THE
RED
HOUSE
A
Novel
BY
E
.
NESBIT
AUTHOR
OF
“
THE
TREASURE
“
THE
WOULDBEGOODS
,
”
ILLUSTRATED
BY
A.I.
KELLER
NEW
YORK
AND
LONDON
HARPER
+
BROTHERS
PUBLISHERS
1902
Copyright
,
1902
,
by
HARPER
+
BROTHERS
.
All
rights
reserved
.
Published
October
,
1902
THE
RED
HOUSE
I
THE
BEGINNING
CONVENTIONALLY
our
life-story
ended
in
a
shower
of
rice
at
the
church
door
,
amid
the
scent
of
white
flowers
,
with
a
flutter
of
white
favors
all
about
us
.
We
left
behind
us
those
relatives
whose
presence
had
been
so
little
desired
by
us
during
our
brief
courtship
,
and
a
high-heeled
white
satin
slipper
struck
the
back
of
the
brougham
as
we
drove
off
.
It
was
like
a
parting
slap
on
the
shoulder
from
our
old
life
—
the
old
life
which
we
left
so
gayly
,
eager
to
fulfil
the
destiny
set
as
the
end
of
our
wooing
's
fairy
story
,
and
to
“
live
happy
ever
after
.
”
And
now
all
that
was
six
months
ago
;
and
instead
of
attending
to
that
destiny
,
the
fairy
princess
and
her
unworthy
prince
were
plunged
over
head
and
ears
in
their
first
quarrel
—
their
first
serious
quarrel
—
about
the
real
and
earnest
things
of
life
;
for
the
other
little
quarrels
about
matters
of
sentiment
and
the
affections
really
did
not
count
.
They
were
only
play
and
make-believe
;
still
,
they
had
got
our
hands
in
,
so
that
when
we
really
differed
seriously
we
both
knew
exactly
how
to
behave
—
we
had
played
at
quarrels
so
often
.
This
quarrel
was
very
serious
,
because
it
was
about
my
shaving-brush
and
Chloe
's
handkerchief-case
.
There
was
a
cupboard
with
a
window
—
Chloe
called
it
my
dressing-room
,
and
,
at
first
,
I
humored
her
pretty
fancy
about
it
,
and
pretended
that
I
could
really
see
to
shave
in
a
glass
that
faced
the
window
,
although
my
shoulders
,
as
I
stood
,
cut
off
all
light
.
But
even
then
I
used
really
to
shave
at
Chloe
's
mirror
after
she
had
gone
down
to
make
the
tea
and
boil
the
eggs
—
only
I
kept
my
shaving
things
in
the
embroidered
vestments
which
my
wife
's
affection
provided
and
her
fingers
worked
,
and
these
lived
in
the
“
dressing-room
.
”
But
the
subterfuge
presently
seemed
unworthy
,
and
I
found
myself
,
in
the
ardor
of
a
truthful
nature
,
leaving
my
soapy
brush
on
her
toilet-table
.
Chloe
called
this
untidiness
,
and
worse
,
and
urged
that
I
had
a
dressing-room
.
Then
I
put
the
brush
away
.
This
had
happened
more
than
once
.
On
this
memorable
morning
I
had
set
up
the
pretty
ivory
shaving-brush
,
clean
and
pleasant
with
its
white
crown
of
lather
,
among
her
hair-brushes
.
Chloe
came
up
just
then
to
ask
me
whether
I
would
have
two
or
three
eggs
.
Her
entrance
startled
me
.
I
cut
myself
slightly
,
but
infuriatingly
,
and
knocked
the
brush
down
.
It
fell
on
Chloe
's
handkerchief-case
—
pink
satin
,
painted
with
rose
and
cupids
,
a
present
.
Chloe
snatched
it
up
.
“
You
are
horrid
,
”
she
said
.
“
Why
do
n't
you
shave
in
your
own
dressing-room
?
”
“
Whatever
does
it
matter
?
”
said
I
.
“
My
sachet
's
ruined
,
”
she
said
,
dabbing
at
it
with
her
pocket-handkerchief
.
My
chin
was
still
bleeding
.
“
It
's
no
use
,
”
she
went
on
.
“
I
spend
all
my
time
trying
to
keep
the
house
nice
,
and
you
're
always
putting
things
down
on
things
.
You
put
your
hateful
fountain-pen
down
on
the
new
drawn-linen
table-centre
only
yesterday
,
and
it
's
made
a
great
ink
mark
.
Yes
,
you
did
—
when
you
were
writing
the
check
for
the
butcher
.
”
I
was
ill-advised
enough
to
murmur
something
about
trifles
.
“
But
they
're
not
trifles
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
They
're
just
the
little
things
that
make
all
the
difference
between
a
home
and
—
”
“
And
?
”
“
And
other
places
.
Breakfast
will
be
quite
spoiled
.
You
're
frightfully
late
.
And
I
do
n't
think
this
girl
means
to
stay
;
she
's
been
quite
rude
about
the
haddock
already
.
”
Now
that
I
knew
what
my
wife
was
so
cross
about
,
I
might
,
perhaps
—
but
I
did
n't
.
My
chin
was
still
bleeding
.
I
said
,
“
Please
do
n't
wait
breakfast
for
me
,
and
began
to
brush
my
hair
with
a
dignified
aloofness
.
Chloe
went
out
,
and
I
own
that
she
banged
the
door
.
When
I
was
ready
I
went
down
to
breakfast
.
Chloe
was
reading
the
paper
—
a
thing
she
never
does
.
She
poured
out
my
tea
and
gave
it
to
me
without
a
glance
.
Thanking
her
coldly
,
I
helped
myself
to
haddock
and
opened
my
letters
.
It
was
with
the
second
letter
that
the
shock
came
.
I
read
the
letter
twice
.
And
I
looked
round
our
little
dining-room
—
it
was
about
ten
feet
by
nine
—
and
I
sighed
.
For
I
knew
—
surely
if
inexplicably
—
that
the
dove
of
peace
which
had
folded
its
wings
there
had
spread
them
on
a
flight
from
which
it
would
,
perhaps
,
never
return
.
I
had
quarrelled
with
my
wife
—
about
a
shaving-brush
;
but
that
episode
had
now
shrunk
to
less
than
nothing
in
the
presence
of
the
new
,
the
wonderful
danger
that
threatened
our
home
.
I
looked
at
the
neat
breakfast-table
,
bright
with
our
wedding-presents
—
cruet-stands
,
butter-dishes
,
and
silver-plated
teaspoons
.
I
looked
at
the
row
of
shelves
over
the
mantel-piece
,
where
the
more
attractive
of
our
crockery
stood
displayed
;
at
the
corner
cupboard
,
picked
up
for
a
song
in
Great
Portland
Street
,
and
fitted
with
a
lock
inexorably
guarding
the
marmalade
,
the
loaf
sugar
,
the
sardines
,
the
bottled
beer
,
and
such
like
costly
items
.
I
looked
at
Chloe
,
mutinously
reading
the
paper
—
in
a
white
muslin
blouse
which
had
been
green
,
with
white
flowers
on
it
,
when
we
bought
it
together
in
the
Lewisham
High
Street
for
twopence
three
farthings
the
yard
,
and
which
to
my
mind
was
all
the
prettier
for
the
theft
,
by
soap
and
water
,
of
its
original
hue
and
design
.
I
looked
at
the
remains
of
the
haddock
on
the
dish
,
the
two
eggs
in
the
eggstand
—
another
wedding-present
.
And
again
I
sighed
.
Chloe
laid
down
the
paper
irresolutely
and
looked
towards
,
but
not
at
,
me
.
I
sighed
again
and
stirred
my
tea
.
