peoplemight
think
themselves
lucky
if
their
children
were
half
as
nice
as
these
.
”
“
They
are
dears
,
great
dears
,
”
she
said
,
and
then
we
read
Noël
's
poem
:
TO
THE
BLUE
PRINCESS
LADY
WITH
THE
LUNCH
How
good
you
are
to
give
us
lunch
,
With
pineapple
and
tongue
to
munch
.
It
is
a
generous
thing
to
do
,
And
we
are
very
pleased
with
you
.
It
is
a
wonderful
thing
to
find
How
many
people
in
the
world
are
kind
.
If
you
would
let
us
explore
your
house
,
We
would
not
harm
even
a
mouse
,
And
perhaps
we
might
find
a
pot
of
gold
Too
heavy
for
you
to
hold
.
Then
we
should
have
made
your
fortune
.
So
Please
do
let
us
go
.
You
will
if
you
are
at
all
wise
.
We
should
like
to
find
the
gold
More
than
you
can
hold
,
Because
you
are
so
soft
and
blue
and
pretty
and
nice
.
“
Two
poems
in
one
day
,
”
I
said
.
“
Oh
,
Chloe
,
beware
of
vanity
.
”
“
The
dear
!
”
she
said
.
“
And
,
Len
,
it
's
not
half
bad
,
is
it
?
What
extraordinary
children
!
”
I
could
hear
the
wave
of
children
surging
wildly
about
the
house
.
I
lighted
a
cigarette
,
and
strove
for
calm
.
I
seemed
to
have
been
living
in
the
embrace
of
a
friendly
tornado
.
Chloe
looked
at
me
anxiously
.
“
They
are
dears
,
”
she
said
,
for
the
fourth
time
.
“
I
do
hope
they
have
n't
worried
you
!
”
“
Worry
's
not
the
word
,
”
said
I
.
“
They
have
electrified
,
bewildered
,
enlightened
.
I
never
saw
children
with
such
energetic
enthusiasms
.
The
Morrison
boy
is
a
muff
;
but
the
others
,
they
are
very
trusting
.
The
world
must
have
been
kind
to
them
.
”
“
Anybody
would
be
,
”
she
said
,
“
and
I
hope
the
world
always
will
.
”
There
was
a
silence
in
the
house
.
I
went
to
see
whether
the
exploring
party
had
drowned
itself
in
the
rain-water
cistern
,
which
is
just
the
sort
of
thing
that
kind
of
child
would
do
.
No
;
Mary
said
they
were
exploring
the
cellars
.
As
she
spoke
I
heard
a
thunderous
report
reverberating
below
.
Our
cellars
are
large
and
vaulted
;
from
recollections
of
my
childhood
,
I
could
conceive
that
they
might
seem
well
worth
exploring
.
But
I
had
not
all
Chloe
's
confidence
in
these
strange
children
.
From
the
little
I
had
seen
of
them
I
felt
that
they
were
quite
capable
of
organizing
a
Guy
Fawkes
play
,
and
carrying
it
out
with
scrupulous
,
enthusiastic
fidelity
if
one
of
their
number
should
happen
,
as
seemed
only
too
likely
,
to
have
any
matches
and
loose
gunpowder
in
his
pocket
.
Yolande
had
just
come
from
town
,
and
by
a
curious
coincidence
our
tenant
had
come
on
the
same
train
.
I
left
them
talking
to
Chloe
,
and
went
down
the
cellar
steps
.
Half-way
down
I
was
met
by
an
incredibly
cobwebby
boy
.
“
I
was
just
coming
after
you
,
”
he
said
,
eagerly
.
“
Do
you
know
,
we
've
found
a
door
behind
some
beer-barrels
,
and
Oswald
and
Denny
got
in
from
behind
under
the
dining-room
floor
;
they
're
hammering
on
the
other
side
of
the
door
now
.
There
are
barrels
in
front
of
the
door
.
We
rolled
one
away
.
Did
it
make
an
awful
row
?
They
say
there
's
all
sorts
of
things
inside
.
Did
you
know
it
was
there
?
And
please
can
we
have
a
candle
and
matches
?
We
've
used
all
ours
.
”
One-half
at
least
of
my
foreboding
was
justified
.
I
wondered
where
they
had
dropped
the
hot
heads
of
all
the
matches
they
had
used
.
I
got
some
candles
and
matches
,
and
the
cobwebbed
child
,
whose
name
appeared
to
be
Dickie
,
led
me
to
a
cellar
where
barrels
were
piled
.
Behind
them
I
could
just
discern
the
shadowy
outline
of
a
door
,
from
which
came
an
intermittent
knocking
and
voices
:
“
Have
you
got
him
?
”
“
Can
you
get
the
barrels
away
?
”
“
Can
you
get
the
door
open
,
or
shall
we
come
back
under
the
floor
for
the
candles
?
It
's
a
beastly
tight
fit
,
and
I
've
split
my
waistcoat
as
it
is
.
”
“
The
last
match
we
lighted
we
saw
some
chairs
and
a
mangle
.
”
There
were
three
boys
still
in
evidence
,
and
the
tenant
had
followed
me
to
see
the
sport
.
The
girls
were
as
energetic
as
the
boys
,
and
one
by
one
we
rolled
the
barrels
away
.
Curious
that
Chloe
and
I
had
never
looked
behind
those
barrels
.
The
door
was
not
fastened
.
It
opened
easily
,
and
a
shower
of
dust
and
cobwebs
fell
on
the
heads
of
the
explorers
who
first
pressed
forward
.
From
my
soul
I
congratulated
these
children
.
Even
to
such
an
adventurous
band
as
this
an
adventure
so
exciting
could
not
happen
every
day
.
They
were
quite
right
.
There
was
furniture
in
the
inner
cellar
,
odds
and
ends
stowed
away
,
to
make
room
for
new
stuff
,
by
busy
,
thrifty
hands
now
long
since
folded
in
lavish
idleness
—
hands
that
,
in
their
life-day
,
could
never
bear
to
destroy
or
to
waste
.
We
carried
the
things
up-stairs
—
all
but
the
vast
box-mangle
and
one
other
thing
which
I
said
I
would
carry
up
myself
later
.
We
bore
into
the
kitchen
,
and
displayed
to
the
dazzled
eyes
of
Chloe
and
Yolande
,
and
the
contemptuous
temptuous
ones
of
Mary
,
a
full-sized
oak
dresser
—
in
four
pieces
;
five
chestnut-wood
chairs
,
more
or
less
dilapidated
;
an
oak
settle
—
the
seat
was
broken
,
but
,
oh
,
how
our
hearts
rejoiced
in
the
severe
beauty
of
its
panelled
back
!
three
ladder-backed
chairs
—
seats
gone
;
a
large
gate-table
;
an
elm
kneading-trough
;
and
the
magnificent
wreck
of
a
carved
four-post
bedstead
!
The
children
were
as
delighted
as
we
were
,
which
is
saying
a
good
deal
.
“
I
said
we
would
,
”
said
the
poet
,
triumphantly
.
“
It
's
not
gold
,
but
it
is
nice
.
You
have
lots
of
nice
things
.
I
like
the
way
you
stick
up
warming-pans
and
brass
candlesticks
instead
of
plush
brackets
and
crinkly
ornaments
.
”
A
most
discerning
child
,
truly
!
When
the
children
had
been
partially
cleaned
,
our
tenant
invited
them
all
to
tea
at
his
cottage
.
Yolande
and
Chloe
went
to
help
.
When
they
were
gone
I
went
down
to
the
cellar
and
fetched
the
thing
I
said
I
would
carry
myself
.
