, vile,' said she.
'Then why in God's name did you come?' stammered Harry Kember.
Nobody answered him.
A cloud, small, serene, floated across the moon. In that moment of darkness the sea sounded deep, troubled. Then the cloud sailed away, and the sound of the sea was a vague murmur, as though it waked out of a dark dream. All was still.
The Garden Party
And after all the weather was ideal. They could not have had a more perfect day for a garden party if they had ordered it. Windless, warm, the sky without a cloud. Only the blue was veiled with a haze of light gold, as it is sometimes in early summer. The gardener had been up since dawn, mowing the lawns and sweeping them, until the grass and the dark flat rosettes where the daisy plants had been seemed to shine. As for the roses, you could not help feeling they understood that roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden parties; the only flowers that everybody is certain of knowing. Hundreds, yes, literally hundreds, had come out in a single night; the green bushes bowed down as though they had been visited by archangels.
Breakfast was not yet over before the men came to put up the marquee.
'Where do you want the marquee put, mother?'
'My dear child, it's no use asking me. I'm determined to leave everything to you children this year. Forget I am your mother. Treat me as an honoured guest.'
But Meg could not possibly go and supervise the men. She had washed her hair before breakfast, and she sat drinking her coffee in a green turban,
CP-t
H
The Garden forty
with a dark wet curl stamped on each cheek. Jose, the butterfly, always came down in a silk petticoat and a kimono jacket.
'You'll have to go, Laura; you're the artistic one.'
Away Laura flew, still holding her piece of bread-and-butter. It's so delicious to have an excuse for eating out of doors, and besides, she loved having to arrange things; she always felt she could do it so much better than anybody else.
Four men in their shirt-sleeves stood grouped together on the garden path. They carried staves covered with rolls of canvas, and they had big tool-bags slung on their backs. They looked impressive. Laura wished now that she was not holding that piece of bread-and-butter, but there was nowhere to put it, and she couldn't possibly throw it away. She blushed and tried to look severe and even a little bit short-sighted as she came up to them.
'Good morning,' she said, copying her mother's voice. But that sounded so fearfully affected that she was ashamed, and stammered like a little girl, 'Oh -er - have you come - is it about the marquee?'
'That's right, miss,' said the tallest of the men, a lanky, freckled fellow, and he shifted his tool-bag, knocked back his straw hat and smiled down at her. 'That's about it.'
His smile was so easy, so friendly, that Laura recovered. What nice eyes he had, small, but such a dark blue! And now she looked at the others, they were smiling too. 'Cheer up, we won't bite,' their
66
The Garden Tarty smile seemed to say. How very nice workmen were! And what a beautiful morning! She mustn't mention the   morning;   she   must   be   business-like.   The marquee.
'Wefl what about the lily-lawn? Would that do?'
And she pointed to the lily-lawn with the hand that didn t hold the bread-and-butter. They turned they stared in the direction. A little fat chap thrust out his under-Üp, and the tall fellow frowned.
1 don't fancy it,' said he. 'Not conspicuous enough. You see, with a thing like a marquee,' and he turned to Laura in his easy way, 'you want to put it somewhere where it'U give you a bang slap in the eye, if you follow me.'
Laura's upbringing made her wonder foramoment whether it was quite respectful of a workman to talk to her of bangs slap in the eye. But she did quite follow him.
'A corner of the tennis-court,' she suggested. But the band's going to be in one comer.'
H'm, going to have a band, are you?' said another of the workmen. He was pale. He had a haggard took as his dark eyes scanned the tennis-court. What was he thinking?
'Only a very small band,' said Laura gently. Perhaps he wouldn't mind so much if the band was quite small. But the tall fellow interrupted.
Look here, miss, that's the place. Against those trees. Over there. That'll do fine.'
Against the karakas. Then the karaka-trees would
«7
The Garden Tarty
be hidden. And they were so lovely, with their broad, gleaming leaves, and their clusters of yellow fruit. They were like trees you imagined growing on a desert island, proud, solitary, lifting their leaves and fruits to the sun in a kind of silent splendour. Must they be hidden by a marquee?
They must. Already the men had shouldered their staves and were making for the place. Only the tall fellow was left. He bent down, pinched a sprig of lavender, put his thumb and forefinger to his nose and snuffed up the smell. When Laura saw that gesture she forgot all about the karakas in her wonder at him caring for things like that - caring for the smell of lavender. How many men that she knew would have done such a thing. Oh, how extraordinarily nice workmen were, she thought. Why couldn't she have workmen for friends radier than the silly boys she danced with and who came to Sunday night supper? She would get on much better with men like these.
It's all the fault, she decided, as the tall fellow drew something on the back of an envelope, something that was to be looped up or left to hang, of these absurd class distinctions. Well, for her part, she didn't feel them. Not a bit, not an atom . . . And now there came the chock-chock of wooden hammers. Someone whistled, someone sang out, 'Are you right there, matey?' 'Mateyľ The friendliness of it, the - the - Just to prove how happy she was, just to show the tall fellow how at home she
68
The Garden Party
felt, and how she despised stupid conventions, Laura took a big bite of her bread-and-butter as she stared at the little drawing. She felt just like a work-girl.
'Laura, Laura, where are you?Telephone, Laura ľ a voice cried from die house.
'Coming!' Away she skimmed, over the lawn, up the path, up the steps, across the veranda, and into the porch. In the hall her father and Laurie were brushing their hats ready to go to the office.
'I say, Laura,' said Laurie very fast, 'you might just give a squiz at my coat before this afternoon. See if it wants pressing.'
Í will,' said she. Suddenly she couldn't stop herself. She ran at Laurie and gave him a small, quick squeeze. 'Oh, I do love parties, don't you?' gasped Laura.
'Ra-ther,' said Laurie's warm, boyish voice, and he squeezed his sister too, and gave her a gentle push. 'Dash oťfto the telephone, old girl.'
The telephone. 'Yes, yes; oh yes. Kitty? Good morning, dear. Come to lunch? Do, dear. Delighted of course, it will only be a very scratch meal — just tlie sandwich crusts and broken meringue- shells and what's left over. Yes, isn't it a perfect morning? Your white? Oh, I certainly should. One moment -hold the line. Mother's calling.' And Laura sat back. 'What, mother? Can't hear.'
Mrs Sheridan's voice floated down the stairs.
69
g» ■■»■■* '   :'",'!   HJMHJMHU»ľ
The Garden Vartj
'Tell her to wear that sweet hat she had on last Sunday.'
'Mother says you're to wear that sweet hat you had on last Sunday. Good. One o'clock. Bye-bye.' Laura put back the receiver, flung her arms over her head, took a deep breath, stretched and let them fell. 'Huh,' she sighed, and the moment after the sigh she sat up quickly. She was still, listening. All the doors in die house seenied to be open. The house was alive with soft, quick steps and running voices. The green baize door that led to the kitchen regions swung open and shut with a muffled thud. And now there came a long, chuckling absurd sound. It was the heavy piano being moved on its stiff castors. But the air I If you stopped to notice, was the air always like this? Little faint winds were playing chase in at the tops of the windows, out at the doors. And there were two tiny spots of sun, one on the inkpot, one on a silver photograph frame, playing too. Darling little spots. Especially the one on the inkpot lid. It was quite warm. A warm little silver star. She could have kissed it.
The front door bell pealed, and there sounded the rustle of Sadie's print skirt on the stairs. A man's voice murmured; Sadie answered, careless, 'I'm sure I don't know. Wait. I'll ask Mrs Sheridan.'
'What is it, Sadie?' Laura came into the hall.
'It's the florist, Miss Laura,'
It was, indeed. There, just inside the door, stood a wide, shallow tray full of pots of pink lilies. No
70
The Garden Tarty
other kind. Nothing but lilies - canna lilies, big pink flowers, wide open, radiant, almost frighten-ingly alive on bright crimson stems.