I
could
see
that
Chloe
was
making
a
heroic
resolve
to
overcome
her
pride
and
end
the
quarrel
.
She
did
it
.
“
Are
you
sorry
you
were
so
cross
?
”
she
asked
,
severely
.
“
Frightfully
sorry
.
”
I
spoke
from
the
heart
.
“
Then
so
am
I
!
”
she
cried
.
And
suddenly
the
first
quarrel
found
itself
over
.
Presently
we
went
on
with
the
breakfast
.
To
be
more
accurate
,
we
began
.
But
my
thoughts
refused
to
bury
themselves
in
the
beefsteak-pudding
which
Chloe
unfolded
as
a
brilliant
dinner
prospect
,
and
I
sighed
once
more
.
“
What
is
the
matter
now
?
Have
you
forgotten
that
you
're
not
cross
any
more
,
and
you
're
never
going
to
be
again
—
or
—
is
the
haddock
really
like
she
said
?
”
Chloe
asked
,
making
horseshoes
in
her
pretty
forehead
,
as
she
always
does
when
life
presents
to
her
any
problem
not
immediately
soluble
in
a
laugh
or
a
joke
.
“
Is
it
another
bill
?
Never
mind
!
I
'll
ask
them
to
wait
.
You
'll
get
the
check
for
that
detective
story
on
Monday
,
if
the
editor
has
a
thread
of
conscience
left
,
and
I
'll
go
up
to
town
to-morrow
and
draw
the
money
from
old
Moses
for
those
last
drawings
of
‘The
Holy
Life.’
”
“
It
's
not
a
bill
,
madam
,
”
I
said
,
“
and
Moses
can
send
his
money
by
post
.
To-morrow
we
have
another
errand
.
To-day
,
alas
!
I
must
finish
my
article
for
the
Weekly
Wilderness
.
”
“
Do
you
want
to
drive
me
to
suicide
?
”
she
asked
.
“
Give
me
the
letter
!
”
“
Allow
me
,
”
I
said
,
“
the
melancholy
pleasure
of
communicating
its
contents
.
If
you
have
quite
finished
your
eggs
and
things
you
may
come
and
sit
on
my
knee
.
”
She
came
and
perched
there
.
“
Do
n't
be
a
pig
,
Len
,
”
she
said
.
“
I
'm
not
a
baby
,
to
have
bad
news
broken
to
me
.
”
Then
I
put
my
arm
round
her
and
spoke
out
roundly
.
“
My
dear
,
”
I
said
,
“
we
are
ruined
.
”
“
Oh
,
Len
,
are
we
really
?
”
said
Chloe
,
much
interested
.
“
Yes
,
”
I
said
,
firmly
.
“
Hitherto
we
've
worked
for
our
living
and
earned
it
.
Now
we
are
degraded
from
the
ranks
of
the
noble
army
of
workers
.
My
uncle
James
has
died
,
and
he
has
left
us
a
hundred
a
year
and
a
house
.
Our
independence
gone
—
it
's
a
cruel
blow
!
We
'll
ride
over
and
see
it
to-morrow
as
ever
is
.
”
I
am
not
sure
that
Chloe
did
not
weep
for
joy
.
Though
as
a
rule
,
one
knows
,
that
sort
of
weeping
is
only
done
in
books
.
You
see
,
we
really
had
worked
so
very
,
very
hard
.
However
much
in
love
one
may
be
,
one
does
not
like
to
work
ten
hours
a
day
.
Though
two
may
not
grudge
it
as
the
price
of
life
together
.
I
wrote
,
Chloe
illustrated
—
we
worked
hard
—
hard
—
hard
,
and
earned
enough
to
keep
body
and
soul
and
the
two
of
us
together
in
our
microscopic
house
.
“
The
Bandbox
”
we
called
it
,
but
on
its
gatepost
it
called
itself
Ross
Villa
.
And
now
—
a
hundred
a
year
,
and
a
house
—
such
a
house
.
It
came
back
to
me
out
of
my
youth
,
a
monument
of
comfortable
affluence
,
with
vineries
and
pineries
,
and
pits
and
frames
,
clean-shaved
lawns
and
trim
orchards
,
yew
avenues
,
box
edgings
,
stabling
and
coach-houses
and
pigsties
and
henneries
.
Chloe
and
I
clung
together
in
an
ecstasy
,
till
“
the
girl
”
came
in
to
clear
away
breakfast
.
I
never
saw
anything
more
dramatic
than
the
way
in
which
she
indicated
,
as
she
bore
out
the
empty
dish
,
that
her
opinion
of
the
haddock
was
not
only
entirely
unaltered
,
but
indeed
confirmed
,
by
our
having
eaten
it
.
My
article
for
the
Weekly
Wilderness
got
itself
written
somehow
,
but
with
difficulty
,
for
Chloe
,
demoralized
by
our
good
fortune
,
interrupted
me
at
every
sentence
—
a
thing
we
have
carefully
trained
each
other
not
to
do
.
“
Has
it
a
garden
?
”
she
asked
,
suddenly
,
stopping
in
front
of
me
with
a
compelling
wave
of
her
wand
,
or
feather
brush
.
“
Are
you
sure
it
has
a
garden
?
”
“
More
or
less
,
”
I
said
.
“
Do
n't
chatter
,
there
's
an
angel
.
”
“
And
out-houses
?
”
after
a
pause
and
an
interval
of
fluffy
energy
.
“
Of
sorts
,
”
I
said
;
“
but
do
n't
talk
,
my
dearest
child
.
You
lost
me
an
epigram
then
.
”
“
I
am
so
sorry
—
but
—
since
you
are
interrupted
—
dear
,
dearer
,
dearest
Len
,
tell
me
in
six
words
,
what
is
the
Red
House
like
?
”
“
It
's
not
red
at
all
—
at
least
only
one
wing
of
it
.
It
's
a
big
yellow
house
—
stands
all
alone
in
fields
.
Has
a
great
alarm-bell
and
,
I
believe
,
a
ghost
.
Now
be
quiet
or
I
shall
slap
you
.
To-morrow
we
'll
see
it
.
”
But
the
interruption
ruined
a
delightful
sentence
,
conceived
in
a
spirit
of
the
most
delicate
irony
,
and
dealing
with
the
late
deplorable
action
of
the
London
water
companies
—
and
again
I
experienced
that
premonition
of
unrest
.
Never
again
,
I
felt
certain
,
should
I
be
able
to
be
sure
of
a
clear
morning
's
work
.
I
made
allowances
for
my
wife
.
I
was
not
,
I
feel
certain
,
unjust
or
unreasonable
,
but
I
saw
that
while
the
house
and
the
money
were
new
topics
,
she
could
not
be
expected
to
preserve
on
them
the
hours
of
silence
which
my
writing
exacted
.
And
by
the
time
the
topics
were
stale
,
the
beautiful
habit
of
letting
each
other
alone
during
working-hours
would
have
been
broken
forever
.
I
laid
down
my
fountain-pen
to
make
these
reflections
.
I
heard
Chloe
pulling
out
drawers
and
opening
cupboards
in
our
room
overhead
.
Yet
before
I
could
snatch
up
my
pen
she
had
whirled
in
and
caught
me
idle
.
“
Oh
,
you
're
not
doing
anything
.
Then
I
sha'
n't
interrupt
you
if
I
just
ask
whether
there
's
a
hen-house
.
”
“
I
do
n't
know
,
”
I
said
,
beginning
to
write
very
fast
,
and
not
sufficiently
grateful
,
I
fear
,
for
her
indifference
to
the
money
as
compared
with
the
house
.
“
Why
do
n't
you
settle
down
to
your
work
?
This
is
the
beginning
of
the
ruin
I
foresaw
.