I
bore
it
up
to
the
loafery
and
cleaned
it
,
and
polished
it
,
and
mended
it
a
little
,
and
set
it
by
the
hearth
,
in
the
glow
of
the
fire
;
and
that
evening
when
Yolande
and
the
tenant
were
deep
in
chess
,
I
beckoned
Chloe
,
and
took
her
up
to
the
loafery
,
and
,
lighting
the
candles
,
bade
her
look
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
”
she
cried
,
throwing
her
arms
round
my
neck
,
“
it
's
miles
better
than
the
one
we
go
to
look
at
in
the
shop
in
Great
Portland
Street
!
”
“
I
meant
to
give
you
that
for
a
Christmas
present
,
”
I
said
,
“
but
this
is
better
.
”
She
fell
on
her
knees
beside
it
.
“
Oh
,
look
at
the
dear
little
daisy
carving
on
the
sides
,
and
the
little
strong
panelled
hood
,
and
the
rockers
!
Oh
,
Len
,
it
is
lovely
!
Where
did
it
come
from
?
”
“
It
was
in
the
cellar
,
”
I
said
.
“
Do
you
like
it
?
No
;
it
's
absurd
to
thank
me
;
thank
those
outrageous
,
dear
Bastable
children
.
”
“
I
will
,
”
she
said
,
coming
nearer
to
me
.
“
Len
—
I
've
said
it
before
,
I
know
,
but
they
are
dears
—
and
they
shall
come
and
see
the
cradle
they
found
when
—
when
it
's
better
worth
looking
at
.
”
Presently
my
wife
took
me
into
our
room
,
and
,
unlocking
the
corner
drawer
,
showed
me
all
that
was
in
it
.
Little
,
little
things
.
XI
THE
ROOM
FOR
CONFIDENCES
CHRISTMAS
in
the
Red
House
was
charming
.
It
made
us
feel
like
pictures
on
Christmas
cards
.
Chloe
and
I
flatly
refused
to
have
anything
to
do
with
the
decorations
.
We
had
had
enough
of
evergreens
when
we
decorated
our
drawing-room
with
the
loops
and
swags
for
the
great
house-warming
party
.
And
rather
than
we
would
touch
box
or
yew
or
laurel
or
holly
again
,
the
Red
House
should
go
undecorated
.
We
said
so
,
but
our
tenant
insisted
that
no
decorations
at
Christmas
would
be
the
first
step
towards
the
downfall
of
the
British
constitution
and
the
death-blow
to
the
naval
supremacy
of
England
.
“
Let
me
do
it
,
”
he
said
.
“
I
've
had
my
Christmases
in
such
odd
,
out-of-the-way
places
—
ships
and
ranches
and
diamiond-fields
—
I
have
n't
put
up
a
sprig
of
holly
since
I
was
a
school-boy
.
Miss
Riseborough
,
you
'll
help
me
,
I
know
.
”
“
I
know
I
wo
n't
,
”
said
Yolande
.
“
I
never
do
things
with
my
fingers
.
I
'll
inspect
and
direct
and
overlook
,
and
earn
the
wages
of
superintendence
,
if
you
'll
make
Mary
bake
them
—
”
“
Scones
,
I
suppose
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
There
are
heaps
of
string
in
the
cellarette
,
and
do
n't
take
my
best
scissors
—
the
old
ones
are
in
the
table
drawer
.
”
“
How
good
we
are
growing
,
”
I
said
.
“
Fancy
you
knowing
where
anything
is
.
”
“
We
're
reformed
characters
,
”
she
answered
,
gayly
.
“
Where
are
the
pencils
and
the
India
rubber
?
”
I
felt
a
pang
.
Was
it
possible
that
Chloe
had
any
suspicion
?
Could
she
possibly
guess
that
it
was
I
,
and
not
Yolande
,
who
finished
drawing
her
pictures
for
her
?
No
,
she
certainly
could
not
.
And
I
more
than
half
wanted
to
tell
her
my
secret
.
Yet
I
could
not
make
up
my
mind
to
part
with
it
.
I
had
nursed
it
in
my
heart
till
it
had
grown
very
dear
and
precious
.
We
left
Yolande
enthroned
on
the
settle
,
di
recting
the
labors
of
our
tenant
,
but
when
the
gong
summoned
us
to
tea
and
the
wages-of-superintendence-scones
,
we
found
our
tenant
working
at
one
end
of
the
wreath
,
and
Yolande
busy
at
the
other
.
It
was
not
such
a
very
long
wreath
as
to
have
needed
two
pairs
of
hands
,
either
.
To
do
Miss
Riseborough
justice
,
she
looked
very
much
ashamed
of
this
lapse
from
the
principles
of
a
lifetime
.
“
My
hands
are
very
dirty
,
”
she
made
haste
to
say
,
“
and
I
think
that
many
of
the
deserving
poor
would
have
been
glad
to
add
a
little
to
their
slender
incomes
by
putting
up
your
grimy
evergreens
for
you
;
but
—
”
“
Do
n't
apologize
,
”
I
said
.
“
We
understand
perfectly
.
We
've
infected
you
at
last
.
It
is
nice
to
do
things
with
one
's
hands
,
is
n't
it
?
”
“
Not
in
the
least
.
It
is
very
tiresome
and
very
fatiguing
;
but
some
one
had
to
do
it
,
it
seems
,
and
I
at
least
could
not
sit
by
and
see
your
tenantry
ground
down
without
a
word
of
protest
,
or
the
holding
out
of
a
helping
hand
.
I
hope
there
are
many
,
many
scones
,
and
very
,
very
buttery
.
We
deserve
some
reward
.
”
After
tea
the
work
was
resumed
,
and
the
hall
,
stairs
,
and
white
parlor
were
all
hung
with
shining
wreaths
before
dinner-time
.
“
Yolande
can
work
,
”
said
Chloe
to
me
,
in
confidence
.
“
It
's
odd
that
her
perverse
abstention
from
really
interesting
things
has
not
made
her
clumsy
.
”
“
As
if
a
hand
the
shape
of
hers
could
ever
be
clumsy
,
”
I
said
,
“
any
more
than
a
hand
like
yours
could
ever
grow
coarse
.
”
“
It
might
have
done
,
”
she
said
,
“
if
you
and
I
had
gone
on
doing
all
the
house-work
.
We
ought
to
be
very
grateful
to
Yolande
.
She
has
practically
organized
the
whole
of
our
future
for
us
.
We
are
settled
,
fixed
,
planted
—
yes
,
that
's
it
—
we
grow
,
ourselves
,
of
course
,
but
she
has
planted
us
in
the
right
soil
,
with
exactly
the
right
aspect
.
Now
our
dear
little
characters
can
develop
beautifully
,
and
our
hands
keep
pretty
,
and
no
wrinkles
come
in
our
nice
,
smooth
foreheads
.
You
've
been
a
little
I
do
n't
know
what
about
Yolande
.
But
you
must
own
that
what
she
undertakes
she
does
well
.
”
“
Even
to
the
red-branding
of
suspected
fruit-thieves
—
yes
.
”
Yolande
was
spending
Christmas
at
the
Red
House
,
and
,
it
being
Christmas
Eve
,
the
tenant
dined
with
us
.
We
had
a
merry
evening
.
We
had
lighted
a
huge
fire
in
the
big
,
empty
drawing-room
where
the
piano
was
;
Chloe
played
waltzes
,
and
Yolande
danced
with
me
and
with
the
tenant
.
When
the
dancing
was
over
Chloe
and
I
sat
by
the
fire
and
the
others
went
out
to
look
at
the
stars
from
the
balcony
.
