Chapter87

tendayslaterthorpeathelnywaswellenoughtoleavethehospital.hegavephiliphisaddress,andphilippromisedtodinewithhimatoneo’clockonthefollowingsunday.athelnyhadtoldhimthathelivedinahousebuiltbyinigojones;hehadraved,asheravedovereverything,overthebalustradeofoldoak;andwhenhecamedowntoopenthedoorforphiliphemadehimatonceadmiretheelegantcarvingofthelintel.itwasashabbyhouse,badlyneedingacoatofpaint,butwiththedignityofitsperiod,inalittlestreetbetweenchancerylaneandholborn,whichhadoncebeenfashionablebutwasnowlittlebetterthanaslum:therewasaplantopullitdowninordertoputuphandsomeoffices;meanwhiletherentsweresmall,andathelnywasabletogetthetwoupperfloorsatapricewhichsuitedhisincome.philiphadnotseenhimupbeforeandwassurprisedathissmallsize;hewasnotmorethanfivefeetandfiveincheshigh.hewasdressedfantasticallyinbluelinentrousersofthesortwornbyworkingmeninfrance,andaveryoldbrownvelvetcoat;heworeabrightredsashroundhiswaist,alowcollar,andfortieaflowingbowofthekindusedbythecomicfrenchmaninthepagesofpunch.hegreetedphilipwithenthusiasm.hebegantalkingatonceofthehouseandpassedhishandlovinglyoverthebalusters.

“lookatit,feelit,it’slikesilk.whatamiracleofgrace!andinfiveyearsthehouse-breakerwillsellitforfirewood.”  heinsistedontakingphilipintoaroomonthefirstfloor,whereamaninshirtsleeves,ablousywoman,andthreechildrenwerehavingtheirsundaydinner.

“i’vejustbroughtthisgentlemanintoshowhimyourceiling.didyoueverseeanythingsowonderful?howareyou,mrs.hodgson?thisismr.carey,wholookedaftermewheniwasinthehospital.”

“comein,sir,”saidtheman.“anyfriendofmr.athelny’siswelcome.mr.athelnyshowstheceilingtoallhisfriends.anditdon’tmatterwhatwe’redoing,ifwe’reinbedorifi’m‘avingawash,in‘ecomes.”

philipcouldseethattheylookeduponathelnyasalittlequeer;buttheylikedhimnonethelessandtheylistenedopen-mouthedwhilehediscoursedwithhisimpetuousfluencyonthebeautyoftheseventeenth-centuryceiling.

“whatacrimetopullthisdown,eh,hodgson?you’reaninfluentialcitizen,whydon’tyouwritetothepapersandprotest?”

themaninshirtsleevesgavealaughandsaidtophilip:

“mr.athelnywill‘avehislittlejoke.theydosaythese‘ousesarethatinsanitory,it’snotsafetoliveinthem.”

“sanitationbedamned,givemeart,”criedathelny.“i’vegotninechildrenandtheythriveonbaddrains.no,no,i’mnotgoingtotakeanyrisk.noneofyournew-fanglednotionsforme!whenimovefromherei’mgoingtomakesurethedrainsarebadbeforeitake

anything.”

therewasaknockatthedoor,andalittlefair-hairedgirlopenedit.

“daddy,mummysays,dostoptalkingandcomeandeatyourdinner.”

“thisismythirddaughter,”saidathelny,pointingtoherwithadramaticforefinger.“sheiscalledmariadelpilar,butsheanswersmorewillinglytothenameofjane.jane,yournosewantsblowing.”

“ihaven’tgotahanky,daddy.”

“tut,tut,child,”heanswered,asheproducedavast,brilliantbandanna,“whatdoyousupposethealmightygaveyoufingersfor?”

theywentupstairs,andphilipwastakenintoaroomwithwallspanelledindarkoak.inthemiddlewasanarrowtableofteakontrestlelegs,withtwosupportingbarsofiron,ofthekindcalledinspainmesadehieraje.theyweretodinethere,fortwoplaceswerelaid,andthereweretwolargearm-chairs,withbroadflatarmsofoakandleathernbacks,andleathernseats.theyweresevere,elegant,anduncomfortable.theonlyotherpieceoffurniturewasabargueno,elaboratelyornamentedwithgiltiron-work,onastandofecclesiasticaldesignroughlybutveryfinelycarved.therestoodonthistwoorthreelustreplates,muchbrokenbutrichincolour;andonthewallswereoldmastersofthespanishschoolinbeautifulthoughdilapidatedframes:thoughgruesomeinsubject,ruinedbyageandbadtreatment,andsecond-rateintheirconception,theyhadaglowofpassion.therewasnothingintheroomofanyvalue,buttheeffectwaslovely.itwasmagnificentandyetaustere.philipfeltthatitofferedtheveryspiritofoldspain.athelnywasinthemiddleofshowinghimtheinsideofthebargueno,withitsbeautifulornamentationandsecretdrawers,whenatallgirl,withtwoplaitsofbrightbrownhairhangingdownherback,camein.

“mothersaysdinner’sreadyandwaitingandi’mtobringitinassoonasyousitdown.”

“comeandshakehandswithmr.carey,sally.”heturnedtophilip.“isn’tsheenormous?she’smyeldest.howoldareyou,sally?”

“fifteen,father,comenextjune.”

“ichristenedhermariadelsol,becauseshewasmyfirstchildandidedicatedhertotheglorioussunofcastile;buthermothercallshersallyandherbrotherpudding-face.”

thegirlsmiledshyly,shehadeven,whiteteeth,andblushed.shewaswellset-up,tallforherage,withpleasantgrayeyesandabroadforehead.shehadredcheeks.

