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“I never quite realised before,” she said, suddenly, “that London was such a bad dream.”
“From which there is no awakening. That’s the chilling part of it. Why on earth, with all this unemployment, don’t they organise a national Slum Clearance Scheme? It would pay for itself within twenty years. Politicians are marvels of energy and principle when they’re out of office, but when they get in, they simply run behind the machine.”
“They’re not women, you see, Auntie.”
“Are you chaffing, Di
“Oh! no. Women haven’t the sense of difficulty that men have; women’s difficulties are physical and real, men’s difficulties are mental and formal, they always say: ‘It’ll never do!’ Women never say that. They act, and find out whether it will do or not.”
Mrs. Hilary was silent a moment.
“I suppose women ARE more actual; they have a fresher eye, and less sense of responsibility.”
“I wouldn’t be a man for anything.”
“That’s refreshing; but on the whole they get a better time, my dear, even now.”
“They think so, but I doubt it. Men are awfully like ostriches, it seems to me. They can refuse to see what they don’t want to, better than we can; but I don’t think that’s an advantage.”
“If you lived in the Meads, Di
“If I lived in the Meads, dear, I should die.”
Mrs. Hilary contemplated her niece by marriage. Certainly she looked a little transparent and as if she could be snapped off, but she also had a look of ‘breeding,’ as if her flesh were dominated by her spirit. She might be unexpectedly durable, and impermeable by outside things.
“I’m not so sure, Di
Di
“Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say not. Come back to tea, if you can.”
She was gone.
The exchange and mart of human indelicacy was crowded, for with the infallible flair of the Public for anything dramatic, the case in which Hilary was a witness to character had caught on, since it involved the integrity of the Police. Its second remand was in progress when Di
For somebody, did he mean?
That or the other, how should he know? No, she wasn’t looking on the pavement; no, she didn’t stop, she passed HIM, anyway, without a look. Had he spoken to her? No fear! Doing? Oh, he was just outside his shop for a breath of air after closing. Did he see her speak to anyone? No, he didn’t, but he wasn’t there long.
“The Reverend Hilary Charwell.”
Di
“Your name is Hilary Charwell?”
“Cherrell, if you don’t mind.”
“Quite. And you are the incumbent of St. Augustine’s-inthe-Meads?”
Hilary bowed.
“For how long?”
“Thirteen years.”
“You are acquainted with the defendant?”
“Since she was a child.”
“Tell us, please, Mr. Cherrell, what you know of her?”
Di
“Her father and mother, sir, were people for whom I had every respect; they brought up their children well. He was a shoemaker—poor, of course; we’re all poor in my parish. I might almost say they died of poverty five and six years ago, and their two daughters have been more or less under my eye since. They work at Petter and Poplin’s. I’ve never heard anything against Millicent here. So far as I know, she’s a good honest girl.”
“I take it, Mr. Cherrell, your opportunities of judging of her are not very great?”
“Well, I visit the house in which she lodges with her sister. If you saw it, sir, you would agree that it requires some self-respect to deal as well as they do with the conditions there.”
“Is she a member of your congregation?”
A smile came on her uncle’s lips, and was reflected on the magistrate’s.
“Hardly, sir. Their Sundays are too precious to young people nowadays. But Millicent is one of the girls who goes for her holidays to our Rest House near Dorking. They are always very good girls down there. My niece by marriage, Mrs. Michael Mont, who runs the house, has reported well of her. Shall I read what she says?
“‘DEAR UNCLE HILARY,
“‘You ask about Millicent Pole. She has been down three times, and the matron reports that she is a nice girl and not at all flighty. My own impression of her is the same.’”
“Then it comes to this, Mr. Cherrell: in your view a mistake has been made in this case?”
“Yes, sir; I am convinced of it.”
The girl in the dock put her handkerchief to her eyes. And Di
The tall policeman stirred, looked down at her, as if scenting unorthodoxy, and cleared his throat.
“Thank you, Mr. Cherrell.”
Hilary stepped out of the witness box and in doing so caught sight of his niece and waved a finger. Di
“I am not satisfied that this case has been made out. The defendant will be dismissed. You may go.”
The girl made a little choking sound. To her right the candlestick-maker uttered a hoarse: “‘Ear! ‘ear!”
“‘Ush!” said the tall policeman. Di
“Wait for me, Di
Slipping out behind the tall policeman, Di
“Anything I can do for you, Miss?”