“
Ah
,
youth
,
youth
!
”
I
sighed
.
“
They
will
catch
their
deaths
of
cold
,
”
said
Chloe
,
prosaically
.
I
whispered
:
“
Chloe
,
in
a
very
short
time
those
people
will
come
through
that
French
window
with
the
announcement
of
their
engagement
on
their
lips
.
This
is
the
tamest
love-affair
I
have
ever
witnessed
.
Everything
has
gone
far
too
smoothly
.
Yolande
has
fallen
in
love
obviously
,
bluntly
,
without
any
of
those
fine
shades
and
nice
feelings
which
you
will
remember
to
have
noted
in
other
cases
—
our
own
,
for
instance
.
She
has
grown
rather
dull
.
”
“
Do
n't
talk
so
loud
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
As
for
him
,
”
I
went
on
,
“
happiness
exudes
from
him
like
—
like
turpentine
from
the
pine-tree
,
or
oil
from
the
skin
of
the
castor
,
or
beaver
.
”
“
I
suppose
when
we
're
old
we
shall
never
talk
nonsense
,
”
she
said
.
“
I
almost
think
you
're
getting
too
old
for
it
now
.
Castor
,
indeed
!
”
“
No
,
I
'm
not
.
Yes
,
we
shall
.
We
shall
never
grow
old
,
because
we
shall
always
talk
nonsense
.
Do
n't
you
think
it
would
be
nice
and
kind
and
thoughtful
of
us
to
go
up
to
the
loafery
and
leave
them
this
room
?
I
know
she
'll
have
an
awful
cold
if
she
stays
out
there
much
longer
.
It
's
a
terrible
thing
to
celebrate
your
betrothal
by
a
cold
in
the
head
.
”
So
we
spoke
out
into
the
starlit
twilight
of
the
balcony
,
and
begged
to
be
excused
,
and
then
we
crept
up-stairs
and
raked
together
the
red
embers
of
our
loafery
fire
,
and
put
logs
on
and
crouched
happily
in
low
chairs
on
the
hearthrug
of
our
very
own
fire
.
Chloe
knitted
and
I
smoked
happily
and
quietly
till
it
seemed
that
we
must
no
longer
delay
to
go
down
and
speed
our
parting
tenant
.
It
was
,
in
fact
,
eleven
o'clock
.
I
was
just
knocking
out
my
pipe
on
the
hob
when
a
light
tap
on
the
door
mingled
with
my
own
tapping
,
and
Yolande
's
face
looked
round
the
door
.
“
Come
in
!
”
we
said
,
“
come
in
!
”
But
we
wondered
,
because
Yolande
had
never
,
since
the
day
when
in
our
pride
we
first
showed
it
to
her
,
crossed
the
threshold
of
that
room
.
Now
she
came
in
and
closed
the
door
softly
.
“
He
's
gone
,
”
she
said
.
“
He
asked
me
to
say
good-night
to
you
for
him
.
”
She
came
across
the
room
and
sat
down
on
the
hearth-rug
at
Chloe
's
feet
.
She
leaned
her
arm
on
Chloe
's
knee
and
laid
her
face
upon
the
arm
.
“
This
is
the
room
of
all
rooms
for
confidences
,
”
she
said
,
after
a
silence
.
“
That
's
why
I
thought
I
might
come
in
just
this
once
.
I
've
got
something
to
tell
you
—
”
Chloe
and
I
successfully
avoided
each
other
's
eyes
.
Another
silence
.
“
Shall
I
go
away
?
”
I
said
,
clumsily
.
“
Do
n't
be
silly
,
”
she
said
.
“
It
's
nothing
so
very
important
,
after
all
.
Only
I
am
afraid
it
will
surprise
you
a
little
.
I
am
rather
surprised
myself
.
As
a
matter
of
fact
,
I
had
never
been
so
surprised
in
my
life
.
It
was
not
at
all
what
I
expected
myself
to
do
.
What
do
you
think
I
am
going
to
be
idiot
enough
to
do
?
”
We
said
,
with
as
good
an
appearance
of
perfect
ignorance
as
we
could
command
,
that
we
were
sure
we
did
not
know
.
“
I
'm
going
to
be
married
,
”
she
said
.
“
There
!
”
It
was
difficult
to
express
congratulatory
surprise
—
so
difficult
that
we
failed
utterly
.
Chloe
threw
her
arms
round
Yolande
's
neck
and
began
to
laugh
softly
.
“
You
dear
,
silly
,
clever
,
blind
,
darling
mole
,
”
she
said
.
“
Did
you
really
think
we
were
quite
blind
too
—
Len
and
I
,
who
love
you
?
My
dear
,
we
've
known
it
from
the
very
first
,
almost
,
and
long
before
you
did
,
I
expect
.
”
“
Known
what
?
”
said
Yolande
,
in
a
suddenly
changed
voice
;
but
she
returned
Chloe
's
kisses
.
“
Why
,
everything
,
my
pretty
,
clever
,
foolish
child
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
We
've
been
watching
over
you
and
loving
you
all
the
time
,
like
two
old
birds
with
a
young
one
who
is
just
learning
to
fly
.
”
“
Oh
,
you
have
,
have
you
?
”
said
Miss
Riseborough
,
softly
.
“
Yolande
,
you
do
n't
mind
our
being
glad
,
and
saying
so
?
It
's
all
been
so
beautifully
simple
and
straightforward
and
idyllic
;
none
of
those
horrible
romantic
complications
that
one
expects
from
a
Girton
girl
's
love-affairs
.
”
“
Oh
,
it
has
,
has
it
?
”
Yolande
's
voice
was
softer
than
ever
.
I
felt
in
my
bones
that
for
some
reason
Chloe
's
gentle
enthusiasm
did
not
please
.
“
I
will
go
and
put
up
the
shutters
,
”
I
said
,
for
I
felt
that
I
was
out
of
place
in
this
confidence
.
“
No
,
do
n't
,
”
said
Yolande
,
with
a
curious
stiffness
in
her
voice
.
“
Do
you
really
mean
,
Chloe
,
that
you
have
been
imagining
that
—
”
“
That
the
tenant
worshipped
the
ground
under
your
pretty
feet
?
”
said
my
wife
.
“
Well
,
yes
.
”
“
You
are
strangely
mistaken
,
”
Yolande
said
,
very
deliberately
.
“
I
am
going
to
marry
a
man
you
have
never
seen
.
”
“
Yolande
!
”
“
Then
I
must
offer
you
more
formal
and
less
well-informed
congratulations
,
”
said
I
.
“
What
is
his
name
?
”
There
was
a
slight
pause
.
“
Percival
Forbes
,
”
she
said
.
Our
tenant
's
name
was
something
quite
different
.
A
silence
followed
that
none
of
us
knew
how
to
break
.
Chloe
spoke
first
.
“
My
dear
girl
,
how
annoying
you
must
have
thought
us
.
I
am
so
sorry
.
I
wish
I
had
n't
said
—
I
do
n't
know
what
it
was
I
did
say
.
”
“
It
's
all
right
,
”
said
Yolande
,
in
an
odd
,
stifled
voice
;
“
but
really
,
if
you
want
romance
—
”
“
Yolande
,
I
do
n't
understand
you
to-night
.
”
Chloe
was
making
horseshoes
in
her
forehead
.
“
Tell
us
what
you
wish
to
tell
us
.
I
am
afraid
of
you
.
I
do
n't
like
to
ask
you
anything
.
”
“
Why
should
you
,
when
it
's
so
beautifully
tame
and
idyllic
?