'O-oh, Sadie!' said Laura, and the sound was like a little moan. She crouched down as if to warm herself at that blaze of lilies; she felt they were in. her fingers, on her lips, growing in her breast.
'It's some mistake,' she said faintly. 'Nobody ever oťdered so many. Sadie, go and find mother.'
But at that moment Mrs Sheridan joined them.
'It's quite right,' she said calmly. 'Yes, I ordered them. Aren't they lovely?' She pressed Laura's arm. 'I was passing the shop yesterday, and I saw them in the window. And I sudd enly thought for once in my life I shall have enough canna blies. The garden party will be a good excuse.'
'But I thought you said you didn't mean to interfere,' said Laura. Sadie had gone. The florist's man was still outside at his van. She put her arm round her mother's neck and gently, very gently, she bit her mother's ear,
'My darling child, you wouldn't like a logical mother, would you? Don't do that. Here's the man.'
He carried more lilies still, another whole tray.
'Bank them up, just inside the door, on both sides of the porch, please,' said Mrs Sheridan. 'Don't you agree, Laura?'
'Oh, I do, mother.'
In the drawing-room Meg, Jose and good little Hans had at last succeeded in moving the piano.
7*
The Garden Party
'Now, if we put this chesterfield against the wall and move everything out of the room except the chairs, don't you think?'
'Quite.'
'Hans, move these tables into the smoking-room, and bring a sweeper to take these marks off the carpet and - one moment, Hans - ' Jose loved giving orders to the servants, and they loved obeying her. She always made them feel they were taking part in some drama. 'Tell mother and Miss Laura to come here at once.'
'Very good, Miss Jose.*
She turned to Meg. 'I want to hear what the piano sounds like, just in case I'm asked to sing this afternoon. Let's try over "This life is Weary".'
Poml Ta-ta-ta J>e-ta! The piano burst out so passionately that Jose's face changed. She clasped her hands. She looked mournfully and enigmatically at her mother and Laura as they came in.
This Life is Wee-nry, A Tear - a Sigh. A Love that Chan-ges, This Life is Wee-ary, A Tear — a Sigh. A Love that Cftjn-ges, And then , . . Good-bye I
But at the word 'Goodbye', and although the piano sounded more desperate than ever, her face broke into a brilliant, dreadfully unsympathetic smile.
71
The Garden Party 'Aren't I in good voice, mummy?' she beamed.
This Life is Wee-ary, Hope comes to Die. A Dream - a ffa-kening.
But now Sadie interrupted them. 'What is it, Sadie?'
'If you please, m'm, cook says have you got the flags for the sandwiches ?'
'The flags for the sandwiches, Sadie?' echoed Mrs Sheridan dreamily. And the children knew by her face that she hadn't got them. 'Let me see.' And she said to Sadie firmly, 'Tell cook I'll let her have them in ten minutes.' Sadie went.
'Now, Laura,' said her mother quickly, 'come with me into the smoking-room. I've got the names somewhere on the back of an envelope. You'll have to write them out for me. Meg, go upstairs this minute and take that wet thing off your head. Jose, run and finish dressing this instant. Do you hear me, children, or shall I have to tell your father when lie comes home tonight? And — and, Jose, pacify cook if you do go into the kitchen, will you? I'm terrified of her this morning.'
The envelope was found at last behind the dining-room clock, though how it had got there Mrs Sheridan could not imagine.
'One of you children must have stolen it out of
73
The Garden Partj
my bag, because I remember vividly - cream-cheese and lemon-curd. Have you done that ?'
'Yes.'
'Egg and - ' Mrs Sheridan held the envelope away from her. 'It looks like mice. It can't be mice, can it?'
'Olive, pet,'said Laura, lookingover her shoulder.
'Yes, of course, olive. What a horrible combination it sounds. Egg and olive.'
They were finished at last, and Laura took them off to the kitchen. She found Jose there pacifying the cook, who did not look at all terrifying.
'I have never seen such exquisite sandwiches,' said Jose's rapturous voice. 'How many kinds did you say there were, cook? Fifteen?'
'Fifteen, Miss Jose.'
'Well, cook, 1 congratulate you.'
Cook swept up crusts with the long sandwich knife and smiled broadly.
'Godber's has come,' announced Sadie, issuing out of the pantry. She had seen the man pass the window.
That meant the cream puffs had come. Godber's were famous for their cream puffs. Nobody ever thought of making them at home.
'Bring them in and put them on the table, my girl,' ordered cook.
Sadie brought them in and went back to the door. Of course Laura and Jose were far too grown-up to really care about such things. All the same, they
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The Garden Tarty
couldn't help agreeing that the puffs looked very attractive. Very. Cook began arranging them, shaking off the extra icing sugar.
'Don't they carry one back to all one's parties?' said Laura.
'I suppose they do,' said practical Jose, who never liked to be carried back. 'They look beautifully light and feathery, I must say.'
'Have one each, my dears,' said cook in her comfortable voice.'Yer ma won't know.'
Oh, impossible. Fancy cream puffs so soon after breakfast. The very idea made one shudder. All the same, two minutes later Jose and Laura were licking their fingers with that absorbed inward look that only comes from whipped cream.
'Let's go into the garden, out by the back way,' suggested Laura. 'I want to see how the men are getting on with the marquee. They're such awfully nice men.'
But the back door was blocked by cook, Sadie, Godber's man and Hans.
Something had happened.
'Tuk-tuk-tuk,' clucked cook like an agitated hen. Sadie had her hand clapped to her cheek as though she had toothache. Hans's face was screwed up in the effort to understand. Only Godber's man seemed to be enjoying himself; it was his story.
'What's the matter? What's happened?'
'There's been a horrible accident,' said cook. 'A man killed.'
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The Garden Tarty
'A man killed! Where? How? When?*
But Godber's man wasn't going to have his story snatched from under his very nose.
'Know those little cottages just below here, miss?' Know them? Of course, she knew them. 'Well, there's a young chap living there, name of Scott, a carter. His horse shied at a traction-engine, corner of Hawke Street this rooming, .and he was thrown out on the back of his head. Killed.'
'Dead ľ Laura stared at Godber's man.
'Dead when they picked him up,' said Godber's man with relish. "They were taking the body home as I come up here.' And he said to the cook, 'He's left a wife and five little ones.*
'Jose, come here.' Laura caught hold of her sister's sleeve and dragged her through the kitchen to the other side of the green baize door. There she paused and leaned against it. 'Jose!' she said, horrified, 'however are we going to stop everything?'
'Stop everything, Laura!' cried Jose in astonishment. 'What do you mean?'
'Stop the garden party, of course.' Why did Jose pretend?
But Jose was still more amazed. 'Stop the garden party? My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can't do anything of the kind. Nobody expects us to. Don't be so extravagant.'
'But we can't possibly have a garden party with a man dead just outside the front gate.'
That really was extravagant, for the little cottages
76
The Garden Party   '
were in a lane to themselves at the very bottom of a steep rise that led up to the house. A broad road ran between. True, they were far too near. They were the greatest possible eyesore, and they had no right to be in that neighbourhood at all. They were little mean dwellings painted a chocolate brown. In the garden patches there was nothing but cabbage stalks, sick hens and tomato cans. The very smoke coming out of their chimneys was poverty-stricken. Little rags and shreds of smoke, so unlike the great silvery plumes that uncurled from the Sheridans' chimneys. Washerwomen lived in the lane and sweeps and a cobbler, and a man whose house-front was studded all over with minute bird-cages. Children swarmed. When the Sheridans were little they were forbidden to set foot there because of the revolting language and of what they might catch. But since they were grown up, Laura and Laurie on their prowls sometimes walked through. It was disgusting and sordid. They came out with a shudder. But still one must go everywhere; one must see everything. So through they went.
'And just think of what the band would sound like to that poor woman,' said Laura.
