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She pushed the cuttings awayand took up her book. There were bedsteads, grates,
pokers and odd pieces of twisted ironon his barrow. They listened to the voices
talking in the passage.
But there was a crimson-and-gilt chair; she
recognisedit with relief. He had been deadsome months now; they were already
yellowish and curled. She picked up the little brown book which lay on the
counterpaneand smoothed out the bedclothes.
She was notlistening; she was
thinking her own thoughts. She was lunching in Hyams Place with hercousins. It
was difficult to fix her mind onRenan.
Rose was beginning, when Sally came in
with thepudding.
Then she saw that there were lightsin the hall beneath.
And
you said, Ill ask you three times; and if you dont answerthe third time, Ill go
alone. Nonsense, Lady Pargiter laughed, panting slightly.
I am lying straight
and still, said Sara.
She was notlistening; she was thinking her own thoughts.
Andshell say, Ive never been in this part of London before.
She broke off a
piece of cakeand began munching it. I havent seen him since he came back from
Africa.
The stuff was silk, green, with bluerays on it.
Sheplaced the chair at
the table facing the window. She sighed; her body seemed to become indolent
andsuave.
She pulled the pottowards her, and began to arrange the flowers.
He
wantedto say, Didnt she have an affair with somebody? She used to askherself in
those far-off days Who was Hyam?
But very convenient for the theatres, said
Sara. And what were atoms, and how did they stick together? But he wasnt like
that, shethought, glancing at the press cuttings.
She paused in one of the
little alcoves that were scooped out inthe bridge, from habit. Go search the
valleys, she murmured, as she watched her, pluckup every rose.
Possibly, said
Maggie, without thinking what she was saying.
She pointed tothe table upon
which three places had been laid.
Its a grimy, its a sordid end, he thought; I
used to enjoy goingthere. A stone had been thrown at her; she put her hand to
herchin. Hewas wearing a new blue suit with white stripes on it.
She was
handsome, in a ravaged way;more like a man than a woman. He used to take me to
the National Gallery, she said.
Crosby wont trust herself in the Tube, willyou,
Crosby?
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