But
I
'll
tell
you
a
story
if
you
like
.
”
Chloe
stroked
her
hair
timidly
,
and
I
,
in
sheer
embarrassment
,
refilled
my
pipe
.
“
Imagine
a
young
woman
,
tolerably
well
educated
and
very
cocksure
about
everything
.
She
meets
a
man
,
and
they
like
each
other
.
Then
they
quarrel
—
oh
,
never
mind
what
about
—
and
the
man
goes
to
India
,
and
she
is
very
sorry
.
And
then
he
writes
that
he
is
coming
back
,
and
will
she
see
him
on
Christmas
Day
?
And
she
says
yes
—
and
to-morrow
is
Christmas
Day
.
And
all
this
time
they
've
both
been
perfectly
miserable
.
Is
that
more
romantic
—
and
involved
?
”
“
Much
,
”
said
Chloe
,
with
conviction
.
“
But
I
do
n't
like
it
so
well
,
Yolande
,
”
I
said
,
“
because
there
is
more
to
the
story
.
May
I
hit
out
straight
from
the
shoulder
?
—
as
you
said
to
Chloe
once
.
Do
you
remember
?
”
“
Strike
here
,
”
she
said
,
remembering
,
and
with
a
smile
that
seemed
to
me
unmeaning
she
folded
her
hands
over
her
heart
.
“
Well
,
then
,
”
I
said
,
“
this
is
,
as
you
say
,
the
room
for
confidences
.
It
is
the
Palace
of
Truth
.
”
“
Not
quite
,
”
said
Yolande
,
still
smiling
.
“
Well
,
it
's
jolly
well
going
to
be
,
”
I
said
,
in
some
irritation
.
“
You
must
own
,
dear
and
foolish
lady
,
that
our
mistake
was
natural
.
You
have
walked
and
talked
,
played
chess
,
bicycled
,
gone
to
foot-ball
matches
,
and
remodelled
your
whole
nature
to
please
the
tenant
,
and
now
—
”
“
Remodelled
my
nature
?
How
hateful
!
But
I
have
n't
.
”
“
He
at
least
will
not
be
satisfied
to
know
that
all
this
was
merely
done
to
pass
the
time
while
you
waited
for
your
other
lover
—
”
“
This
is
hitting
without
the
gloves
,
”
said
Yolande
;
“
but
go
on
.
It
amuses
me
.
”
“
It
ought
n't
to
,
”
I
said
;
“
it
wo
n't
amuse
him
.
I
like
the
tenant
,
and
I
think
you
've
behaved
atrociously
to
him
.
Now
,
forgive
me
for
easing
my
mind
,
and
let
's
never
recur
to
the
subject
again
.
”
“
But
,
”
said
Yolande
,
in
a
small
,
meek
voice
,
“
he
is
engaged
to
another
girl
—
her
name
is
Jane
—
and
he
happens
to
be
his
brother
.
”
“
And
even
so
,
”
I
said
,
“
if
ever
I
saw
true
love
in
a
man
's
eyes
I
've
seen
it
in
his
when
he
looked
at
you
.
Jane
,
indeed
!
And
all
your
interest
in
sport
—
the
thing
you
used
to
hate
most
?
”
Yolande
was
silent
a
moment
.
Then
she
said
:
“
Len
,
I
have
n't
been
scolded
like
this
for
years
.
I
did
n't
know
you
cared
enough
about
me
to
do
it
.
”
“
You
do
n't
know
how
much
we
do
care
,
”
said
my
wife
,
gently
.
“
But
,
Len
,
what
is
the
use
?
”
“
Suppose
,
”
said
Yolande
,
slowly
,
“
one
had
quarrelled
with
the
other
one
—
the
one
in
India
—
because
he
would
hunt
and
one
thought
it
cruel
.
Do
n't
you
think
one
might
have
tried
to
learn
to
like
sport
,
for
his
sake
?
”
“
I
've
said
my
say
,
”
said
I
,
“
and
I
hope
you
've
forgiven
me
.
Our
tenant
may
be
engaged
to
fifty
girls
,
but
it
's
you
he
loves
—
”
“
Yes
,
”
she
said
,
softly
.
“
Yes
.
”
Then
she
flashed
a
dazzling
,
illuminating
smile
at
us
and
put
her
chin
in
the
air
in
the
prettiest
,
proudest
way
.
“
Yes
,
I
think
it
is
.
”
I
think
I
may
be
pardoned
for
taking
Yolande
by
the
shoulders
and
shaking
her
as
she
held
out
to
Chloe
's
eyes
a
trembling
left
hand
on
which
shone
the
gold
signet
ring
which
I
had
noted
a
hundred
times
on
our
tenant
's
finger
.
“
Then
why
did
you
say
it
was
so
flat
and
unromantic
,
and
drive
me
to
inventing
a
romance
for
you
?
It
was
all
your
fault
,
Chloe
.
No
,
there
is
n't
any
man
in
India
.
There
is
n't
any
man
at
all
but
the
one
—
there
never
has
been
.
Now
you
're
not
to
crow
over
me
and
say
you
told
me
so
,
for
it
's
all
quite
different
from
what
you
think
.
We
shall
start
on
a
basis
of
mutual
esteem
—
no
,
you
need
n't
laugh
—
and
I
will
never
sew
a
button
on
for
him
or
make
him
a
pudding
as
long
as
I
live
.
Good-night
.
Thank
you
for
your
scolding
,
Len
.
I
do
n't
think
I
ever
enjoyed
anything
so
much
in
my
life
.
”
“
I
'll
come
and
put
you
to
bed
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
It
's
all
Len
's
fault
.
If
he
had
n't
been
here
I
should
never
have
put
your
dear
,
foolish
back
up
.
But
I
never
thought
you
could
have
told
such
wicked
stories
.
I
am
blind
,
and
stupid
,
but
I
have
wit
enough
left
to
unhook
your
gown
and
brush
your
hair
.
Come
!
”
When
they
had
gone
I
turned
idly
to
the
table
.
There
lay
an
unfinished
drawing
of
my
wife
's
—
a
child
with
an
impossibly
foreshortened
arm
carrying
a
jug
in
two
dimensions
,
on
a
head
like
a
deformed
cocoanut
.
I
looked
at
it
for
a
little
while
and
then
set
to
work
.
The
sketch
was
spirited
,
and
I
had
a
certain
pleasure
in
working
it
out
,
a
pleasure
so
engrossing
that
I
did
not
hear
the
door
open
,
and
my
heart
leaped
like
a
fish
with
a
pike
after
it
as
two
hands
fell
on
my
shoulders
,
and
I
knew
that
my
secret
was
discovered
—
that
henceforth
not
Yolande
,
not
the
ghost
,
but
I
myself
must
carry
the
praise
or
blame
due
to
the
finisher
of
Chloe
's
pictures
.
I
turned
my
head
and
kissed
the
hand
that
lay
on
my
left
shoulder
,
the
hand
with
my
wedding-ring
on
it
.
She
ruffled
my
hair
with
the
other
hand
,
and
,
“
Thank
you
,
dear
,
”
she
said
,
simply
.
“
For
the
kiss
?
”
“
For
that
and
everything
—
for
all
the
trouble
you
've
taken
with
my
silly
drawings
.
I
'm
glad
I
caught
you
at
it
,
you
dear
,
industrious
beaver
.
I
've
wanted
to
tell
you
—
oh
,
for
such
a
long
time
!
—
how
clever
you
are
,
and
how
much
better
you
draw
than
I
do
!
