The Garden Party, and Other StoriesMansfield, Katherine
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The Garden Party, and Other Stories
Mansfield, Katherine
New Zealand -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, New Zealand
The freshening wind tugged at Fenella’s skirts; she went back to her
grandma. To her relief grandma seemed no longer sad. She had put the
two sausages of luggage one on top of the other, and she was sitting on
them, her hands folded, her head a little on one side. There was an
intent, bright look on her face. Then Fenella saw that her lips were
moving and guessed that she was praying. But the old woman gave her a
bright nod as if to say the prayer was nearly over. She unclasped her
hands, sighed, clasped them again, bent forward, and at last gave
herself a soft shake.
“And now, child,” she said, fingering the bow of her bonnet-strings, “I
think we ought to see about our cabins. Keep close to me, and mind you
don’t slip.”
“Yes, grandma!”
“And be careful the umbrellas aren’t caught in the stair rail. I saw a
beautiful umbrella broken in half like that on my way over.”
“Yes, grandma.”
Dark figures of men lounged against the rails. In the glow of their
pipes a nose shone out, or the peak of a cap, or a pair of
surprised-looking eyebrows. Fenella glanced up. High in the air, a
little figure, his hands thrust in his short jacket pockets, stood
staring out to sea. The ship rocked ever so little, and she thought the
stars rocked too. And now a pale steward in a linen coat, holding a
tray high in the palm of his hand, stepped out of a lighted doorway and
skimmed past them. They went through that doorway. Carefully over the
high brass-bound step on to the rubber mat and then down such a
terribly steep flight of stairs that grandma had to put both feet on
each step, and Fenella clutched the clammy brass rail and forgot all
about the swan-necked umbrella.
At the bottom grandma stopped; Fenella was rather afraid she was going
to pray again. But no, it was only to get out the cabin tickets. They
were in the saloon. It was glaring bright and stifling; the air smelled
of paint and burnt chop-bones and indiarubber. Fenella wished her
grandma would go on, but the old woman was not to be hurried. An
immense basket of ham sandwiches caught her eye. She went up to them
and touched the top one delicately with her finger.
“How much are the sandwiches?” she asked.
“Tuppence!” bawled a rude steward, slamming down a knife and fork.
Grandma could hardly believe it.
“Twopence _each_?” she asked.
“That’s right,” said the steward, and he winked at his companion.
Grandma made a small, astonished face. Then she whispered primly to
Fenella. “What wickedness!” And they sailed out at the further door and
along a passage that had cabins on either side. Such a very nice
stewardess came to meet them. She was dressed all in blue, and her
collar and cuffs were fastened with large brass buttons. She seemed to
know grandma well.
“Well, Mrs. Crane,” said she, unlocking their washstand. “We’ve got you
back again. It’s not often you give yourself a cabin.”
“No,” said grandma. “But this time my dear son’s thoughtfulness—”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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