I shall be late as it is, Mrs Lamley, she said,
with a genialwave of her hand; and off she ran.
But he had the answer at his
finger-ends.
Even now with the hearse at the door the bell rang;
a messenger boyappeared bearing more lilies. The old woman was stone deaf; so in
theywent.
They went from room to room of the little house,
Mrs Toms and MrsGrove following after. As for her father he was so stiff and so
rigid that shehad a convulsive desire to laugh aloud. But as she ate, the senseof
her father imposed itself. I shall be late as it is, Mrs Lamley, she said, with a
genialwave of her hand; and off she ran.
No, no, he said to himself with sudden conviction,
as Eleanor camein.
She could not help half turning to hersister-in-law
as if to say, How like Morris! MrsPotter was asking her to feel her
shoulder.
But by the time their own carriage passed, the hats
were on again.
Festoons of red and yellow paper were slung across
theceiling. Itll be dinner then, she said to her father.
A little man in a tweed cap got out and rapped at
thedoor.
The others, she noticed, did not seem to see
her;they were thinking of their mother. Scenes from her morning began to
formthemselves; to obtrude themselves. Sheshook her head; looked up and down the
street; then shut the door. Your father wont be back just yet, said Mrs Malone,
putting onher spectacles again.
The sparrows and starlings, making their discordant
chatter roundthe eaves of St. Leaning out of the window side by side the two
womenwatched the man. There had been no need to hurry over luncheon; an omnibuswould
have done just as well. Miss Eleanor wont be a minute, said the Colonel as
Crosbybrought in the dishes.
Here we all are again, shethought, taking her place
and laying her papers on the table.
Its Morriss case you know; at theLaw Courts. Asher
father had said, these lawyer chaps knew how to spin thingsout.
Therewere always small shops side by side with big
shops.
She saw nothingbut stunted little trees, and her
brother looking at the sun risingover the jungle.
Shesighed with relief as she pulled the leather
apron over her knees. She trod on the toe of a man in the corner, and pitched
downbetween two elderly women. She was a small cat-faced woman, worried, but very
proud of her husband.
She began to walk quickly up MelrosePlace. There
was a hole you could poke your finger throughin the plaster. But as she ate, the
senseof her father imposed itself. It looked a littlecheap, Eleanor was
afraid.
The smoke hung in veils over the spires and domes
of the Universitycities. This washer world; here she was in her element. Eleanor
repeated, glancing ahead of herdown Oxford Street.
But now, there he was, awful, magisterial, in his
robes.