ClergymansDaugther Orwell

8/13/2019 ClergymansDaugther Orwell

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little bomb of bell metal. Dorothy. wrenche+ from the +eths of

some comle. troubling +ream. awo!e with a start an+ lay on her

bac! loo!ing into the +ar!ness in etreme ehaustion#

The alarm cloc! continue+ its nagging. feminine clamour. which

woul+ go on for fi0e minutes or thereabouts if you +i+ not sto it#Dorothy was aching from hea+ to foot. an+ an insi+ious an+

contemtible self2ity. which usually sei6e+ uon her when it was

time to get u in the morning. cause+ her to bury her hea+ un+er

the be+clothes an+ try to shut the hateful noise out of her ears#

7he struggle+ against her fatigue. howe0er. an+. accor+ing to her

custom. ehorte+ herself sharly in the secon+ erson lural# Come

on. Dorothy. u you get8 "o snoo6ing. lease8 Pro0erbs 0i. 9#

Then she remembere+ that if the noise went on any longer it woul+

wa!e her father. an+ with a hurrie+ mo0ement she boun+e+ out of

be+. sei6e+ the cloc! from the chest of +rawers. an+ turne+ off the

alarm# t was !et on the chest of +rawers recisely in or+er thatshe shoul+ ha0e to get out of be+ to silence it# 7till in

+ar!ness. she !nelt +own at her be+si+e an+ reeate+ the (or+'s

Prayer. but rather +istracte+ly. her feet being trouble+ by the

col+#

t was just half ast fi0e. an+ col+ish for an August morning#

Dorothy ;her name was Dorothy 4are. an+ she was the only chil+ of

the 5e0eren+ Charles 4are. 5ector of 7t Athelstan's.


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that 0ery reason that she ma+e it a rule to ta!e all her baths col+

from Aril to "o0ember# Putting a tentati0e han+ into the water22

an+ it was horribly col+22she +ro0e herself forwar+ with her usual

ehortations# Come on. Dorothy8 n you go8 "o fun!ing. lease8

Then she stee+ resolutely into the bath. sat +own an+ let the icy

gir+le of water sli+e u her bo+y an+ immerse her all ecet herhair. which she ha+ twiste+ u behin+ her hea+# The net moment

she came to the surface gasing an+ wriggling. an+ ha+ no sooner

got her breath bac! than she remembere+ her 'memo list'. which she

ha+ brought +own in her +ressing2gown oc!et an+ inten+e+ to rea+#

7he reache+ out for it. an+. leaning o0er the si+e of the bath.

waist +ee in icy water. rea+ through the 'memo list' by the light

of the can+le on the chair#

t ran:

? oc# 4#C#

@rs T baby @ust 0isit#

5)A


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o0er her collar2bones in two hea0y stran+s# t was thic!. fine.

ecee+ingly ale hair. an+ it was erhas as well that her father

ha+ forbi++en her to bob it. for it was her only ositi0e beauty#

Bor the rest. she was a girl of mi++le height. rather thin. but

strong an+ shaely. an+ her face was her wea! oint# t was a

thin. blon+e. unremar!able !in+ of face. with ale eyes an+ a nosejust a sha+e too long> if you loo!e+ closely you coul+ see crow's

feet roun+ the eyes. an+ the mouth. when it was in reose. loo!e+

tire+# "ot +efinitely a sinsterish face as yet. but it certainly

woul+ be so in a few years' time# "e0ertheless. strangers commonly

too! her to be se0eral years younger than her real age ;she was not

Huite twenty2eight= because of the eression of almost chil+ish

earnestness in her eyes# 4er left forearm was sotte+ with tiny

re+ mar!s li!e insect bites#

Dorothy ut on her night+ress again an+ cleane+ her teeth22lain

water. of course> better not to use toothaste before 4#C# Afterall. either you are fasting or you aren't# The 5#C#s are Huite

right there22an+. e0en as she +i+ so. su++enly faltere+ an+

stoe+# 7he ut her toothbrush +own# A +ea+ly ang. an actual

hysical ang. ha+ gone through her 0iscera#

7he ha+ remembere+. with the ugly shoc! with which one remembers

something +isagreeable for the first time in the morning. the bill

at Cargill's. the butcher's. which ha+ been owing for se0en months#

That +rea+ful bill22it might be nineteen oun+s or e0en twenty. an+

there was har+ly the remotest hoe of aying it22was one of the

chief torments of her life# At all hours of the night or +ay it

was waiting just roun+ the corner of her consciousness. rea+y to

sring uon her an+ agoni6e her> an+ with it came the memory of a

score of lesser bills. mounting u to a figure of which she +are+

not e0en thin!# Almost in0oluntarily she began to ray. 'Please

Go+. let not Cargill sen+ in his bill again to+ay8' but the net

moment she +eci+e+ that this rayer was worl+ly an+ blashemous.

an+ she as!e+ forgi0eness for it# Then she ut on her +ressing2

gown an+ ran +own to the !itchen in hoes of utting the bill out

of min+#

The fire ha+ gone out. as usual# Dorothy relai+ it. +irtying her

han+s with coal2+ust. +ose+ it afresh with !erosene an+ hung about

aniously until the !ettle boile+# Bather eecte+ his sha0ing2

water to be rea+y at a Huarter ast si# ,ust se0en minutes late.

Dorothy too! the can ustairs an+ !noc!e+ at her father's +oor#

'Come in. come in8' sai+ a muffle+. irritable 0oice#

The room. hea0ily curtaine+. was stuffy. with a masculine smell#

The 5ector ha+ lighte+ the can+le on his be+2table. an+ was lying

on his si+e. loo!ing at his gol+ watch. which he ha+ just +rawnfrom beneath his illow# 4is hair was as white an+ thic! as


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thistle+own# One +ar! bright eye glance+ irritably o0er his

shoul+er at Dorothy#

'Goo+ morning. father#'

' +o wish. Dorothy.' sai+ the 5ector in+istinctly22his 0oicealways soun+e+ muffle+ an+ senile until he ut his false teeth in22

'you woul+ ma!e some effort to get )llen out of be+ in the

mornings# Or else be a little more unctual yourself#'

''m so sorry. Bather# The !itchen fire !et going out#'

'ery well8 Put it +own on the +ressing2table# Put it +own an+

+raw those curtains#'

t was +aylight now. but a +ull. clou+e+ morning# Dorothy hastene+

u to her room an+ +resse+ herself with the lightning see+ whichshe foun+ necessary si mornings out of se0en# There was only a

tiny sHuare of mirror in the room. an+ e0en that she +i+ not use#

7he simly hung her gol+ cross about her nec!22lain gol+ cross> no

crucifies. lease822twiste+ her hair into a !not behin+. stuc! a

number of hairins rather s!etchily into it. an+ threw her clothes

;grey jersey. threa+bare rish twee+ coat an+ s!irt. stoc!ings not

Huite matching the coat an+ s!irt. an+ much2worn brown shoes= on to

herself in the sace of about three minutes# 7he ha+ got to '+o

out' the +ining2room an+ her father's stu+y before church. besi+es

saying her rayers in rearation for 4oly Communion. which too!

her not less than twenty minutes#

/hen she wheele+ her bicycle out of the front gate the morning was

still o0ercast. an+ the grass so++en with hea0y +ew# Through the

mist that wreathe+ the hillsi+e 7t Athelstan's Church loome+ +imly.

li!e a lea+en shin. its single bell tolling funereally boom8

boom8 boom8 Only one of the bells was now in acti0e use> the other

se0en ha+ been unswung from their cage an+ ha+ lain silent these

three years ast. slowly slintering the floor of the belfry

beneath their weight# n the +istance. from the mists below. you

coul+ hear the offensi0e clatter of the bell in the 5#C# church22anasty. chea. tinny little thing which the 5ector of 7t Athelstan's

use+ to comare with a muffin2bell#

Dorothy mounte+ her bicycle an+ ro+e swiftly u the hill. leaning

o0er her han+lebars# The bri+ge of her thin nose was in! in the

morning col+# A re+shan! whistle+ o0erhea+. in0isible against the

clou+e+ s!y# )arly in the morning my song shall rise to Thee8

Dorothy roe+ her bicycle against the lychgate. an+. fin+ing her

han+s still grey with coal2+ust. !nelt +own an+ scrubbe+ them clean

in the long wet grass between the gra0es# Then the bell stoe+

ringing. an+ she jume+ u an+ hastene+ into church. just asProggett. the seton. in ragge+ cassoc! an+ 0ast labourer's boots.


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was cluming u the aisle to ta!e his lace at the si+e altar#

The church was 0ery col+. with a scent of can+le2wa an+ ancient

+ust# t was a large church. much too large for its congregation.

an+ ruinous an+ more than half emty# The three narrow islan+s of

ews stretche+ barely half2way +own the na0e. an+ beyon+ them weregreat wastes of bare stone floor in which a few worn inscritions

mar!e+ the sites of ancient gra0es# The roof o0er the chancel was

sagging 0isibly> besi+e the Church )enses bo two fragments of

ri++le+ beam elaine+ mutely that this was +ue to that mortal foe

of Christen+om. the +eath2watch beetle# The light filtere+. ale2

coloure+. through win+ows of anaemic glass# Through the oen south

+oor you coul+ see a ragge+ cyress an+ the boughs of a lime2tree.

greyish in the sunless air an+ swaying faintly#

As usual. there was only one other communicant22ol+ @iss @ayfill.

of The Grange# The atten+ance at 4oly Communion was so ba+ thatthe 5ector coul+ not e0en get any boys to ser0e him. ecet on

7un+ay mornings. when the boys li!e+ showing off in front of the

congregation in their cassoc!s an+ surlices# Dorothy went into

the ew behin+ @iss @ayfill. an+. in enance for some sin of

yester+ay. ushe+ away the hassoc! an+ !nelt on the bare stones#

The ser0ice was beginning# The 5ector. in cassoc! an+ short linen

surlice. was reciting the rayers in a swift ractise+ 0oice.

clear enough now that his teeth were in. an+ curiously ungenial#

n his fasti+ious. age+ face. ale as a sil0er coin. there was an

eression of aloofness. almost of contemt# 'This is a 0ali+

sacrament.' he seeme+ to be saying. 'an+ it is my +uty to

a+minister it to you# ut remember that am only your riest. not

your frien+# As a human being +isli!e you an+ +esise you#'

Proggett. the seton. a man of forty with curly grey hair an+ a

re+. harasse+ face. stoo+ atiently by. uncomrehen+ing but

re0erent. fi++ling with the little communion bell which was lost in

his huge re+ han+s#

Dorothy resse+ her fingers against her eyes# 7he ha+ not yet

succee+e+ in concentrating her thoughts22in+ee+. the memory of

Cargill's bill was still worrying her intermittently# The rayers.which she !new by heart. were flowing through her hea+ unhee+e+#

7he raise+ her eyes for a moment. an+ they began imme+iately to

stray# Birst uwar+s. to the hea+less roof2angels on whose nec!s

you coul+ still see the sawcuts of the Puritan sol+iers. then bac!

