the garden party(园会)-第11章
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minute and take that wet thing off your head。 Jose； run and finish
dressing this instant。 Do you hear me； children； or shall I have to tell
your father when he comes home to…night？ Andand； Jose； pacify cook
if you do go into the kitchen； will you？ I'm terrified of her this morning。〃
The envelope was found at last behind the dining…room clock； though
how it had got there Mrs。 Sheridan could not imagine。
〃One of you children must have stolen it out of my bag； because I
remember vividlycream cheese and lemon…curd。 Have you done that？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Egg and〃 Mrs。 Sheridan held the envelope away from her。 〃It
looks like mice。 It can't be mice； can it？〃
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〃Olive； pet；〃 said Laura； looking over her shoulder。
〃Yes； of course； olive。 What a horrible combination it sounds。 Egg
and olive。〃
They were finished at last； and Laura took them off to the kitchen。
She found Jose there pacifying the cook； who did not look at all terrifying。
〃I have never seen such exquisite sandwiches；〃 said Jose's rapturous
voice。 〃How many kinds did you say there were； cook？ Fifteen？〃
〃Fifteen； Miss Jose。〃
〃Well； cook； I congratulate you。〃
Cook swept up crusts with the long sandwich knife； and smiled
broadly。
〃Godber's has come；〃 announced Sadie； issuing out of the pantry。
She had seen the man pass the window。
That meant the cream puffs had come。 Godber's were famous for
their cream puffs。 Nobody ever thought of making them at home。
〃Bring them in and put them on the table； my girl；〃 ordered cook。
Sadie brought them in and went back to the door。 Of course Laura
and Jose were far too grown…up to really care about such things。 All the
same； they couldn't help agreeing that the puffs looked very attractive。
Very。 Cook began arranging them； shaking off the extra icing sugar。
〃Don't they carry one back to all one's parties？〃 said Laura。
〃I suppose they do；〃 said practical Jose； who never liked to be carried
back。 〃They look beautifully light and feathery； I must say。〃
〃Have one each； my dears；〃 said cook in her comfortable voice。 〃Yer
ma won't know。〃
Oh； impossible。 Fancy cream puffs so soon after breakfast。 The
very idea made one shudder。 All the same； two minutes later Jose and
Laura were licking their fingers with that absorbed inward look that only
comes from whipped cream。
〃Let's go into the garden； out by the back way；〃 suggested Laura。 〃I
want to see how the men are getting on with the marquee。 They're such
awfully nice men。〃
But the back door was blocked by cook； Sadie； Godber's man and
Hans。
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Something had happened。
〃Tuk…tuk…tuk；〃 clucked cook like an agitated hen。 Sadie had her hand
clapped to her cheek as though she had toothache。 Hans's face was
screwed up in the effort to understand。 Only Godber's man seemed to be
enjoying himself； it was his story。
〃What's the matter？ What's happened？〃
〃There's been a horrible accident；〃 said Cook。 〃A man killed。〃
〃A man killed！ Where？ How？ When？〃
But Godber's man wasn't going to have his story snatched from under
his very nose。
〃Know those little cottages just below here； miss？〃 Know them？
Of course； she knew them。 〃Well； there's a young chap living there；
name of Scott； a carter。 His horse shied at a traction…engine； corner of
Hawke Street this morning； and he was thrown out on the back of his head。
Killed。〃
〃Dead！〃 Laura stared at Godber's man。
〃Dead when they picked him up；〃 said Godber's man with relish。
〃They were taking the body home as I come up here。〃 And he said to the
cook； 〃He's left a wife and five little ones。〃
〃Jose； come here。〃 Laura caught hold of her sister's sleeve and
dragged her through the kitchen to the other side of the green baize door。
There she paused and leaned against it。 〃Jose！〃 she said； horrified；
〃however are we going to stop everything？〃
〃Stop everything； Laura！〃 cried Jose in astonishment。 〃What do you
mean？〃
〃Stop the garden…party； of course。〃 Why did Jose pretend？
But Jose was still more amazed。 〃Stop the garden…party？ My dear
Laura； don't be so absurd。 Of course we can't do anything of the kind。
Nobody expects us to。 Don't be so extravagant。〃
