Essential Stories: Strange Bliss

PreludeIThere was not an inch of room for Lottie andKezia in the buggy. When Pat swung them on topof the luggage they wobbled; the grandmother’s lapwas full and Linda Burnell could not possibly have helda lump of a child on hers for any distance. Isabel, verysuperior, was perched beside the new handy-man on thedriver’s seat. Hold-alls, bags and boxes were piled uponthe floor. ‘These are absolute necessities that I will notlet out of my sight for one instant,’ said Linda Burnell,her voice trembling with fatigue and excitement.Lottie and Kezia stood on the patch of lawn justinside the gate all ready for the fray in their coats withbrass anchor buttons and little round caps with battleshipribbons. Hand in hand, they stared with roundsolemn eyes first at the absolute necessities and then attheir mother.‘We shall simply have to leave them. That is all. Weshall simply have to cast them off,’ said Linda Burnell.A strange little laugh flew from her lips; she leaned backagainst the buttoned leather cushions and shut her eyes,her lips trembling with laughter. Happily at that momentMrs Samuel Josephs, who had been watching the scenefrom behind her drawing-room blind, waddled downthe garden path.‘Why nod leave the chudren with be for the afterdoon,Brs Burnell? They could go on the dray with the storebanwhen he comes in the eveding. Those thigs on the pathhave to go, dod’t they?’‘Yes, everything outside the house is supposed to go,’said Linda Burnell, and she waved a white hand at thetables and chairs standing on their heads on the frontlawn. How absurd they looked! Either they ought to bethe other way up, or Lottie and Kezia ought to stand ontheir heads, too. And she longed to say: ‘Stand on yourheads, children, and wait for the storeman.’ It seemedto her that would be so exquisitely funny that she couldnot attend to Mrs Samuel Josephs.The fat creaking body leaned across the gate, and thebig jelly of a face smiled. ‘Dod’t you worry, Brs Burnell.Loddie and Kezia can have tea with by chudren in thedursery, and I’ll see theb on the dray afterwards.’The grandmother considered. ‘Yes, it really is quitethe best plan. We are very obliged to you, Mrs SamuelJosephs. Children, say “thank you” to Mrs SamuelJosephs.’Two subdued chirrups: ‘Thank you, Mrs SamuelJosephs.’‘And be good little girls, and—come closer—’ theyadvanced, ‘don’t forget to tell Mrs Samuel Josephs whenyou want to. . . .’‘No, granma.’‘Dod’t worry, Brs Burnell.’At the last moment Kezia let go Lottie’s hand anddarted towards the buggy.‘I want to kiss my granma good-bye again.’But she was too late. The buggy rolled off up the road,Isabel bursting with pride, her nose turned up at all theworld, Linda Burnell prostrated, and the grandmotherrummaging among the very curious oddments she hadput in her black silk reticule at the last moment, forsomething to give her daughter. The buggy twinkledaway in the sunlight and fine golden dust up the hill andover. Kezia bit her lip, but Lottie, carefully finding herhandkerchief first, set up a wail.‘Mother! Granma!’Mrs Samuel Josephs, like a huge warm black silk teacosy, enveloped her.‘It’s all right, by dear. Be a brave child. You comeand blay in the dursery!’She put her arm round weeping Lottie and led heraway. Kezia followed, making a face at Mrs SamuelJosephs’ placket, which was undone as usual, with twolong pink corset laces hanging out of it. . . .Lottie’s weeping died down as she mounted the stairs,but the sight of her at the nursery door with swollen eyesand a blob of a nose gave great satisfaction to the S. J.’s,who sat on two benches before a long table covered withAmerican cloth and set out with immense plates of breadand dripping and two brown jugs that faintly steamed.‘Hullo! You’ve been crying!’‘Ooh! Your eyes have gone right in.’‘Doesn’t her nose look funny.’‘You’re all red-and-patchy.’Lottie was quite a success. She felt it and swelled,smiling timidly.‘Go and sit by Zaidee, ducky,’ said Mrs SamuelJosephs, ‘and Kezia, you sid ad the end by Boses.’Moses grinned and gave her a nip as she sat down;but she pretended not to notice. She did hate boys.‘Which will you have?’ asked Stanley, leaning acrossthe table very politely, and smiling at her. ‘Which will youhave to begin with—strawberries and cream or breadand dripping?’‘Strawberries and cream, please,’ said she.‘Ah-h-h-h.’ How they all laughed and beat the tablewith their tea-spoons. Wasn’t that a take in! Wasn’t itnow! Didn’t he fox her! Good old Stan!‘Ma! She thought it was real.’Even Mrs Samuel Josephs, pouring out the milk andwater, could not help smiling. ‘You bustn’t tease theb ontheir last day,’ she wheezed.But Kezia bit a big piece out of her bread and dripping,and then stood the piece up on her plate. Withthe bite out it made a dear little sort of a gate. Pooh!She didn’t care! A tear rolled down her cheek, but shewasn’t crying. She couldn’t have cried in front of thoseawful Samuel Josephs. She sat with her head bent, andas the tear dripped slowly down, she caught it with aneat little whisk of her tongue and ate it before any ofthem had seen.