again. to @iss @ayfill's blac!. Huasi2or!2ie hat an+ tremulous

jet ear2rings# @iss @ayfill wore a long musty blac! o0ercoat. with

a little collar of greasy2loo!ing astra!han. which ha+ been the

same e0er since Dorothy coul+ remember# t was of some 0ery

eculiar stuff. li!e watere+ sil! but coarser. with ri0ulets of

blac! iing wan+ering all o0er it in no +isco0erable attern# t

might e0en ha0e been that legen+ary an+ ro0erbial substance. blac!bomba6ine# @iss @ayfill was 0ery ol+. so ol+ that no one


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remembere+ her as anything but an ol+ woman# A faint scent

ra+iate+ from her22an ethereal scent. analysable as eau2+e2Cologne.

mothballs. an+ a sub2fla0our of gin#

Dorothy +rew a long glass2hea+e+ in from the lael of her coat.

an+ furti0ely. un+er co0er of @iss @ayfill's bac!. resse+ theoint against her forearm# 4er flesh tingle+ arehensi0ely# 7he

ma+e it a rule. whene0er she caught herself not atten+ing to her

rayers. to ric! her arm har+ enough to ma!e bloo+ come# t was

her chosen form of self2+isciline. her guar+ against irre0erence

an+ sacrilegious thoughts#

/ith the in oise+ in rea+iness she manage+ for se0eral moments

to ray more collecte+ly# 4er father ha+ turne+ one +ar! eye

+isaro0ingly uon @iss @ayfill. who was crossing herself at

inter0als. a ractice he +isli!e+# A starling chattere+ outsi+e#

/ith a shoc! Dorothy +isco0ere+ that she was loo!ing 0aingloriouslyat the leats of her father's surlice. which she herself ha+ sewn

two years ago# 7he set her teeth an+ +ro0e the in an eighth of an

inch into her arm#

They were !neeling again# t was the General Confession# Dorothy

recalle+ her eyes22wan+ering. alas8 yet again. this time to the

staine+2glass win+ow on her right. +esigne+ by 7ir /ar+e Too!e.

A#5#A#. in &IJ& an+ reresenting 7t Athelstan's welcome at the gate

of hea0en by Gabriel an+ a legion of angels all remar!ably li!e one

another an+ the Prince Consort22an+ resse+ the inoint against a

+ifferent art of her arm# 7he began to me+itate conscientiously

uon the meaning of each hrase of the rayer. an+ so brought her

min+ bac! to a more attenti0e state# ut e0en so she was all but

oblige+ to use the in again when Proggett tin!le+ the bell in the

mi++le of 'Therefore with Angels an+ Archangels'22being 0isite+. as

always. by a +rea+ful temtation to begin laughing at that assage#

t was because of a story her father ha+ tol+ her once. of how when

he was a little boy. an+ ser0ing the riest at the altar. the

communion bell ha+ a screw2on claer. which ha+ come loose> an+ so

the riest ha+ sai+: 'Therefore with Angels an+ Archangels. an+

with all the comany of 4ea0en. we lau+ an+ magnify Thy gloriousname> e0ermore raising Thee. an+ saying. 7crew it u. you little

fat2hea+. screw it u8'

As the 5ector finishe+ the consecration @iss @ayfill began to

struggle to her feet with etreme +ifficulty an+ slowness. li!e

some +isjointe+ woo+en creature ic!ing itself u by sections. an+

+isengaging at each mo0ement a owerful whiff of mothballs# There

was an etraor+inary crea!ing soun+22from her stays. resumably.

but it was a noise as of bones grating against one another# 1ou

coul+ ha0e imagine+ that there was only a +ry s!eleton insi+e that

blac! o0ercoat#


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Dorothy remaine+ on her feet a moment longer# @iss @ayfill was

creeing towar+s the altar with slow. tottering stes# 7he coul+

barely wal!. but she too! bitter offence if you offere+ to hel

her# n her ancient. bloo+less face her mouth was surrisingly

large. loose. an+ wet# The un+erli. en+ulous with age. slobbere+

forwar+. eosing a stri of gum an+ a row of false teeth as yellowas the !eys of an ol+ iano# On the uer li was a fringe of

+ar!. +ewy moustache# t was not an aeti6ing mouth> not the !in+

of mouth that you woul+ li!e to see +rin!ing out of your cu#

7u++enly. sontaneously. as though the De0il himself ha+ ut it

there. the rayer slie+ from Dorothy'easts of )nglan+'s lis: O Go+. let me not

ha0e to ta!e the chalice after @iss @ayfill8

The net moment. in self2horror. she grase+ the meaning of what

she ha+ sai+. an+ wishe+ that she ha+ bitten her tongue in two

rather than utter that +ea+ly blashemy uon the altar stes# 7he

+rew the in again from her lael an+ +ro0e it into her arm so har+that it was all she coul+ +o to suress a cry of ain# Then she

stee+ to the altar an+ !nelt +own mee!ly on @iss @ayfill's left.

so as to ma!e Huite sure of ta!ing the chalice after her#

her lis mo0e+. but there was neither heart nor meaning in her

rayers# 7he coul+ hear Proggett's boots shuffling an+ her

father'easts of )nglan+'s clear low 0oice murmuring 'Ta!e an+ eat'. she coul+ see

the worn stri of re+ caret beneath her !nees. she coul+ smell

+ust an+ eau2+e2Cologne an+ mothballs> but of the o+y an+ loo+ of

Christ. of the urose for which she ha+ come here. she was as

though +eri0e+ of the ower to thin!# A +ea+ly blan!ness ha+

+escen+e+ uon her min+# t seeme+ to her that actually she CO(D

not ray# 7he struggle+. collecte+ her thoughts. uttere+

mechanically the oening hrases of a rayer> but they were

useless. meaningless22nothing but the +ea+ shells of wor+s# 4er

father was hol+ing the wafer before her in his shaely. age+ han+#

4e hel+ it between finger an+ thumb. fasti+iously. somehow+istastefully. as though it ha+ been a soon of me+icine# 4is eye

was uon @iss @ayfill. who was +oubling herself u li!e a geometri+

caterillar. with many crea!ings an+ crossing herself so

elaborately that one might ha0e imagine+ that she was s!etching a

series of brai+ frogs on the front of her coat# Bor se0eral

secon+s Dorothy hesitate+ an+ +i+ not ta!e the wafer# 7he +are+

not ta!e it# etter. far better to ste +own from the altar than

to accet the sacrament with such chaos in her heart8

Then it haene+ that she glance+ si+elong. through the oen south

+oor# A momentary sear of sunlight ha+ ierce+ the clou+s# tstruc! +ownwar+s through the lea0es of the limes. an+ a sray of


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lea0es in the +oorway gleame+ with a transient. matchless green.

greener than ja+e or emeral+ or Atlantic waters# t was as though

some jewel of unimaginable slen+our ha+ flashe+ for an instant.

filling the +oorway with green light. an+ then fa+e+# A floo+ of

joy ran through Dorothy'easts of )nglan+'s heart# The flash of li0ing colour ha+

brought bac! to her. by a rocess +eeer than reason. her eace ofmin+. her lo0e of Go+. her ower to worshi# 7omehow. because of

the greenness of the lea0es. it was again ossible to ray# O all

ye green things uon the earth. raise ye the (or+8 7he began to

ray. ar+ently. joyfully. than!fully# The wafer melte+ uon her

tongue# 7he too! the chalice from her father. an+ taste+ with

reulsion. e0en with an a++e+ joy in this small act of self2

abasement. the wet imrint of @iss @ayfill's lis on its sil0er

rim#

%

7t Athelstan's Church stoo+ at the highest oint of


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aying for yours# An+ just (OO< at +ear little Toto sitting u an+

loo!ing such a C())5 little man with his little blac! nose

wiggling. an+ he woul+. woul+ he. the +arling +uc!. he woul+. he

woul+. an+ his mother woul+ gi0e him a lum of sugar. she woul+.

she woul+# T4)5). Toto8'=. was to be +efinitely out of in

site of which the 0egetable gar+en was usually an imenetrable

jungle of wee+s#

Dorothy jume+ off her bicycle at the front gate. uon which some

officious erson ha+ stuc! a oster inscribe+ 'ote for lifil2

Gor+on an+ 4igher /ages8' ;There was a by2election going on. an+

@r lifil2Gor+on was stan+ing in the Conser0ati0e interest#= As

Dorothy oene+ the front +oor she saw two letters lying on the worn

coconut mat# One was from the 5ural Dean. an+ the other was a

nasty. thin2loo!ing letter from Cat!in K Palm. her father's

clerical tailors# t was a bill un+oubte+ly# The 5ector ha+

followe+ his usual ractice of collecting the letters that

intereste+ him an+ lea0ing the others# Dorothy was just ben+ing

+own to ic! u the letters. when she saw. with a horri+ shoc! of+ismay. an unstame+ en0eloe stic!ing to the letter fla#

t was a bill22for certain it was a bill8 @oreo0er. as soon as she

set eyes on it she '!new' that it was that horrible bill from

Cargill's. the butcher's# A sin!ing feeling asse+ through her

entrails# Bor a moment she actually began to ray that it might

not be Cargill's bill22that it might only be the bill for three

an+ nine from 7oleie's. the +raer's. or the bill from the

nternational or the ba!er's or the +airy22anything ecet

Cargill's bill8 Then. mastering her anic. she too! the en0eloe

from the letter2fla an+ tore it oen with a con0ulsi0e mo0ement#


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'To account ren+ere+: (%& ?7# 9+#'

This was written in the innocuous han+writing of @r Cargill's

accountant# ut un+erneath. in thic!. accusing2loo!ing letters.

was a++e+ an+ hea0ily un+erline+: '7h+# li!e to bring to your

notice that this bill has been owing a )51 (O"G T@)# The)A5()7T PO77() settlement will oblige. 7# Cargill#'

Dorothy ha+ turne+ a sha+e aler. an+ was conscious of not wanting

any brea!fast# 7he thrust the bill into her oc!et an+ went into

the +ining2room# t was a smallish. +ar! room. ba+ly in nee+ of

reaering. an+. li!e e0ery other room in the 5ectory. it ha+ the

air of ha0ing been furnishe+ from the sweeings of an antiHue sho#

The furniture was 'goo+'. but battere+ beyon+ reair. an+ the

chairs were so worm2eaten that you coul+ only sit on them in safety

if you !new their in+i0i+ual foibles# There were ol+. +ar!.

