Latter End

Antony blew another cloud of smoke.

“A very nice womanly occupation, darling.”

His glance travelled to the hands which lay in the lap of Julia’s old red smock. An ink-smudge not quite washed out made a blue shadow on the right forefinger. The nails, most beautifully shaped, were i

Antony said “No!” with great sudde

“No what?”

“I forgot about your hands. Let all the women with hideous magenta nails go and be scullions-it would do ’em good! You’ve got the second-no, the third-most beautiful hands in Europe. The other two are on statues. And if you don’t take care of them, you’ll find yourself in the special hell reserved for people who destroy works of art.”

Julia said what she had never thought of saying.

“What a pity my face doesn’t match.” The words just came out of her mouth and left her feeling as if she had opened a door and let something escape.

Antony shook his head.

“You’d find it very inconvenient, darling-you’d probably get mobbed in the streets. Leave classic perfection to the museums. You wouldn’t be comfortable on a cold white pedestal. Let’s get back to business. When did you say you were going down to Latter End?”

“I didn’t say. I haven’t made up my mind.”

“What about going down with me on Friday?”

She was silent for a moment. Her cigarette ash dropped. She brushed it away with an impatient gesture and said,

“I suppose I could. I haven’t broken it to Lois yet.”

“Will it need breaking?”

She nodded.

“Yes, it will. I don’t generally stay there.” She was saying more than she meant to. “As a matter of fact I haven’t stayed there since Jimmy married her. We don’t-” she paused- “love each other very much.”

“You surprise me.”

He got a smouldering glance. She leaned forward and flung what was left of her cigarette into the fireplace, holding it like a dart and putting an extraordinary energy into the action.

“Do I? Very well then, you can have it straight! I hate her like poison!”

CHAPTER 4

Ellie Street was laying the table for di

She must hurry up and get finished here, change into something decent, and do things to her face before Julia came. The bother was that she was too tired to care. The ten miles into Crampton and back just about finished her, but the buses didn’t fit, and she had to see Ro

There was a step in the passage and Lois came in.

“Oh-have you finished? I hope you polished the silver. It hasn’t been looking as it should.”

“Yes, I’ve polished it.” Ellie’s voice dragged.

Two years ago she had been a pretty, fragile girl with the prettiness, the porcelain tints, and the fragility of a Dresden figure. It is not a type of looks to resist fatigue and strain indefinitely. If the Dutch mirror had not flattered her, neither had it borne false witness. She was just the ghost of Ellie Vane as she fixed her tired blue eyes on Lois’ face and said,

“Yes, I’ve polished it.”

“Well, those spoons could do with another rub. And-oh, didn’t I tell you to use the big silver bowl for the flowers? Jimmy likes it.”

Ellie went on looking at her. At last she said,

“Lois, do you mind very much about the bowl? I don’t think I’ve got time to do the flowers again.” Her voice was like herself, gentle and very tired.

Lois’ delicate dark eyebrows rose.

“I should have thought you would be glad to do something for Jimmy. After all”-the pretty laugh rippled out-“he’s done a good deal for you and Julia. But of course if it’s too much trouble-” She walked over to the table and stood there pulling Ellie’s flowers about, spoiling them, scattering drops of water on the polished table.

Julia would have given battle. Ellie only looked, and said in an extinguished voice,

“I’ll do them again. Please, Lois-you’re splashing the table.”

When she went through into the pantry to get the silver bowl Mrs. Maniple was there.

“What is it, dearie? Aren’t you through? What you want is a good lay-down for half an hour before they come. You’ve just about got time.”

Kind old Ma

Mrs. Maniple put a fat arm round her shoulders.

“You run along up, my dear, and get yourself off your feet.”

“I can’t, Ma

The arm stiffened. Ellie stepped away.

“It’s no good, Ma

Mrs. Maniple held her tongue. If she couldn’t do anything else for Miss Ellie she could do that. The red-apple colour in her large, firm cheeks deepened to plum. She jerked her head over a billowing shoulder and called sharply,

“Polly! You come here!”

Then she took the bowl out of Ellie’s hands.

“Go on up with you, my dear. Polly’ll see to this, and I’ll see she does it proper. I’ll put the flowers in myself, and if they’re not right, you can coax ’em when you come down. And you take and put some colour in your cheeks, or Miss Julia’ll have my life.” Her jolly laugh followed Ellie along the passage.

She went up the back stairs because it was quicker. Ma

She was going into her room, when Mi

She pushed open the door and went in. Mi

As she turned round, a thought like a long sharp pin ran into Ellie’s mind-“That’s what I’m going to look like. I’m getting to look like it now. Oh, Ro