She dipped her spoon in a plate of cleargolden
fluid. The pheasants looked smaller now, as if their bodies had
shrunktogether.
Then he heard soft slow footstepsapproaching; a
rustle in the corridor.
King Lappin, she added,dangling her little front
paws in the firelight. Yes, he had done well with the three diamonds;also there was
the commission on the emerald. Again the door opened, pushed feebly this time. The
light fromreflectors at the back of the shop struck upwards. She cut two slices and
laid them on a plate.
There they were, ten pearls on the blotting-paper
on the table.
Then Wing lifted the tail of the cart and drove in
the pinswhich secured it.
Then the butler drew thedecanter towards Miss
Antonia, and paused for a moment with his headbent.
Hismeagre dress clothes made him look unkempt,
insignificant, angular.
Birds wild, Miss Antonia nodded, watching the
helter-skelter. Hismeagre dress clothes made him look unkempt, insignificant,
angular. Luncheon is served, maam, said the butler.
Again the door opened, pushed feebly this time.
Yes, he had done well with the three diamonds;also there was the commission on the
emerald.
Their eyes became like pebbles, taken fromwater;
grey stones dulled and dried. Ellens daughter at the Goat and Sickle, Miss Rashleigh
added.
And Oliver, rising, could hear the rustle of the
dress of the Duchess asshe came down the passage. The grey mist had thickened in the
carriage. This, then, was the truffle he had routed out of the earth! It rippled, it
ran withsuccessive twitches. Well, when he was eatingtoast he looked like a
rabbit.
Ernestwas a difficult name to get used to. Perhaps
it would be betterwhen dusk fell. The stream at the bottom, where our wood meets the
black wood, sheexplained. Good rabbit, nice rabbit, she said, patting him, as she
used to pather tame rabbit at home. Ernest woke; and seeing her sitting bolt upright
beside him he asked:Whats the matter?
Then again up shot the rockets, thereddish purple
pheasants. Beads ofperspiration stood out on the mens foreheads.
There he stood, tall, handsome, rubbing hishands
that were red with cold. Good rabbit, nice rabbit, she said, patting him, as she
used to pather tame rabbit at home. The telephone buzzed obsequiously in a low muted
voice on his table.
She felt as if her body had shrunk; it had grown
small, and black andhard. Peeping between thechrysanthemums she saw Ernests nose
twitch. She lay curled up on her side of the bed, likea hare in its
form.
There were the black rabbits and the red; there
were theenemy rabbits and the friendly.