Loving - Henry Green [86]
that came into 'is head. Proper upset you didn't he?' Raunce said to the boy who kept quiet. 'No, but it's wrong,' Raunce told the others, 'it didn't ought to be allowed. Why matters went so far he got 'im talkin' of joining up to get killed. There you are. Not but what we'd all be better off over on the other side.' 'Charley,' Edith called as though he had turned his back on her. 'Upset me too that merchant did. There's been something wrong with my interior from that day to this. I can't seem able to digest my food.' 'You want to take care,' Jane chipped in solicitous. 'Now if I was to put you together a nice bowl of hot broth,' she suggested. 'Thank you,' Raunce replied lordly. Thank you but I'd best give my economy a half holiday. It's me dyspepsia,' he explained. 'Dyth-pepthia,' he added gay on a sudden. 'Don't be disgusting,' Edith reproved him. 'And I'll do all the looking after you need,' she said glancing jealous at Jane. Kate began to blush deeply. 'Holy Motheth,' Raunce crowed, 'now see what you've been and ' done Edie. You've set our Kate goin'.' 'Things is getting out of hand if you ask me.' Edith remarked. She looked desperate. At that Kate rose, left the room absolutely scarlet. 'Why whatever's the matter with her then?' Mary asked but if Charley was about to reply he never managed it because he was taken by a violent fit of coughing. Edith went to his side. A volley of suggestions was directed at him. Only Albert sat back apart. 'I choked,' he excused himself when he had recovered. 'I don't feel very grand. But you'll agree it's not good enough. It's not right this cross questionin'. Men entering the house without leave and then every sort and kind of question asked. I know she lost a valuable,' he went on, 'but it was not worth that much, couldn't have been, or she would never have gone over to England. ' Then he corrected himself. 'Well I don't know,' he said. 'It's a fact Jack had his week's leave right enough but that's not to say she should permit this individual to come nosing round. Conditions are bad enough as it is with all the buzzes and rumours over the invasion,' and all this time the others listened to Raunce with deference, 'not to mention talk of the I. R. A. Because we're at the mercy of any 'ooligan, German or Irish, situated as we are. With Mrs Tennant away we've no influence none whatever.' He paused to couch, not so violently. 'For two pins I'd throw the place up. And one reason is I got a feelin' I'm not appreciated. My work I mean.' 'I don't suppose she was in a position to help herself,' Edith pointed out reasonably. 'Once she claimed on her insurance it would be a thing the company in Dublin would do in the ordinary run, to send down and investigate.' 'I'm not disputing that,' Raunce countered, 'but what I say is Mrs T. should've been here to receive 'im. We're plain honest folk we are. This is not the first position of trust we've held down. We've come out of our places with a good reference each time or she would never have engaged us. No,' he insisted with authority, 'there's a right and a wrong way to go about matters of this sort. There you are, it's 'ighly dithtrething,' he ended as though, having noticed Edith's expression, he now intended to turn all this off into a joke. If that was his intention it was immediately successful. Like a class at school when given the signal to break up they all with one accord burst out lisping, with the exception of Raunce's Albert. In no time their hilarity had grown until each effort was received with shrieks, Edith's this time amongst the loudest. Charley began to laugh unrestrained as he held his side which seemed to pain him. Yet he let himself go. 'There'th a tanner in thith for you altho,' he shouted to Edith above the din, quoting her description of Mike Mathewson's proceedings. 'Thankth thon,' she called back. He doubled up again. 'Well thith evening'th a big differenth I mutht thay,' Jane shrieked to Mary. 'Not what we uthually have to look forward to duckth, ith it?' she yelled. At this Kate who had slipped back again began to laugh