“goandtellyourmothertocomeinandshakehandswithmr.careybeforehesitsdown.”

“mothersaysshe’llcomeinafterdinner.shehasn’twashedherselfyet.”

“thenwe’llgoinandseeherourselves.hemustn’teattheyorkshirepuddingtillhe’sshakenthehandthatmadeit.”

philipfollowedhishostintothekitchen.itwassmallandmuchovercrowded.therehadbeenalotofnoise,butitstoppedassoonasthestrangerentered.therewasalargetableinthemiddleandroundit,eagerfordinner,wereseatedathelny’schildren.awomanwasstandingattheoven,takingoutbakedpotatoesonebyone.

“here’smr.carey,betty,”saidathelny.

“fancybringinghiminhere.whatwillhethink?”

sheworeadirtyapron,andthesleevesofhercottondresswereturnedupaboveherelbows;shehadcurlingpinsinherhair.mrs.athelnywasalargewoman,agoodthreeinchestallerthanherhusband,fair,withblueeyesandakindlyexpression;shehadbeenahandsomecreature,butadvancingyearsandthebearingofmanychildrenhadmadeherfatandblousy;herblueeyeshadbecomepale,herskinwascoarseandred,thecolourhadgoneoutofherhair.shestraightenedherself,wipedherhandonherapron,andhelditout.

“you’rewelcome,sir,”shesaid,inaslowvoice,withanaccentthatseemedoddlyfamiliartophilip.“athelnysaidyouwasverykindtohiminthe‘orspital.”

“nowyoumustbeintroducedtothelivestock,”saidathelny.“thatisthorpe,”hepointedtoachubbyboywithcurlyhair,“heismyeldestson,heirtothetitle,estates,andresponsibilitiesofthefamily.thereisathelstan,harold,edward.”hepointedwithhisforefingertothreesmallerboys,allrosy,healthy,andsmiling,thoughwhentheyfeltphilip’ssmilingeyesuponthemtheylookedshylydownattheirplates.“nowthegirlsinorder:mariadelsol”

“pudding-face,”saidoneofthesmallboys.

“yoursenseofhumourisrudimentary,myson.mariadelosmercedes,mariadelpilar,mariadelaconcepcion,mariadelrosario.”

“icallthemsally,molly,connie,rosie,andjane,”saidmrs.athelny.“now,athelny,yougointoyourownroomandi’llsendyouyourdinner.i’llletthechildrencomeinafterwardsforabitwheni’vewashedthem.”

“mydear,ifi’dhadthenamingofyouishouldhavecalledyoumariaofthesoapsuds.you’realwaystorturingthesewretchedbratswithsoap.”

“yougofirst,mr.carey,orishallnevergethimtositdownandeathisdinner.”

athelnyandphilipinstalledthemselvesinthegreatmonkishchairs,andsallybroughtthemintwoplatesofbeef,yorkshirepudding,bakedpotatoes,andcabbage.athelnytooksixpenceoutofhispocketandsentherforajugofbeer.

“ihopeyoudidn’thavethetablelaidhereonmyaccount,”saidphilip.“ishouldhavebeenquitehappytoeatwiththechildren.”

“ohno,ialwayshavemymealsbymyself.iliketheseantiquecustoms.idon’tthinkthatwomenoughttositdownattablewithmen.itruinsconversationandi’msureit’sverybadforthem.itputsideasintheirheads,andwomenareneverateasewiththemselveswhentheyhaveideas.”

bothhostandguestatewithaheartyappetite.

“didyouevertastesuchyorkshirepudding?noonecanmakeitlikemywife.that’stheadvantageofnotmarryingalady.younoticedshewasn’talady,didn’tyou?”

itwasanawkwardquestion,andphilipdidnotknowhowtoanswerit.

“ineverthoughtaboutit,”hesaidlamely.

athelnylaughed.hehadapeculiarlyjoyouslaugh.

“no,she’snotalady,noranythinglikeit.herfatherwasafarmer,andshe’sneverbotheredaboutaitchesinherlife.we’vehadtwelvechildrenandnineofthemarealive.itellherit’sabouttimeshestopped,butshe’sanobstinatewoman,she’sgotintothehabitofitnow,andidon’tbelieveshe’llbesatisfiedtillshe’shadtwenty.”

atthatmomentsallycameinwiththebeer,and,havingpouredoutaglassforphilip,wenttotheothersideofthetabletopoursomeoutforherfather.heputhishandroundherwaist.

“didyoueverseesuchahandsome,strappinggirl?onlyfifteenandshemightbetwenty.lookathercheeks.she’sneverhadaday’sillnessinherlife.it’llbealuckymanwhomarriesher,won’tit,sally?”

sallylistenedtoallthiswithaslight,slowsmile,notmuchembarrassed,forshewasaccustomedtoherfather’soutbursts,butwithaneasymodestywhichwasveryattractive.

“don’tletyourdinnergetcold,father,”shesaid,drawingherselfawayfromhisarm.“you’llcallwhenyou’rereadyforyourpudding,won’tyou?”

theywereleftalone,andathelnyliftedthepewtertankardtohislips.hedranklonganddeep.

“myword,isthereanythingbetterthanenglishbeer?”hesaid.“letusthankgodforsimplepleasures,roastbeefandricepudding,agoodappetiteandbeer.iwasmarriedtoaladyonce.mygod!don’tmarryalady,myboy.”