'Oh, Laura!' Jose began to be seriously annoyed, 'íf you're going to stop a band playing every time someone has an accident, you'll lead a very strenuous life. I'm every bit as sorry about it as you. I feel just as sympathetic.' Her eyes hardened. She looked at her sister just as she used to when they
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The Garden Vartj
were little and fighting together. 'You won't bring a drunken workman back to life by being sentimental, ' she said softly.
'Drunk! Who said he was drunk?' Laura turned furiously on Jose. She said just as they had used to say on those occasions, 'I'm going straight up to tell mother.'                               4
'Do, dear,' cooed Jose.
'Mother, can I come into your room?' Laura turned the big glass door-knob.
'Of course, child. Why, what's the matter? What's given you such a colour?' And Mrs Sheridan turned round from her dressing-table. She was trying on a new hat.
'Mother, a man's been killed,' began Laura.
'Iht in the garden?' interrupted her mother.
'No, no!'
'Oh, what a fright you gave me!' Mrs Sheridan sighed with relief, and took off the big hat and held it on her knees.
'But listen, mother,' said Laura. Breathless, half-choking, she told the dreadful story. 'Of course, we can't have our party, can we?' she pleaded. 'The hand and everybody arriving. They'd hear us, mother; they're nearly neighbours!'
To Laura's astonishment her mother behaved just like Jose; it was harder to bear because she seemed amused. She refused to take Laura seriously.
'But, my dear child, use your common sense. It's only by accident we've heard of it. If someone had
78
The Garden Party
died there normally - and I can't understand how they keep alive in those poky little holes - we should still be having our party, shouldn't we?'
Laura had to say 'yes' to that, but she felt it was all wrong. She sat down on her mother's sofa and pinched the cushion frill.
'Mother, isn't it really terribly heartless of us?' she asked.
'Darling!'Mrs Sheridan got up and came over to her carrying the hat. Before Laura could stop her she had popped it on. 'My child!' said her mother the hat is yours. It's made for you. It's much too young for me. I have never seen you look such a picture. Look at yourself!' And she held up her hand-mirror.                               "
'But mother,' Laura began again. She couldn't look at herself; she turned aside.
This time Mrs Sheridan lost patience just as Jose had done.                                                         *
'You are being very absurd, Laura/ she said coldly. People like that don't expect sacrifices from us. And it's not very sympathetic to spoil everybody's enjoyment as you're doing now.'
'I don't understand,' said Laura, and she walked quickly out of the room into her own bedroom There, quite by chance, the first thing she saw was this charming girl in the mirror, in her black hat trimmed with gold daisies, and a long black velvet ribbon. Never had she imagined she could look like that. Is mother right? she thought. And now she
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The Garden Varty
hoped her mother was right. Am I being extravagant? Perhaps it was extravagant. Just for a moment she had another glimpse of that poor woman and those little children, and the body being carried into the house. But it all seemed blurred, unreal, iike a picture in the newspaper. I'll remember it again after the party's over, she decided. And somehow that seemed quite the best plan . . .
Lunch was over by half past one. By half past two they were all ready for the fray. The green-coated band had arrived and was established in a corner of the tennis-court,
'My dear!' trilled Kitty Maittand, 'aren't they too like frogs for words ? You ought to have arranged them round the pond with the conductor in the middle on a leaf.'
Laurie arrived and hailed them on his way to dress. At the sight of him Laura remembered the accident again. She wanted to tell him. If Laurie agreed with the others, then it was bound to be all right. And she followed him into the hall.
'Laurie!'
'Hallo!' He was half-way upstairs, but when he turned round and saw Laura he suddenly puffed out his cheeks and goggled his eyes at her. 'My word, Laura! You do look stunning,' said Laurie. 'What an absolutely topping hat!'
Laura said faintly 'Is it?' and smiled up at Laurie, and didn't tell him after all.
Soon after that people began coming in streams.
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The Garden Party
The band struck up; the hired waiters ran from the house to the marquee. Wherever you looked there were couples strolling, bending to the flowers, greeting, moving on over the lawn. They were like bright birds that had alighted in the Sheridans' garden for this one afternoon, on their way to - where? Ah, what happiness it is to be with people who all are happy, to press hands, press cheeks, smile into eyes.
'Darling Laura, how well you look!'
'What a becoming hat, child!'
'Laura, you look quite Spanish. I've never seen you look so striking.'
And Laura, glowing, answered softly, 'Have you had tea? Won't you have an ice? The passion-fruit ices really are rather special.' She ran to her father and begged him. 'Daddy darling, can't the band have something to drink?'
And the perfect afternoon slowly ripened, slowly faded, slowly its petals closed.
'Never a more delightful garden-party . . . ' 'The greatest success. . . "Quite the most. . . '
Laura helped her mother with the goodbyes. They stood side by side in the porch till it was all over.
'All over, all over, thank heaven,' said Mrs Sheridan. 'Round up die others, Laura. Let's go and have some fresh coffee. I'm exhausted. Yes, it's been very successful. But oh, these parties, these parties! Why will you children insist on giving
GP-6
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The Garden Varty
parties!'  And they all of them sat down in the deserted marquee.
'Have a sandwich,  daddy  dear.   1  wrote  the
flag.'
'Thanks.' Mr Sheridan took a bite and the sandwich was gone. He took another. 'I suppose you didn't hear of a beastly accident that happened today?' he said.
'My dear,' said Mrs Sheridan, holding up her hand, 'we did. It nearly ruined the party. Laura insisted we should put it off.'
'Oh, mother!' Laura didn't want to be teased about it.
'It was a horrible affair all the same,' said Mr Sheridan. 'The chap was married too. Lived just below in the lane, and leaves a wife and half a dozen kiddies, so they say.'
An awkward little silence fell. Mrs Sheridan fidgeted with her cup. Really, it was very tactless of father. . .
Suddenly she looked up. There on the table were all those sandwiches, cakes, puffs, all un-eaten, all going to be wasted. She had one of her brilliant ideas.
'1 know,' she said. 'Let's make up a basket. Let's send that poor creature some of this perfectly good food. At any rate, it will be the greatest treat for the children. Don't you agree? And she's sure to have neighbours calling in and so on. What a point to have it all ready prepared. Laura!' She jumped
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The Garden Party
up. 'Get me the big basket out of the stairs cupboard. '
'But, mother, do you really think it's a good idea ?' said Laura.
Again, how curious, she seemed to be different from them all. To take scrap from their party. Would the poor woman really like that?
'Of course! What's the matter with you today? An hour or two ago you were insisting on us being sympathetic, and now - '
Oh well I Laura ran for the basket. It was filled, it was heaped by her mother.
'Take it yourself, darling,' said she. 'Run down just as you are. No, wait, take the arum lilies too. People of that class are so impressed by arum lilies.'
'The stems will ruin her lace frock,' said practical Jose.
So they would. Just in time. 'Only the basket, then. And, Laura!' - her mother followed her out of the marquee — 'don't on any account — ■
'What mother?'
No, better not put such ideas into the child's head! 'Nothing! Run along.'
It was just growing dusky as Laura shut their garden gates. A big dog ran by like a shadow. The road gleamed white, and down below in the hollow the little cottages were in deep shade. How quiet it seemed after the afternoon. Here she was going down the hill to somewhere where a man lay dead, and she couldn't realize it. Why couldn't she? She
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The Garden Tarty
stopped a minute. And it seemed to her that kisses, voices, tinkling spoons, laughter, the smell of crushed grass were somehow inside her. She had no room for anything else. How strange 1 She looked up at the pale sky, and all she thought was, 'Yes, it was the most successful party.'
Now the broad road was crossed. The lane began, smoky and dark. Women in shawls and men's tweed caps hurried by. Men hung over the palings; the children played in the doorways. A low hum came from the mean little cottages. In some of them there was a flicker of light, and a shadow, crab-like, moved across the window. Laura bent her head and hurried on. She wished now she had put on a coat. How her frock shone 1 And the big hat with the velvet streamer — if only it was another hat 1 Were the people looking at her? They must be. It was a mistake to have come; she knew all along it was a mistake. Should she go back even now?
