The Bell - Iris Murdoch [31]
'This is where the market-garden begins,' said Mrs Mark. 'It's still very small, you know. This nearer part is what used to be the. flower garden of the Court. We're cultivating that in strips with lettuce mainly, and some carrots and onions and young leeks. Beyond is what used to be the fruit garden of the Court. That's enclosed by the high walls you see straight ahead. We've kept that very much as it was. It's well stocked with apples and pears and plenty of soft fruit. There are some greenhouses in there, and we've added the more modern ones you see on the left. They're all full of tomatoes at present. The wire thing beside them is a chicken house. Just one or two birds, you know. Then we've just started to cultivate a piece of the pastureland beyond the ha-ha. We've got cabbages there, and a good area of potatoes and brussels sprouts. We're only growing the safer vegetables at present till we've gained experience. We shall dig up more of the pastureland in the autumn.'
They came to a concrete path which led between glass frames in the direction of the walled garden. Some figures came into view. A little distance away James Tayper Pace could be seen instructing Toby how to hoe between the rows of plants. A figure, probably Peter Topglass, was moving to and fro in one of the greenhouses.
'Hoeing is an unromantic activity,' said Mrs Mark with a certain satisfaction, 'but it's one's daily bread in a market-garden.'
Patchway approached them along the path, pushing a wheelbarrow. His hat looked as if it had not moved since last night.
'Still no rain I'm afraid,' said Mrs Mark to Patchway.
'Won't see no life in them leeks before the autumn if it don't rain buckets pretty soon,' said Patchway. They stood aside to let him pass.
'He's going to lift some lettuces,' said Mrs Mark. 'Such a nice simple man. What you can see on the right is the back of the stable block, said to have been designed by Kent. Part of it was damaged by fire about fifty years ago, but as you see it's still very pretty. It figured a lot in old prints. We've made some of the loose boxes into garages, and some into packing sheds where we weigh and pack the vegetables to go to Pendelcote and Cirencester. I supervise that part of the work as well as all the indoor things and the catering. We believe that women should stick to the traditional tasks. No point in making a change just to make a change, is there? We'd be so glad if you ever felt like joining in any time. I expect you're handy • with your needle?'
Dora, who was not, was feeling the sun extremely. The reflections of heat and light from the concrete path and the Line of glass frames were giving her a headache. She put her hand to her head.
'Poor thing!' said Mrs Mark. 'I've walked you off your feet. We'll just take a quick look at the fruit garden and then I'm sure you should go inside and rest, and I must get on with my jobs.' She pushed open a heavy wooden gate in the wall and they came into the fruit garden.
The old stone walls, dry and crumbling with the long summer, covered over with brittle stonecrop and fading valerian, enclosed a large space crammed and tangled with fruit bushes. A wire cage covered an area in the far corner, and there was a glint of glass. A haze hung over the luxuriant scene, and it seemed hotter than ever within the garden. Disciplined fruit trees were spread-eagled along every wall, their leaves curling in the heat. Dora and Mrs Mark began to walk along one of the paths, the dried up spiky fingers of raspberry canes catching at their clothes.
'Why, there's Catherine,' said Mrs Mark. 'She's picking the apricots.'
They came towards her. A large string net of small mesh had been thrown over a section of the wall to protect the fruit from the birds. Behind the net Catherine was to be seen, almost lost in the foliage of the tree, dropping the golden fruit into a wide basket at her feet. She wore a floppy white