+eface+ steel engra0ings hanging on the walls. one of them22anengra0ing of an Dyc!'s ortrait of Charles 22robably of some

0alue if it ha+ not been ruine+ by +am#

The 5ector was stan+ing before the emty grate. warming himself at

an imaginary fire an+ rea+ing a letter that came from a long blue

en0eloe# 4e was still wearing his cassoc! of blac! watere+ sil!.

which set off to erfection his thic! white hair an+ his ale.

fine. none too amiable face# As Dorothy came in he lai+ the letter

asi+e. +rew out his gol+ watch an+ scrutini6e+ it significantly#

''m afrai+ 'm a bit late. Bather#'

'1es. Dorothy. you are A T (AT).' sai+ the 5ector. reeating her

wor+s with +elicate but mar!e+ emhasis# '1ou are twel0e minutes

late. to be eact# Don't you thin!. Dorothy. that when ha0e to

get u at a Huarter ast si to celebrate 4oly Communion. an+ come

home ecee+ingly tire+ an+ hungry. it woul+ be better if you coul+

manage to come to brea!fast without being A T (AT)'

t was clear that the 5ector was in what Dorothy calle+.

euhemistically. his 'uncomfortable moo+'# 4e ha+ one of thoseweary. culti0ate+ 0oices which are ne0er +efinitely angry an+ ne0er

anywhere near goo+ humour22one of those 0oices which seem all the

while to be saying. ' really CA""OT see what you are ma!ing all

this fuss about8' The imression he ga0e was of suffering

eretually from other eole's stui+ity an+ tiresomeness#

''m so sorry. Bather8 simly ha+ to go an+ as! after @rs

Tawney#' ;@rs Tawney was the '@rs T' of the 'memo list'#= '4er

baby was born last night. an+ you !now she romise+ me she'+ come

an+ be churche+ after it was born# ut of course she won't if she

thin!s we aren't ta!ing any interest in her# 1ou !now what thesewomen are22they seem so to hate being churche+# They'll ne0er come


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unless coa them into it#'

The 5ector +i+ not actually grunt. but he uttere+ a small

+issatisfie+ soun+ as he mo0e+ towar+s the brea!fast table# t was

inten+e+ to mean. first. that it was @rs Tawney's +uty to come an+

be churche+ without Dorothy's coaing> secon+ly. that Dorothy ha+no business to waste her time 0isiting all the riffraff of the

town. esecially before brea!fast# @rs Tawney was a labourer's

wife an+ li0e+ in artibus infi+elium. north of the 4igh 7treet#

The 5ector lai+ his han+ on the bac! of his chair. an+. without

sea!ing. cast Dorothy a glance which meant: 'Are we rea+y "O/

Or are there to be any @O5) +elays'

' thin! e0erything's here. Bather.' sai+ Dorothy# 'Perhas if

you'+ just say grace22'

'ene+ictus bene+icat.' sai+ the 5ector. lifting the worn sil0erco0erlet off the brea!fast +ish# The sil0er co0erlet. li!e the

sil0er2gilt marmala+e soon. was a family heirloom> the !ni0es an+

for!s. an+ most of the croc!ery. came from /oolworths# 'acon

again. see.' the 5ector a++e+. eyeing the three minute rashers

that lay curle+ u on sHuares of frie+ brea+#

't's all we'0e got in the house. 'm afrai+.' Dorothy sai+#

The 5ector ic!e+ u his for! between finger an+ thumb. an+ with a

0ery +elicate mo0ement. as though laying at silli!ins. turne+ one

of the rashers o0er#

' !now. of course.' he sai+. 'that bacon for brea!fast is an

)nglish institution almost as ol+ as arliamentary go0ernment# ut

still. +on't you thin! we might OCCA7O"A((1 ha0e a change.

Dorothy'

'acon's so chea now.' sai+ Dorothy regretfully# 't seems a sin

not to buy it# This was only fi0eence a oun+. an+ saw some

Huite +ecent2loo!ing bacon as low as threeence#'

'Ah. Danish. suose /hat a 0ariety of Danish in0asions we ha0e

ha+ in this country8 Birst with fire an+ swor+. an+ now with their

abominable chea bacon# /hich has been resonsible for the more

+eaths. won+er'

Beeling a little better after this witticism. the 5ector settle+

himself in his chair an+ ma+e a fairly goo+ brea!fast off the

+esise+ bacon. while Dorothy ;she was not ha0ing any bacon this

morning22a enance she ha+ set herself yester+ay for saying 'Damn'

an+ i+ling for half an hour after lunch= me+itate+ uon a goo+

con0ersational oening#


13/212

There was an unsea!ably hateful job in front of her22a +eman+ for

money# At the 0ery best of times getting money out of her father

was net +oor to imossible. an+ it was ob0ious that this morning

he was going to be e0en more '+ifficult' than usual# 'Difficult'

was another of her euhemisms# 4e's ha+ ba+ news. suose. she

thought +eson+ently. loo!ing at the blue en0eloe#

Probably no one who ha+ e0er so!en to the 5ector for as long as

ten minutes woul+ ha0e +enie+ that he was a '+ifficult' !in+ of

man# The secret of his almost unfailing ill humour really lay in

the fact that he was an anachronism# 4e ought ne0er to ha0e been

born into the mo+ern worl+> its whole atmoshere +isguste+ an+

infuriate+ him# A coule of centuries earlier. a hay luralist

writing oems or collecting fossils while curates at $ oun+s a

year a+ministere+ his arishes. he woul+ ha0e been erfectly at

home# )0en now. if he ha+ been a richer man. he might ha0e console+

himself by shutting the twentieth century out of his consciousness#ut to li0e in ast ages is 0ery eensi0e> you can't +o it on less

than two thousan+ a year# The 5ector. tethere+ by his o0erty to

the age of (enin an+ the Daily @ail. was !et in a state of chronic

easeration which it was only natural that he shoul+ wor! off on

the erson nearest to him22usually. that is. on Dorothy#

4e ha+ been born in &I?&. the younger son of the younger son of a

baronet. an+ ha+ gone into the Church for the outmo+e+ reason that

the Church is the tra+itional rofession for younger sons# 4is

first cure ha+ been in a large. slummy arish in )ast (on+on22a

nasty. hooliganish lace it ha+ been. an+ he loo!e+ bac! on it with

loathing# )0en in those +ays the lower class ;as he ma+e a oint

of calling them= were getting +eci+e+ly out of han+# t was a

little better when he was curate2in2charge at some remote lace in


14/212

say. sitefully an+ untruly. that he woul+ ha0e let Dorothy reach

his sermons for him if it ha+ been ossible# The 'lower classes'

ha+ grase+ from the first what was his attitu+e towar+s them. an+

if he ha+ been a rich man they woul+ robably ha0e lic!e+ his

boots. accor+ing to their custom> as it was. they merely hate+ him#

"ot that he care+ whether they hate+ him or not. for he was largelyunaware of their eistence# ut e0en with the uer classes he ha+

got on no better# /ith the County he ha+ Huarrelle+ one by one.

an+ as for the etty gentry of the town. as the gran+son of a

baronet he +esise+ them. an+ was at no ains to hi+e it# n

twenty2three years he ha+ succee+e+ in re+ucing the congregation of

7t Athelstan's from si hun+re+ to something un+er two hun+re+#

This was not solely +ue to ersonal reasons# t was also because

the ol+2fashione+ 4igh Anglicanism to which the 5ector obstinately

clung was of a !in+ to annoy all arties in the arish about

eHually# "owa+ays. a clergyman who wants to !ee his congregationhas only two courses oen to him# )ither it must be Anglo2

Catholicism ure an+ simle22or rather. ure an+ not simle> or he

must be +aringly mo+ern an+ broa+2min+e+ an+ reach comforting

sermons ro0ing that there is no 4ell an+ all goo+ religions are

the same# The 5ector +i+ neither# On the one han+. he ha+ the

+eeest contemt for the Anglo2Catholic mo0ement# t ha+ asse+

o0er his hea+. lea0ing him absolutely untouche+> '5oman Be0er' was

his name for it# On the other han+. he was too 'high' for the

ol+er members of his congregation# Brom time to time he scare+

them almost out of their wits by the use of the fatal wor+

'Catholic'. not only in its sanctifie+ lace in the Cree+s. but

also from the ulit# "aturally the congregation +win+le+ year by

year. an+ it was the est Peole who were the first to go# (or+

Poc!thorne of Poc!thorne Court. who owne+ a fifth of the county. @r

(ea0is. the retire+ leather merchant. 7ir )+war+ 4uson of Crabtree

4all. an+ such of the etty gentry as owne+ motor2cars. ha+ all

+eserte+ 7t Athelstan's# @ost of them +ro0e o0er on 7un+ay

mornings to @illborough. fi0e miles away# @illborough was a town

of fi0e thousan+ inhabitants. an+ you ha+ your choice of two

churches. 7t )+mun+'s an+ 7t /e+e!in+'s# 7t )+mun+'s was

@o+ernist22tet from la!e's ',erusalem' bla6one+ o0er the altar.an+ communion wine out of liHueur glasses22an+ 7t /e+e!in+'s was

Anglo2Catholic an+ in a state of eretual guerrilla warfare with

the isho# ut @r Cameron. the secretary of the

meanwhile. she ha+ ne0er been !nown to ut more than sience in

the collection bag. an+ she seeme+ li!ely to go on li0ing for e0er#


15/212

The first ten minutes of brea!fast asse+ in comlete silence#

Dorothy was trying to summon u courage to sea!22ob0iously she ha+

got to start 7O@) !in+ of con0ersation before raising the money2

Huestion22but her father was not an easy man with whom to ma!e

small tal!# At times he woul+ fall into such +ee fits of

abstraction that you coul+ har+ly get him to listen to you> atother times he was all too attenti0e. listene+ carefully to what

you sai+ an+ then ointe+ out. rather wearily. that it was not

worth saying# Polite latitu+es22the weather. an+ so forth22

generally mo0e+ him to sarcasm# "e0ertheless. Dorothy +eci+e+ to

try the weather first#

't's a funny !in+ of +ay. isn't it' she sai+22aware. e0en as she

ma+e it. of the inanity of this remar!#

'/4AT is funny' inHuire+ the 5ector#

'/ell. mean. it was so col+ an+ misty this morning. an+ now the

sun's come out an+ it's turne+ Huite fine#'

'7 there anything articularly funny about that'

That was no goo+. ob0iously# 4e @7T ha0e ha+ ba+ news. she

thought# 7he trie+ again#

' +o wish you'+ come out an+ ha0e a loo! at the things in the bac!

gar+en some time. Bather# The runner beans are +oing so slen+i+ly8

The o+s are going to be o0er a foot long# 'm going to !ee all

the best of them for the 4ar0est Besti0al. of course# thought it

woul+ loo! so nice if we +ecorate+ the ulit with festoons of

runner beans an+ a few tomatoes hanging in among them#'

This was a fau as# The 5ector loo!e+ u from his late with an

eression of rofoun+ +istaste#

'@y +ear Dorothy.' he sai+ sharly. '7 it necessary to begin

worrying me about the 4ar0est Besti0al alrea+y'

''m sorry. Bather8' sai+ Dorothy. +isconcerte+# ' +i+n't mean to

worry you# just thought22'

'Do you suose'. rocee+e+ the 5ector. 'it is any leasure to me

to ha0e to reach my sermon among festoons of runner beans am

not a greengrocer# t Huite uts me off my brea!fast to thin! of

it# /hen is the wretche+ thing +ue to haen'

't's 7etember the siteenth. Bather#'

'That's nearly a month hence# Bor 4ea0en's sa!e let me forget ita little longer8 suose we must ha0e this ri+iculous business


16/212

once a year to tic!le the 0anity of e0ery amateur gar+ener in the

arish# ut +on't let's thin! of it more than is absolutely

necessary#'