No, too late. This was the house. It must be. A dark knot of people stood outside. Beside the gate an old, old woman with a crutch sat in a chair, watching. She had her feet on a newspaper. The voices stopped as Laura drew near. The group parted. It was as though she was expected, as though they had known she was coming here.
Laura was terribly nervous. Tossing the velvet ribbon over her shoulder, she said to a woman standing by, 'Is this Mrs Scott's house?' and the woman, smiling queerly, said, 'It is, my lass,'
8+
The Garden Tarty
Oh, to be away from this! She actually said, 'Help me, God,' as she walked up the tiny pth and knocked. To be away from those staring eyes, or to be covered up in anything, one of those women's shawls even. I'll just leave the basket and go, she decided. I shan't even wait for it to be emptied.
Then the door opened. A little woman in black showed in the gloom.
Laura said, 'Are you Mrs Scott?' But to her horror the woman answered, 'Walk in, please, miss,' and she was shut in the passage.
'No,' said Laura, 'I don't want to come in. I only want to leave this basket. Mother sent -'
The little woman in the gloomy passage seemed not to have heard her. 'Step this way, please, miss,' she said in an oily voice, and Laura followed her.
She found herself in a wretched little low kitchen, lighted by a smoky lamp. There was a woman sitting before the fire.
'Em,' said the little creature who had let her in. 'Em! It's a young lady.' She turned to Laura. She said meaningly, 'I'm 'er sister, miss. You'll excuse 'er, won't you?'
'Oh, but of course!' said Laura. 'Please, please don't disturb her. I -1 only want to leave -'
But at that moment the woman at me fire turned round. Her face, puffed up, red, with swollen eyes and swollen Up, looked terrible. She seemed as though she couldn't understand why Laura was
«5
The Garden Tarty
there. What did it mean? Why was this stranger standing in the kitchen with a basket? What was it all about? And the poor face puckered up again.
'All right, my dear,' said the other. 'I'll thenk the young lady.'
And again she began, 'You'll excuse her, miss, I'm sure,' and her face, swollen too, tried an oily
smile.
Laura only wanted to get out, to get away. She was back in the passage. The door opened. She walked straight through into the bedroom where the dead man was lying.
'You'd like a look at 'im, wouldn't you?' said Em's sister, and she brushed past Laura over to the bed. 'Don't be afraid, my lass,' - and now her voice sounded fond and sly, and fondly she drew down the sheet - ' 'e looks a picture. There's nothing to show. Come along, my dear.'
Laura came.
There lay a young man, fast asleep - sleeping so soundly, so deeply, that he was far, far away from them both. Oh, so remote, so peaceful. He was dreaming. Never wake him up again. His head was sunk in the pillow, his eyes were closed; they were blind under the closed eyelids. He was given up to his dream. What did garden parties and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all those things. He was wonderful, beautiful. While they were laughing and while the band was playing, this marvel had come to the lane. Happy . . . happy . . .
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The Garden Varty
All is well, said that sleeping face. This is just as it should be. I am content.
But all the same you had to cry, and she couldn't go out of the room without saying something to him. Laura gave a loud childish sob.
'Forgive my hat,' she said.
And this time she didn't wait for Em's sister. She found her way out of the door, down the path, past all those dark people. At the comer of the lane she met Laurie.
He stepped out of die shadow. 'Is that you, Laura?'
'Yes.'
'Mother was getting anxious. Was it all right?'
'Yes, quite. Oh, Laurie ľ She took his arm, she pressed up against him.
'I say, you're not crying, are you?' asked her brother,
Laura shook her head. She was.
Laurie put his arm round her shoulder. 'Don't cry,' be said in his warm, loving voice. 'Was it awful?*
'No,' sobbed Laura. 'It was simply marvellous. But, Laurie - ' She stopped, she looked at her brother. 'Isn't life,' she stammered, 'isn't life - ' But what life was she couldn't explain. No matter. He qui£e understood.
'Isn't it, darling?' said Laurie.
The Daughters of the Late Colonel
i
The week after was one of the busiest weeks of their lives. Even when they went to bed it was only their bodies that lay down and rested; their minds went on, thinking things out, talking things over, wondering, deciding, trying to remember where . ..
Constantia lay like a statue, her hands by her sides, her feet just overlapping each other, the sheet up to her chin. She stared at the ceiling.
'Do you think father would mind if we gave his top-hat to the porter?'
"The porter?' snapped Josephine. 'Why ever the porter? What a very extraordinary idea!'
'Because,' said Constantia slowly, 'he must often have to go to funerals. And I noticed at - at the cemetery that he only had a bowler.' She paused. '1 thought then how very much he'd appreciate a top-hat. We ought to give him a present too. He was always very nice to father.'
'But,' cried Josephine, flouncing on her pillow and staring across the dark at Constantia, 'father's head!' And suddenly, for one awful moment, she nearly giggled. Not, of course, that she felt in the least like giggling. It must have been habit. Years
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ago, when they had stayed awake at night talking, their beds had simply heaved. And now the porter's head, disappearing, popped out, like a candle, under father's hat , . . The giggle mounted, mounted; she clenched her hands; she fought it down; she frowned fiercely at the dark and said 'Remember' terribly sternly.
'We can decide tomorrow,' she said.
Constantia had noticed nothing; she sighed,
'Do you think we ought to have our dressing-gowns dyed as well?'
'Black?' almost shrieked Josephine.
'Well, what else?' said Constantia. 'I was thinking - it doesn't seem quite sincere, in a way, to wear black out of doors and when we're fully dressed, and then when we're at home - '
'But nobody sees us,' said Josephine. She gave the bedclothes such a twitch that both her feet became uncovered, and she had to creep up the pillows to get them well under again.
'Kate does,' said Constantia. 'And the postman very well might.'
Josephine thought of her dark red slippers, which matched her dressing-gown, and of Constantia's favourite indefinite greeo ones which went with hers. Black! Two black dressing-gowns and two pairs of black woolly slippers, creeping off to the bathroom like black cats.
'I don't think it's absolutely necessary,' said she.
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Silence. Then Constantia said, 'We shall have to post the papers with the notice in them tomorrow to catch the Ceylon mail . . . How many letters have we had up till now?'
'Twenty-three,'
Josephine had replied to them all, and twenty-three times when she came to 'We miss our dear father so much' she had broken down and had to use her handkerchief, and on some of them even to soak up a very light blue tear with an edge of blotting-paper. Strange! She couldn't have put it on - but twenty-three times. Even now, though, when she said over to herself sadly 'We miss our dear father so much,' she could have cried if she'd wanted to.
'Have you got enough stamps?' came from Constantia.
'Oh, how can I tell?' said Josephine crossly. 'What's the good of asking me that now?'
'I was just wondering,' said Constantia mildly.
Silence again. There came a little rustle, a scurry, a hop.
'A mouse,' said Constantia.
'It can't be a mouse because there aren't any crumbs,' said Josephine.
' But it doesn't know there aren't,' said Constantia.
A spasm of pity squeezed her heart. Poor little thing! She wished she'd left a tiny piece of biscuit on the dressing-table. It was awful to think of it not finding anything. What would it do?
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'I can't think how they manage to live at all,' she said slowly.
'Who 7' demanded Josephine.
And Constantia said more loudly than she meant to, 'Mice.'
Josephine was furious. 'Oh, what nonsense, Con!' she said. 'What have mice got to do with it? You're asleep.'
'I don't think I am,' said Constantia. She shut her eyes to make sure. She was.
Josephine arched her spine, pulled up her knees, folded her arms so that her fists came under her ears, and pressed her cheek hard against the pillow.
11
Another thing which complicated matters was they had Nurse Andrews staying on with them that week. It was their own fault; they had asked her. It was Josephine's idea. On the morning - well, on the last morning, when the doctor had gone, Josephine had said to Constantia, 'Don't you think it would be rather nice if we asked Nurse Andrews to stay on for a week as our guest?'
