登陆注册
5415000000133

第133章

"Why, Grace...I don't know.I never noticed it wasn't there.""I took it down," said Maggie."I thought there were too many photographs.It's in the attic.""In the attic?...Fancy! You put it away, did you, Maggie? Well, fancy! Shan't I make the tea, Maggie, dear? That tea-pot, it's an old friend of mine.I know how to manage it."They changed seats.Grace was as amiable as ever, but now her eyes flashed about from place to place all around the room.

"Why, this is a new kind of jam.How nice! As I was saying, I got into Charing Cross and there wasn't a porter.Just fancy! At least there was a porter, an old man, but when I beckoned to him he wouldn't move.Well, I was angry.I can tell you, Paul, I wasn't going to stand that, so I-what nice jam, dear.I never knew Mitchell's had jam like this!""I didn't get it at Mitchell's," said Maggie."I've changed the grocer.Mitchell hasn't got anything, and his prices are just about double Brownjohn's...""Brownjohn!" Grace stared, her bread and jam suspended."Brownjohn!

But, Maggie dear, he's a dissenter."

"Oh.Maggie!" said Paul."You should have told me!""Why!" said Maggie, bewildered."Father never minded about dissenters.Our butcher in St.Dreot's was an atheist and--""Well, well," said Grace, her eyes still flashing about like goldfish in a pool."You didn't know, dear.Of course you didn't.

I'm sure we can put it right with Mitchell, although he's a sensitive man.I'll go and see him in the morning.I am glad I'm back.Well, I was telling you...Where was I?...about the porter--"Something drove Maggie to say:

"I'd rather have a good grocer who's a dissenter than a bad one who goes to church--""Maggie," said Paul, "you don't know what you're saying.You don't realise what the effect in the parish would be.""Of course she doesn't," said Grace consolingly."She'll understand in time.As I was saying, I was so angry that I caught the old man by the arm and I said to him, 'If you think you're paid to lean up against a wall and not do your duty you're mightily mistaken, and if you aren't careful I'll report you--that's what I'll do,' and he said--what were his exact words? I'll remember in a minute.I know he was very insulting, and the taxi-cabman--why, Paul, where's mother's picture?"Grace's eyes were directed to a large space high above the mantelpiece.Maggie remembered that there had been a big faded oil-painting of an old lady in a shawl and spectacles, a hideous affair she had thought it.That was now reposing in the attic.Why had she not known that it was a picture of Paul's mother? She would never have touched it had she known.Why had Paul said nothing? He had not even noticed that it was gone.

Paul stared, amazed and certainly--yes, beyond question--frightened.

"Grace--upon my word--I've been so busy since my return--""Is that also in the attic?" asked Grace.

"Yes, it is," said Maggie."I'm so sorry.I never knew it was your mother.It wasn't a very good painting I thought, so I took it down.

If I had known, of course, I never would have touched it.Oh Grace, I AM so sorry.""It's been there," said Grace, "for nearly twenty years.What I mean to say is that it's always been there.Poor mother.Are there many things in the attic, Maggie?"At that moment there was a feeble scratching on the door.Paul, evidently glad of anything that would relieve the situation, opened the door.

"Why, it's Mitch!" cried Grace, forgetting for the moment her mother."Fancy! It's Mitch! Mitch, dear! Was she glad to see her old friend back again? Was she? Darling! Fancy seeing her old friend again? Was she wanting her back?"Mitch stood shivering in the doorway, then, with her halting step, the skin of her back wrinkled with anxiety, she crossed the room.

For a moment she hesitated, then with shamefaced terror, slunk to Maggie, pressed up against her, and sat there huddled, staring at Grace with yellow unfriendly eyes.

同类推荐
  • 十诵律毗尼序

    十诵律毗尼序

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太玄宝典

    太玄宝典

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Orthodoxy

    Orthodoxy

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宿灵山兰若

    宿灵山兰若

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Early Short Fiction Part Two

    The Early Short Fiction Part Two

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 竹马师兄请放手

    竹马师兄请放手

    自从她被捡回家,就过上了宠宠宠的生活。人人都知道,宋元派的掌门师兄是出了名的宠师妹。师妹闯祸了,没事,师兄扛着,师妹受伤了,没事,师兄疼着。千般宠溺,万般疼爱,最后师妹却被别人拐跑了。叔可忍,婶不可忍!宋慕骁怒,拍桌而起:“把她给我抓回来!”于是宋元派全员出动,势必抓回掌门师妹。被抓回来的宋傲珊委屈:“我做错了什么?”宋元派众人异口同声:“生下来!”
  • 狂霸悍妃太难追