”
“
I
—
I
do
n't
think
I
'll
work
to-day
,
”
she
said
,
guiltily
.
“
I
'm
looking
over
some
things
.
But
I
wo
n't
bother
.
”
But
she
was
back
again
in
less
than
half
an
hour
with
a
question
about
larders
burning
on
her
lips
,
and
my
article
degenerated
from
the
clear
,
sustained
logical
argument
which
it
meant
to
be
,
to
a
piece
of
patch-work
—
of
patch-work
ill
fitted
.
I
became
desperate
,
and
avenged
my
poor
broken
article
by
telling
Chloe
anything
rather
than
the
truth
about
my
uncle
's
old
house
.
In
the
end
this
disingenuousness
was
paid
for
to
the
uttermost
.
If
I
had
prepared
her
,
if
I
had
had
the
intelligence
to
overpaint
,
even
,
the
charms
of
that
old
house
—
but
I
was
firm
,
firm
to
the
point
of
spitefulness
.
“
A
yellow
brick
house
,
as
ugly
as
a
lunatic
asylum
,
standing
alone
in
the
fields
,
bearing
an
alarm-bell
and
a
ghostly
reputation
.
”
This
was
the
most
she
got
out
of
me
.
My
piece
of
patch-work
got
its
last
stitches
put
in
sooner
than
I
expected
.
I
put
it
in
its
envelope
,
addressed
it
,
and
went
up
to
our
room
.
All
the
wardrobe
drawers
were
pulled
out
.
Chloe
was
sitting
on
the
floor
amid
a
heap
of
stuffs
—
a
roll
of
chintz
which
her
mother
had
given
her
for
covers
to
our
drawing-room
furniture
,
if
ever
we
had
any
;
some
bits
of
velvet
,
soft
reds
and
greens
,
that
we
had
bought
together
at
Liberty
's
sale
;
and
she
was
snipping
and
tearing
at
a
muslin
and
lace
gown
—
a
gown
I
had
always
admired
.
I
remember
she
wore
it
to
breakfast
the
day
after
our
wedding
.
I
felt
as
though
my
tenderest
memories
were
being
unpicked
,
stitch
by
stitch
.
“
What
on
earth
—
”
I
said
.
She
looked
up
with
a
flush
of
excitement
on
her
little
face
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
look
here
.
Do
n't
you
think
these
velvets
would
cover
some
cushions
very
nicely
?
And
the
chintz
would
make
lovely
long
curtains
,
and
I
thought
I
could
get
at
least
four
short
blinds
out
of
this
muslin
for
the
new
house
.
”
My
blood
actually
ran
cold
.
I
sat
down
suddenly
on
the
clothes-basket
.
Chloe
was
not
too
preoccupied
to
tell
me
not
to
,
for
perhaps
the
twentieth
time
.
“
You
know
it
wo
n't
bear
your
weight
,
”
she
said
.
“
Look
here
.
I
shall
put
the
lace
like
that
,
and
like
that
,
and
tie
it
back
with
yellow
ribbon
.
I
've
got
a
soft
sash
here
.
”
She
got
up
,
scattering
muslin
and
velvet
,
and
began
to
turn
over
a
corner
drawer
.
I
found
a
trembling
tongue
.
“
But
,
my
dear
child
,
we
ca
n't
live
in
the
house
.
”
She
dropped
a
lace
scarf
and
her
best
ivory
prayer-book
to
look
at
me
.
“
But
why
?
”
“
It
's
too
big
.
We
ca
n't
afford
it
.
”
“
But
we
pay
rent
for
this
—
and
we
should
n't
for
that
.
”
“
It
's
impossible
.
Why
,
of
course
we
must
let
it
.
It
ought
to
bring
us
in
a
couple
of
hundred
a
year
.
”
Chloe
's
eyes
actually
filled
with
tears
.
“
My
dear
,
my
dear
,
”
I
said
,
“
this
is
very
terrible
.
Is
it
possible
that
after
so
short
a
time
I
find
you
longing
to
leave
the
Bandbox
—
our
own
little
Bandbox
—
the
pride
and
joy
of
our
hearts
?
”
She
came
to
me
then
and
asked
me
not
to
be
so
horrid
.
“
Do
n't
tease
,
”
she
said
,
“
just
when
I
was
so
pleased
,
too
!
You
do
n't
know
how
I
hate
the
people
next
door
,
Len
.
Oh
,
fancy
having
no
one
next
door
!
I
'd
live
in
a
barn
on
those
terms
.
”
I
talked
to
her
in
a
thoroughly
reasonable
way
,
and
she
presently
promised
that
she
also
would
be
reasonable
.
She
agreed
that
we
must
let
the
house
.
Also
she
insisted
that
as
I
had
finished
my
work
,
we
should
go
at
once
and
look
at
it
.
I
in
my
turn
agreed
.
It
was
while
I
was
lacing
my
boots
that
she
said
,
sighing
:
“
Well
,
it
is
hard
.
But
you
say
it
's
absolutely
hideous
—
that
's
one
comfort
.
”
Even
then
I
might
have
put
up
an
arm
to
ward
off
the
blow
fate
was
aiming
at
me
,
but
my
bootlace
was
in
a
hard
knot
,
and
I
said
nothing
on
any
other
subject
.
In
the
hour
when
afternoon
ends
and
evening
begins
,
we
set
out
to
see
the
Red
House
.
We
rode
our
bicycles
,
of
course
.
Poor
as
we
were
,
we
could
yet
command
,
on
the
hire
system
,
machines
which
,
at
any
rate
,
in
their
first
youth
,
might
have
been
the
desire
of
princes
.
Once
we
had
passed
the
dusty
avenue
of
little
villas
(
wherein
our
Bandbox
,
the
corner
house
,
squeezed
in
between
two
more
portly
brethren
,
is
of
all
the
most
unworthy
)
,
and
had
done
the
three
miles
of
respectable
semi-detachedness
which
form
on
this
side
of
town
the
outer
fringe
of
London
's
loathly
suburbs
,
our
way
lay
through
green
lanes
where
hawthorns
were
budding
in
pink
and
pearl
.
And
here
I
received
a
final
note
of
warning
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
”
Chloe
sighed
,
reining
in
her
shining
steed
to
gaze
wistfully
on
the
trim
green
of
the
scattered
suburban
pleasaunces
,
“
if
we
could
only
live
out
here
—
away
from
the
washing
and
the
organ-grinders
and
the
people
next
door
!
Oh
—
I
know
we
ca
n't
—
but
I
wish
we
could
.
”
“
I
wish
so
,
too
,
”
I
said
,
briskly
.
It
was
merely
a
polite
acquiescence
in
her
aspiration
,
but
it
was
noted
.
I
,
blind
mole
,
noted
nothing
.
The
most
explicit
warnings
pass
us
by
unheeded
;
it
is
only
after
the
doom
stroke
has
fallen
that
we
perceive
the
significance
of
portents
.
We
climbed
the
hill
and
passed
through
the
long
,
sunny
village
street
,
clamorous
now
with
bean-feasters
and
superior
private
pleasure
parties
in
wagonettes
drawn
up
in
front
of
the
“
Spotted
Dog
”
and
“
The
Chequers
”
and
the
“
Castle
Hotel
,
”
for
was
it
not
Saturday
,
and
the
village
but
a
bare
ten
miles
from
Charing
Cross
?
Then
came
the
sharp
turn
to
the
left
,
the
delicious
downward
rush
through
hawthorn-scented
air
,
the
black
bar
of
shadow
from
the
railway
bridge
,
a
red
cottage
,
a
red
wall
,
tall
chestnut-trees
,
pyramids
of
green
fan-leaves
and
miraculous-scented
flowers
—
a
green
gate
.
