Perhaps Miss La Trobe meant that when she cut this
knotin the centre? Streatfield called his roll call, he laid theblame on them.
William, turning, followingher eyes, saw only a man in grey. The prologue,they
added, looking down at the programme.
He stubbedhis light tennis shoes on the wood. Thats
what I wished, Isa added, when I dropped my pin. Then the separate letters made one
wordCat.
William at the table, now attached to Mrs. Rupert
Haines, detainedby a breakdown on the road, had arrived.
Then the music peteredout on the last word
we.
Mice slid in andout of holes or stood upright,
nibbling.
The lawn was as flat as thefloor of a
theatre.
Certainly Miss La Trobe had spoken the truth when
shesaid: The very place for a pageant!
But the machine continued:Chuff, chuff,
chuff.
Countless beetles andinsects of various sorts
burrowed in the dry wood.
And from her bosoms snowy antre drewthe gleaming
blade. William, turning, followingher eyes, saw only a man in grey. She had to
steady the ruffle which threatened toblow away. A perfect marvel of a woman,arent
you, Mrs. All the time the villagers were passing in and out between thetrees. Ill
show you the greenhouse, the pig sty, or thestable.
O, Miss La Trobe growled behindher tree, the
torture of these interruptions! William at the table, now attached to Mrs. And
added: Perhaps because weve nevermet before, and never shall again.
A blue-bottle hadsettled on the cake and stabbed
its yellow rock with its shortdrill.
He was sitting to theright, several rows back, the
man in grey. Dispersed are we, the music wailed; dispersed are we. Red Indians the
game was; a reed with a notewrapped up in a pebble.
For theruff had become unpinned and great Eliza had
forgotten her lines. No, not forus, whove the future, she seemed to
say.
It didnt matter what the words were; or who sang
what. Bartholomew, following, blessed the power of thehuman body to make the earth
fruitful.
Only Bond the cowman looked fluid and natural.