The 5ector ha+. as Dorothy ought to ha0e remembere+. a erfect

abhorrence of 4ar0est Besti0als# 4e ha+ e0en lost a 0aluablearishioner22a @r Toagis. a surly retire+ mar!et gar+ener22through

his +isli!e. as he sai+. of seeing his church +resse+ u to imitate

a coster's stall# @r Toagis. anima naturaliter "onconformistica.

ha+ been !et 'Church' solely by the ri0ilege. at 4ar0est Besti0al

time. of +ecorating the si+e altar with a sort of 7tonehenge

comose+ of gigantic 0egetable marrows# The re0ious summer he ha+

succee+e+ in growing a erfect le0iathan of a um!in. a fiery re+

thing so enormous that it too! two men to lift it# This monstrous

object ha+ been lace+ in the chancel. where it +warfe+ the altar

an+ too! all the colour out of the east win+ow# n no matter what

art of the church you were stan+ing. the um!in. as the sayinggoes. hit you in the eye# @r Toagis was in ratures# 4e hung

about the church at all hours. unable to tear himself away from his

a+ore+ um!in. an+ e0en bringing relays of frien+s in to a+mire

it# Brom the eression of his face you woul+ ha0e thought that he

was Huoting /or+sworth on /estminster ri+ge:

)arth has not any thing to show more fair:

Dull woul+ he be of soul who coul+ ass by

A sight so touching in its majesty8

Dorothy e0en ha+ hoes. after this. of getting him to come to 4oly

Communion# ut when the 5ector saw the um!in he was seriously

angry. an+ or+ere+ 'that re0olting thing' to be remo0e+ at once#

@r Toagis ha+ instantly 'gone chael'. an+ he an+ his heirs were

lost to the Church for e0er#

Dorothy +eci+e+ to ma!e one final attemt at con0ersation#

'/e're getting on with the costumes for Charles .' she sai+# ;TheChurch 7chool chil+ren were rehearsing a lay entitle+ Charles in

ai+ of the organ fun+#= 'ut +o wish we'+ chosen something a bit

easier# The armour is a +rea+ful job to ma!e. an+ 'm afrai+ the

jac!boots are going to be worse# thin! net time we must really

ha0e a 5oman or Gree! lay# 7omething where they only ha0e to wear

togas#'

This elicite+ only another mute+ grunt from the 5ector# 7chool

lays. ageants. ba6aars. jumble sales. an+ concerts in ai+ of were

not Huite so ba+ in his eyes as 4ar0est Besti0als. but he +i+ not

reten+ to be intereste+ in them# They were necessary e0ils. heuse+ to say# At this moment )llen. the mai+ser0ant. ushe+ oen


17/212

the +oor an+ came gauchely into the room with one large. scaly han+

hol+ing her sac!ing aron against her belly# 7he was a tall.

roun+2shoul+ere+ girl with mouse2coloure+ hair. a lainti0e 0oice.

an+ a ba+ comleion. an+ she suffere+ chronically from ec6ema#

4er eyes flitte+ arehensi0ely towar+s the 5ector. but she

a++resse+ herself to Dorothy. for she was too much afrai+ of the5ector to sea! to him +irectly#

'Please. @iss22' she began#

'1es. )llen'

'Please. @iss.' went on )llen lainti0ely. '@r Porter's in the

!itchen. an+ he says. lease coul+ the 5ector come roun+ an+

bati6e @rs Porter's baby ecause they +on't thin! as it's going

to li0e the +ay out. an+ it ain't been bati6e+ yet. @iss#'

Dorothy stoo+ u# '7it +own.' sai+ the 5ector romtly. with his

mouth full#

'/hat +o they thin! is the matter with the baby' sai+ Dorothy#

'/ell. @iss. it's turning Huite blac!# An+ it's ha+ +iarrhoea

something cruel#'

The 5ector emtie+ his mouth with an effort# '@ust ha0e these

+isgusting +etails while am eating my brea!fast' he eclaime+#

4e turne+ on )llen: '7en+ Porter about his business an+ tell him

'll be roun+ at his house at twel0e o'cloc!# really cannot

thin! why it is that the lower classes always seem to choose

mealtimes to come estering one.' he a++e+. casting another

irritate+ glance at Dorothy as she sat +own#

@r Porter was a labouring man22a bric!layer. to be eact# The

5ector's 0iews on batism were entirely soun+# f it ha+ been

urgently necessary he woul+ ha0e wal!e+ twenty miles through snow

to bati6e a +ying baby# ut he +i+ not li!e to see Dorothy

roosing to lea0e the brea!fast table at the call of a commonbric!layer#

There was no further con0ersation +uring brea!fast# Dorothy's

heart was sin!ing lower an+ lower# The +eman+ for money ha+ got to

be ma+e. an+ yet it was erfectly ob0ious that it was fore+oome+ to

failure# 4is brea!fast finishe+. the 5ector got u from the table

an+ began to fill his ie from the tobacco2jar on the manteliece#

Dorothy uttere+ a short rayer for courage. an+ then inche+

herself# Go on. Dorothy8 Out with it8 "o fun!ing. lease8 /ith

an effort she mastere+ her 0oice an+ sai+:

'Bather22'


18/212

'/hat is it' sai+ the 5ector. ausing with the match in his han+#

'Bather. '0e something want to as! you# 7omething imortant#'

The eression of the 5ector's face change+# 4e ha+ +i0ine+instantly what she was going to say> an+. curiously enough. he now

loo!e+ less irritable than before# A stony calm ha+ settle+ uon

his face# 4e loo!e+ li!e a rather ecetionally aloof an+

unhelful shin#

'"ow. my +ear Dorothy. !now 0ery well what you are going to say#

suose you are going to as! me for money again# s that it'

'1es. Bather# ecause22'

'/ell. may as well sa0e you the trouble# ha0e no money at all22absolutely no money at all until net Huarter# 1ou ha0e ha+ your

allowance. an+ can't gi0e you a halfenny more# t's Huite

useless to come worrying me now#'

'ut. Bather22'

Dorothy's heart san! yet lower# /hat was worst of all when she

came to him for money was the terrible. unhelful calmness of his

attitu+e# 4e was ne0er so unmo0e+ as when you were remin+ing him

that he was u to his eyes in +ebt# Aarently he coul+ not

un+erstan+ that tra+esmen occasionally want to be ai+. an+ that no

house can be !et going without an a+eHuate suly of money# 4e

allowe+ Dorothy eighteen oun+s a month for all the househol+

eenses. inclu+ing )llen's wages. an+ at the same time he was

'+ainty' about his foo+ an+ instantly +etecte+ any falling off in

its Huality# The result was. of course. that the househol+ was

erennially in +ebt# ut the 5ector ai+ not the smallest

attention to his +ebts22in+ee+. he was har+ly e0en aware of them#

/hen he lost money o0er an in0estment. he was +eely agitate+> but

as for a +ebt to a mere tra+esman22well. it was the !in+ of thing

that he simly coul+ not bother his hea+ about#

A eaceful lume of smo!e floate+ uwar+s from the 5ector's ie#

4e was ga6ing with a me+itati0e eye at the steel engra0ing of

Charles an+ ha+ robably forgotten alrea+y about Dorothy's +eman+

for money# 7eeing him so unconcerne+. a ang of +eseration went

through Dorothy. an+ her courage came bac! to her# 7he sai+ more

sharly than before:

'Bather. lease listen to me8 @7T ha0e some money soon8

simly @7T8 /e can't go on as we're +oing# /e owe money to

nearly e0ery tra+esman in the town# t's got so that some mornings can har+ly bear to go +own the street an+ thin! of all the bills


19/212

that are owing# Do you !now that we owe Cargill nearly twenty2two

oun+s'

'/hat of it' sai+ the 5ector between uffs of smo!e#

'ut the bill's been mounting u for o0er se0en months8 4e's sentit in o0er an+ o0er again# /e @7T ay it8 t's so unfair to him

to !ee him waiting for his money li!e that8'

'"onsense. my +ear chil+8 These eole eect to be !et waiting

for their money# They li!e it# t brings them more in the en+#

Goo+ness !nows how much owe to Cat!in K Palm22 shoul+ har+ly

care to inHuire# They are +unning me by e0ery ost# ut you +on't

hear @) comlaining. +o you'

'ut. Bather. can't loo! at it as you +o. can't8 t's so

+rea+ful to be always in +ebt8 )0en if it isn't actually wrong.it's so 4AT)B(# t ma!es me so ashame+8 /hen go into Cargill's

sho to or+er the joint. he sea!s to me so shortly an+ ma!es me

wait after the other customers. all because our bill's mounting u

the whole time# An+ yet +aren't sto or+ering from him#

belie0e he'+ run us in if +i+#'

The 5ector frowne+# '/hat8 Do you mean to say the fellow has been

imertinent to you'

' +i+n't say he'+ been imertinent. Bather# ut you can't blame

him if he's angry when his bill's not ai+#'

' most certainly can blame him8 t is simly abominable how these

eole ta!e it uon themsel0es to beha0e nowa+ays22abominable8 ut

there you are. you see# That is the !in+ of thing that we are

eose+ to in this +elightful century# That is +emocracy22

P5OG5)77. as they are lease+ to call it# Don't or+er from the

fellow again# Tell him at once that you are ta!ing your account

elsewhere# That's the only way to treat these eole#'

'ut. Bather. that +oesn't settle anything# 5eally an+ truly.+on't you thin! we ought to ay him 7urely we can get hol+ of the

money somehow Coul+n't you sell out some shares. or something'

'@y +ear chil+. +on't tal! to me about selling out shares8 ha0e

just ha+ the most +isagreeable news from my bro!er# 4e tells me

that my 7umatra Tin shares ha0e +roe+ from se0en an+ fourence to

si an+ a enny# t means a loss of nearly sity oun+s# am

telling him to sell out at once before they +ro any further#'

'Then if you sell out you'll ha0e some rea+y money. won't you

Don't you thin! it woul+ be better to get out of +ebt once an+ forall'


20/212

'"onsense. nonsense.' sai+ the 5ector more calmly. utting his ie

bac! in his mouth# '1ou !now nothing whate0er about these matters#

shall ha0e to rein0est at once in something more hoeful22it's

the only way of getting my money bac!#'

/ith one thumb in the belt of his cassoc! he frowne+ abstracte+ly

at the steel engra0ing# 4is bro!er ha+ a+0ise+ nite+ Celanese#

4ere22in 7umatra Tin. nite+ Celanese. an+ numberless other remote

an+ +imly imagine+ comanies22was the central cause of the 5ector's

money troubles# 4e was an in0eterate gambler# "ot. of course.

that he thought of it as gambling> it was merely a lifelong search

for a 'goo+ in0estment'# On coming of age he ha+ inherite+ four

thousan+ oun+s. which ha+ gra+ually +win+le+. than!s to his

'in0estments'. to about twel0e hun+re+# /hat was worse. e0ery year

he manage+ to scrae together. out of his miserable income. another

fifty oun+s which 0anishe+ by the same roa+# t is a curious factthat the lure of a 'goo+ in0estment' seems to haunt clergymen more

ersistently than any other class of man# Perhas it is the mo+ern

eHui0alent of the +emons in female shae who use+ to haunt the

anchorites of the Dar! Ages#

' shall buy fi0e hun+re+ nite+ Celanese.' sai+ the 5ector finally#

Dorothy began to gi0e u hoe# 4er father was now thin!ing of his

'in0estments' ;she new nothing whate0er about these 'in0estments'.