'Very nice,' said Constantia.
'I thought,' went on Josephine quickly, '1 should just say this afternoon, after I've paid her, "My sister and I would be very pleased, after all you've done for us, Nurse Andrews, if you would stay on
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for a week as our guest." I'd have to put that in about being our guest in case - '
'Oh, but she could hardly expect to be paid!' cried Constantia.
'One never knows,* said Josephine sagely. Nurse Andrews had, of course, jumped at the idea. But it was a bother. It meant they had to have regular sit-down meals at the proper times, whereas if they'd been alone they could just have asked Kate if she wouldn't have minded bringing them a tray wherever they were. And meal-times now that the strain was over were rather a trial,
Nurae Andrews was simply fearful about butter. Really they couldn't help feeling that about butter, at least, she took advantage of their kindness. And she had that maddening habit of asking for just an inch more bread to finish what she had on her plate, and then, at the last mouthful, absent-mindedly - of course it wasn't absent-mindedly - taking another helping. Josephine got very ted when this happened, and she fastened her small, bead-like eyes on the tablecloth as if she saw a minute strange insect creeping through the web of it. But Constantia's long, pale face lengthened and set, and she gazed away - away - far over the desert, to where that line of camels unwound like a thread of wool . . . 'When I  was with  Lady Tukes,'  said Nurse Andrews, 'she had such a dainty little contrayvance for the buttah. It was a silvan Cupid balanced on the - on the bordah of a glass dish, holding a tayny
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fork. And when you wanted some buttah you simply pressed his foot and he bent down and speared you a piece. It was quite a gayme.'
Josephine could hardly bear that. But 'I think those things are very extravagant' was all she said.
'But whey?' asked Nurse Andrews, beaming through her eyeglasses. 'No one, surely, would take more buttah than one wanted - would one?'
'Ring, Con,' cried Josephine. She couldn't trust herself to reply.
And proud young Kate, the enchanted princess, came in to see what the old tabbies wanted now. She snatched away their plates of mock something or other and slapped down a white, terrified blancmange.
'Jam, please, Kate,' said Josephine kindly.
Kate knelt and burst open the sideboard, lifted the lid of the jam-pot, saw it was empty, put it on the table, and stalked off.
'I'm afraid,' said Nurse Andrews a moment later, 'there isn't any.'
'Oh, what a bother!' said Josephine. She bit her lip, 'Whathadwebetterdo?'
Constantia looked dubious. 'We can't disturb Kate again,' she said softly.
Nurse Andrews waited, smiling at them both. Her eyes wandered, spying at everything behind her eye-glasses. Constantia in despair went back to her camels. Josephine frowned heavily — concentrated. If it hadn't been for this idiotic woman she and Con
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would, of course, have eaten their blancmange without. Suddenly the idea came.
'I know,' she said. 'Marmalade. There's some marmalade in the sideboard. Get it, Con.'
'1 hope,' laughed Nurse Andrews, and her laugh was like a spoon tinkling against a medicine-glass — '1 hope it's not very bktah marmalayde.'
m
But, after all, it was not long now, and then she'd be gone for good. And there was no getting over the fact that she had heen very kind to father. She had nursed him day and night at the end. Indeed, both Constantia and Josephine felt privately she had rather overdone the not leaving him at the very last. For when they had gone in to say goodbye Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time, holding his wrist and pretending to look at her watch. It couldn't have been necessary. It was so tactless, too. Supposing father had wanted to say something - something private to them. Not that he had. Oh, far from it! He lay there, purple, a dark, angry purple in the face, and never even looked at them when they came in. Then, as they were standing there, wondering what to do, he had suddenly opened one eye. Oh, what a difference it would have made, what a difference to their memory of him, how much easier to tell people about it, if he
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had only opened both! But no - one eye only. It glared at them a moment and then. . . went out.
IV
It had made it very awkward for them when Mr Farolles, of St John's, called the same afternoon,
'The end was quite peaceful, I trust?' were the first words he said as he glided towards them thro ugh the dark drawing-room.
'Quite,' said Josephine faintly. They both hung their heads. Both of them felt certain that eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye,
"Won't yousitdown?' said Josephine.
'Thank you, Miss Pinner,' said Mr Farolles gratefully. He folded his coat-tails and began to lower himself into father's arm-chair, but just as he touched it he almost sprang up and slid into the next chair instead.
He coughed. Josephine clasped her hands; Constantia looked vague.
'I want you to feel, Miss Pinner,' said Mr Farolles, 'and you, Miss Constantia, that I'm trying to be helpful. I want to be helpful to you both, if you will let me. These are the times,' said Mr Farolles, very simply and earnestly, 'when God means us to be helpful to one another.'
'Thank you very much, Mr Farolles,' said Josephine and Constantia.
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'Not at all,' said Mr Farolles gently. He drew his kid gloves through his fingers and leaned forward. ' And if either of you would like a little Communion, either or both of you, here and now, you have only to tell me. A little Communion is often very help — a great comfort,' he added tenderly.
But the idea of a little Communion terrified them. What! In the drawing-room by themselves - with no — no altar or anything! The piano would be much too high, thought Constantia, and Mr Farolles could not possibly lean over it with the chalice. And Kate would be sure to come bursting in and interrupt them, thought Josephine. And supposing the bell rang in the middle? It might be somebody important - about their mourning. Would they get up reverently and go out, or would they have to wait... in torturer
'Perhaps you will send round a note by your good Kate if you would care for it later,' said Mr Farolles.
'Oh yes, thank you very much!' they both said.
Mr Farolles got up and took his black straw hat from the round table.
'And about the funeral,' he said softly. 'I may arrange that - as your dear father's old friend and yours, Miss Pinner - and Miss Constantia?'
Josephine and Constantia got up too.
'I should like it to be quite simple,' said Josephine firmly, 'and not too expensive. At the same time, I should like - *
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'A good one that will last,' thought dreamy Constantia, as if Josephine were buying a nightgown. But of course Josephine didn't say that. 'One suitable to our father's position.' She was very nervous.
'I'll run round to our good friend Mr Knight,' said Mr Farolles soothingly. Í will ask him to come and see you. I am sure you will find him very helpful indeed.'
v
Well, at any rate, all that part of it was over, though neither of them could possibly believe that father was never coming back. Josephine had had a moment of absolute terror at the cemetery, while the coffin was lowered, to think that she and Constantia had done this thing without asking his permission. What would father say when he found out? For he was bound to find out sooner or later. He always did. 'Buried. You two girls had me burledľ She heard his stick thumping. Oh, what would they say? What possible excuse could they make? It sounded such an appallingly heartless thing to do. Such a wicked advantage to take of a person because he happened to be helpless at the moment. The other people seemed to treat it all as a matter of course. They were strangers; they couldn't be expected to understand that father was the very last person for such a thing to happen to. No, the entire blame for it all would fall on her and Constantia. And the
OF—7
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expense, she thought, stepping into the tight-buttoned cab. When she had to show him the bills. What would he say then?
She heard him absolutely roaring, 'And do you expect me to pay for this gimcrack excursion of yours?'
'Oh,' groaned poor Josephine aloud, ' we shouldn't have done it, Con!'
And Constantia, pale as a lemon in all that blackness, said in a frightened whisper, 'Done what, Jug?' 'Let them bu-bury father like that,' said Josephine, breaking down and crying into her new, queer-smelling mourning handkerchief.
'But what else could we have done?' asked Constantia wonderingly. 'We couldn't have kept him, Jug - we couldn't have kept him unburied. At any rate, not in a flat that size.'
Josephine blew her nose; the cab was dreadfully stuffy.