“
This
is
it
,
”
I
said
,
and
Chloe
brought
down
the
brake
in
that
reckless
way
of
hers
,
and
sprang
to
the
ground
.
The
sun-blistered
,
old
,
green
gate
swung
long
and
wide
on
loud
,
red
,
rusty
hinges
as
we
led
our
beasts
in
.
We
left
them
under
the
biggest
of
the
chestnut-trees
,
and
walked
up
the
wide
,
moss-grown
drive
to
where
the
front
door
,
fortified
by
heavy
stone
pillars
,
seemed
to
defy
us
,
the
besiegers
.
“
Is
this
really
it
?
”
asked
Chloe
,
in
a
whisper
.
And
well
might
she
ask
.
The
yellow
brick
on
which
in
my
talk
I
had
laid
so
much
stress
was
hidden
almost
—
at
any
rate
transformed
,
transfigured
—
by
a
net-work
of
great
leaves
and
red
buds
;
creepers
covered
it
—
all
but
.
And
at
the
side
there
were
jasmine
that
in
July
nights
would
be
starry
and
scented
,
and
wistaria
,
purple-flowered
and
yellow-leaved
over
its
thick
,
gnarled
boughs
,
and
ivy
;
and
at
the
back
,
where
the
shaky
green
veranda
is
overhung
by
the
perilous
charm
of
the
white
balcony
,
Virginia-creepers
and
climbing
roses
grew
in
a
thorny
maze
.
The
moat
was
there
,
girdling
the
old
lawns
—
where
once
the
Elizabethan
manor
stood
—
with
a
belt
of
silver
,
a
sad
swan
and
a
leaky
boat
keeping
each
other
company
.
Yellow
laburnums
trailed
their
long
hair
in
the
water
,
and
sweet
lilac-bushes
swayed
to
look
at
their
pretty
plumes
reflected
in
it
.
To
right
and
left
stretched
the
green
tangled
mysteries
of
the
overgrown
gardens
.
We
stepped
back
onto
the
bridge
that
crosses
the
moat
,
and
looked
up
at
the
tall
house
.
Before
the
ivy
dressed
it
,
it
must
have
been
very
ugly
.
I
suspect
my
uncle
of
having
had
that
ivy
clipped
to
its
last
leaf
every
spring
;
and
he
must
have
had
the
house
scraped
and
“
pointed
”
pretty
often
.
How
otherwise
account
for
the
yellow
brick
hideousness
that
glared
at
me
through
the
mist
of
the
years
lying
between
me
and
my
childhood
?
The
Red
House
is
square
,
and
very
tall
,
but
it
has
two
large
,
low
,
long
wings
ending
in
four
square
brick
turrets
with
pointed
roofs
.
We
stood
and
looked
at
it
,
and
I
said
,
“
You
see
it
's
much
too
big
for
us
to
live
in
—
”
Chloe
assented
,
feverishly
:
“
Oh
yes
,
of
course
,
ever
so
much
.
But
ca
n't
we
get
in
?
”
We
could
n't
,
because
I
had
forgotten
to
call
at
the
plumber
's
in
the
village
for
the
key
.
“
But
I
'll
go
back
for
it
,
”
I
said
,
“
only
—
I
did
n't
think
of
it
—
the
shop
's
sure
to
be
shut
.
It
's
Saturday
,
you
know
.
”
“
Then
we
wo
n't
waste
time
,
”
said
Chloe
,
firmly
.
“
Let
's
be
burglars
.
Break
a
pane
of
glass
,
and
let
's
get
in
by
a
window
.
”
Already
she
was
stooping
for
a
stone
.
“
Well
—
if
you
insist
.
But
let
's
at
least
find
a
window
without
shutters
.
”
We
went
round
the
house
and
round
the
house
,
like
the
snow
in
the
riddle
;
but
every
window
had
its
eyelids
down
,
as
Chloe
said
.
“
Stupid
,
sleepy
thing
,
”
she
said
,
“
we
must
wake
it
up
.
Ca
n't
you
climb
up
to
the
balcony
and
get
in
there
?
”
“
Shutters
again
,
”
I
said
.
“
My
worthy
uncle
believed
in
them
.
Now
I
come
to
think
of
it
,
he
had
shutters
to
every
window
,
and
a
patent
fastening
for
each
,
and
all
different
.
But
—
”
I
was
looking
at
the
thick
,
twisted
stems
of
the
ivy
that
clung
to
the
wall
of
the
low
left
wing
.
“
There
used
to
be
an
apple-room
with
a
window
opening
on
the
leads
.
In
happier
days
—
”
“
Happier
?
”
“
No
—
earlier
!
I
have
climbed
up
the
ivy
in
my
time
.
But
I
dare
say
the
apple-room
is
locked
.
But
I
'll
go
and
see
,
if
you
insist
upon
it
.
”
Chloe
measured
the
height
with
her
eyes
,
some
ten
feet
.
“
Very
well
,
”
she
said
,
meekly
.
And
I
went
up
the
ivy
.
It
was
as
easy
as
going
up
a
ladder
;
but
I
own
that
as
I
stepped
onto
the
leads
I
did
not
expect
to
hear
my
wife
's
voice
just
below
my
feet
,
saying
,
“
Look
out
—
you
'll
kick
me
.
”
She
had
climbed
up
the
ivy
behind
me
.
I
said
nothing
till
I
had
pulled
her
up
to
stand
safely
beside
me
,
and
then
I
fairly
shook
her
.
“
You
wicked
,
”
I
said
.
“
Suppose
you
had
slipped
?
You
might
have
broken
that
little
,
silly
neck
of
yours
.
”
She
laughed
.
“
My
dear
boy
,
I
was
climbing
trees
when
you
were
in
your
cradle
!
”
As
I
was
out
of
my
cradle
twenty-two
years
ago
,
and
that
was
three
years
before
she
was
even
in
hers
,
this
insult
called
for
no
reply
.
“
Did
you
really
think
I
should
allow
you
to
see
an
inch
of
even
the
apple-room
without
me
?
”
she
said
.
“
Come
on
—
oh
!
—
how
jolly
the
garden
looks
from
here
!
Is
this
the
window
?
”
It
was
.
I
broke
one
of
the
cobwebby
panes
,
and
opened
the
window
,
but
,
of
course
,
it
was
barred
.
“
Idiot
that
I
am
—
I
remember
now
—
I
used
to
creep
through
.
I
've
grown
since
then
.
It
's
no
good
.
We
must
give
it
up
.
”
Chloe
was
looking
at
the
bars
.
Suddenly
she
took
her
hat
off
.
“
I
'm
not
so
very
big
,
”
she
said
.
“
You
called
me
a
shrimp
only
yesterday
.
”
The
bottom
of
the
window
was
level
with
the
leads
.
She
twisted
her
skirt
round
her
ankles
as
she
sat
down
,
and
pushed
both
feet
between
the
bars
.
“
You
can
hold
on
to
my
arm
if
you
like
till
I
feel
the
floor
.
Oh
,
do
n't
be
silly
.
I
must
.
”
She
twisted
herself
like
an
eel
through
the
bars
.
“
Right
.
Let
go
,
”
and
the
next
moment
she
was
laughing
at
me
out
of
the
dark
window
.
“
Mind
the
stairs
,
”
I
said
.
—
“
Open
the
door
at
the
top
,
and
I
can
come
in
,
too
.
”
She
disappeared
.
The
little
door
shook
to
her
withdrawal
of
the
rust-locked
bolts
.
I
bent
my
head
and
stepped
in
.
A
kiss
met
my
face
in
the
dark
.
“
Welcome
to
your
house
,
”
she
said
.
We
went
down
the
little
,
dark
,
rickety
staircase
.
At
the
bottom
was
a
door
.
Locked
.