ecet that they went wrong with henomenal regularity=. an+ in

another moment the Huestion of the sho2+ebts woul+ ha0e slie+

entirely out of his min+# 7he ma+e a final effort#

'Bather. let's get this settle+. lease# Do you thin! you'll be

able to let me ha0e some etra money fairly soon "ot this moment.

erhas22but in the net month or two'

'"o. my +ear. +on't# About Christmas time. ossibly22it's 0ery

unli!ely e0en then# ut for the resent. certainly not# ha0en't

a halfenny can sare#'

'ut. Bather. it's so horrible to feel we can't ay our +ebts8 t

+isgraces us so8 (ast time @r /elwyn2Boster was here' ;@r /elwyn2

Boster was the 5ural Dean= '@rs /elwyn2Boster was going all roun+

the town as!ing e0eryone the most ersonal Huestions about us22

as!ing how we sent our time. an+ how much money we ha+. an+ how

many tons of coal we use+ in a year. an+ e0erything# 7he's always

trying to ry into our affairs# 7uose she foun+ out that we were

ba+ly in +ebt8'

'7urely it is our own business fail entirely to see what it has

to +o with @rs /elwyn2Boster or anyone else#'


21/212

'ut she'+ reeat it all o0er the lace22an+ she'+ eaggerate it

too8 1ou !now what @rs /elwyn2Boster is# n e0ery arish she goes

to she tries to fin+ out something +isgraceful about the clergyman.

an+ then she reeats e0ery wor+ of it to the isho# +on't want

to be uncharitable about her. but really she22'

5eali6ing that she DD want to be uncharitable. Dorothy was silent#

'7he is a +etestable woman.' sai+ the 5ector e0enly# '/hat of it

/ho e0er hear+ of a 5ural Dean's wife who wasn't +etestable'

'ut. Bather. +on't seem to be able to get you to see how serious

things are8 /e'0e simly nothing to li0e on for the net month#

+on't e0en !now where the meat's coming from for to+ay's +inner#'

'(uncheon. Dorothy. luncheon8' sai+ the 5ector with a touch of

irritation# ' +o wish you woul+ +ro that abominable lower2classhabit of calling the mi++ay meal D"")58'

'Bor luncheon. then# /here are we to get the meat from +aren't

as! Cargill for another joint#'

'Go to the other butcher22what's his name 7alter22an+ ta!e no

notice of Cargill# 4e !nows he'll be ai+ sooner or later# Goo+

gracious. +on't !now what all this fuss is about8 Doesn't

e0eryone owe money to his tra+esmen +istinctly remember'22the

5ector straightene+ his shoul+ers a little. an+. utting his ie

bac! into his mouth. loo!e+ into the +istance> his 0oice became

reminiscent an+ ercetibly more agreeable22' +istinctly remember

that when was u at Ofor+. my father ha+ still not ai+ some of

his own Ofor+ bills of thirty years earlier# Tom' ;Tom was the

5ector's cousin. the aronet= 'owe+ se0en thousan+ before he came

into his money# 4e tol+ me so himself#'

At that. Dorothy's last hoe 0anishe+# /hen her father began to

tal! about his cousin Tom. an+ about things that ha+ haene+ 'when

was u at Ofor+'. there was nothing more to be +one with him#

t meant that he ha+ slie+ into an imaginary gol+en ast in whichsuch 0ulgar things as butchers' bills simly +i+ not eist# There

were long erio+s together when he seeme+ actually to forget that

he was only a o0erty2stric!en country 5ector22that he was not a

young man of family with estates an+ re0ersions at his bac!# The

aristocratic. the eensi0e attitu+e was the one that in all

circumstances came the most naturally to him# An+ of course while

he li0e+. not uncomfortably. in the worl+ of his imagination. it

was Dorothy who ha+ to fight the tra+esmen an+ ma!e a leg of mutton

last from 7un+ay to /e+nes+ay# ut she !new the comlete

uselessness of arguing with him any longer# t woul+ only en+ in

ma!ing him angry# 7he got u from the table an+ began to ile thebrea!fast things on to the tray#


22/212

'1ou're absolutely certain you can't let me ha0e any money.

Bather' she sai+ for the last time. at the +oor> with the tray in

her arms#

The 5ector. ga6ing into the mi++le +istance. ami+ comfortablewreaths of smo!e. +i+ not hear her# 4e was thin!ing. erhas. of

his gol+en Ofor+ +ays# Dorothy went out of the room +istresse+

almost to the oint of tears# The miserable Huestion of the +ebts

was once more shel0e+. as it ha+ been shel0e+ a thousan+ times

before. with no rosect of final solution#

E

On her el+erly bicycle with the bas!etwor! carrier on the han+le2

bars. Dorothy free2wheele+ +own the hill. +oing mental arithmetic

with three oun+s nineteen an+ fourence22her entire stoc! of money

until net Huarter2+ay#

7he ha+ been through the list of things that were nee+e+ in the

!itchen# ut in+ee+. was there anything that was "OT nee+e+ in the

!itchen Tea. coffee. soa. matches. can+les. sugar. lentils.

firewoo+. so+a. lam oil. boot olish. margarine. ba!ing ow+er22

there seeme+ to be ractically nothing that they were not running

short of# An+ at e0ery moment some fresh item that she ha+

forgotten oe+ u an+ +ismaye+ her# The laun+ry bill. for

eamle. an+ the fact that the coal was running short. an+ the

Huestion of the fish for Bri+ay# The 5ector was '+ifficult' about

fish# 5oughly sea!ing. he woul+ only eat the more eensi0e

!in+s> co+. whiting. srats. s!ate. herrings. an+ !iers he

refuse+#

@eanwhile. she ha+ got to settle about the meat for to+ay's +inner22

luncheon# ;Dorothy was careful to obey her father an+ call it

("C4)O". when she remembere+ it# On the other han+. you coul+ notin honesty call the e0ening meal anything but 'suer'> so there

was no such meal as '+inner' at the 5ectory#= etter ma!e an

omelette for luncheon to+ay. Dorothy +eci+e+# 7he +are+ not go to

Cargill again# Though. of course. if they ha+ an omelette for

luncheon an+ then scramble+ eggs for suer. her father woul+

robably be sarcastic about it# (ast time they ha+ eggs twice in

one +ay. he ha+ inHuire+ col+ly. '4a0e you starte+ a chic!en farm.

Dorothy' An+ erhas tomorrow she woul+ get two oun+s of

sausages at the nternational. an+ that sta0e+ off the meat2

Huestion for one +ay more#

Thirty2nine further +ays. with only three oun+s nineteen an+


23/212

fourence to ro0i+e for them. loome+ u in Dorothy's imagination.

sen+ing through her a wa0e of self2ity which she chec!e+ almost

instantly# "ow then. Dorothy8 "o sni0elling. lease8 t all

comes right somehow if you trust in Go+# @atthew 0i. %J# The (or+

will ro0i+e# /ill 4e Dorothy remo0e+ her right han+ from the

han+le2bars an+ felt for the glass2hea+e+ in. but the blashemousthought fa+e+# At this moment she became aware of the gloomy re+

face of Proggett. who was hailing her resectfully but urgently

from the si+e of the roa+#

Dorothy stoe+ an+ got off her bicycle#

'eg ar+on. @iss.' sai+ Proggett# ' been wanting to sea! to

you. @iss22PA5TC'(A5#'

Dorothy sighe+ inwar+ly# /hen Proggett wante+ to sea! to you

PA5TC'(A5. you coul+ be erfectly certain what was coming> it wassome iece of alarming news about the con+ition of the church#

Proggett was a essimistic. conscientious man. an+ 0ery loyal

churchman. after his fashion# Too +im of intellect to ha0e any

+efinite religious beliefs. he showe+ his iety by an intense

solicitu+e about the state of the church buil+ings# 4e ha+ +eci+e+

long ago that the Church of Christ meant the actual walls. roof.

an+ tower of 7t Athelstan's.


24/212

+angerous as Proggett ma+e out# t was Huite certain that. if not

this year or net year. at any rate at some time in the near

future. they woul+ fall through the belfry floor into the church

orch# An+. as Proggett was fon+ of ointing out. it woul+

robably haen on a 7un+ay morning just as the congregation were

coming into church#

Dorothy sighe+ again# Those wretche+ bells were ne0er out of min+

for long> there were times when the thought of their falling e0en

got into her +reams# There was always some trouble or other at the

church# f it was not the belfry. then it was the roof or the

walls> or it was a bro!en ew which the carenter wante+ ten

shillings to men+> or it was se0en hymn2boo!s nee+e+ at one an+

sience each. or the flue of the sto0e cho!e+ u22an+ the swee's

fee was half a crown22or a smashe+ win+ow2ane or the choir2boys'

cassoc!s in rags# There was ne0er enough money for anything# The

new organ which the rector ha+ insiste+ on buying fi0e yearsearlier22the ol+ one. he sai+. remin+e+ him of a cow with the

asthma22was a bur+en un+er which the Church )enses fun+ ha+ been

staggering e0er since#

' +on't !now /4AT we can +o.' sai+ Dorothy finally> ' really

+on't# /e'0e simly no money at all# An+ e0en if we +o ma!e

anything out of the school2chil+ren's lay. it's all got to go to

the organ fun+# The organ eole are really getting Huite nasty

about their bill# 4a0e you so!en to my father'

'1es. @iss# 4e +on't ma!e nothing of it# Lelfry's hel+ u fi0e

hun+re+ years.L he says> Lwe can trust it to hol+ u a few years

longer#L'

This was Huite accor+ing to rece+ent# The fact that the church

was 0isibly collasing o0er his hea+ ma+e no imression on the

5ector> he simly ignore+ it. as he ignore+ anything else that he

+i+ not wish to be worrie+ about#

'/ell. +on't !now /4AT we can +o.' Dorothy reeate+# 'Of course

there's the jumble sale coming off the wee! after net# 'mcounting on @iss @ayfill to gi0e us something really "C) for the

jumble sale# !now she coul+ affor+ to# 7he's got such lots of

furniture an+ things that she ne0er uses# was in her house the

other +ay. an+ saw a most beautiful (owestoft china tea ser0ice

which was ut away in a cuboar+. an+ she tol+ me it ha+n't been

use+ for o0er twenty years# ,ust suose she ga0e us that tea

ser0ice8 t woul+ fetch oun+s an+ oun+s# /e must just ray that

the jumble sale will be a success. Proggett# Pray that it'll bring

us fi0e oun+s at least# 'm sure we shall get the money somehow

if we really an+ truly ray for it#'

'1es. @iss.' sai+ Proggett resectfully. an+ shifte+ his ga6e to


25/212

the far +istance#

At this moment a horn hoote+ an+ a 0ast. gleaming blue car came

0ery slowly +own the roa+. ma!ing for the 4igh 7treet# Out of one

win+ow @r lifil2Gor+on. the Prorietor of the sugar2beet refinery.

was thrusting a slee! blac! hea+ which went remar!ably ill with hissuit of san+y2coloure+ 4arris twee+# As he asse+. instea+ of

ignoring Dorothy as usual. he flashe+ uon her a smile so warm that

it was almost amorous# /ith him were his el+est son 5alh22or. as

he an+ the rest of the family ronounce+ it. /alh22an eicene

youth of twenty. gi0en to the writing of sub2)liot 0ers libre

oems. an+ (or+ Poc!thorne's two +aughters# They were all smiling.

e0en (or+ Poc!thorne's +aughters# Dorothy was astonishe+. for it

was se0eral years since any of these eole ha+ +eigne+ to

recogni6e her in the street#

'@r lifil2Gor+on is 0ery frien+ly this morning.' she sai+#

'Aye. @iss# 'll be boun+ he is# t's the election coming on net

wee!. that's what 'tis# All honey an+ butter they are till they'0e

ma+e sure as you'll 0ote for them> an+ then they'0e forgot your

0ery face the +ay afterwar+s#'

'Oh. the election8' sai+ Dorothy 0aguely# 7o remote were such

things as arliamentary elections from the +aily roun+ of arish

wor! that she was 0irtually unaware of them22har+ly. in+ee+. e0en

!nowing the +ifference between (iberal an+ Conser0ati0e or

7ocialist an+ Communist# '/ell. Proggett.' she sai+. imme+iately

forgetting the election in fa0our of something more imortant.