'I don't know,' she said forlornly. 'It is all so dreadful. I feel we ought to have tried to, just for a time at least. To make perfectly sure. One thing's certain' — and her tears sprang out again - 'lather will never forgive us for this - never 1'
VI
Father would never forgive them. That was what they felt more than ever when, two mornings later, they went into his room to go through his things.
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They had discussed it quite calmly. It was even down on Josephine's list of things to be done. Go through father's things and settle about them. But that was a very different matter from saying after breakfast: 'Well, are you ready, Con?' 'Yes, Jug-when you are.' 'Then I think we'd better get it over.' It was dark in the hall. It had been a rule for years never to disturb father in the morning, whatever happened. And now they were going to open the door without knocking even . . . Constantia's eyes were enormous at the idea; Josephine felt weak in the knees.
'You - you go first,' she gasped, pushing Constantia.
But Constantia said, as she always had said on those occasions, 'No Jug, that's not fair. You're eldest.'
Josephine was just going to say — what at other times she wouldn't have owned to for the world -what she kept for her very last weapon, 'But you're tallest,' when they noticed that the kitchen door was open, and there stood Kate. . .
'Very stiff,' said Josephine, grasping the doorhandle and doing her best to turn it. As if anything ever deceived Kate!
It couldn't be helped. That girl was . . . Then the door was shut behind them, but - but they weren't in father's room at all. They might have suddenly walked through the wall by mistake into
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a different flat altogether. Was the door just behind them? They were too frightened to look. Josephine knew that if it was it was holding itself tight shut; Constantia felt that, like the doors in dreams, it hadn't any handle at all. It was the coldness which made it so awful. Or the whiteness - which? Everything was covered. The blinds were down, a cloth hung over the mirror, a sheet hid the bed; a huge fan of white paper filled the fire-place. Constantia timidly put out her hand; she almost expected a snowflake to fall. Josephine felt a queer tingling in her nose, as if her nose was freezing. Then a cab klop-klopped over the cobbles below, and the quiet seemed to shake into little pieces.
'I had better pull up a blind,' said Josephine bravely.
'Yes, it might be a good idea,* whispered Constantia.
They only gave the blind a touch, but it flew up and the cord flew after, rolling round the blind-stick, arid the little tassel tapped as if trying to get free. That was too much for Constantia.
'Don't you think - don't you think we might put it off another day?' she whispered.
'Why?' snapped Josephine, feeling, as usual, much better now that she knew for certain that Constantia was terrified. 'It's got to be done. But ! do wish you wouldn't whisper, Con.'
'I didn't know I was whispering,1 whispered Constantia.
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'And why do you keep on staring at the bed?' said Josephine, raising her voice almost defiantly. 'There's nothing on the bed.'
'Oh, Jug, don't say soľ said poor Connie. *At any rate, not so loudly.'
Josephine felt herself that she had gone too Far. She took a wide swerve over to the chest of drawers, put out her hand, but quickly drew it back again.
' Connie I' she gasped, and she wheeled round and leaned with her back against the chest of drawers.
'Ob, Jug-what?'
Josephine could only glare. She had the most extraordinary feeling that she had just escaped something simply awful. But how could she explain to Constantia that father was in the chest of drawers ? He was in the top drawer with his handkerchiefs and neckties, or in the next with his shirts and pyjamas, or in the lowest of all with his suits. He was watching there, hidden away - just behind the door-handle - ready to spring.
She pulled a funny old-fashioned face at Constantia, just as she used to in the old days when she was going to cry.
'I can't open,' she nearly wailed.
'No, don't, Jug,' whispered Constantia earnestly. 'It's much better not to. Don't let's open anything. At any rate, not for a longtime.'
'But - but it seems so weak,' said Josephine, breaking down.
'But why not be weak for once, Jug?* argued
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Constantia, whispering quite fiercely. 'If it is weak.* And her pale stare flew from the locked writing-table - so safe - to the huge glittering wardrobe, and she began to breathe in a queer, panting way. 'Why shouldn't we be weak for once in our lives, Jug? It's quite excusable. Let's be weak - be weak, Jug. It's much nicer to be weak than to be strong.' And then she did one of those amazingly bold things that she'd done about twice before in then-lives; she marched over to the wardrobe, turned the key, and took it out of the lock. Took it out of the lock and held it up to Josephine, showing Josephine by her extraordinary smile that she knew what she'd done, she'd risked dehberately father being in there among his overcoats.
If the huge wardrobe had lurched forward, had crashed down on Constantia, Josephine wouldn't have been surprised. On the contrary, she would have thought it the only suitable thing to happen. But nothing happened. Only the room seemed quieter than ever, and bigger flakes of cold air fell on Josephine's shoulders and knees. She began to shiver. 'Come,  Jug,'  said  Constantia,  still  with that awful callous smile, and Josephine followed just as she had that last tíme, when Constantia had pushed Benny into the round pond.
I02
VII
But the strain told on them when they were back in the dining-room. They sat down, very shaky, and looked at each other.
'I don't feel I can settle to anything,' said Josephine, 'until I've had something. Do you think we could ask Kate for two cup of hot water?'
'I really don't see why we shouldn't,' said Constantia carefully. She was quite normal again. 'I won't ring. I'll go to the kitchen door and ask her.'
'Yes, do,' said Josephine, sinking down into a chair. 'Tell her, just two cups, Con, nothing else — on a tray.'
'She needn't even put the jug on, need she?' said Constantia, as though Kate might very well complain if the jug had been there.
'Oh no, certainly not! The jug's not at all necessary. She can pour it direct out of the kettle,' cried Josephine, feeling that would be a labour-saving indeed.
Their cold lips quivered at the greenish brims. Josephine curved her small red hands round the cup; Constantia sat up and blew on the wavy steam, making it flutter from one side to the other.
'Speaking of Benny,* said Josephine.
And though Benny hadn't been mentioned Constantia immediately looked as though he had.
'He'll expect us to send him something of father's,
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of course. But it's so difficult to know what to send
to Ceylon.'
'You mean things get unstuck so on the voyage,'
murmured Constantia.
'No, lost,' said Josephine sharply. 'You know there's no post. Only runners.'
Both paused to watch a black man in white linen drawers running through the pale fields for dear life, with a large brown-paper parcel in his hands. Josephine's black man was tiny; he scurried along glistening like an ant. But there was something blind and tireless about Constantia's tall, thin fellow, which made him, she decided, a very unpleasant person indeed . . . On the veranda, dressed all in white and wearing a cork helmet, stood Benny. His right hand shook up and down, as father's did when he was impatient. And behind him, not in the least interested, sat Hilda, the unknown sister-in-law. She swung in a cane rocker and flicked over the leaves of ďie Tatier.
'I think his watch would be the most suitable present,' said Josephine.
Constantia looked up; she seemed surprised. 'Oh, would you trust a gold watch to a native?' 'But of course I'd disguise it,' said Josephine. 'No one would know it was a watch.' She liked the idea of having to make a parcel such a curious shape that no one could possibly guess what it was. She even thought for a moment of biding the watch in a narrow cardboard corset-box that she'd kept by her
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for a long time, waiting for it to come in for something. It was such beautiful firm cardboard. But, no, it wouldn't be appropriate for this occasion. It had lettering on it: Medium Women's 28. Extra Finn Husks. It would be almost too much of a surprise for Benny to open that and find father's watch inside.
'And of course it isn't as though it would be going - ticking, I mean,' said Constantia, who was still thinking of the native love of jewellery, 'At least,' she added, 'it would be very strange if after all that time it was.'
VIII
Josephine made no reply. She had flown off on one of her tangents. She had suddenly thought of Cyril. Wasn't it more usual for the only grandson to have the watch ? And then dear Cyril was so appreciative, and a gold watch meant so much to a young man. Benny, in all probability, had quite got out of the habit of watches; men so seldom wore waistcoats in those hot climates. Whereas Cyril in London wore them from year's end to year's end. And it would be so nice for her and Constantia, when he came to tea, to know it was there. 'I see you've got on grandfather's watch, Cyril.' It would be somehow so satisfactory.