“
Oh
,
this
is
too
much
!
”
said
Chloe
.
“
Go
back
a
few
steps
,
”
I
said
,
for
my
blood
was
up
now
,
and
,
besides
,
the
door
did
not
feel
very
firm
.
“
Broad
shoulders
are
useful
sometimes
,
”
she
said
,
when
the
door
had
given
way
to
the
pressure
of
mine
,
and
we
found
ourselves
standing
in
the
great
,
dark
kitchen
,
where
the
thin
,
dusty
shafts
of
yellow
sunlight
shot
through
the
shuttercracks
.
We
had
down
those
shutters
,
and
looked
out
through
the
dingy
windows
on
the
moat
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
what
a
place
!
”
she
said
,
and
kissed
me
again
.
“
Just
look
at
the
roasting-jack
,
and
the
rack
for
guns
,
and
the
hooks
in
the
roof
to
hang
hams
and
things
—
and
,
oh
—
there
's
a
great
bacon-rack
.
It
is
too
beautiful
!
”
We
explored
the
pantry
and
the
servants
'
hall
,
the
little
bedrooms
above
,
and
then
along
the
flagged
passage
to
the
great
hall
,
tiled
with
white
and
red
marble
,
with
the
oak
staircase
winding
up
out
of
it
.
We
explored
the
living-rooms
that
led
from
it
,
and
before
we
had
climbed
the
first
flight
of
stairs
to
the
great
drawing-room
,
my
wife
was
breathless
with
enthusiasm
.
She
kissed
me
in
every
room
—
“
for
luck
,
”
as
she
explained
—
and
when
at
last
even
the
great
attics
held
nothing
concealed
from
us
,
I
calculated
that
I
had
received
twenty-nine
kisses
.
“
It
ought
to
let
for
a
good
bit
,
”
I
said
,
thoughtfully
,
when
at
last
I
had
replaced
all
the
shutters
,
and
had
persuaded
her
to
come
out
and
let
me
bang
the
big
door
after
us
.
“
It
'll
want
some
doing
up
,
wo
n't
it
?
”
said
Chloe
.
“
That
's
a
very
dangerous
hole
in
the
staircase
.
Come
,
let
's
go
round
the
garden
.
”
We
went
.
The
old
garden
had
always
been
beautiful
to
me
,
even
in
the
days
when
I
used
secretly
to
eat
gooseberries
there
,
and
plums
,
and
peaches
in
an
unripe
state
;
and
it
was
beautiful
now
,
even
as
I
remembered
it
,
only
now
its
trees
and
bushes
were
incredibly
grown
—
moss-
cushioned
its
paths
.
Its
fountains
were
dry
and
weed
grown
,
and
its
sun-dial
was
covered
with
briony
and
woody
nightshade
.
I
put
aside
the
green
trails
to
show
Chloe
the
motto
,
Horas
numero
nisi
serenas
(
“
I
chronicle
only
the
sunny
hours
”
)
.
She
leaned
her
elbows
on
the
top
of
the
sundial
,
and
looked
at
me
.
“
There
now
,
you
see
,
”
she
said
.
“
We
must
live
here
!
We
simply
must
.
Only
sunny
hours
!
”
“
My
dear
,
it
's
madness
.
We
ca
n't
live
here
.
We
can
let
it
for
two
hundred
pounds
a
year
.
”
“
I
do
n't
care
if
we
could
let
it
for
two
thousand
,
”
said
she
.
“
And
our
furniture
would
about
fill
the
servants
'
hall
and
the
kitchen
.
”
“
Then
we
'll
live
in
the
servants
'
hall
and
the
kitchen
.
”
“
And
we
could
never
keep
up
the
garden
.
It
would
take
three
men
all
their
time
.
”
“
It
would
n't
.
And
I
'd
get
up
at
three
in
the
morning
and
weed
.
”
“
But
you
promised
to
be
reasonable
.
”
“
I
am
;
it
's
you
who
are
n't
;
and
if
I
did
I
do
n't
care
.
It
's
what
I
've
wanted
all
my
life
.
Oh
,
Len
,
you
must
.
”
“
If
you
're
so
keen
on
the
place
we
might
live
in
one
of
the
cottages
.
”
There
were
four
on
the
estate
.
“
I
hate
the
cottages
.
Poky
little
things
.
”
“
They
're
bigger
than
the
Bandbox
,
”
I
said
.
“
I
hate
the
Bandbox
,
”
she
said
,
mutinously
.
Then
I
laughed
.
“
After
that
heresy
,
”
I
said
,
“
I
shall
take
you
home
.
My
darling
lunatic
,
come
away
.
The
Red
House
has
turned
your
brain
.
”
Chloe
mounted
in
silence
,
and
in
silence
we
rode
away
.
In
the
village
I
stopped
at
the
plumber
's
—
he
is
also
a
builder
and
a
house
agent
,
and
though
it
was
Saturday
,
he
was
,
after
all
,
at
home
—
and
rather
hurriedly
told
him
to
try
and
let
the
Red
House
.
Chloe
said
nothing
,
but
stood
beside
me
pale
with
the
strain
of
her
inward
protest
.
We
rode
on
.
“
How
could
you
?
”
she
said
,
presently
.
“
When
shall
we
ever
have
such
a
chance
again
?
That
glorious
green
garden
,
and
the
orchard
,
all
pinky
and
white
,
and
the
drawing-room
—
it
must
be
forty
feet
long
—
and
the
cottages
,
and
the
still-room
,
and
the
dear
,
darling
,
little
apple-room
.
The
whole
place
is
like
a
picture
out
of
Silas
Marner
.
I
'm
sure
that
long
,
low
room
where
you
have
to
go
down
two
steps
was
called
the
white
parlor
.
It
's
like
all
the
houses
I
've
ever
dreamed
of
.
And
after
I
've
kissed
you
in
every
room
for
luck
,
too
,
and
everything
!
Oh
,
Len
,
you
do
n't
really
love
me
,
or
you
'd
let
me
live
there
!
”
“
You
certainly
put
a
great
strain
on
my
love
,
madam
,
”
I
said
,
“
when
you
cry
for
the
moon
in
this
disgraceful
manner
on
the
king
's
high-road
.
Cheer
up
!
Perhaps
you
'll
feel
saner
in
the
morning
.
If
not
,
we
'll
send
for
the
doctor
.
”
“
Well
,
you
'll
never
let
it
,
”
she
said
,
riding
faster
and
faster
in
her
indignation
.
“
That
's
one
comfort
!
If
you
do
,
I
shall
never
believe
in
anything
again
.
It
's
the
most
beautiful
place
in
the
world
—
and
it
's
ours
—
our
very
own
.
You
'll
see
;
no
one
will
dare
to
take
it
.
”
What
spells
she
worked
I
do
n't
know
,
nor
how
she
worked
them
.
But
,
curiously
enough
,
no
one
did
take
the
house
.
City
gentleman
after
city
gentleman
approached
and
retreated
after
a
parley
,
that
always
ended
in
suggestions
for
repairs
to
the
tune
of
from
four
to
five
hundred
pounds
.
At
first
each
new
applicant
was
to
me
an
object
of
interest
,
and
to
Chloe
an
object
of
jealous
detestation
.
But
as
time
wore
on
,
and
each
new
candidate
told
the
same
unflattering
tale
of
the
shocking
state
of
repairs
at
the
Red
House
,
the
hour
came
when
at
the
accustomed
formula
I
merely
smiled
.
But
Chloe
laughed
,
a
laugh
of
triumph
and
delight
.
We
used
to
ride
over
there
every
day
to
see
if
the
house
was
let
,
and
it
never
was
;
and
more
and
more
flowers
came
out
in
the
garden
—
old
,
small
sweet
tulips
and
forget-me-nots
and
hearts-ease
,
and
the
roses
were
in
tiny
bud
.
