CHAPTER VI

viction. "Ibelieveheis,"agreedAnna,goingovertothewhiteporcelainstovetowarmherhands. "He'sthelimpet,andyou'regoingtobetherock.Don'tlethimfleeceyoutoomuch." "Butlimpetsdon'tfleecerocks,"saidAnna. "Hewouldn'tbeabletofleeceme,Iknow,ifIcouldtalkGermanaswellasyoudo.Butyou'llbesoftandweakandamiable,andhe'lldoashelikeswithyou." "Soft,andweak,andamiable!"repeatedAnna,smilingatSusie'sadjectives,"why,IthoughtIwasobstinate—youalwayssaidIwas." "Soyouare.Butyouwon'tbetothatman.He'llgetroundyou." "UncleJoachimsaidhewasexcellent." "Oh,Idaresayhewasn'tbadwithamanoverhimwhoknewallaboutfarming,butmarkmywords,youwon'tgettwothousandayearoutoftheplace." Annawassilent.Susiewasinvariablyshrewdandsensible,ifinclined,Annathought,tobeoversuspicious,inmatterswheremoneywasconcerned.Dellwig'sfacewasnotonetoinspireconfidence:andhiswayofshoutingwhenhetalked,andoftalkingincessantly,wasalreadyintolerabletoher.Shewasnotsure,either,thathiswifewasanymoresatisfactory.Shetooshouted,andAnnadetestednoise.Thewifedidnotappearagain,andhadevidentlygonehomewithherhusband,foragreatsilencehadfallenuponthehouse,brokenonlybythemonotonoussighingoftheforest,andthepatteringofrainagainstthewindow. Thedining-roomwasalongnarrowroom,withonebigwindowformingitswestendlookingoutontothegrassplot,theditch,andthegate-postswiththeeaglesonthem.Itwasastudyinchocolate—brownpaper,browncarpet,brownrepcurtains,browncanechairs.Thereweretwowoodensideboardspaintedbrownfacingeachotherdownatthedarkend,withacollectionofmiscellaneousarticlesonthem:avinegarcruetthathadstoodthereforyears,withremainsofvinegardriedupatthebottommustardpotscontainingadarkandwickedmixturethathadoncebeenmustardabrokenhand-bellusedatlong-pastdinners,tosummonservantslongsincedeadanoldwineregisterwithentriesinitofaquarterofacenturybackamouldybottleofWorcestersauce,stillboastingonitslabelthatitwouldimpartarelishtoviandsotherwisedullandsomecharmingDresdenchinafruit-dishes,adornedwithcheerfulshepherdsandshepherdesses,incurableoptimists,persistentlypleasedwiththemselvesandtheirsurroundingsthroughallthedaysandnightsofallthecoldsilentyearsthattheyhadbeensmilingateachotherinthedark.Ontherounddinner-tablewasapotofliliesofthevalley,envelopedincrinklypinktissuepapertiedroundwithpinksatinribbon,withearsofthepaperdrawnupbetweentheflower-stalkstoproduceapleasingcontrastofpinkandwhite. "Well,it'swarmenoughhere,isn'tit?"saidSusie,goingroundtheroomandexaminingthesethingswithaninterestfarexceedingthatcalledforthbythearttreasuresofBerlin. "Rather,"saidLetty,answeringforeverybody,andrubbingherhands.Shefrolickedabouttheroom,peepingintoallthecorners,openingthecupboards,tryingthesofa,andbehavinginsofriskyafashionthathermother,whoseldomsawherathome,andknewheronlyasanaughtygloomygirl,turnedonceortwicefromtheinterestingsideboardstostareatherinquiringlythroughherlorgnette. Theservantwiththesurprisedeyebrows,whopresentlybroughtinthesoup,hadputonapairofwhitecottonglovesfortheceremonyofwaiting,butstillworeherfeltslippers.Sheputtheplatesinapileontheedgeofthetable,murmuredsomethinginGerman,andranoutagainnordidshecomebacktillshebroughtthenextcourse,whenshebehavedinapreciselysimilarmanner,andcontinuedtodosothroughoutthemealthediners,havingnobell,beingobligedtositpatientlyduringtheintervals,untilshethoughtthattheymightperhapsbereadyforsomemore. Itwasanoddmeal,andbeganwithcoldchocolatesoupwithfrothywhitethingsthattastedofvanillafloatingaboutinit.SusiewassomuchinterestedinthissoupthatsheforgotallaboutHilton,whohadbeendrivenignominiouslytothebackdoorandwasleftsittinginthekitchentillthetwoservantsshouldhavetimetotakeherupstairs,andwasemployingthetimecomposingaspeechofaspiritednatureinwhichsheintendedgivinghermistressnoticethemomentshesawheragain. Hermistressmeanwhilewasmeditativelyturningoverthevanillaballsinhersoup."Well,Idon'tlikeit,"shesaidatlast,layingdownherspoon. "Oh,it'sripping!"criedherdaughterecstatically."It'slikehavingone'spuddingattheotherend." "HowcanyoulookatchocolateafterBerlin,greedygirl?"askedhermother,disgustedbyherchild'sobvioustendencytowardsatoofreeindulgenceinthepleasuresofthetable.ButLettywasfeelingsojovialthatinthefaceofthisquestionsheboldlyaskedformore—arequestthatwasrefusedindignantlyandatonce. Therewassuchalongpauseafterthesoupthatintheirhungertheybegantoeatthestewedapplesandbottledcherriesthatwereonthetable.Thebrownbread,arrangedinthinslicesonawhitecrochetmatinajapanneddish,feltsodampandwassofullofcarawayseedsthatitwasuneatable.Afterawhilesomeroach,caughtontheestate,andwithastrongmuddyflavourandbewilderingmultitudesofbones,wasbroughtinandafterthatcamecutletsfromAnna'spigsandafterthataqueerredgelatinouspuddingthattastedofphysicandafterthat,themealbeingevidentlyatanend,Susie,whowasveryhungry,remarkedthatifallthefoodweregoingtobelikethosespecimenstheyhadbetterreturnatoncetoEngland,ortheywouldcertainlybestarved."It'sagoodthingyouarenotgoingtostayhere,Anna,"shesaid,"foryou'dhavetomakeatremendousfussbeforeyou'dgetthemtoleaveofftreatingyoulikeapig.Lookhere—teaspoonstoeatthepuddingwith,andthesameforkallthewaythrough.It'sabeastlyhole"—Letty'seyebrowstelegraphedtriumphantlyacrosstoMissLeech,"Well,didyouhearthat?"—"andweoughttohavestayedinBerlin.Therewasnothingtobegainedatallbycominghere." "Perhapsthedinnerto-nightwillbebetter,"saidAnna,tryingtocomforther,andlittleknowingthattheyhadjusteatenthedinnerbutpeoplewhoarehungryaresurprisinglyimpervioustotheinfluenceoffairwords."Itcouldn'tbeworse,anyhow,soitreallywillprobablybebetter.I'mverygladthoughthatwedidcome,forIlikeit." "Oh,yes,sodoI,AuntA