Dear boy! What a blow his sweet, sympathetic little note had been 1 Of course they quite understood; but it was most unfortunate.
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'It would have been such a point, having him,' said Josephine.
'And he would have enjoyed it so,' said Constantia, not thinking what she was saving.
However, as soon as he got back he was coming to tea with bis aunties. Cyril to tea was one of then-rare treats.
'Now, Cyril, you mustn't be frightened of our cakes. Your Auntie Con and I bought them at Bus-zard's this morning. We know what a man's appetite is. So don't be ashamed of making a good tea.'
Josephine cut recklessly into the rich dark cake that stood for her winter gloves or the soling and heeling of Constantia's only respectable shoes. But Cyril was most unmanlike in appetite.
'I say, Aunt Josephine, I simply can't. I've only just had lunch, you know.'
'Oh, Cyril, that can't be truel It's after four,' cried Josephine. Constantia sat with her knife poised over the chocolate-roll.
'It is, all the same,' said Cyril. Í had to meet a man at Victoria, and he kept me hanging about till . . . there was only time to get lunch and to come on here. And he gave me - phew' - Cyril put his hand to his forehead- 'a terrific blow-out,' he said. It was disappointing - today of all dap. But still he couldn't be expected to know.
'But you'll have a meringue, won't you, Cyril?' said Aunt Josephine. 'These meringues were bought
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specially for you. Your dear father was so fond of them. We were sure you are, too.'
'I am. Aunt Josephine,' cried Cyril ardently. 'Do you mind if I take half to begin with?'
'Not at all, dear boy; but we mustn't let you off with that.*
'Is your dear father still so fond of meringues?' asked Auntie Con gently. She winced faintly as she broke through the shell of hers.
'Well, I don't quite know, Auntie Con,' said Cyril breezily.
At that they both looked up.
'Don't know?' almost snapped Josephine. 'Don't know a thing like that about your own Either, Cyril?'
'Surely,' said Auntie Con softly. (   Cyril tried to laugh it off. 'Oh, well,' he said, it's such a long time since - ' He faltered. He stopped. Their faces were too much for him.
'Even so,' said Josephine.
And Auntie Con looked.
Cyril put down his teacup. 'Wait a bit/ he cried. 'Wait a bit, Aunt Josephine. What am I thinking of?'
He looked up. They were beginning to brighten. Cyril slapped his knee.
'Of course,' he said, 'it was meringues. How could I have forgotten? Yes, Aunt Josephine, you're perfectly right. Father's most frightfully keen on meringues.'
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They didn't only beam. Aunt Josephine went scarlet with pleasure; Auntie Con gave a deep,
deep sigh,
'And now, Cyril, you must come and see father,' said Josephine. 'He knows you were coming today.'
'Right,' said Cyril, very firmly and heartily. He got up from his chair; suddenly he glanced at the
clock.
'I say, Auntie Con, isn't your clock a bit slow? I've got to meet a man at - at Paddington just after five. I'm afraid I shan't be able to stay very long with grandfather.'
'On, he won't expect you to stay ray long!' said
Aunt Josephine.
Constantia was still gazing at the clock. She couldn't make up her mind if it was fast or slow. It was one or the other, she felt almost certain ofthat. At any rate, it had been.
Cyril still lingered. 'Aren't you coming along,
Auntie Coní'
'Of course,'  said Josephine, 'we shall all go.
Come on, Con.'
IX
They knocked at the door, and Cyril followed his aunts into grandfather's hot, sweetish room.
'Come on,' said Grandfather Pinner. 'Don't hang about. What is it? What've you been up to?'
He was sitting in front of a roaring fire, clasping
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his stick. He had a thick rug over his knees. On his lap there lay a beautiful pale yellow silk handkerchief.
'It's Cyril, father,' said Josephine shyly. And she took Cyril's hand and led him forward.
'Good afternoon, grandläther,' said Cyril, trying to take his hand out of Aunt Josephine's. Grandfather Pinner'shot his eyes at Cyril in the way he was famous for. Where was Auntie Con? She stood on the other side of Aunt Josephine; her long arms hung down in front of her; her hands were clasped. She never took her eyes off grandfather.
'Well,' said Grandfather Pinner, beginning to thump, 'what have you got to tell me?'
What had he, what had he got to tell him? Cyril felt himself smiling like a perfect imbecile. The room was stifling, too.
But Aunt Josephine came to his rescue. She cried brightly, 'Cyril says his father is still very fond of meringues, father dear.'
'Eh?' said Grandfather Pinner, curving his hand like a purple meringue-shell over one ear.
Josephine repeated, 'Cyril says his father is still very fond of meringues.'
'Can't hear,' said old Colone! Pinner. And he waved Josephine away with his stick, then pointed with his stick to Cyril. 'Tell me what she's trying to say,' he said.
(My God!) 'Must I?' said Cyril, blushing and staring at Aunt Josephine.
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'Do, dear,' shesmiled. 'It will please himso much.'
'Come on, out with it!' cried Colonel Pinner stily, beginning to thump again.
And Cyril leaned forward and yelled, 'Father's ill very fond of meringues.'
At that Grandfather Pinner jumped as though he id been shot.
'Don't shout!' he cried. 'What's the matter with leboy? Meňngves! What about 'em?'
'Oh, Aunt Josephine, must we go on?' groaned tyril desperately.
'It's quite all right, dear boy,' said Aunt Josephine, as though he and she were at the dentist's ogether. 'He'll understand in a minute.' And she vhispered to Cyril, 'He's getting a bit deaf, you üiow.' Then she leaned forward and really bawled it Grandfather Pinner, 'Cyril only wanted to tell rou, father, dear, that his father is still very fond of
meringues.'
Colonel Pinner heard that time, heard and brooded, looking Cyril up and down.
'What an esstrordinary thing!' said old Grandfather Pinner. 'What an esstrordinary thing to come all this way here to tell me 1'
And Cyril felt it was.
'Yes, I shall send Cyril the watch,' said Josephine.
'That would be very nice,' said Constantia. 'I seem to remember last time he came there was some little trouble about the time.'
no
X
They were interrupted by Kate bursting through the door in her usual fashion, as though she had discovered some secret panel in the wall.
'Fried or boiled?1 asked the bold voice.
Fried or boiled? Josephine and Constantia were quite bewildered for the moment. They could hardly take it in.
'Fried or botíed what, Kate?' asked Josephine, trying to begin to concentrate.
Kate gave a loud sniff. 'Fish.'
'Well, why didn't you say so immediately?' Josephine reproached her gendy. 'How could you expect us to understand, Kate? There are a great many things in this world, yon know, which are fried or boiled.' And after such a display of courage she said quite brightly to Constantia, 'Which do you prefer, Con?'
'I think it might be nice to have it fried,' said Constantia. 'On the other hand, of course, boiled fish is very nice. 1 think 1 prefer both equally well . . . Unless you ... In that case -'
'1 shall fry it,' said Kate, and she bounced back, leaving their door open and slamming the door of her kitchen.
Josephine gazed at Constantia; she raised her pale eyebrows until they rippled away into her pale hair. She got up. She said in a very lofty, imposing way, 'Do you mind following me into the
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drawing-room, Constantia? I've something of great importance to discuss with you.'
For it was always to the drawing-room they retired when they wanted to talk over Kate.
Josephine closed the door meaningly. 'Sit down, Constantia,' she said, still very grand. She might have been receiving Constantia for the first time. And Con looked round vaguely for a chair, as though she felt indeed quite a stranger.
'Now the question is,' said Josephine, bending forward, 'whether we shall keep her or not.'
"That is the question,' agreed Constantia.
'And this time,' said Josephine firmly, 'we must come to a definite decision.'
Constantia looked for a moment as though she might begin going over all the other times, but she pulled herself together and said, 'Yes, Jug.'
