A lovely day, yes, Mama, Delia repeated with
mechanicalcheerfulness. A lovely day, yes, Mama, Delia repeated with
mechanicalcheerfulness. She never could remember which waswhich: and that was why he
would not discuss Evans v. Knivesand forks rayed out round the table. He put his
hand into his trouser pocket and brought out ahandful of silver. The dog slept on
its mat at the footof the stairs. Her sentences were more broken than
usual.
Eleanor, who had taken her books again, looked up
disturbed. Well, lets get on with our dinner, said the Colonel, abruptlyattacking
his cutlet.
Then she shut the door on them, and theybegan to
eat their dinner.
He slammed the door rather sharply behind him.
Sometimes a bowl shone deep blue; then became livid. She set one in the frontroom,
one in the back room. At last they heard footsteps on the stairs and
Dr.
Colonel Pargiter asked, cutting short hisdaughters
statement. Then Crosby came in and said, should she boil the kettle inthe kitchen?
But there was a rustling in the hall andin came Eleanor. The dog slept on its mat at
the footof the stairs.
But she broke off, for Crosby had comein. Knivesand
forks rayed out round the table.
Eleanor, sitting on her low chair, saw a curious
lookfirst on Millys face, then on Delias. As she sat down, everything seemed to be
at fulltide in her. They sat in silence watching the littleflame on a tuft of yellow
wick. The springlight of course showed up the shabbiness of the
chair-covers.
Delia liked listening to her fathers stories about
India.
In the silence they could hear a coal click in
thegrate and a street hawker droning down the road.
Her sentences were more broken than usual. He
snatched his hat and coat and ran down thefront steps. Some gleam fromthe lamp
outside made the white cloth look extremely white.
Dont forget, he said, fumbling with the handle,
dont forget towrite to Edward.