And
never
for
a
day
did
Chloe
cease
to
cry
for
the
moon
.
The
27th
of
May
is
her
birthday
.
It
is
also
the
anniversary
of
the
day
on
which
I
first
met
her
.
So
that
when
,
on
that
day
,
she
held
her
hand
up
to
look
at
her
new
turquoises
,
and
said
,
“
It
is
a
lovely
ring
,
and
you
're
a
dear
,
reckless
,
extravagant
millionaire
,
and
I
love
you
;
but
oh
,
Len
,
I
wish
you
'd
give
me
the
Red
House
instead
”
—
I
could
hold
out
no
longer
.
“
Very
well
,
”
I
said
,
“
you
shall
have
the
moon
,
since
you
wo
n't
give
up
crying
for
it
.
But
do
n't
blame
me
if
you
find
it
's
only
green
cheese
,
after
all
.
”
“
Oh
,
you
darling
!
”
she
cried
.
“
But
I
knew
all
the
time
you
would
—
if
I
only
kept
on
—
”
“
This
revelation
of
your
methods
of
government
—
”
I
began
,
with
proper
severity
.
But
she
stopped
my
mouth
quite
irresistibly
.
“
Now
,
do
n't
growl
when
I
'm
so
happy
,
”
she
said
.
“
We
shall
never
have
any
horrid
rent
to
pay
again
.
We
are
just
being
economical
,
that
's
all
.
We
ca
n't
afford
to
keep
a
great
house
eating
ing
its
head
off
in
the
stable
;
and
,
anyway
,
we
sha'
n't
dun
ourselves
for
repairs
.
”
“
There
will
be
rates
,
”
I
said
.
“
And
roses
,
”
said
she
.
“
And
the
expense
of
moving
.
”
“
And
the
economy
of
moving
.
”
“
And
we
ca
n't
afford
a
gardener
.
”
“
And
we
do
n't
want
one
.
”
“
And
we
've
got
no
furniture
.
”
“
Yes
,
we
have
;
a
whole
Bandbox
full
.
”
“
And
there
's
a
ghost
.
”
“
We
sha'
n't
see
it
—
”
“
And
if
you
do
?
”
“
I
'll
train
it
to
run
on
errands
and
clean
the
windows
.
”
“
No
servant
will
stay
with
us
.
”
“
They
wo
n't
as
it
is
.
”
“
There
's
a
condition
,
”
I
said
.
“
Anything
on
earth
,
”
said
she
.
“
If
I
give
you
the
Red
House
for
a
dear
little
birthday
present
,
I
must
insist
on
being
allowed
to
put
my
shaving-brush
down
anywhere
in
it
;
just
anywhere
I
choose
.
”
“
You
shall
.
There
's
room
enough
,
”
she
said
,
but
even
at
that
moment
she
sighed
.
“
When
do
you
wish
to
move
in
?
”
“
On
your
birthday
,
of
course
.
”
And
so
it
was
decided
.
The
blow
I
had
dreaded
had
fallen
.
My
own
hands
had
guided
it
.
On
the
6th
of
June
we
were
to
take
possession
of
an
immense
mansion
,
standing
in
its
own
grounds
,
replete
with
every
possible
inconvenience
.
Chloe
dropped
her
work
and
sewed
curtains
all
day
.
I
had
never
known
her
so
happy
.
And
indeed
,
now
that
the
die
was
cast
,
I
myself
felt
that
our
new
experiment
had
in
it
at
least
all
the
elements
of
interest
.
I
owned
as
much
.
“
Ah
,
”
said
Chloe
,
“
I
knew
you
hid
a
kindly
heart
under
that
mask
of
indifference
.
Interesting
?
Oh
,
my
dear
boy
,
you
have
n't
the
faintest
idea
of
the
interesting
things
that
are
going
to
happen
to
us
at
the
Red
House
.
”
Nor
had
she
.
Had
either
of
us
even
faintly
imagined
a
tenth
part
of
what
was
to
befall
us
in
that
house
—
And
yet
I
do
n't
know
.
Chloe
says
now
that
she
would
have
left
the
safe
shelter
of
the
Bandbox
just
the
same
.
And
I
—
well
,
as
you
see
,
if
Chloe
only
“
keeps
all
on
,
”
I
am
foolish
enough
for
anything
.
II
IN
THE
RED
HOUSE
“
YOU
look
like
a
historical
picture
,
”
Chloe
said
.
“
What's-his-name
weeping
over
the
ruins
of
Somewhere
or
other
.
”
“
I
am
weeping
,
over
the
ruins
of
my
happy
home
,
”
I
replied
,
as
I
sat
on
a
packing-case
and
stirred
with
my
boot-toe
a
tangle
of
brown
paper
,
string
,
dust
,
and
empty
bottles
on
the
dining-room
floor
.
“
Nonsense
!
”
she
said
.
“
Your
happy
home
's
where
I
am
,
is
n't
it
?
”
“
That
's
just
what
I
say
.
This
adorable
Bandbox
of
ours
contained
my
heart
's
one
treasure
,
and
therefore
—
”
“
If
you
mean
me
,
”
she
said
,
briskly
,
“
your
treasure
is
not
going
to
be
kept
in
a
Bandbox
any
longer
.
It
is
going
to
live
in
a
palace
—
”
“
Unfurnished
—
replete
with
—
”
“
Historic
associations
and
other
delights
,
”
she
interrupted
.
“
And
not
quite
unfurnished
,
either
.
Poor
,
dear
boy
—
was
it
unhappy
at
the
nasty
flitting
,
then
?
And
was
it
like
a
cat
,
and
did
it
hate
to
leave
its
own
house
?
It
shall
have
its
paws
buttered
—
its
boots
,
I
mean
—
the
minute
we
get
into
the
new
house
!
”
She
came
and
sat
beside
me
on
the
packing-case
,
and
I
absently
put
my
arm
round
her
.
“
Allow
me
a
moment
for
natural
regrets
,
”
I
said
.
“
It
is
not
fair
to
distract
my
mind
with
undue
influence
when
I
'm
watching
the
dark
waters
of
time
close
over
the
wreck
of
that
good
ship
,
the
Bandbox
.
”
“
That
's
fine
writing
,
”
she
said
,
contemptuously
.
“
Talk
sensibly
,
there
's
a
good
boy
.
”
Acquiescing
,
I
pinched
her
ears
softly
.
What
my
wife
terms
sensible
conversation
is
unworthy
to
be
reported
.
The
Bandbox
lay
before
us
,
so
to
speak
,
in
little
bits
.
All
the
curtains
were
down
,
and
all
the
pictures
.
The
crockery
was
packed
up
,
so
were
the
wedding-presents
.
The
saucepans
and
kettles
sat
in
a
forlorn
group
on
the
sitting-room
floor
.
Our
comfortable
beds
were
now
nothing
but
rolls
of
striped
ticking
and
long
,
iron
bands
—
lying
about
where
one
could
best
trip
over
them
.
The
wall-papers
,
which
had
looked
so
bright
and
pleasant
with
our
books
and
pictures
on
them
,
now
showed
,
in
patches
of
aggressively
unfaded
color
,
the
outlines
of
the
shelves
and
frames
that
had
hung
against
them
.
The
fire
that
had
boiled
our
breakfast-kettle
had
gone
out
,
and
the
cold
ashes
looked
inexpressibly
desolate
.
As
we
sat
awaiting
the
arrival
of
our
green-grocer
,
who
had
undertaken
to
“
move
”
us
,
I
pointed
out
the
ashes
to
Chloe
.
“
I
believe
you
would
like
to
put
some
on
your
head
,
”
said
she
.