''ll sea! to Bather an+ tell him how serious it is about the

bells# thin! erhas the best thing we can +o will be to get u

a secial subscrition. just for the bells alone# There's no

!nowing. we might ma!e fi0e oun+s# /e might e0en ma!e ten oun+s8

Don't you thin! if went to @iss @ayfill an+ as!e+ her to start

the subscrition with fi0e oun+s. she might gi0e it to us'

'1ou ta!e my wor+. @iss. an+ +on't you let @iss @ayfill hear

nothing about it# t'+ scare the life out of her# f she thoughtas that tower wasn't safe. we'+ ne0er get her insi+e that church

again#'

'Oh +ear8 suose not#'

'"o. @iss# /e shan't get nothing out of 4)5> the ol+22'

A ghostly floate+ once more across Proggett's lis# 4is min+ a

little more at rest now that he ha+ +eli0ere+ his fortnightly

reort uon the bells. he touche+ his ca an+ +earte+. while

Dorothy ro+e on into the 4igh 7treet. with the twin roblems of thesho2+ebts an+ the Church )enses ursuing one another through her


26/212

min+ li!e the twin refrains of a 0illanelle#

The still watery sun. now laying hi+e2an+2see!. Aril2wise. among

woolly islets of clou+. sent an obliHue beam +own the 4igh 7treet.

gil+ing the house2fronts of the northern si+e# t was one of those

sleey. ol+2fashione+ streets that loo! so i+eally eaceful on acasual 0isit an+ so 0ery +ifferent when you li0e in them an+ ha0e

an enemy or a cre+itor behin+ e0ery win+ow# The only +efinitely

offensi0e buil+ings were 1e Ol+e Tea 7hoe ;laster front with

sham beams naile+ on to it. bottle2glass win+ows an+ re0olting

curly roof li!e that of a Chinese joss2house=. an+ the new. Doric2

illare+ ost office# After about two hun+re+ yar+s the 4igh

7treet for!e+. forming a tiny mar!et2lace. a+orne+ with a um.

now +efunct. an+ a worm2eaten air of stoc!s# On either si+e of

the um stoo+ the Dog an+ ottle. the rincial inn of the town.

an+ the


27/212

ass. it. to get to 7oleie's= to ta!e much notice of the

rocession# The lifil2Gor+on car ha+ halte+ for a moment outsi+e

1e Ol+e Tea 7hoe# Borwar+. the coffee briga+e8 4alf the la+ies

of the town seeme+ to be hurrying forth. with la+ogs or shoing

bas!ets on their arms. to cluster about the car li!e acchantes

about the car of the 0ine2go+# After all. an election isractically the only time when you get a chance of echanging

smiles with the County# There were eager feminine cries of 'Goo+

luc!. @r lifil2Gor+on8 D)A5 @r lifil2Gor+on8 /e DO hoe you'll

get in. @r lifil2Gor+on8' @r lifil2Gor+on's largesse of smiles

was unceasing. but carefully gra+e+# To the oulace he ga0e a

+iffuse+. general smile. not resting on in+i0i+uals> to the coffee

la+ies an+ the si scarlet atriots of the Conser0ati0e Club he

ga0e one smile each> to the most fa0oure+ of all. young /alh ga0e

an occasional wa0e of the han+ an+ a sHuea!y 'Cheewio8'

Dorothy's heart tightene+# 7he ha+ seen that @r Cargill. li!e therest of the sho!eeers. was stan+ing on his +oorste# 4e was a

tall. e0il2loo!ing man. in blue2strie+ aron. with a lean. scrae+

face as urle as one of his own joints of meat that ha+ lain a

little too long in the win+ow# 7o fascinate+ were Dorothy's eyes

by that ominous figure that she +i+ not loo! where she was going.

an+ bume+ into a 0ery large. stout man who was steing off the

a0ement bac!war+s#

The stout man turne+ roun+# 'Goo+ 4ea0ens8 t's Dorothy8' he

eclaime+#

'/hy. @r /arburton8 4ow etraor+inary8 Do you !now. ha+ a

feeling was going to meet you to+ay#'

'y the ric!ing of your thumbs. resume' sai+ @r /arburton.

beaming all o0er a large. in!. @icawberish face# 'An+ how are

you ut by ,o0e8' he a++e+. '/hat nee+ is there to as! 1ou loo!

more bewitching than e0er#'

4e inche+ Dorothy's bare elbow22she ha+ change+. after brea!fast.

into a slee0eless gingham froc!# Dorothy stee+ hurrie+lybac!war+s to get out of his reach22she hate+ being inche+ or

otherwise 'maule+ about'22an+ sai+ rather se0erely:

'P()A7) +on't inch my elbow# +on't li!e it#'

'@y +ear Dorothy. who coul+ resist an elbow li!e yours t's the

sort of elbow one inches automatically# A refle action. if you

un+erstan+ me#'

'/hen +i+ you get bac! to


28/212

' got bac! the +ay before yester+ay# ut this is only a flying

0isit# 'm off again tomorrow# 'm ta!ing the !i+s to rittany#

The A7TA5D7. you !now#'

@r /arburton ronounce+ the wor+ A7TA5D7. at which Dorothy loo!e+away in +iscomfort. with a touch of nai0e ri+e# 4e an+ his

'bastar+s' ;he ha+ three of them= were one of the chief scan+als of


29/212

suit he's wearing is an offence in itself# s there a 7ocialist

can+i+ate f so. shall certainly 0ote for him#'

7e0eral eole on the a0ement turne+ an+ stare+# Dorothy saw

little @r Twiss. the ironmonger. a wea6ene+. leather2coloure+ ol+

man. eering with 0eile+ male0olence roun+ the corner of the rushbas!ets that hung in his +oorway# 4e ha+ caught the wor+

7ocialist. an+ was mentally registering @r /arburton as a 7ocialist

an+ Dorothy as the frien+ of 7ocialists#

' really @7T be getting on.' sai+ Dorothy hastily. feeling that

she ha+ better escae before @r /arburton sai+ something e0en more

tactless# ''0e got e0er such a lot of shoing to +o# 'll say

goo+2bye for the resent. then#'

'Oh. no. you won't8' sai+ @r /arburton cheerfully# '"ot a bit of

it8 'll come with you#'

As she wheele+ her bicycle +own the street he marche+ at her si+e.

still tal!ing. with his large chest well forwar+ an+ his stic!

tuc!e+ un+er his arm# 4e was a +ifficult man to sha!e off. an+

though Dorothy counte+ him as a frien+. she +i+ sometimes wish. he

being the town scan+al an+ she the 5ector's +aughter. that he woul+

not always choose the most ublic laces to tal! to her in# At

this moment. howe0er. she was rather grateful for his comany.

which ma+e it areciably easier to ass Cargill's sho22for

Cargill was still on his +oorste an+ was regar+ing her with a

si+elong. meaning ga6e#

't was a bit of luc! my meeting you this morning.' @r /arburton

went on# 'n fact. was loo!ing for you# /ho +o you thin! '0e

got coming to +inner with me tonight ewley225onal+ ewley#

1ou'0e hear+ of him. of course'

'5onal+ ewley "o. +on't thin! so# /ho is he'

'/hy. +ash it8 5onal+ ewley. the no0elist# Author of Bishools

an+ Concubines# 7urely you'0e rea+ Bishools an+ Concubines'

'"o. 'm afrai+ ha0en't# n fact. '+ ne0er e0en hear+ of it#'

'@y +ear Dorothy8 1ou 4A) been neglecting yourself# 1ou

certainly ought to rea+ Bishools an+ Concubines# t's hot stuff.

assure you22real high2class ornograhy# ,ust the !in+ of thing

you nee+ to ta!e the taste of the Girl Gui+es out of your mouth#'

' +o wish you woul+n't say such things8' sai+ Dorothy. loo!ing

away uncomfortably. an+ then imme+iately loo!ing bac! again because

she ha+ all but caught Cargill's eye# '/here +oes this @r ewleyli0e' she a++e+# '"ot here. surely. +oes he'


30/212

'"o# 4e's coming o0er from swich for +inner. an+ erhas to stay

the night# That's why was loo!ing for you# thought you might

li!e to meet him# 4ow about your coming to +inner tonight'

' can't ossibly come to +inner.' sai+ Dorothy# ''0e gotBather's suer to see to. an+ thousan+s of other things# shan't

be free till eight o'cloc! or after#'

'/ell. come along after +inner. then# '+ li!e you to !now ewley#

4e's an interesting fellow220ery au fait with all the loomsbury

scan+al. an+ all that# 1ou'll enjoy meeting him# t'll +o you

goo+ to escae from the church hen2coo for a few hours#'

Dorothy hesitate+# 7he was temte+# To tell the truth. she

enjoye+ her occasional 0isits to @r /arburton's house etremely#

ut of course they were )51 occasional22once in three or fourmonths at the oftenest> it so ob0iously DD"'T DO to associate too

freely with such a man# An+ e0en when she +i+ go to his house she

was careful to ma!e sure beforehan+ that there was going to be at

least one other 0isitor#

Two years earlier. when @r /arburton ha+ first come to a

little later. howe0er. the house!eeer su++enly ga0e birth to a

thir+ chil+ in the mi++le of the night=. Dorothy ha+ met him at a

tea2arty an+ afterwar+s calle+ on him# @r /arburton ha+ gi0en

her a +elightful tea. tal!e+ amusingly about boo!s. an+ then.

imme+iately after tea. sat +own besi+e her on the sofa an+ begun

ma!ing lo0e to her. 0iolently. outrageously. e0en brutally# t was

ractically an assault# Dorothy was horrifie+ almost out of her

wits. though not too horrifie+ to resist# 7he escae+ from him an+

too! refuge on the other si+e of the sofa. white. sha!ing. an+

almost in tears# @r /arburton. on the other han+. was Huite

unashame+ an+ e0en seeme+ rather amuse+#

'Oh. how coul+ you. how coul+ you' she sobbe+#

'ut it aears that coul+n't.' sai+ @r /arburton#

'Oh. but how coul+ you be such a brute'

