Cities and towns -- Growth -- Fiction; Wales -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Waiter! _Ting!_ Waiter!----" and then a slight gesture; the waiters are
supposed to know the tastes of the real _habitués_ by this time; (it
counts almost as a "score" if the waiter brings your refection without
your having as much as opened your mouth to ask for it).--"The usual,
sir--yes, sir--coming!" And again they are talking, not on subjects, but
as if the act of talking were itself subject enough. Philip Lacey
discusses with Mr. Ashton the improvement in the Harwich-Hook of Holland
crossing, and Mr. Morrell exchanges views on Local Government with
Raymond Briggs. "_Ting! ting!_ You haven't cassis? Then why haven't you
cassis?"--"Very sorry, sir--coming, sir!"--"What's happened to the
newspapers this morning?"--"Of course, if it goes to
arbitration----"--"Nay, John, don't drown t' miller!" "Ten o'clock,
first stop Willesden----" "Your very good health, Mr. Morrell----"
"Debentures----" "New heating in both greenhouses----"--"Same again,
Val?"--"_Ting!_"----
"BOO-O-O-OOM-M-MMMMM!"
It is the luncheon gong.
* * * * *
Just a glance as they sit at table. Don't you think it's a pleasant
room? Three tall windows looking out on the sea, noiseless carpet,
ornaments on the sideboards rather like wooden broccoli, but the
decorations straight from London. But those two large chandelier
gas-brackets don't work yet; the plant isn't installed; that's why the
red-shaded oil-lamps are placed at intervals down the T of tables. The
older folk gather round the head of the T, and down the stalk stretch
the children. These will rise before their parents, just as they go out
of Church after the Second Lesson; they will break off just below John
Willie Garden and the Misses Euonyma and Wygelia there--who, by the way,
are more usually called June and Wy. The flowers are chosen to "last
well," for Llanyglo is almost as short of flowers as it is of trees; but
the linen and plate and other appointments are all good--these actors in
Llanyglo's little fore-piece are not accustomed to roughing it, even on
a holiday.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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