”
“
But
you
thought
it
was
Yolande
—
you
know
you
did
,
”
I
said
,
turning
in
my
chair
so
that
my
arm
could
go
round
her
as
she
stood
.
“
I
know
you
thought
I
did
,
”
she
said
,
“
and
I
never
could
understand
how
you
could
think
me
so
silly
.
Why
,
Yolande
could
n't
begin
to
do
the
drawings
you
've
done
!
My
silly
boy
,
do
you
suppose
I
have
n't
got
heaps
and
heaps
of
your
old
drawings
put
away
?
Did
you
really
think
that
I
should
n't
know
your
touch
anywhere
?
”
“
I
did
;
I
was
a
fool
,
dear
.
And
you
're
a
darling
.
But
I
ought
to
quarrel
with
you
.
Good
wives
do
n't
have
secrets
from
their
husbands
,
madam
.
Why
did
you
pretend
you
did
n't
know
?
”
“
It
was
n't
my
secret
,
”
she
said
,
blinking
at
me
in
surprise
.
“
It
was
your
secret
.
And
you
were
so
fond
of
it
,
I
could
n't
bear
to
take
it
from
you
.
And
I
always
thought
you
'd
tell
me
some
day
.
Would
n't
you
have
?
Why
did
n't
you
?
I
gave
you
lots
of
chances
.
Do
n't
you
remember
—
when
I
asked
what
you
wanted
the
India
rubber
for
,
and
when
I
said
it
did
n't
matter
which
of
us
did
the
work
?
”
“
You
said
that
about
Yolande
and
the
ghost
and
the
writing
,
”
I
reminded
her
.
“
Did
I
?
Well
the
principle
's
the
same
,
is
n't
it
?
You
see
how
good
and
kind
I
am
.
I
'm
not
a
bit
angry
with
you
for
keeping
secrets
from
me
.
If
I
'd
kept
a
secret
like
that
from
you
you
'd
have
been
frightfully
cross
,
would
n't
you
?
”
“
Ferocious
.
But
then
you
could
n't
,
”
I
said
,
confidently
.
“
And
you
really
like
the
drawings
?
”
“
You
know
,
”
she
said
;
“
and
I
'm
so
awfully
pleased
to
see
how
clever
you
are
.
Len
,
I
like
you
to
be
able
to
do
some
things
better
than
me
.
”
“
I
think
I
could
talk
better
grammar
,
”
I
said
,
“
if
I
tried
very
hard
indeed
,
with
both
hands
and
all
my
might
.
”
“
It
was
very
nice
and
funny
to
see
you
nursing
your
dear
little-big
secret
,
and
all
the
time
it
was
mine
,
too
.
”
“
Madam
,
”
I
said
,
“
you
have
deceived
and
betrayed
me
.
I
will
go
and
put
up
the
shutters
and
forget
my
wrongs
in
sleep
.
Oh
,
by-the-way
—
Yolande
?
”
We
had
both
forgotten
her
.
“
She
is
very
happy
.
I
must
have
talked
like
a
tract
or
an
aunt
to
have
driven
her
to
such
extremes
.
But
it
is
all
exactly
as
I
said
,
perfectly
simple
and
idyllic
,
and
the
happiest
thing
in
the
world
—
almost
—
”
“
Almost
,
”
said
I
.
“
And
when
are
they
to
be
married
?
”
“
Oh
,
almost
directly
.
There
's
nothing
to
wait
for
.
They
are
going
to
take
on
the
other
cottage
and
run
a
covered
way
across
the
garden
,
and
have
their
kitchen
and
dining-room
and
her
study
there
and
his
study
and
their
sitting-room
in
the
other
one
.
They
've
arranged
it
all
in
the
most
delightfully
practical
and
prosaic
way
.
And
she
'll
want
her
furniture
.
They
are
to
have
separate
studies
,
and
always
knock
at
each
other
's
study
doors
,
and
neither
is
to
be
offended
if
the
other
says
:
‘You
ca
n't
come
in
.
I
do
n't
want
you
!
’
”
I
laughed
.
“
And
the
pupils
?
”
“
Oh
,
that
's
all
over
.
She
wo
n't
have
any
more
pupils
.
She
's
going
to
write
a
book
on
the
Higher
Education
of
Women
.
”
“
And
she
wants
her
furniture
?
Well
,
we
have
the
furniture
that
was
in
the
cellar
,
and
we
can
go
about
,
by-and-by
,
and
pick
up
beautiful
odd
things
here
and
there
.
We
can
afford
to
now
.
”
“
I
wish
you
'd
tell
me
one
thing
,
Len
,
”
said
my
wife
.
“
Well
?
”
“
Do
you
really
like
writing
or
drawing
best
?
”
“
We
make
a
good
bit
of
money
by
both
,
”
I
said
.
“
I
think
we
must
give
Yolande
a
very
,
very
beautiful
wedding-present
—
with
our
best
love
—
and
the
ghost
's
!
”
She
frowned
a
little
.
“
Yes
,
but
quite
apart
from
the
money
,
which
do
you
like
doing
best
?
Do
tell
me
.
Tell
me
straight
out
!
”
“
Well
,
then
,
”
I
said
,
“
I
've
got
rather
fond
of
drawing
;
I
suppose
because
it
's
not
my
work
,
but
yours
.
As
Yolande
says
,
we
are
incurably
prone
to
do
anything
rather
than
our
own
proper
work
.
”
“
Yes
,
”
she
said
,
“
we
are
.
Go
and
put
up
the
shutters
now
,
Len
,
and
do
n't
be
hours
about
it
,
or
I
shall
fancy
you
have
met
a
burglar
.
”
“
My
father
met
a
burglar
once
,
”
I
said
.
“
He
heard
a
row
and
went
down
,
and
when
he
did
n't
come
back
my
mother
thought
he
might
have
been
overpowered
,
so
she
took
the
bedroom
poker
and
went
down
to
his
assistance
.
”
“
I
should
have
gone
with
him
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
Well
?
”
“
Well
,
she
went
down
very
softly
,
and
there
was
a
light
in
the
kitchen
,
and
there
was
the
burglar
in
the
arm-chair
,
telling
a
piteous
tale
,
and
my
father
making
cocoa
for
him
over
the
spirit-lamp
!
”
“
He
was
a
darling
,
”
said
Chloe
,
“
and
so
are
you
;
but
we
're
out
of
cocoa
.
You
must
give
the
burglar
bottled
beer
instead
.
I
'll
stay
here
till
you
come
back
.
”
When
I
came
back
she
was
sitting
in
her
favorite
little
rocking-chair
.
“
Come
and
sit
down
a
little
longer
,
”
she
said
.
“
It
's
very
late
,
”
said
I
,
lowering
myself
to
the
hearth-rug
at
her
feet
.
“
Yes
;
it
's
Christmas
Day
,
I
know
,
Len
.
We
were
talking
about
secrets
just
now
,
and
you
said
I
could
never
keep
one
from
you
.
Would
you
be
very
angry
if
I
did
?
”
“
I
do
not
advise
you
to
try
,
”
I
said
,
taking
her
hands
in
mine
.
They
were
cold
,
and
they
trembled
a
little
.
“
But
suppose
I
have
?
Will
you
be
very
angry
?
”
“
Tell
me
,
and
try
.
”
“
It
's
absurd
,
”
she
said
,
trying
to
laugh
.
“
I
always
thought
it
would
be
so
easy
to
tell
you
,
and
now
it
is
so
difficult
.
You
must
tell
me
things
first
—
silly
things
—
to
give
me
courage
.
”
I
told
her
several
.
Then
we
sat
silent
.
