They went from room to room of the little house,
Mrs Toms and MrsGrove following after.
He stood looking at the smoke for a
moment.
By the time she had pouredout coffee he had found
out in which court the case was beingheard. Shedid not answer at once; she was
twirling her flower. Whenwas Morris going to speak, she wondered?
Just what shell like, he added, shoving it toone
side.
Are you coming with me this afternoon, Papa? Her
anger was rising; it was his fault largely. His glance passedover them without any
sign of recognition. It was stilldaylight here; a rush, a stir, a turmoil of
variegated life cameracing towards her. This washer world; here she was in her
element. And now she felt nothing; hungrymerely; merely a chicken-eater;
blank.
Something pretty, something to wear, Eleanor
panted. Her anger was rising; it was his fault largely.
And now shes written to ask me formoney, he
thought. She leant over the flaps of the cab looking out.
Hewas entering something in his pocket-book. He
held out hiscamellia; his customary gift. He was now lying back in his great carved
chair under the Lion andthe Unicorn, listening. That symbol of her girlish sentiment
amused hergrimly. The paper boys at the gates were dealing out papers with
unusualrapidity.
He seemed to her like a flystruggling to haul
itself up out of a saucer. She spokedirectly and accurately, but the Colonel felt
another twinge ofdoubt.
Shedid not answer at once; she was twirling her
flower. For some reason when he saw her he realisedthat he could not tell her. A
little man in a tweed cap got out and rapped at thedoor. One of the barristers in
the front row turned his head.
He shuffled and squirmed; she felt that she was
going to lose hertemper. Were going to mend your ceiling, she shouted.
Suddenlythe Judge interrupted:Do I understand you
to hold, Mr Pargiter . If you cant make a good job of it, she said curtly, I
shallemploy somebody else. Peoplejostled and hustled and she quickened her pace in
time with theirs.
To atone for the mess inthe drawing-room, Lady
Pargiter had given her a hat. A little puffof smoke rose from the cigar. No, no, he
said to himself with sudden conviction, as Eleanor camein. A little man in a tweed
cap got out and rapped at thedoor.
Immense reserves of emotion seemed to dwell in
them. It was opened by a woman who was about to have a baby.
Eleanor felt a little thrill of awe run through
her.