'You see, Con,' explained Josephine, 'everything is so changed now.' Constantia looked up quickly. 'I mean,' went on Josephine, 'we're not dependent on Kate as we were.' And she blushed faintly. 'There's not father to cook for.'
'That is perfectly true,'agreed Constantia. 'Father certainly doesn't want any cooking now whatever else-'
Josephine broke in sharply, 'You're not sleepy, are you, Con?'
'Sleepy, Jug?' Constantia was wide-eyed.
'Well, concentrate more,' said Josephine sharply, and she returned to the subject. 'What It comes to
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The "Daughters of the Late Colonel is, if we did' - and this she barely breathed, glancing at the door - 'give Kate notice' - she raised her voice again - 'we could manage our own food.'
'Why not?' cried Constantia. She couldn't help smiling. The idea was so exciting. She clasped her hands. 'What should we live on, Jug?'
'Oh,  eggs in various forms!'  said Jug,  lofty again. 'And besides, there are all the cooked foods.' 'But I've always beard,' said Constantia, 'they are considered so very expensive.'
'Not if one  buys  them in moderation,'  said Josephine.  But she tore herself away from this fascinating bypath and dragged Constantia after her. 'What we've got to decide now, however, is whether we really do trust Kate or not.'
Constantia leaned back. Her flat little laugh flew from her lips.
'Isn't it curious, Jug,' said she, 'that just on this one subject I've never been able to quite make up my mind?'
XI
She never had. The whole difficulty was to prove anything. How did one prove things, how could" one? Suppose Kate had stood in front of her and deliberately made a face. Mightn't she very well have been in pain? Wasn't it impossible, at any rate, to ask Kate if she was making a face at her? If Kate answered 'No'- and of course she would say 'No' —
cp-i
"3
The Garden Tarty
what a position! How undignified! Then again Constantia suspected, she was almost certain that Kate went to her chest of drawers when she and Josephine were out, cot to take things but to spy. Many times she had come back to find her amethyst cross in the most unlikely places, under her lace ties or on top of her evening Bertha. More than once she had laid a trap for Kate. She had arranged things in a special order and then called Josephine to witness.
'You see, Jug ?' 'Quite, Con.'
'Now we shall be able to tell.* But, oh dear, when she did go to look, she was as fár off from a proof as ever I If anything was displaced, it might so very well have happened as she closed the drawer; a jolt might have done it so easily.
'You come, Jug, and decide. I really can't. It's too difficult.'
But after a pause and a long glare Josephine would sigh, 'Now you've put the doubt into my mind, Con, I'm sure I can't tell myself.'
'Well, wecan'tpostponeitagam,' said Josephine. 'If we postpone it this time -'
11+
XII
But at that moment in the street below a barrel-organ struck up. Josephine and Constantia sprang to their feet together.
' Run, Con,' said Josephine. 'Run quickly. There's sixpence on the - '
Then they remembered. It didn't matter. They would never have to stop the organ-grinder again. Never again would she and Constantia be told to make that monkey take his noise somewhere else. Never would sound that loud, strange bellow when father thought they were not hurrying enough. The organ-grinder might play there all day and the stick would not thump.
ft never will thump again. It never will thump again,
played the barrel-organ.
What was Constantia thinking? She had such a strange smile; she looked different. She couldn't be going to cry.
'Jug, Jug,' said Constantia softly, pressing her hands together. 'Do you know what day it is? It's Saturday. It's a week today, a whole week.'
A week since father died, Á week since father died,
cried the barrel-organ. And Josephine, too, forgot to be practical and sensible; she smiled faintly,
"S
The Garden Tarty
strangely. On the Indian carpet there fell a square of sunlight, pale red; it came and went and came -and stayed, deepened - until it shone almost golden.
"The sun's out,' said Josephine, as though it really mattered.
A perfect fountain of bubbling notes shook from the barrel-organ, round,  bright notes,  carelessly
scattered.
Constantia lifted her big, cold hands as if to catch them, and then her hands fell again. She walked over to the mantelpiece to her favourite Buddha. And the stone and gilt image, whose smile always gave her such a queer feeling, almost a pain and yet a pleasant pain, seemed today to be more than smiling. He knew something; he had a secret. 'I know something that you don't know,' said her Buddha. Oh, what was it, what could it be? And yet she had always felt there was . . . something.
The sunlight pressed through the windows, thieved its way in, flashed its light over the furniture and the photographs. Josephine watched it. When it came to mother's photograph, the enlargement over the piano, it lingered as though puzzled to find so little remained of mother, except the ear-rings shaped like tiny pagodas and a black feather boa. Why did the photographs of dead people always fade so? wondered Josephine. As soon as a person was dead their photograph died too. But, of course, this one of mother was very old. It was thirty-five years old. Josephine remembered standing on a
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chair and pointing out that feather boa to Constantia and telling her that it was a snake that had killed their mother in Ceylon. . . Would everything have been different if mother hadn't died? She didn't see why. Aunt Florence had lived with them until they had left school, and they had moved three tunes and had their yearly holiday and . . . and there'd been changes of servants, of course.
Some little sparrows, young sparrows they sounded, chirped on the window-ledge. Yeep — eyeep - jeep. But Josephine felt they were not sparrows, not on the window-ledge. It was inside her, that queer little crying noise. Yeep - eyeep — jeep. Ah, what was it crying, so weak and forlorn?
If mother had lived, might they have married? But there had been nobody for diem to marry. There had been father's Anglo-Indian friends before he quarrelled with them. But after that she and Constantia never met a single man except clergymen. How did one meet men? Or even if they'd met them, how could they have got to know men well enough to be more than strangers? One read of people having adventures, being followed, and so on. But nobody had ever followed Constantia and her. Oh yes, there had been one year at Eastbourne a mysterious man at their boarding-house who had put a note on the jug of hot water outside their bedroom door 1 But by the tíme Connie had found it the steam had made the writing too faint to read;
"7
The Careen Party
they couldn't even make out to which of them it was addressed. And he had left next day. And that was all. The rest had been looking after father, and at the same time keeping out of father's way. But now? But now? The thieving sun touched Josephine gently. She lifted her face. She was drawn over to the window by gentle beams. . .
Until the barrel-organ stopped playing Constantia stayed before the Buddha, wondering, but not as usual, not vaguely. This time her wonder was like longing. She remembered the times she had come in here, crept out of bed in her nightgown when the moon was full, and lain on the floor with her arms outstretched, as though she was crucified. Why? The big, pale moon had made her do it. The horrible dancing figures on the carved screen had leered at her and she hadn't minded. She remembered too how, whenever they were at the seaside, she had gone off by herself and got as close to the sea as she could, and sung something, something she had made up, while she gazed all over that restless water. There had been this other life, running out, bringing things home in bags, getting things on approval, discussing them with Jug, and taking them back to get more things on approval, and arranging father's trays and trying not to annoy father. But it all seemed to have happened in a kind of tunnel. It wasn't real. It was only when she came out of the tunnel into the moonlight or by the sea or into a thunderstorm that she really felt herself. What did
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it mean? What was it she was always wanting? What did it all lead to? Now? Now?
She turned away from the Buddha with one of her vague gestures. She went over to where Josephine was standing. She wanted to say something to Josephine, something frightfully important, about -about the future and what. . .
'Don't you think perhaps - * she began.
But Josephine interrupted her. 'I was wondering if now -' she murmured. They stopped; they waited for each other.
'Go on Con,' said Josephine.
'No, no, Jug; after you,' said Constantia.
'No, say what you were going to say. You began,* said Josephine.
'I . . . I'd rather hear what you were going to say first,' said Constantia. 'Don't be absurd, Con.' 'Really, Jug.' 'Connie!'
'oh,;Ui!'
A pause. Then Constantia said faintly, 'I can't say what I was going to say, Jug, because I've forgotten what it was... that I was going to say.'
Josephine was silent for a moment. She stared at a big cloud where the sun had been. Then she replied shortly, 'I've forgotten too.'