Presently
I
said
:
“
My
pussy-kitten
,
have
you
really
something
serious
to
tell
me
?
Or
is
it
only
that
you
are
upset
over
this
business
of
Yolande
?
Do
n't
worry
over
trifles
,
dearest
and
best
,
but
if
there
is
really
anything
you
want
to
tell
me
,
tell
me
now
.
It
ca
n't
be
anything
that
it
would
hurt
me
to
hear
.
”
“
I
'm
not
at
all
sure
about
that
.
”
She
spoke
with
a
gleam
of
soft
mischief
in
her
eyes
.
“
You
're
very
kind
and
trusting
,
Len
,
but
—
oh
—
seriously
,
I
believe
you
'll
hate
me
when
I
tell
you
.
”
“
Then
tell
me
at
once
,
”
I
said
.
“
Do
n't
tantalize
me
with
this
promise
of
a
wholly
new
sensation
.
”
“
Oh
,
if
you
will
make
fun
—
”
“
I
'm
not
,
but
I
wo
n't
have
you
make
mountains
out
of
mole-hills
.
Come
,
show
me
the
mole-hill
and
we
'll
trample
it
together
.
Why
,
silly
Chloe
,
your
hands
are
like
ice
,
and
how
they
tremble
!
Out
with
it
—
”
“
I
do
n't
think
I
'll
tell
you
at
all
,
”
she
said
.
“
You
ought
to
be
clever
enough
to
find
out
.
Besides
,
you
kept
a
secret
from
me
,
Len
,
and
I
was
n't
angry
.
”
Even
then
I
did
n't
see
.
She
rose
suddenly
.
“
No
,
I
wo
n't
tell
you
tonight
,
”
she
said
.
“
You
do
n't
really
want
to
hear
it
.
”
I
rose
,
too
.
“
You
will
tell
me
to-night
,
”
I
said
,
holding
her
hands
.
“
My
dear
,
how
can
you
tease
me
so
?
”
She
put
her
arms
round
my
neck
and
whispered
in
my
ear
.
“
And
oh
,
”
she
cried
,
“
do
n't
be
cross
!
I
ca
n't
bear
it
if
you
are
.
”
“
Cross
!
My
dear
,
delightful
,
clever
,
wonderful
derful
genius
of
a
pussy-kitten
!
If
you
only
knew
how
I
've
worried
and
wondered
.
And
it
was
you
all
the
time
—
you
,
you
,
you
!
Oh
,
what
a
fool
I
've
been
!
But
I
've
been
punished
for
my
folly
.
Chloe
,
I
've
come
very
near
to
hating
Yolande
,
and
all
the
time
it
was
you
—
not
Yolande
or
the
ghost
,
but
you
,
who
were
writing
all
those
wonderful
endings
to
my
silly
stories
!
Sit
down
on
your
throne
and
let
me
do
you
homage
.
”
I
put
her
back
in
the
rocking-chair
and
knelt
before
her
.
“
I
meant
to
tell
you
at
first
,
”
she
said
,
“
but
when
you
thought
it
was
Yolande
,
I
thought
it
was
so
funny
and
stupid
of
you
,
because
she
does
n't
really
see
half
the
things
I
put
in
the
stories
.
”
“
Funny
and
stupid
,
indeed
,
”
I
echoed
.
“
You
were
wiser
.
You
do
see
things
.
And
tell
me
,
Chloe
,
which
do
you
like
doing
best
—
writing
or
drawing
?
”
“
Why
,
writing
,
of
course
!
”
she
said
,
“
because
it
's
not
my
work
,
but
yours
.
Yolande
was
quite
right
.
”
“
Then
for
the
future
you
must
put
your
name
to
the
stories
.
”
“
Oh
,
must
I
?
”
she
asked
,
wistfully
.
“
I
thought
it
would
be
so
nice
if
we
put
both
our
names
.
And
to
the
drawings
,
too
.
Because
you
do
invent
plots
better
than
I
do
,
and
I
can
do
sketches
.
Then
it
would
all
be
our
work
—
not
just
yours
or
mine
,
but
ours
.
”
“
Very
well
,
”
I
said
;
“
better
than
well
!
Ours
be
it
.
As
you
've
said
once
,
or
more
than
once
,
it
does
n't
matter
a
straw
which
of
us
does
the
work
,
as
long
as
it
is
us
,
and
not
Yolande
or
the
ghost
.
”
“
What
about
grammar
now
?
And
trying
with
both
hands
?
Len
,
it
's
Christmas
Day
by
the
clock
.
I
've
got
a
present
for
you
.
It
's
a
booken
with
pretty
,
pretty
pikkies
,
but
I
sha'
n't
give
it
to
you
till
it
's
real
,
live
,
wide-awake
Christmas
Day
.
”
“
You
've
given
me
a
most
lovely
present
,
”
I
said
,
“
a
beautiful
brand-new
secret
of
your
very
own
.
To
think
that
my
wife
's
an
author
—
an
author
of
genius
!
I
never
thought
to
see
the
day
.
”
“
Do
n't
peacock
!
”
she
said
.
“
You
've
nothing
to
be
so
proud
about
.
I
'm
as
well
off
as
you
are
.
My
husband
's
an
artist
—
an
artist
of
genius
!
But
I
knew
all
the
time
,
did
n't
I
,
and
you
did
n't
,
so
I
must
be
much
cleverer
than
you
,
really
.
”
“
Is
n't
that
what
I
've
been
saying
?
Twenty
times
cleverer
and
a
thousand
times
as
dear
.
”
“
I
never
could
do
sums
,
”
she
said
,
“
but
I
did
manage
to
put
two
and
two
together
about
the
drawings
,
and
the
answer
was
,
‘You
!
’
”
“
One
and
one
is
a
better
sum
,
”
I
said
,
“
and
easier
,
and
the
answer
is
,
‘Us.’
”
“
And
what
about
grammar
now
?
”
said
she
.
XII
THE
PUSSY-KITTEN
YOLANDE
was
married
—
she
was
married
at
Elmhurst
church
,
Chloe
and
I
her
only
supporters
.
And
after
the
wedding
we
all
walked
quietly
down
together
from
the
church
and
said
“
Good-bye
”
to
them
at
the
door
of
their
cottage
,
through
whose
windows
the
welcoming
firelight
shone
out
into
the
cheerless
January
dusk
.
“
What
an
ideal
beginning
to
a
honey-moon
!
”
said
my
wife
.
“
Fancy
walking
straight
home
to
your
own
house
.
No
broughams
and
slippers
and
things
,
no
long
railway
journey
and
horrid
hotels
and
lodgings
,
with
the
rice
dropping
out
of
you
in
showers
every
time
you
move
an
inch
,
and
everybody
grinning
sympathetically
after
you
.
It
's
like
Frances
's
wedding
in
the
Professor
.
”
“
It
's
a
warmer
wedding
than
that
,
”
said
I
,
“
That
description
always
chills
me
to
the
bone
,
And
does
it
matter
so
much
where
you
go
,
as
long
as
you
go
together
?
I
seem
to
remember
a
hideous
parlor
at
Pevensey
that
once
contented
two
moderately
happy
people
.
”
“
Yes
,
”
she
said
,
“
but
this
is
best
.
Who
knows
how
much
happier
we
should
have
been
if
we
'd
gone
straight
home
to
the
Bandbox
?
”
“
We
should
never
have
been
able
to
leave
it
,
”
said
I
.
“
It
's
better
as
it
is
.
