The Garden Party [27]
his foot and he bent down and speared you a piece. It was quite a gayme." Josephine could hardly bear that. But "I think those things are very extravagant" was all she said. "But whey?" asked Nurse Andrews, beaming through her eyeglasses. "No one, surely, would take more buttah than one wanted--would one?" "Ring, Con," cried Josephine. She couldn't trust herself to reply. And proud young Kate, the enchanted princess, came in to see what the old tabbies wanted now. She snatched away their plates of mock something or other and slapped down a white, terrified blancmange. "Jam, please, Kate," said Josephine kindly. Kate knelt and burst open the sideboard, lifted the lid of the jam-pot, saw it was empty, put it on the table, and stalked off. "I'm afraid," said Nurse Andrews a moment later, "there isn't any." "Oh, what a bother!" said Josephine. She bit her lip. "What had we better do?" Constantia looked dubious. "We can't disturb Kate again," she said softly. Nurse Andrews waited, smiling at them both. Her eyes wandered, spying at everything behind her eyeglasses. Constantia in despair went back to her camels. Josephine frowned heavily--concentrated. If it hadn't been for this idiotic woman she and Con would, of course, have eaten their blancmange without. Suddenly the idea came. "I know," she said. "Marmalade. There's some marmalade in the sideboard. Get it, Con." "I hope," laughed Nurse Andrews--and her laugh was like a spoon tinkling against a medicine-glass--"I hope it's not very bittah marmalayde."
Chapter 3.III. But, after all, it was not long now, and then she'd be gone for good. And there was no getting over the fact that she had been very kind to father. She had nursed him day and night at the end. Indeed, both Constantia and Josephine felt privately she had rather overdone the not leaving him at the very last. For when they had gone in to say good-bye Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time, holding his wrist and pretending to look at her watch. It couldn't have been necessary. It was so tactless, too. Supposing father had wanted to say something--something private to them. Not that he had. Oh, far from it! He lay there, purple, a dark, angry purple in the face, and never even looked at them when they came in. Then, as they were standing there, wondering what to do, he had suddenly opened one eye. Oh, what a difference it would have made, what a difference to their memory of him, how much easier to tell people about it, if he had only opened both! But no--one eye only. It glared at them a moment and then...went out.
Chapter 3.IV. It had made it very awkward for them when Mr. Farolles, of St. John's, called the same afternoon. "The end was quite peaceful, I trust?" were the first words he said as he glided towards them through the dark drawing-room. "Quite," said Josephine faintly. They both hung their heads. Both of them felt certain that eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye. "Won't you sit down?" said Josephine. "Thank you, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles gratefully. He folded his coat-tails and began to lower himself into father's arm-chair, but just as he touched it he almost sprang up and slid into the next chair instead. He coughed. Josephine clasped her hands; Constantia looked vague. "I want you to feel, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles, "and you, Miss Constantia, that I'm trying to be helpful. I want to be helpful to you both, if you will let me. These are the times," said Mr Farolles, very simply and earnestly, "when God means us to be helpful to one another." "Thank you very much, Mr. Farolles," said Josephine and Constantia. "Not at all," said Mr. Farolles gently. He drew his kid gloves through his fingers and leaned forward. "And if either of you would like a little Communion, either or both of you, here and now, you have only to tell me. A little Communion is often very help--a great comfort," he added tenderly. But the idea of a little Communion terrified them. What! In the drawing- room by themselves--with no--no altar or anything! The piano would
Chapter 3.III. But, after all, it was not long now, and then she'd be gone for good. And there was no getting over the fact that she had been very kind to father. She had nursed him day and night at the end. Indeed, both Constantia and Josephine felt privately she had rather overdone the not leaving him at the very last. For when they had gone in to say good-bye Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time, holding his wrist and pretending to look at her watch. It couldn't have been necessary. It was so tactless, too. Supposing father had wanted to say something--something private to them. Not that he had. Oh, far from it! He lay there, purple, a dark, angry purple in the face, and never even looked at them when they came in. Then, as they were standing there, wondering what to do, he had suddenly opened one eye. Oh, what a difference it would have made, what a difference to their memory of him, how much easier to tell people about it, if he had only opened both! But no--one eye only. It glared at them a moment and then...went out.
Chapter 3.IV. It had made it very awkward for them when Mr. Farolles, of St. John's, called the same afternoon. "The end was quite peaceful, I trust?" were the first words he said as he glided towards them through the dark drawing-room. "Quite," said Josephine faintly. They both hung their heads. Both of them felt certain that eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye. "Won't you sit down?" said Josephine. "Thank you, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles gratefully. He folded his coat-tails and began to lower himself into father's arm-chair, but just as he touched it he almost sprang up and slid into the next chair instead. He coughed. Josephine clasped her hands; Constantia looked vague. "I want you to feel, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles, "and you, Miss Constantia, that I'm trying to be helpful. I want to be helpful to you both, if you will let me. These are the times," said Mr Farolles, very simply and earnestly, "when God means us to be helpful to one another." "Thank you very much, Mr. Farolles," said Josephine and Constantia. "Not at all," said Mr. Farolles gently. He drew his kid gloves through his fingers and leaned forward. "And if either of you would like a little Communion, either or both of you, here and now, you have only to tell me. A little Communion is often very help--a great comfort," he added tenderly. But the idea of a little Communion terrified them. What! In the drawing- room by themselves--with no--no altar or anything! The piano would