Chapter 4. THE R. WILFER FAMILY

intheeasiestchair,andoccasionallythrewinadirectiontouchingthesupper:as,‘Verybrown,ma’or,tohersister,‘Putthesaltcellarstraight,miss,anddon’tbeadowdylittlepuss.’ Meantimeherfather,chinkingMrRokesmith’sgoldashesatexpectantbetweenhisknifeandfork,remarkedthatsixofthosesovereignscamejustintimefortheirlandlord,andstoodtheminalittlepileonthewhitetableclothtolookat. ‘Ihateourlandlord!’saidBella. But,observingafallinherfather’sface,shewentandsatdownbyhimatthetable,andbegantouchinguphishairwiththehandleofafork.Itwasoneofthegirl’sspoiltwaystobealwaysarrangingthefamily’shair—perhapsbecauseherownwassopretty,andoccupiedsomuchofherattention. ‘Youdeservetohaveahouseofyourowndon’tyou,poorpa?’ ‘Idon’tdeserveitbetterthananother,mydear.’ ‘AtanyrateI,forone,wantitmorethananother,’saidBella,holdinghimbythechin,asshestuckhisflaxenhaironend,‘andIgrudgethismoneygoingtotheMonsterthatswallowsupsomuch,whenweallwant—Everything.Andifyousay(asyouwanttosayIknowyouwanttosayso,pa)“that’sneitherreasonablenorhonest,Bella,”thenIanswer,“Maybenot,pa—verylikely—butit’soneoftheconsequencesofbeingpoor,andofthoroughlyhatinganddetestingtobepoor,andthat’smycase.”Now,youlooklovely,pawhydon’tyoualwayswearyourhairlikethat?Andhere’sthecutlet!Ifitisn’tverybrown,ma,Ican’teatit,andmusthaveabitputbacktobedoneexpressly.’ However,asitwasbrown,eventoBella’staste,theyoungladygraciouslypartookofitwithoutreconsignmenttothefrying-pan,andalso,induecourse,ofthecontentsofthetwobottles:whereofoneheldScotchaleandtheotherrum.Thelatterperfume,withthefosteringaidofboilingwaterandlemon-peel,diffuseditselfthroughouttheroom,andbecamesohighlyconcentratedaroundthewarmfireside,thatthewindpassingoverthehouseroofmusthaverushedoffchargedwithadeliciouswhiffofit,afterbuzzinglikeagreatbeeatthatparticularchimneypot. ‘Pa,’saidBella,sippingthefragrantmixtureandwarmingherfavouriteankle‘whenoldMrHarmonmadesuchafoolofme(nottomentionhimself,asheisdead),whatdoyousupposehediditfor?’ ‘Impossibletosay,mydear.AsIhavetoldyoutimeoutofnumbersincehiswillwasbroughttolight,IdoubtifIeverexchangedahundredwordswiththeoldgentleman.Ifitwashiswhimtosurpriseus,hiswhimsucceeded.Forhecertainlydidit.’ ‘AndIwasstampingmyfootandscreaming,whenhefirsttooknoticeofmewasI?’saidBella,contemplatingtheanklebeforementioned. ‘Youwerestampingyourlittlefoot,mydear,andscreamingwithyourlittlevoice,andlayingintomewithyourlittlebonnet,whichyouhadsnatchedoffforthepurpose,’returnedherfather,asiftheremembrancegavearelishtotherum‘youweredoingthisoneSundaymorningwhenItookyouout,becauseIdidn’tgotheexactwayyouwanted,whentheoldgentleman,sittingonaseatnear,said,“That’sanicegirlthat’saverynicegirlapromisinggirl!”Andsoyouwere,mydear.’ ‘Andthenheaskedmyname,didhe,pa?’ ‘Thenheaskedyourname,mydear,andmineandonotherSundaymornings,whenwewalkedhisway,wesawhimagain,and—andreallythat’sall.’ Asthatwasalltherumandwatertoo,or,inotherwords,asR.W.delicatelysignifiedthathisglasswasempty,bythrowingbackhisheadandstandingtheglassupsidedownonhisnoseandupperlip,itmighthavebeencharitableinMrsWilfertosuggestreplenishment.Butthatheroinebrieflysuggesting‘Bedtime’instead,thebottleswereputaway,andthefamilyretiredshecherubicallyescorted,likesomeseveresaintinapainting,ormerelyhumanmatronallegoricallytreated. ‘Andbythistimeto-morrow,’saidLaviniawhenthetwogirlswerealoneintheirroom,‘weshallhaveMrRokesmithhere,andshallbeexpectingtohaveourthroatscut.’ ‘Youneedn’tstandbetweenmeandthecandleforallthat,’retortedBella.‘Thisisanotheroftheconsequencesofbeingpoor!Theideaofagirlwithareallyfineheadofhair,havingtodoitbyoneflatcandleandafewinchesoflooking-glass!’ ‘YoucaughtGeorgeSampsonwithit,Bella,badasyourmeansofdressingitare.’ ‘Youlowlittlething.CaughtGeorgeSampsonwithit!Don’ttalkaboutcatchingpeople,miss,tillyourowntimeforcatching—asyoucallit—comes.’ ‘Perhapsithascome,’mutteredLavvy,withatossofherhead. ‘Whatdidyousay?’askedBella,verysharply.‘Whatdidyousay,miss?’ Lavvydecliningequallytorepeatortoexplain,Bellagraduallylapsedoverherhair-dressingintoasoliloquyonthemiseriesofbeingpoor,asexemplifiedinhavingnothingtoputon,nothingtogooutin,nothingtodressby,onlyanastyboxtodressatinsteadofacommodiousdressing-table,andbeingobligedtotakeinsuspiciouslodgers.Onthelastgrievanceasherclimax,shelaidgreatstress—andmighthavelaidgreater,hadsheknownthatifMrJuliusHandfordhadatwinbrotheruponearth,MrJohnRokesmithwastheman.