〃But we can't possibly have a garden…party with a man dead just
outside the front gate。〃
That really was extravagant； for the little cottages were in a lane to
themselves at the very bottom of a steep rise that led up to the house。 A
broad road ran between。 True； they were far too near。 They were the
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greatest possible eyesore； and they had no right to be in that
neighbourhood at all。 They were little mean dwellings painted a
chocolate brown。 In the garden patches there was nothing but cabbage
stalks； sick hens and tomato cans。 The very smoke coming out of their
chimneys was poverty…stricken。 Little rags and shreds of smoke； so
unlike the great silvery plumes that uncurled from the Sheridans' chimneys。
Washerwomen lived in the lane and sweeps and a cobbler； and a man
whose house…front was studded all over with minute bird…cages。
Children swarmed。 When the Sheridans were little they were forbidden
to set foot there because of the revolting language and of what they might
catch。 But since they were grown up； Laura and Laurie on their prowls
sometimes walked through。 It was disgusting and sordid。 They came
out with a shudder。 But still one must go everywhere； one must see
everything。 So through they went。
〃And just think of what the band would sound like to that poor
woman；〃 said Laura。
〃Oh； Laura！〃 Jose began to be seriously annoyed。 〃If you're going
to stop a band playing every time some one has an accident； you'll lead a
very strenuous life。 I'm every bit as sorry about it as you。 I feel just as
sympathetic。〃 Her eyes hardened。 She looked at her sister just as she
used to when they were little and fighting together。 〃You won't bring a
drunken workman back to life by being sentimental；〃 she said softly。
〃Drunk！ Who said he was drunk？〃 Laura turned furiously on Jose。
She said； just as they had used to say on those occasions； 〃I'm going
straight up to tell mother。〃
〃Do； dear；〃 cooed Jose。
〃Mother； can I come into your room？〃 Laura turned the big glass
door…knob。
〃Of course； child。 Why； what's the matter？ What's given you such a
colour？〃 And Mrs。 Sheridan turned round from her dressing…table。 She
was trying on a new hat。
〃Mother； a man's been killed；〃 began Laura。
〃Not in the garden？〃 interrupted her mother。
〃No； no！〃
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〃Oh； what a fright you gave me！〃 Mrs。 Sheridan sighed with relief；
and took off the big hat and held it on her knees。
〃But listen； mother；〃 said Laura。 Breathless； half…choking； she told
the dreadful story。 〃Of course； we can't have our party； can we？〃 she
pleaded。 〃The band and everybody arriving。 They'd hear us； mother；
they're nearly neighbours！〃
To Laura's astonishment her mother behaved just like Jose； it was
harder to bear because she seemed amused。 She refused to take Laura
seriously。
〃But； my dear child； use your common sense。 It's only by accident
we've heard of it。 If some one had died there normallyand I can't
understand how they keep alive in those poky little holeswe should still
be having our party； shouldn't we？〃
Laura had to say 〃yes〃 to that； but she felt it was all wrong。 She sat
down on her mother's sofa and pinched the cushion frill。
〃Mother； isn't it terribly heartless of us？〃 she asked。
〃Darling！〃 Mrs。 Sheridan got up and came over to her； carrying the
hat。 Before Laura could stop her she had popped it on。 〃My child！〃
said her mother； 〃the hat is yours。 It's made for you。 It's much too
young for me。 I have never seen you look such a picture。 Look at
yourself！〃 And she held up her hand…mirror。
〃But； mother；〃 Laura began again。 She couldn't look at herself； she
turned aside。
This time Mrs。 Sheridan lost patience just as Jose had done。
〃You are being very absurd； Laura；〃 she said coldly。 〃People like that
don't expect sacrifices from us。 And it's not very sympathetic to spoil
everybody's enjoyment as you're doing now。〃
〃I don't understand；〃 said Laura； and she walked quickly out of the
room into her own bedroom。 There； quite by chance； the first thing she
saw was this charming girl in the mirror； in her black hat trimmed with
gold daisies； and a long black velvet ribbon。 Never had she imagined she
could look like that。 Is mother right？ she thought。 And now she hoped
her mother was