    狂霸悍妃太难追

    小桑一直以为,每天吃喝玩乐,逗狗撵猫;偶尔调戏美人,侍弄花草,烧鸡下酒,便能潇洒此生。奈何——极北三千里大地,举国为奴,民不聊生,为人肆意屠戮,真真是人不如狗!父亲被逼自刎;艳冠天下的美人娘也一朝红颜变枯骨!光复极北,弘扬天下大义,是她的使命!幸好——这都暂且不说,小桑其实只想问,那将军家的傲娇寡妇童养媳是个什么鬼???就算他肤白貌美,心灵手巧,身娇体软,小小年纪便颜如舜华可再怎么也遮不住那厮一颗狼子野心,嘴贱心毒!好吧,其实他是这世上对她最好的人,他为她做了十年衣物;为她杀过十万重围;为她跪遍南荒庙宇,他邀她共赏天下,他爱她,一如爱他自己!~~~小桑和她家亲爱的:、玖玖:“桑桑最近,好似都不亲近本宫了,本宫夜夜独守空房,好不心伤…”小桑:“滚你丫的!老子怀了你的崽!”、小桑:“红酥手,小蛮腰,夫人当真是国色天香”她家亲爱的:“官人放心,奴家今夜,定会焚香描眉,任君肆意怜~”、小桑:“吏部尚书郭大人家,近日出了个国色天香的三小姐”她家亲爱的:“桑桑可是喜新厌旧了是嫌弃我额上生了颗粉刺么?”小桑:“我嫌弃你缺心眼子!”
  • 惊世毒妃:神女临天下

    惊世毒妃:神女临天下

    十三岁前她是农家少女,十三岁后她是名满天下的妖女,她从未觉得自己有错。这天下邪功,这天下邪毒,在她手里想杀人便杀,想救人便救。只要她开心,肆意又如何。直到遇见他,他是秦国最有权势的战神王爷,只手遮天,跺脚地震。遇见他是她一辈子的幸运,遇见她是他一辈子的幸福。为了她,放弃拥有的一切只愿与她携手上穷碧落下黄泉,她上天他随,他入地她跟。
  • 戏子变国王:倾国

    戏子变国王:倾国

    相遇时,她高高在上,不可一世;而他落魄至极,是国中最下贱懦弱的戏子。 可他漂亮的笑容像乱刀划破了她身上所有的明亮,从此跋扈蜕成迎合,娇纵沉成卑微她为他行尽大逆不道之事,丧人格,叛祖训,毁家业,断退路。后来才知道,她只是他有意蛊惑的诱饵。卑微的外表下,他要的竟是她从不敢想的江山大业。而他的诱饵,也并不只她一个。当曾以为的情深不悔变成注定的烟云过客,她放下从前的刻骨爱意,揭竿而起,开始了一场痛快而盛大的爱情起义:这日三场没有退路的游戏,步步凶险却又偏执难舍。到底是爱能收服恨意,还是两人同归于尽,终是没法回头?
  • 时光以外遇见你

    时光以外遇见你

    她是徐家的养女,上一世,她爱上了这个毫无人性的渣男,亲手断送了自己的幸福。他骗她,让她亲手葬送了自己的养父母和姐姐。新婚第二天,他便出轨了别的女人,丝毫不顾及她的感受。结婚后的两个月,她怀孕了,他却将她骗到废旧的房子里,亲手要了她和孩子的命。她才知道,他当初娶她,骗她,不过是因为自己身上有徐氏总公司百分之三十的股份。她悔了,恨了,恨死了那个男人,老天像是看透了她一般,让她重生回到了两年前,她誓要手撕渣男,保护好自己最爱的家人。可是一切好像都变了,莫名其妙出现的受伤的男人,搅乱了她的生活,她救下他的那一刻起,她的生活注定改变,他像胶一样粘着她,再也甩不开。
  • 下雨不打伞

    下雨不打伞

    谢念亭没想到有人能这么大胆不过是好心帮了看起来无助弱小又可怜的学妹一下这个看起来无助弱小又可怜的学妹就一直粘着自己了这年头还流行死缠烂打这招?谢念亭哼了一声“绝对,绝对不会给你得逞的。”
  • 盛宠医品夫人

    盛宠医品夫人

    醒来发现自己变成被未婚夫推下湖险些淹死的私生女?被污蔑清白不说,还要置她于死地!“我娶她!”——救了她的人说。“我不嫁!”——她不喜被强迫。“不行!”——他更霸道!嫁就嫁吧,还得为他治病酿酒生孩子,没天理了!只是这日子怎么越过越糊涂?自己不是个小破官的私生女吗?可她的生母居然是……
  • 金榜题名

    金榜题名

    小舅子收到贵阳学院录取通知书,把老岳父的脸烙了一火铲似的,焦。这大学,取也焦,不取,也焦。小舅子单名一个海字,一直在乡中学读,成绩一直靠前,高考下来成绩也还理想,就是心思去远了点儿,想往省外大学奔,志愿遂显得有些不着边际,眼看本科都快录取完了,还没收到录取音信,我家里就几乎每天接到老岳父电话,海又不干活了,海又不吃饭了,海又睁着眼翻来覆去到天亮了,还说海老在屋后走来走去,把坡上的草都踩成秃桩桩了。总之,海烦躁得要命。海的姐,我的妻,叫罡,每天到教育局去查录取名单,没有,每天都没有海的名字。
  • 天使之泪

    天使之泪

    “我只睡一下下……一下下就好……千万不要被发现……我好累……好累……”唐冰琳一边默念着,一边闭上眼睛,靠在K房的沙发上,很快睡着了。昏黄的灯光投射下来,令她那咖啡色的眼影变成了珍珠色,桃红色的唇彩变成了淡粉色。尽管这间K房因为没有闭路设备,早在三个月前就被停用了,但唐冰琳还是非常担心。她就在自己的担忧和喃喃自语中睡着了。这时的唐冰琳并不知道,当她从短暂的小憩中醒来时,灾难就会降临。
  • 我每天都有新系统

    我每天都有新系统

    【免费精品】你见过每天都有新系统的天选之人吗?