Suppose
I
had
been
wise
and
firm
and
inflexible
—
”
“
A
youthful
Murdstone
—
”
“
And
refused
to
yield
to
your
superior
wisdom
and
obstinacy
,
and
—
”
“
And
we
had
never
come
to
the
Red
House
!
Yes
,
it
's
all
my
doing
,
Len
—
the
only
thing
I
'm
really
and
truly
proud
of
.
It
's
Yolande
's
doing
,
partly
,
but
it
's
mine
,
too
.
Our
lines
have
fallen
unto
us
in
pleasant
places
.
Come
in
.
I
feel
as
if
it
was
us
who
had
just
been
married
and
were
going
home
to
our
own
house
.
It
's
odd
—
I
always
feel
that
we
've
only
just
been
married
,
and
yet
that
we
've
been
married
ever
since
we
can
remember
.
”
“
So
we
have
,
”
said
I
.
“
We
are
very
fortunate
,
”
she
said
,
“
and
I
am
very
,
very
grateful
.
”
We
were
,
indeed
,
fortunate
.
Chloe
's
daring
adoption
of
the
Red
House
as
our
home
had
been
generously
repaid
.
Instead
of
being
the
white
elephant
as
which
it
had
sometimes
sought
to
disguise
itself
,
it
was
now
a
credit
to
us
,
and
an
unchanging
joy
.
Our
cottages
were
let
,
and
our
garden
.
Our
work
in
the
Red
House
had
been
prosperous
,
the
memories
that
had
grown
up
there
were
precious
,
the
hopes
more
precious
still
.
Mary
was
happier
than
ever
,
now
that
she
had
a
small
servant
—
her
slender
personality
wholly
justified
by
our
prosperity
and
our
future
—
to
teach
and
order
about
and
be
kind
to
.
Our
lives
were
peaceful
,
ordered
,
incredibly
pleasant
.
And
if
I
still
sometimes
cleaned
a
candlestick
or
a
sword
,
and
Chloe
now
and
then
washed
china
or
dusted
the
white
parlor
,
not
even
Yolande
could
complain
that
we
neglected
our
work
to
indulge
in
these
recreations
.
Chloe
remarked
one
day
that
we
had
grown
uninteresting
.
Our
earlier
domestic
adventures
,
she
declared
,
might
have
been
made
really
amusing
by
a
competent
narrator
,
but
now
nothing
happened
to
us
except
the
things
that
ought
to
happen
.
“
Ah
,
wait
,
”
I
said
,
“
my
regretful
optimist
;
things
will
go
on
happening
to
us
all
our
lives
long
.
This
is
only
an
‘easy.’
We
are
in
a
peaceful
backwater
just
now
.
We
shall
be
pulling
against
the
stream
again
soon
enough
.
”
“
But
we
are
uninteresting
,
”
she
persisted
.
“
It
's
not
polite
of
you
to
say
so
.
Even
the
plural
pronoun
does
n't
redeem
that
speech
.
I
do
n't
find
you
uninteresting
—
at
least
,
not
very
.
”
“
It
's
all
quite
dull
and
flat
,
”
she
went
on
,
scorning
to
take
up
the
gauntlet
;
“
and
the
worst
of
it
is
,
it
is
so
beautiful
when
things
are
flat
and
dull
.
I
hardly
dare
to
draw
my
breath
for
fear
something
should
happen
.
Things
that
happen
are
always
horrid
.
It
's
the
times
when
nothing
happens
that
are
too
good
for
one
to
dare
to
be
quite
happy
in
them
.
”
“
Nice
things
do
happen
sometimes
,
”
I
said
,
softly
.
“
Besides
,
we
have
the
interest
of
watching
Yolande
just
now
.
She
wo
n't
elude
our
vigilance
forever
;
sooner
or
later
she
'll
justify
your
prediction
and
be
discovered
darning
the
tenant
's
socks
.
”
“
Even
that
wo
n't
be
a
very
wonderful
happening
,
”
said
my
wife
;
“
though
so
far
,
I
confess
,
she
has
lived
up
to
her
ideals
most
nobly
.
He
supports
her
in
her
resolution
to
keep
her
fingers
clean
of
house-work
,
and
the
ferret
's
wife
does
all
her
sewing
.
It
's
us
that
things
do
n't
happen
to
any
more
.
And
,
oh
,
Len
,
I
do
n't
want
anything
to
happen
.
Do
n't
you
notice
that
we
hardly
ever
even
quarrel
now
?
”
“
Did
we
ever
—
much
?
”
“
We
used
to
be
snarky
sometimes
—
much
snarkier
than
we
are
now
.
Why
is
it
?
Is
it
because
we
have
more
money
?
People
are
always
supposed
to
quarrel
when
they
are
poor
.
”
“
We
were
never
poor
enough
to
throw
the
teacups
at
each
other
's
heads
,
”
I
said
,
“
even
in
our
worst
days
.
Look
at
that
little
gold
ball
.
”
“
It
's
winter
aconite
,
”
she
informed
me
.
“
It
has
a
prettier
name
,
but
I
've
forgotten
it
.
It
's
very
late
.
I
suppose
it
overslept
itself
;
the
others
are
over
long
ago
.
”
We
were
walking
slowly
round
the
garden
,
where
the
crocuses
showed
green
and
gold
,
and
the
birds
were
singing
like
mad
.
The
spikes
and
buds
of
the
daffodils
made
green
patches
,
and
the
blue
squills
were
out
.
The
pigeons
on
the
farm-roof
were
preening
their
shining
breasts
,
nestling
up
to
each
other
,
repeating
unceasingly
the
pretty
,
monotonous
,
proud
cry
of
their
pairing-time
.
“
You
can
hear
quite
well
what
they
're
saying
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
Listen
:
‘Look
at
us
two
!
Look
at
us
two
!
’
They
are
absurdly
happy
.
”
“
So
they
ought
to
be
,
”
I
said
;
“
it
's
a
happy
day
.
There
's
no
doubt
at
all
now
that
spring
will
come
again
.
I
've
only
half
believed
it
all
these
winter
months
.
How
neat
that
market-gardener
man
has
made
everything
!
I
do
hope
we
sha'
n't
loathe
it
in
the
summer
when
we
walk
in
it
and
remember
how
sweet
and
untidy
and
all-over-the-place
it
was
last
year
.
That
would
be
a
happening
,
indeed
.
”
“
If
we
are
both
alive
and
in
this
garden
together
in
the
summer
we
sha'
n't
hate
anything
much
,
shall
we
?
Very
well
,
I
wo
n't
,
if
you
hate
it
so
,
but
it
's
silly
not
to
face
things
.
People
do
die
sometimes
,
you
know
,
even
people
who
love
each
other
.
”
“
I
wo
n't
have
it
,
”
I
said
,
firmly
.
“
Dearest
and
silliest
,
you
must
not
scratch
my
heart
with
those
kitty
claws
of
yours
,
or
I
shall
be
sorry
I
ever
let
you
have
it
to
play
with
.
I
'd
rather
quarrel
with
you
.
As
you
say
,
we
've
neglected
that
pastime
shockingly
.
Let
us
begin
.
Come
,
think
of
something
to
quarrel
about
,
and
you
shall
see
what
reserve
forces
of
crude
disagreeableness
I
have
been
getting
ready
all
these
dear
months
.
Ah
,
do
n't
,
do
n't
!
You
know
it
always
makes
you
ill
to
cry
.
”
For
she
was
clinging
to
me
and
hiding
her
eyes
.
“
Do
n't
,
”
I
heard
her
say
.
“
I
do
n't
want
to
claw
you
.
It
claws
me
just
as
much
.
You
do
n't
know
how
silly
I
am
.
