Marriage -- Fiction; Married people -- Fiction; Portrait painters -- Fiction; Women novelists -- Fiction
After awhile they turned into Washington Mews and drew up before the
stable, with its box trees and its window hedges, its quaint little
windows, and brass door-rail.
"Here we are!" cried Jerry.
"Oh, Jerry, it is adorable!"
"Wait till you get inside."
The door was opened by a middle-aged woman.
"This is Anna, who is to look after us, Jane."
"Good-afternoon, Anna. I am glad you're here."
"Yes'm. I'm here. Oh! ain't the baby sweet?"
A little, square hall welcomed them, with a reception-room at one side
and white stairs leading up to the second floor. It was done in pale
yellow and Chinese blue and led directly into the great studio room
which was beyond. It was a noble room of great size and distinction,
with one whole wall of glass, the opposite one containing a fireplace
which held six-foot logs. It was decorated in shades of brown, with the
most daring use of colour--orange, black, blue, and yellow. A balcony
swung over half the room, with a magnificent Chinese coat hung over the
rail.
"Jerry, it is perfect!" Jane exclaimed.
"Isn't it ripping? I wish we could buy it."
"It's wonderful enough to me to rent it. Let's go upstairs."
Above, there were several bedrooms, a dressing-room, and baths.
"This is the sunniest room, so I allotted it to his Royal Nobs," Jerry
explained.
"How clever of you to have his bed ready."
"Oh, Bobs did that. This is our suite."
"Jerry, are we really going to live here?"
"We are! I'm so glad you like it. I could hardly breathe for fear you
wouldn't," he said excitedly.
"How could I help liking it? It is beautiful!"
They went over it from top to bottom, discovering new joys. Anna
displayed her department with pride. Also her bedroom, light and
attractively furnished, with a bathroom off.
"I think we are going to be very happy here, Anna."
"Yes, ma'am, if I can suit you."
"I think you can. Come up and see baby in his new bed."
That night at dinner, Jerry smiled at her over the candles.
"Isn't this fun, Jane?"
"It's like a dream, Jerry. I'm afraid I'll wake up."
"We can give some real parties in this place."
"We must have all the studio crowd in for a house-warming," she
answered.
Bobs and the Chatfields came in, during the evening, to wish them
welcome. Bobs slipped off upstairs to see baby, and Jane followed.
"I see your fine hand in many things provided for our comfort and
pleasure, dear."
"Oh, I just looked after things a bit. Doesn't he look like a kitten,
all relaxed and soft?"
"He is a wonderful possession," Jane said, with so much feeling that
Bobs dared not look at her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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