The
green-grocer
had
promised
to
come
at
nine
o'clock
.
That
was
why
we
had
got
up
in
the
middle
of
the
night
,
and
finished
our
packing
before
eight
o'clock
.
It
was
now
past
ten
.
“
He
has
thought
better
of
it
,
”
said
I
.
“
He
is
a
far-seeing
man
,
and
a
kindly
.
He
knows
it
cannot
be
for
our
real
good
to
leave
our
Bandbox
.
Let
's
set
to
work
and
put
all
the
things
back
in
their
places
!
”
“
Here
he
is
,
”
said
Chloe
,
jumping
off
the
packing-case
at
the
squeaking
sound
which
ever
preludes
any
weak
effort
on
the
part
of
the
Bandbox
door-knocker
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
”
she
whispered
,
in
awestruck
tones
,
“
it
is
n't
the
men
!
I
can
see
through
the
door-glass
,
and
it
's
a
lady
,
and
look
at
me
!
”
“
Life
hardly
offers
a
dearer
pleasure
!
”
said
I
,
and
indeed
,
in
her
white
gown
and
blue
pinafore
,
with
her
brown
hair
loose
and
ruffled
,
she
made
so
pretty
a
picture
that
I
could
not
help
thinking
how
a
really
high-toned
green-grocer
might
well
have
refused
base
coin
as
the
price
of
“
moving
”
us
,
counting
himself
well
paid
by
the
sight
of
her
.
“
I
'll
go
,
if
you
like
,
”
I
said
,
and
went
.
Chloe
hid
herself
behind
the
kitchen
door
,
where
the
jack-towel
used
to
hang
.
Even
its
roller
had
been
unscrewed
and
packed
now
.
“
Chloe
!
”
I
called
,
“
it
's
all
right
.
It
's
only
Yolande
.
”
“
Only
,
indeed
!
”
Miss
Riseborough
echoed
.
“
Oh
,
here
you
are
!
What
on
earth
's
all
this
?
A
spring
cleaning
?
”
“
Yolande
?
”
Chloe
cried
.
“
But
I
thought
you
were
in
Italy
!
”
“
So
I
am
.
At
least
I
was
last
week
,
and
shall
be
again
next
.
I
've
just
run
over
for
a
few
days
on
business
,
and
I
slipped
away
to
the
Bandbox
to
rest
my
eyes
with
a
look
at
the
turtle-doves
.
But
they
do
n't
look
restful
at
all
.
”
She
was
taking
the
long
,
pearl-headed
pins
out
of
her
hat
as
she
spoke
.
“
Oh
!
”
said
my
wife
,
again
.
“
Sit
down
—
no
—
not
on
that
—
it
's
crocks
and
newspapers
—
and
the
chairs
are
all
packed
.
Try
the
packing-case
.
”
But
murmuring
,
“
The
divan
for
me
!
”
Yolande
sank
down
on
a
roll
of
bedding
.
“
I
've
yards
to
tell
you
,
only
I
thought
you
were
in
that
horrid
Italy
,
and
I
've
been
too
busy
to
write
.
We
're
moving
into
a
house
with
twenty-nine
rooms
in
it
.
”
Then
the
whole
story
came
out
—
of
Chloe
's
folly
and
of
my
madness
.
Yolande
listened
intently
,
her
bright
,
gray
eyes
taking
in
Chloe
's
transports
,
and
my
all
too
moderate
enthusiasm
,
as
well
as
the
devastated
state
of
the
Bandbox
.
“
You
poor
,
dear
things
,
”
she
said
.
“
I
wish
I
was
n't
going
back
to
Italy
to-morrow
.
I
should
like
to
lend
a
hand
.
”
“
I
know
you
would
,
”
said
I
,
with
intent
.
“
Oh
yes
,
but
you
ca
n't
wound
me
with
your
sneers
.
I
own
I
love
to
have
a
finger
in
my
neighbors
'
pies
,
and
the
more
I
love
my
neighbor
,
the
more
I
long
to
infest
her
house
on
baking-days
.
But
look
here
,
I
wish
you
'd
do
me
a
good
turn
.
If
your
house
is
that
awful
size
,
you
will
certainly
have
a
couple
of
spare
rooms
in
it
.
”
“
More
like
five-and-twenty
,
”
I
said
.
“
Well
,
I
've
let
my
flat
,
unfurnished
.
Could
you
,
would
you
,
can
you
,
will
you
be
angels
enough
to
take
in
my
poor
,
homeless
furniture
,
and
give
it
board
and
lodging
and
the
comforts
of
a
home
for
a
month
or
two
?
”
Of
course
we
would
,
gladly
,
and
we
said
so
.
And
then
we
talked
—
always
of
the
Red
House
.
“
You
'll
have
a
good
deal
of
fun
for
your
money
in
your
new
house
,
”
Yolande
said
,
at
last
,
“
but
,
oh
,
you
make
me
feel
as
if
you
were
the
Babes
in
the
Wood
and
I
were
the
wicked
uncle
.
I
do
wish
I
could
stay
and
help
you
,
but
I
've
three
pupils
waiting
in
Florence
with
their
mouths
wide
open
,
and
a
mere
temporary
chaperon
guarding
them
,
and
I
must
scurry
back
to
fill
those
gaping
beaks
with
fat
plums
of
learning
.
It
's
a
dreadful
trade
,
a
crammer
's
—
almost
as
bad
as
the
samphire-gatherers
'
.
”
“
Wish
the
pie
luck
,
anyhow
,
”
said
I
,
drawing
the
cork
of
the
ginger-ale
,
“
though
you
ca
n't
have
your
fingers
in
it
this
time
.
But
I
dare
say
there
'll
be
a
bit
of
cold
pie
left
for
you
when
you
come
back
.
”
So
we
stood
up
solemnly
and
raised
our
glasses
to
my
toast
,
“
Here
's
luck
to
the
Red
House
!
”
Then
said
Yolande
,
“
And
to
the
Babes
in
the
Wood
!
”
And
to
Chloe
's
toast
,
“
Here
's
to
the
wicked
uncle
—
I
mean
the
fairy
godmother
,
”
we
emptied
the
glasses
.
Then
Yolande
said
good-bye
,
and
pinned
her
hat
on
to
her
bright
hair
.
At
the
door
she
turned
to
say
:
“
By-the-way
,
you
wo
n't
mind
my
asking
you
to
keep
my
things
aired
,
will
you
?
The
furniture-warehouse
people
always
let
them
get
mothy
,
and
give
the
piano
a
cold
in
its
head
.
You
might
hang
up
the
pictures
,
if
you
do
n't
mind
the
trouble
;
they
've
all
got
cords
,
and
they
keep
better
hung
up
,
like
meat
or
game
,
you
know
.
And
furniture
keeps
best
when
it
's
being
used
.
You
'll
sit
on
my
chairs
now
and
then
,
for
the
sake
of
the
absent
,
wo
n't
you
?
My
settle
would
go
awfully
well
with
your
gate-table
,
and
my
oak
press
would
do
in
those
‘marble
halls’
you
were
talking
about
.
I
must
rush
,
or
miss
my
train
.
Good-bye
.
I
'll
send
the
furniture
down
to-morrow
.
”
And
she
was
gone
.
Chloe
turned
to
me
with
wide-open
,
sparkling
eyes
.
“
Oh
,
Len
,
is
n't
she
a
darling
?
Just
because
she
saw
how
our
Bandboxful
of
furniture
would
rattle
about
in
that
big
house
like
a
peanut
in
a
cocoanut
shell
,
to
lend
us
all
hers
!
She
is
a
darling
.
”
“
She
is
,
”
I
admitted
,
“
and
her
hair
is
the
real
Venetian
red
.