I
ca
n't
bear
to
let
you
out
of
my
sight
,
because
,
perhaps
,
I
sha'
n't
be
able
to
be
with
you
very
much
longer
.
Len
dear
,
we
know
each
other
so
well
;
we
've
been
such
friends
,
too
,
have
n't
we
?
We
've
been
so
happy
.
It
makes
me
frightened
.
And
now
it
's
so
peaceful
;
I
feel
as
if
things
were
gathering
together
for
some
awful
thing
to
happen
.
You
do
n't
know
!
”
I
was
silent
.
Did
I
not
know
?
“
Yes
,
you
do
,
”
she
went
on
,
holding
me
more
closely
.
“
You
do
,
you
do
,
but
you
pretend
you
are
n't
afraid
of
anything
,
because
you
think
it
makes
me
cheerful
.
It
does
n't
.
I
hate
to
think
that
we
're
pretending
to
each
other
—
now
.
So
I
tell
you
plainly
,
Len
,
I
'm
very
,
very
frightened
,
and
you
know
it
,
and
so
are
you
,
and
I
know
that
,
and
if
you
'd
only
let
me
look
straight
at
it
,
perhaps
I
should
n't
be
so
frightened
.
Oh
,
there
are
so
many
things
I
want
to
say
to
you
.
There
,
I
wo
n't
any
more
.
Let
me
take
your
arm
,
and
we
'll
walk
quietly
and
respectably
like
good
children
,
and
you
must
let
me
say
anything
I
like
,
and
you
must
n't
try
not
to
say
everything
that
comes
into
your
head
,
and
you
're
not
to
try
to
cheer
me
up
,
because
I
ca
n't
bear
it
.
”
So
we
walked
and
talked
.
And
,
indeed
,
such
talk
,
while
it
intensified
my
own
aching
passion
of
tenderness
and
solicitude
,
did
,
by
its
frank
revelation
of
that
passion
,
do
more
to
calm
and
cheer
my
wife
than
all
my
brave
pretence
—
it
was
brave
—
of
confident
fearlessness
had
ever
done
.
But
I
have
written
already
more
than
is
needed
.
It
is
because
,
when
I
remember
that
time
,
I
cannot
well
command
my
thought
;
and
my
pen
,
seeing
its
superior
officer
in
mutiny
,
mutinies
too
.
For
it
was
March
now
,
and
the
time
of
our
great
fear
and
our
great
happiness
was
very
near
.
Strangely
enough
,
after
that
day
it
was
Chloe
who
made
the
brave
pretences
and
I
who
clung
to
her
,
imploring
her
to
teach
me
her
courage
and
confidence
.
Once
again
in
the
history
of
the
Red
House
my
wife
and
I
had
changed
parts
.
The
hushed
peace
that
brooded
over
us
folded
us
in
wings
too
soft
and
close
to
let
any
breath
of
outside
tempest
come
near
.
Yolande
and
the
tenant
talked
to
us
,
as
it
were
,
through
a
soft
,
warm
veil
.
Our
relations
—
oh
,
fortunate
destiny
that
was
ours
!
—
kept
away
.
Chloe
's
mother
(
who
is
as
nice
as
any
one
could
be
who
is
not
Chloe
,
and
is
twice
Chloe
's
age
)
sprained
an
opportune
ankle
and
could
not
come
to
us
as
she
had
intended
,
and
as
I
had
thought
I
wished
.
So
that
my
wife
and
I
had
these
last
days
—
the
last
,
as
we
alternately
prayed
and
feared
—
alone
together
.
The
doings
of
Yolande
and
Yolande
's
husband
were
like
a
bright
,
gay
embroidery
on
the
rich
fabric
of
our
quiet
happiness
.
And
the
time
drew
near
.
It
was
on
the
1st
of
April
—
a
too
appropriate
date
,
as
Yolande
afterwards
bewailed
—
that
Chloe
suddenly
realized
,
in
an
imperative
shock
,
that
there
was
a
certain
Japanese
dressing-jacket
pattern
without
which
she
could
not
be
happy
another
moment
.
She
had
the
stuff
to
make
it
,
a
demurely
eccentric
Eastern-patterned
silk
;
she
also
had
the
material
—
a
dull
,
soft
blue
—
for
what
she
called
the
revers
.
I
suppose
a
man
would
call
it
the
lining
,
but
I
am
not
quite
sure
.
So
she
left
a
half-written
story
of
the
very
strongest
possible
“
domestic
interest
”
(
it
was
,
indeed
,
for
she
was
to
get
twenty
pounds
for
the
finished
article
)
to
go
down
to
Yolande
's
cottage
and
borrow
this
priceless
pattern
which
Yolande
was
known
to
possess
.
She
had
bought
it
among
others
for
the
guidance
of
the
dressmaker
who
prepared
her
trousseau
.
And
I
,
almost
without
a
pang
,
abandoned
a
nearly
finished
drawing
to
go
with
her
.
The
buds
were
gray
and
green
on
the
trees
,
on
the
lilacs
the
buds
were
bronze
,
and
carmine
on
the
creeper
.
The
daffodils
were
out
,
and
the
tulips
rigid
with
the
energy
of
pride
and
promise
.
Everything
that
makes
the
glory
of
the
summer
garden
was
pushing
up
green
leaves
and
crying
:
“
I
am
coming
,
I
am
coming
—
only
be
patient
!
And
do
n't
disturb
me
,
for
I
am
very
busy
making
flowers
for
you
.
Wait
,
and
you
shall
see
!
”
The
birds
'
song
was
almost
as
intense
as
in
the
first
pairing-time
.
We
walked
up
the
neat
cottage
garden
,
and
we
remembered
the
days
of
Prosser
and
the
rags
and
the
dead
mouse
and
the
mutton-bone
.
Now
the
garden
was
all
trim
and
neat
,
and
the
earth
had
stirred
in
her
sleep
and
thrown
out
handfuls
of
primroses
and
violets
and
early
red
tulips
,
just
to
show
what
she
could
do
,
and
to
remind
us
what
she
would
do
for
us
when
the
sun
,
her
lover
,
had
kissed
her
fully
awake
.
We
knocked
at
the
cottage
door
.
It
was
a
very
nice
knocker
—
old
brass
.
Yolande
—
under
my
guidance
—
had
picked
it
up
for
sevenpence
at
a
rag-and-bottle
shop
in
Deptford
.
There
was
a
long
pause
.
Usually
the
door
was
opened
almost
coincidently
with
the
fall
of
the
knocker
by
pretty
,
fair-haired
,
cheery-faced
Mrs.
Bates
,
but
now
we
stood
long
on
the
narrow
doorstep
and
heard
from
within
sounds
of
scuffling
and
rustling
.
We
had
time
to
see
how
right
Browning
was
when
he
said
,
“
The
leaf-buds
on
the
vine
are
woolly
,
”
and
how
very
long
before
their
white
perfection
come
the
green
pledges
of
the
annunciation
lilies
.
We
knocked
again
.
The
scuffle
or
rustle
assured
us
that
some
one
was
within
.
The
leisure
of
our
next
waiting
showed
us
the
auriculas
—
“
honey-flowers
”
our
grandmothers
used
to
call
them
;
“
dusty
millers
”
the
country-folk
call
them
still
—
glowing
in
their
soft
shades
of
primrose
and
orange
and
red
and
purple
.
But
when
one
desires
,
with
all
one
's
soul
,
the
cut-out
paper
pattern
of
a
Japanese
dressing-jacket
for
which
one
has
already
the
material
,
even
auriculas
cannot
charm
away