'Oh. T4AT )asily. my chil+. easily# 1ou will un+erstan+ that

when you get to my age#'

n site of this ba+ beginning. a sort of frien+shi ha+ grown u

between the two. e0en to the etent of Dorothy being 'tal!e+ about'

in conneion with @r /arburton# t +i+ not ta!e much to get you

'tal!e+ about' in


31/212

he foun+ oortunities of ma!ing casual lo0e to her# ut it was

+one in a gentlemanly fashion> the re0ious +isagreeable inci+ent

was not reeate+# Afterwar+s. when he was forgi0en. @r /arburton

ha+ elaine+ that he 'always trie+ it on' with e0ery resentable

woman he met#

'Don't you get rather a lot of snubs' Dorothy coul+ not hel

as!ing him#

'Oh. certainly# ut get Huite a number of successes as well. you

!now#'

Peole won+ere+ sometimes how such a girl as Dorothy coul+ consort.

e0en occasionally. with such a man as @r /arburton> but the hol+

that he ha+ o0er her was the hol+ that the blashemer an+ e0il2

li0er always has o0er the ious# t is a fact22you ha0e only to

loo! about you to 0erify it22that the ious an+ the immoral +riftnaturally together# The best brothel2scenes in literature ha0e

been written. without ecetion. by ious belie0ers or ious

unbelie0ers# An+ of course Dorothy. born into the twentieth

century. ma+e a oint of listening to @r /arburton's blashemies as

calmly as ossible> it is fatal to flatter the wic!e+ by letting

them see that you are shoc!e+ by them# esi+es. she was genuinely

fon+ of him# 4e tease+ her an+ +istresse+ her. an+ yet she got

from him. without being fully aware of it. a secies of symathy

an+ un+erstan+ing which she coul+ not get elsewhere# Bor all his

0ices he was +istinctly li!eable. an+ the sho++y brilliance of his

con0ersation22Oscar /il+e se0en times watere+22which she was too

ineerience+ to see through. fascinate+ while it shoc!e+ her#

Perhas. too. in this instance. the rosect of meeting the

celebrate+ @r ewley ha+ its effect uon her> though certainly

Bishon+s an+ Concubines soun+e+ li!e the !in+ of boo! that she

either +i+n't rea+ or else set herself hea0y enances for rea+ing#

n (on+on. no +oubt. one woul+ har+ly cross the roa+ to see fifty

no0elists> but these things aeare+ +ifferently in laces li!e


32/212

@rs 7emrill was the town scan+almonger22the most eminent. that is.

of the town's many scan+almongers# 4a0ing got what he wante+ ;he

was constantly estering Dorothy to come to his house more often=.

@r /arburton sai+ au re0oir an+ left Dorothy to +o the remain+er of

her shoing#

n the semi2gloom of 7oleie's sho. she was just mo0ing away from

the counter with her two an+ a half yar+s of casement cloth. when

she was aware of a low. mournful 0oice at her ear# t was @rs

7emrill# 7he was a slen+er woman of forty. with a lan!. sallow.

+istinguishe+ face. which. with her glossy +ar! hair an+ air of

settle+ melancholy. ga0e her something the aearance of a an Dyc!

ortrait# )ntrenche+ behin+ a ile of cretonnes near the win+ow.

she ha+ been watching Dorothy's con0ersation with @r /arburton#

/hene0er you were +oing something that you +i+ not articularly

want @rs 7emrill to see you +oing. you coul+ trust her to be

somewhere in the neighbourhoo+# 7he seeme+ to ha0e the ower ofmateriali6ing li!e an Arabian jinneeyeh at any lace where she was

not wante+# "o in+iscretion. howe0er small. escae+ her 0igilance#

@r /arburton use+ to say that she was li!e the four beasts of the

Aocalyse22'They are full of eyes. you remember. an+ they rest not

night nor +ay#'

'Dorothy D)A5)7T.' murmure+ @rs 7emrill in the sorrowful.

affectionate 0oice of someone brea!ing a iece of ba+ news as

gently as ossible# ''0e been so /A"T"G to sea! to you# '0e

something simly D5)ADB( to tell you22something that will really

4O55B1 you8'

'/hat is it' sai+ Dorothy resigne+ly. well !nowing what was

coming22for @rs 7emrill ha+ only one subject of con0ersation#

They mo0e+ out of the sho an+ began to wal! +own the street.

Dorothy wheeling her bicycle. @rs 7emrill mincing at her si+e with

a +elicate bir+li!e ste an+ bringing her mouth closer an+ closer

to Dorothy's ear as her remar!s grew more an+ more intimate#

'Do you haen to ha0e notice+.' she began. 'that girl who sits atthe en+ of the ew nearest the organ in church A rather P5)TT1

girl. with re+ hair# '0e no i+ea what her name is.' a++e+ @rs

7emrill. who !new the surname an+ all the Christian names of e0ery

man. woman. an+ chil+ in


33/212

urulent libel in0ol0ing @olly Breeman an+ si young men who wor!e+

at the sugar2beet refinery# After a few moments the story became

so outrageous that Dorothy. who ha+ turne+ 0ery in!. hurrie+ly

with+rew her ear from @rs 7emrill's whisering lis# 7he stoe+

her bicycle#

' won't listen to such things8' she sai+ abrutly# ' an+ so it went on. one thing lea+ing to another# Bor

there was har+ly a soul in the town or the surroun+ing country

about whom @rs 7emrill coul+ not +isclose some festering secret if

you listene+ to her long enough#

t was noticeable that her stories were not only +irty an+

libellous. but they ha+ nearly always some monstrous tinge of

er0ersion about them# Comare+ with the or+inary scan+almongers

of a country town. she was Breu+ to occaccio# Brom hearing her

tal! you woul+ ha0e gathere+ the imression that


34/212

7o+om. Gomorrah. an+ uenos Aires ut together# n+ee+. when you

reflecte+ uon the li0es le+ by the inhabitants of this latter2+ay

City of the Plain22from the manager of the local ban! sHuan+ering

his clients' money on the chil+ren of his secon+ an+ bigamous

marriage. to the barmai+ of the Dog an+ ottle ser0ing +rin!s in

the taroom +resse+ only in high2heele+ satin sliers. an+ fromol+ @iss Channon. the music2teacher. with her secret gin bottle an+

her anonymous letters. to @aggie /hite. the ba!er's +aughter. who

ha+ borne three chil+ren to her own brother22when you consi+ere+

these eole. all. young an+ ol+. rich an+ oor. sun!en in

monstrous an+ abylonian 0ices. you won+ere+ that fire +i+ not come

+own from 4ea0en an+ consume the town forthwith# ut if you

listene+ just a little longer. the catalogue of obscenities became

first monstrous an+ then unbearably +ull# Bor in a town in which

))51O") is either a bigamist. a e+erast. or a +rug2ta!er. the

worst scan+al loses its sting# n fact. @rs 7emrill was something

worse than a slan+erer> she was a bore#

As to the etent to which her stories were belie0e+. it 0arie+# At

times the wor+ woul+ go roun+ that she was a foul2mouthe+ ol+ cat

an+ e0erything she sai+ was a ac! of lies> at other times one of

her accusations woul+ ta!e effect on some unfortunate erson. who

woul+ nee+ months or e0en years to li0e it +own# 7he ha+ certainly

been instrumental in brea!ing off not less than half a +o6en

engagements an+ starting innumerable Huarrels between husban+s an+

wi0es#

All this while Dorothy ha+ been ma!ing aborti0e efforts to sha!e

@rs 7emrill off# 7he ha+ e+ge+ her way gra+ually across the

street until she was wheeling her bicycle along the right2han+

!erb> but @rs 7emrill ha+ followe+. whisering without cease# t

was not until they reache+ the en+ of the 4igh 7treet that Dorothy

summone+ u enough firmness to escae# 7he halte+ an+ ut her

right foot on the e+al of her bicycle#

' really can't sto a moment longer.' she sai+# ''0e got a

thousan+ things to +o. an+ 'm late alrea+y#'

'Oh. but. Dorothy +ear8 '0e something else simly @7T tell

you22something most @PO5TA"T8'

''m sorry22'm in such a terrible hurry# Another time. erhas#'

't's about that D5)ADB( @r /arburton.' sai+ @rs 7emrill hastily.

lest Dorothy shoul+ escae without hearing it# '4e's just come

bac! from (on+on. an+ +o you !now22 most PA5TC(A5(1 wante+ to

tell you this22+o you !now. he actually22'

ut here Dorothy saw that she must ma!e off instantly. at no matterwhat cost# 7he coul+ imagine nothing more uncomfortable than to


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ha0e to +iscuss @r /arburton with @rs 7emrill# 7he mounte+ her

bicycle. an+ with only a 0ery brief '7orry22 really CA"'T sto8'

began to ri+e hurrie+ly away#

' wante+ to tell you22he's ta!en u with a new woman8' @rs

7emrill crie+ after her. e0en forgetting to whiser in hereagerness to ass on this juicy titbit#

ut Dorothy ro+e swiftly roun+ the corner. not loo!ing bac!. an+

reten+ing not to ha0e hear+# An unwise thing to +o. for it +i+

not ay to cut @rs 7emrill too short# Any unwillingness to listen

to her scan+als was ta!en as a sign of +era0ity. an+ le+ to fresh

an+ worse scan+als being ublishe+ about yourself the moment you

ha+ left her#

As Dorothy ro+e homewar+s she ha+ uncharitable thoughts about @rs

7emrill. for which she +uly inche+ herself# Also. there wasanother. rather +isturbing i+ea which ha+ not occurre+ to her till

this moment22that @rs 7emrill woul+ certainly learn of her 0isit

to @r /arburton's house this e0ening. an+ woul+ robably ha0e

magnifie+ it into something scan+alous by tomorrow# The thought

sent a 0ague remonition of e0il through Dorothy's min+ as she

jume+ off her bicycle at the 5ectory gate. where 7illy ,ac!. the

town i+iot. a thir+2gra+e moron with a triangular scarlet face li!e

a strawberry. was loitering. 0acantly flogging the gateost with a

ha6el switch#

t was a little after ele0en# The +ay. which. li!e some o0errie

but hoeful wi+ow laying at se0enteen. ha+ been utting on

unseasonable Aril airs. ha+ now remembere+ that it was August an+

settle+ +own to be boiling hot#

Dorothy ro+e into the hamlet of Bennelwic!. a mile out of


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han+s. which were sweating from the han+le2bars# n the harsh

sunlight her face loo!e+ inche+ an+ colourless# 7he loo!e+ her

age. an+ something o0er. at that hour of the morning# Throughout

her +ay22an+ in general it was a se0enteen2hour +ay22she ha+

regular. alternating erio+s of tire+ness an+ energy> the mi++le of

the morning. when she was +oing the first instalment of the +ay's'0isiting'. was one of the tire+ erio+s#

