Loving - Henry Green [56]
you,' Edith sweetly answered. 'It's only that she will leave things lying idle.' 'Like her ring,' Kate commented shrewd. 'Which was worth more than an old king's ransom I'll be bound.' 'Which ring?' the lad enquired. 'Why Albert I will admit you're chronic,' Edith said. 'You mean to lie there and tell us you never heard of Mrs Tennant's ring that was mislaid.' 'I never heard nothing.' 'No more he would,' Kate announced. "He's simple that's all.' 'Well,' Edith said, 'I made sure you must have. It was only that she's lost another valuable, a ring this time. But I chanced to come upon it the other day.' 'You did?' Kate exclaimed sitting up, 'an' you never told me.' 'Oh I've got it hid away trust little Edith,' Edith announced dully. 'They're never goin' to pin a thing on me they can call stealing by findin'. Once she gets back I'll tell her just where she'll come upon it,' she said. 'An object like that,' was Kate's comment. 'It's hid well away. There's only Miss Moira I've showed to an' she'd never tell. I worship that child,' Edith said. 'There you go again,' Kate exclaimed, 'when she's right under the thumb of Mrs Welch's precious lad. They both are. After what 'e done to that peacock one or two sapphires in a ring would be mincemeat for 'im.' 'So you've seen it,' Edith asked suddenly intense. 'Me?' Kate wanted to be told. 'Not me I never.' 'How do you come to know it was a sapphire ring then?' 'Because I've got eyes in my head, silly. I've seen 'er wear it.' 'Oh if that's all,' Edith pronounced turning away again. 'From the way you talked I thought you must've known.' 'So you 'id the ring away then?' Albert said. 'Well what else could I do, use your sense do. I didn't want to hand that over to Agatha Burch so she could get the credit did I?' 'She'd've told you were the person that came across it.' That's what you think Albert. You talk like one of these Irishmen you're so innocent but then there's more behind what they say than they let on to. If you want to know they're an improvement.' 'Edie,' Kate said in an admiring voice, 'you've changed.' 'Too true I have,' Edith answered, 'but there you are you see. Circumstances alter cases,' she said. 'Over at Clancarty,' Kate began, 'that Captain Davenport strips 'is men naked when their day's work diggin' is done to see they don't take nothing. Paddy says the priest 'as taken the matter up." 'I bet you wishes you was there,' Albert surprisingly remarked. In reply Kate fetched him a swipe with the back of her hand across his cheek. He scrambled up while she sat on fists clenched, ready to fight and get the better of him. But he walked off and did not say a word. The dejected donkey followed at his heels. Against the everlastingly hurrying ocean with its bright glare from the beginning of the world, he wandered with the donkey drooped to his tracks as if he was a journeying choirboy. 'The sauce,' Kate said. 'E's only a kid,' Edith remarked and lay back along the sand after spreading out 'I love you' for her head. She looked straight up at the sky without wrinkling the skin about her eyes. 'There's times I could go scatty in this old country,' Kate announced calm as though nothing had occurred, 'I could really. Come on let's have one of them talks like we used to. Now what about you for a start? You tell your own girl what it's like to be loved.' 'Kate you are awful.' 'Come on now there's no one to hear with this sea. Your boy friend is in the sulks along of 'is precious donkey. You tell your Kate.' 'Oh him,' Edith said, 'you want to go easy with him. What you let slip when we woke you upset Bert.' 'What d'you mean?' 'Oh I wasn't referring to that name you mentioned.' 'Then what you're gettin' at Edie is my poking fun at you lyin' over 'im to reach me?' 'That's right. You see Kate 'e's touchy. It's calf love.' 'Don't make me laugh,' Kate said scornful. 'Calf love you call that? Why you talk like you was your young lady. We got no time for calf love dear as you call it. We're ordinary workin' folk. 'E'll be going off in a faint next.' 'Just because when I see a mouse caught by its