Rose became very thoughtful indeed.
"Wot's she like?"
He considered. What _was_ Jinny like? Like nothing on earth that Rose
had ever seen.
"I mean," said Rose, "to look at."
"I don't know that I can tell you what she's like."
"Is she like Miss Kentish? You remember Miss Kentish at Hampstead?"
He smiled. "Not in the very least."
Rose looked depressed. "Is she like Mrs. 'Enderson down at Fleet?"
"That's nearer. But she's not like Mrs. Henderson. She's--she's
charming."
"So's Mrs. 'Enderson."
"It's another sort of charm. I don't even know whether you'd see it."
"Ah, _you_ should have seen Mrs. 'Enderson with Baby. They was a perfect
picture."
"That's it. I can't see Miss Holland with Baby. I can only see her by
herself."
"I wish," said Rose, "she was married. Because, if she 'ad been, there
might be something----"
"Something?"
"Well--to talk about."
It was his turn to say "I see."
He knocked the ashes out of his pipe, thus closing the sitting, and
settled down to a long correspondence in arrears.
At bed-time Rose spoke again.
"How old is she?" Rose said.
XVII
The next day at four o'clock Rose had on her best gown and was
bright-eyed and pink. Brighter-eyed and pinker than Tanqueray had seen
her for many weeks. She was excited, not so much by the prospect of
seeing Miss Holland as by the beautiful vision of her tea-table. There
was a cake with sugar icing on it, and bread and butter rolled as Rose
had seen it rolled at Fleet. She had set out the tea-service that her
aunt had given her for a wedding-present. The table cloth had a lace
edge to it which gratified Rose whenever she thought of it. Tanqueray
had on his nicest suit, and Rose's gaze travelled up and down it, and
paused in ecstasy at his necktie.
"You do pay for dressin'," she said.
"I do indeed," said Tanqueray.
Rose got on very well at tea-time. It was marvellous how many things she
found to say. The conversation really made itself. She had only to sit
there and ask Miss Holland how she liked her tea, weak or strong, and if
she took so much milk or a little drop more, and sugar, one lump or two
lumps, and that sized lump or a little larger? She spun it out till
George was ready to begin talking. And there came a beautiful and sacred
silence while Rose made Tanqueray's tea and gave it him.
After seven months it was still impossible for Rose to hide her deep
delight in waiting on him. More than once her eyes turned from Jane to
watch him in the wonderful and interesting acts of eating and drinking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account