'isiting'. because of the +istances she ha+ to bicycle from house

to house. too! u nearly half of Dorothy's +ay# )0ery +ay of her

life. ecet on 7un+ays. she ma+e from half a +o6en to a +o6en

0isits at arishioners' cottages# 7he enetrate+ into crame+

interiors an+ sat on lumy. +ust2+iffusing chairs gossiing with

o0erwor!e+. blowsy housewi0es> she sent hurrie+ half2hours gi0ing

a han+ with the men+ing an+ the ironing. an+ rea+ chaters from the

Gosels. an+ rea+juste+ ban+ages on 'ba+ legs'. an+ con+ole+ with

sufferers from morning2sic!ness> she laye+ ri+e2a2coc!2horse withsour2smelling chil+ren who grime+ the bosom of her +ress with their

stic!y little fingers> she ga0e a+0ice about ailing asi+istras.

an+ suggeste+ names for babies. an+ +ran! 'nice cus of tea'

innumerable22for the wor!ing women always wante+ her to ha0e a

'nice cu of tea'. out of the teaot en+lessly stewing#

@uch of it was rofoun+ly +iscouraging wor!# Bew. 0ery few. of the

women seeme+ to ha0e e0en a concetion of the Christian life that

she was trying to hel them to lea+# 7ome of them were shy an+

susicious. stoo+ on the +efensi0e. an+ ma+e ecuses when urge+ to

come to 4oly Communion> some shamme+ iety for the sa!e of the tiny

sums they coul+ whee+le out of the church alms bo> those who

welcome+ her coming were for the most art the tal!ati0e ones. who

wante+ an au+ience for comlaints about the 'goings on' of their

husban+s. or for en+less mortuary tales ;'An+ he ha+ to ha0e glass

chubes let into his 0eins.' etc#. etc#= about the re0olting

+iseases their relati0es ha+ +ie+ of# Muite half the women on her

list. Dorothy !new. were at heart atheistical in a 0ague

unreasoning way# 7he came u against it all +ay long22that 0ague.

blan! +isbelief so common in illiterate eole. against which all

argument is owerless# Do what she woul+. she coul+ ne0er raisethe number of regular communicants to more than a +o6en or

thereabouts# /omen woul+ romise to communicate. !ee their

romise for a month or two. an+ then fall away# /ith the younger

women it was esecially hoeless# They woul+ not e0en join the

local branches of the church leagues that were run for their

benefit22Dorothy was honorary secretary of three such leagues.

besi+es being catain of the Girl Gui+es# The an+ of 4oe an+ the

Comanionshi of @arriage languishe+ almost memberless. an+ the

@others' nion only !et going because gossi an+ unlimite+ strong

tea ma+e the wee!ly sewing2arties accetable# 1es. it was

+iscouraging wor!> so +iscouraging that at times it woul+ ha0eseeme+ altogether futile if she ha+ not !nown the sense of futility


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for what it is22the subtlest weaon of the De0il#

Dorothy !noc!e+ at the Pithers' ba+ly fitting +oor. from beneath

which a melancholy smell of boile+ cabbage an+ +ish2water was

oo6ing# Brom long eerience she !new an+ coul+ taste in a+0ance

the in+i0i+ual smell of e0ery cottage on her roun+s# 7ome of theirsmells were eculiar in the etreme# Bor instance. there was the

salty. feral smell that haunte+ the cottage of ol+ @r Tombs. an

age+ retire+ boo!seller who lay in be+ all +ay in a +ar!ene+ room.

with his long. +usty nose an+ ebble sectacles rotru+ing from

what aeare+ to be a fur rug of 0ast si6e an+ richness#

ut if you ut your han+ on the fur rug it +isintegrate+. burst an+

fle+ in all +irections# t was comose+ entirely of cats22twenty2

four cats. to be eact# @r Tombs 'foun+ they !et him warm'. he

use+ to elain# n nearly all the cottages there was a basic

smell of ol+ o0ercoats an+ +ish2water uon which the other.in+i0i+ual smells were suerimose+> the cessool smell. the

cabbage smell. the smell of chil+ren. the strong. bacon2li!e ree!

of cor+uroys imregnate+ with the sweat of a +eca+e#

@rs Pither oene+ the +oor. which in0ariably stuc! to the jamb. an+

then. when you wrenche+ it oen. shoo! the whole cottage# 7he was

a large. stooing. grey woman with wisy grey hair. a sac!ing

aron. an+ shuffling caret sliers#

'/hy. if it isn't @iss Dorothy8' she eclaime+ in a +reary.

lifeless but not unaffectionate 0oice#

7he too! Dorothy between her large. gnarle+ han+s. whose !nuc!les

were as shiny as s!inne+ onions from age an+ ceaseless washing u.

an+ ga0e her a wet !iss# Then she +rew her into the unclean

interior of the cottage#

'Pither's away at wor!. @iss.' she announce+ as they got insi+e#

' to Dr Gaythorne's he is. a2+igging o0er the +octor's flower2

be+s for him#'

@r Pither was a jobbing gar+ener# 4e an+ his wife. both of them

o0er se0enty. were one of the few genuinely ious coules on

Dorothy's 0isiting list# @rs Pither le+ a +reary. wormli!e life of

shuffling to an+ fro. with a eretual cric! in her nec! because

the +oor lintels were too low for her. between the well. the sin!.

the firelace. an+ the tiny lot of !itchen gar+en# The !itchen

was +ecently ti+y. but oressi0ely hot. e0il2smelling an+

saturate+ with ancient +ust# At the en+ oosite the firelace @rs

Pither ha+ ma+e a !in+ of rie2+ieu out of a greasy rag mat lai+ in

front of a tiny. +efunct harmonium. on to of which were an

oleograhe+ crucifiion. '/atch an+ Pray' +one in bea+wor!. an+ ahotograh of @r an+ @rs Pither on their we++ing +ay in &II%#


38/212

'Poor Pither8' went on @rs Pither in her +eressing 0oice. 'him a2

+igging at his age. with his rheumatism T4AT ba+8 Ain't it cruel

har+. @iss An+ he's ha+ a !in+ of a ain between his legs. @iss.

as he can't seem to account for22terrible ba+ he's been with it.

these last few mornings# Ain't it bitter har+. @iss. the li0es usoor wor!ing fol!s has to lea+'

't's a shame.' sai+ Dorothy# 'ut hoe you'0e been !eeing a

little better yourself. @rs Pither'

'Ah. @iss. there's nothing +on't ma!e @) better# ain't a case

for curing. not in T47 worl+. ain't# shan't ne0er get no

better. not in this wic!e+ worl+ +own here#'

'Oh. you mustn't say that. @rs Pither8 hoe we shall ha0e you

with us for a long time yet#'

'Ah. @iss. you +on't !now how oorly '0e been this last wee!8

'0e ha+ the rheumatism a2coming an+ a2going all +own the bac!s of

my oor ol+ legs. till there's some mornings when +on't feel as

can't wal! so far as to ull a han+ful of onions in the gar+en#

Ah. @iss. it's a weary worl+ we li0es in. ain't it. @iss A weary.

sinful worl+#'

'ut of course we must ne0er forget. @rs Pither. that there's a

better worl+ coming# This life is only a time of trial22just to

strengthen us an+ teach us to be atient. so that we'll be rea+y

for 4ea0en when the time comes#'

At this a su++en an+ remar!able change came o0er @rs Pither# t

was ro+uce+ by the wor+ '4ea0en'# @rs Pither ha+ only two

subjects of con0ersation> one of them was the joys of 4ea0en. an+

the other the miseries of her resent state# Dorothy's remar!

seeme+ to act uon her li!e a charm# 4er +ull grey eye was not

caable of brightening. but her 0oice Huic!ene+ with an almost

joyful enthusiasm#

'Ah. @iss. there you sai+ it8 That's a true wor+. @iss8 That's

what Pither an+ me !ees a2saying to oursel0es# An+ that's just

the one thing as !ees us a2going22just the thought of 4ea0en an+

the long. long rest we'll ha0e there# /hate0er we'0e suffere+. we

gets it all bac! in 4ea0en. +on't we. @iss )0ery little bit of

suffering. you gets it bac! a hun+re+fol+ an+ a thousan+fol+# That

7 true. ain't it. @iss There's rest for us all in 4ea0en22rest

an+ eace an+ no more rheumatism nor +igging nor coo!ing nor

laun+ering nor nothing# 1ou DO belie0e that. +on't you. @iss

Dorothy'

'Of course.' sai+ Dorothy#


39/212

'Ah. @iss. if you !new how it comforts us22just the thoughts of

4ea0en8 Pither he says to me. when he comes home tire+ of a night

an+ our rheumatism's ba+. L"e0er you min+. my +ear.L he says. Lwe

ain't far off 4ea0en now.L he says# L4ea0en was ma+e for the li!es

of us.L he says> Ljust for oor wor!ing fol!s li!e us. that ha0ebeen sober an+ go+ly an+ !et our Communions regular#L That's the

best way. ain't it. @iss Dorothy22oor in this life an+ rich in the

net "ot li!e some of them rich fol!s as all their motorcars an+

their beautiful houses won't sa0e from the worm that +ieth not an+

the fire that's not Huenche+# 7uch a beautiful tet. that is# Do

you thin! you coul+ say a little rayer with me. @iss Dorothy

been loo!ing forwar+ all the morning to a little rayer#

@rs Pither was always rea+y for a 'little rayer' at any hour of

the night or +ay# t was her eHui0alent to a 'nice cu of tea'#

They !nelt +own on the rag mat an+ sai+ the (or+'s Prayer an+ theCollect for the wee!> an+ then Dorothy. at @rs Pither's reHuest.

rea+ the arable of Di0es an+ (a6arus. @rs Pither coming in from

time to time with 'Amen8 That's a true wor+. ain't it. @iss

Dorothy LAn+ he was carrie+ by angels into Abraham's bosom#L

eautiful8 Oh. +o call that just too beautiful8 Amen. @iss

Dorothy22Amen8'

Dorothy ga0e @rs Pither the cutting from the Daily @ail about

angelica tea for rheumatism. an+ then. fin+ing that @rs Pither ha+

been too 'oorly' to +raw the +ay's suly of water. she +rew three

buc!etfuls for her from the well# t was a 0ery +ee well. with

such a low araet that @rs Pither's final +oom woul+ almost

certainly be to fall into it an+ get +rowne+. an+ it ha+ not e0en a

winch22you ha+ to haul the buc!et u han+ o0er han+# An+ then they

sat +own for a few minutes. an+ @rs Pither tal!e+ some more about

4ea0en# t was etraor+inary how constantly 4ea0en reigne+ in her

thoughts> an+ more etraor+inary yet was the actuality. the

0i0i+ness with which she coul+ see it# The gol+en streets an+ the

gates of orient earl were as real to her as though they ha+ been

actually before her eyes# An+ her 0ision eten+e+ to the most

concrete. the most earthly +etails# The softness of the be+s uthere8 The +eliciousness of the foo+8 The lo0ely sil! clothes

that you woul+ ut on clean e0ery morning8 The surcease from

e0erlasting to e0erlasting from wor! of any +escrition8 n almost

e0ery moment of her life the 0ision of 4ea0en suorte+ an+

console+ her. an+ her abject comlaints about the li0es of 'oor

wor!ing fol!s' were curiously temere+ by a satisfaction in the

thought

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ClergymansDaugther Orwell