But
you
'll
miss
the
furniture
horribly
when
she
takes
it
away
.
”
“
Do
n't
grumble
,
”
said
Chloe
.
“
We
shall
have
all
her
lovely
things
for
months
and
months
,
and
by
the
time
she
comes
back
we
shall
have
made
some
money
to
buy
things
.
I
'm
going
to
work
like
a
nigger
directly
we
get
settled
.
And
so
must
you
.
Oh
,
here
are
the
men
at
last
.
Two
hours
late
!
”
“
Perhaps
it
is
as
well
,
”
I
said
.
“
Harriet
is
only
just
ready
.
”
Our
fat-faced
maid-servant
,
who
had
rigidly
refused
during
the
whole
morning
to
assist
us
in
the
least
,
on
the
ground
that
she
“
had
her
packing
to
see
to
,
”
now
descended
the
stairs
,
bearing
her
whole
wardrobe
in
two
brown-paper
parcels
and
a
tin
hat-box
.
“
Come
in
,
please
,
”
said
Chloe
,
to
our
remover
.
“
You
'd
better
take
these
oak
boxes
first
.
They
're
very
heavy
.
”
“
I
wants
chesties
of
drawerses
,
”
said
the
man
,
hoarsely
,
“
all
the
chesties
of
drawerses
you
've
got
,
and
the
pianner
.
Come
on
,
Bill
.
”
“
Right
you
are
,
Charley
,
”
was
the
response
.
“
We
have
n't
a
piano
,
here
,
”
said
Chloe
,
and
Charley
seemed
at
once
to
form
the
lowest
opinion
of
us
.
He
was
a
thick-set
ruffian
with
a
red
and
angry
eye
.
He
was
one
of
the
four
helpers
engaged
by
the
green-grocer
to
“
move
”
us
.
His
clothes
and
those
of
his
friends
smelled
strange
and
stuffy
,
as
though
they
had
been
smeared
with
putty
and
mutton
fat
,
and
locked
away
for
years
in
a
cupboard
full
of
pickled
onions
and
yellow
soap
and
mice
.
The
clothes
of
the
unskilled
laborer
always
have
this
strange
scent
.
It
lingers
about
everything
they
touch
in
passing
through
a
house
,
and
after
days
its
freshness
is
still
unimpaired
.
But
I
never
knew
any
scent
so
overpowering
as
that
which
clung
to
the
clothes
of
Charley
and
his
mates
.
They
strayed
loudly
up
the
uncarpeted
stairs
,
urgent
in
their
insistence
on
“
chesties
of
drawerses
,
”
and
Chloe
would
have
followed
them
,
but
Harriet
came
forward
with
,
“
Please
,
'
m
,
could
I
speak
to
you
for
a
moment
?
”
“
Well
?
”
“
Please
,
I
should
wish
to
leave
at
the
end
of
my
month
.
Mother
says
the
place
ai
n't
fit
for
me
.
The
'
ouse
is
too
large
and
the
work
is
too
'
eavy
.
”
“
But
we
're
going
into
another
house
,
”
said
Chloe
,
cheerfully
.
“
Mother
do
n't
'
old
with
movings
,
”
resumed
Harriet
,
“
and
she
says
the
'
ouse
is
too
large
and
the
work
too
'
eavy
.
”
“
Very
well
;
you
can
go
into
the
kitchen
and
wait
till
we
're
ready
to
start
,
”
said
Chloe
,
with
dignity
.
But
when
the
fat-faced
traitress
had
stumped
away
down
the
little
passage
,
Chloe
dragged
me
into
the
dismantled
dining-room
and
flung
her
arms
round
my
neck
.
This
was
not
,
I
knew
,
affection
.
It
was
merely
despair
.
“
She
's
a
pig
,
”
said
my
wife
,
with
tears
in
her
voice
.
“
Her
month
's
up
in
a
week
.
She
might
have
told
us
before
.
And
I
'm
sure
we
've
been
kind
to
her
.
I
gave
her
that
green
moreen
petticoat
,
and
some
stockings
and
collars
and
things
,
only
yesterday
.
And
the
petticoat
was
as
good
as
new
.
”
“
I
'll
have
satisfaction
for
that
outrage
,
at
any
rate
.
A
moreen
petticoat
—
and
green
,
too
!
”
I
cried
.
“
She
must
be
a
stranger
to
all
the
higher
emotions
of
our
fallen
nature
.
Cheer
up
,
my
darling
,
we
'll
get
another
girl
right
enough
—
a
better
one
.
”
“
We
could
n't
have
a
worse
,
”
said
she
.
“
Oh
,
they
've
broken
something
.
I
heard
it
smash
.
I
do
hope
it
's
not
the
Dresden
vases
.
”
It
was
only
our
best
looking-glass
,
the
same
in
which
I
had
rebelliously
dared
to
shave
.
“
Never
mind
,
”
I
said
.
“
They
'll
have
to
replace
it
,
and
Charley
will
be
unlucky
for
seven
years
.
That
's
one
comfort
.
”
It
was
almost
our
only
one
.
Reckless
as
a
herd
of
pigs
in
mid-flight
,
yet
slow
as
an
army
of
lame
snails
,
Charley
and
his
confederates
packed
our
Bandboxful
of
furniture
into
the
dark
van
that
smelled
of
matting
and
straw
and
quarter-day
.
They
broke
an
“
occasional
”
table
,
and
the
door
of
the
corner
cupboard
,
and
they
smashed
on
the
door-step
the
great
jar
of
pickled
walnuts
which
my
mother-in-law
had
told
me
would
last
us
a
year
.
But
it
was
Harriet
who
,
sulkily
obeying
my
order
to
make
herself
useful
,
went
to
the
top
of
the
house
to
fetch
two
highly
colored
texts
from
the
walls
of
her
bed-room
,
and
,
returning
,
fell
over
the
best
toilet
set
,
smashing
the
jug
and
the
soap-dish
lid
!
It
was
rather
a
nice
set
,
too
,
dark
green
,
that
Yolande
had
brought
from
Italy
,
and
,
by
us
,
here
,
totally
irreplaceable
.
I
sent
Harriet
into
the
back
kitchen
then
.
“
And
do
n't
you
come
out
till
we
're
ready
to
start
,
”
I
said
.
When
the
last
of
our
“
sticks
”
had
been
dragged
from
the
house
,
and
the
van
had
been
half
unpacked
to
recover
my
coat
and
hat
,
zealously
hidden
under
the
dining-room
table
in
the
van
's
centre
,
and
when
the
forlorn
party
of
chairs
and
bookcases
had
been
removed
from
the
pavement
and
once
more
envanned
,
we
added
Harriet
,
speechless
with
sulky
displeasure
,
to
the
van-load
;
and
as
we
watched
them
drive
off
,
my
heart
,
at
least
,
was
lighter
.
We
set
up
our
bicycles
ready
,
and
blew
up
the
tires
.
Then
we
went
all
over
the
little
house
,
“
to
say
good-bye
to
it
,
”
my
wife
said
.
Her
face
was
quite
sad
now
.
It
was
in
that
horrid
little
dressing-room
that
she
slipped
her
hand
into
mine
and
said
:
“
I
did
n't
think
I
should
be
sorry
.
But
I
am
.
Dear
little
Bandbox
—
we
've
been
very
happy
here
,
have
n't
we
?
Oh
,
do
say
you
think
we
shall
be
just
as
happy
there
.
You
do
,
do
n't
you
?
”
A
narrator
cannot
be
expected
to
chronicle
all
his
replies
.
My
answer
satisfied
Chloe
,
anyhow
,
and
she
consented
to
dry
her
eyes
on
my
handkerchief
.
Then
we
took
a
last
look
round
,
and
went
out
