A Legacy (New York Review Books Classics) by Sybille Bedford

Author:Sybille Bedford [Bedford, Sybille]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781590178270
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2015-03-03T06:00:00+00:00

The Merz’s had a family vault in Berlin. Again Julius travelled in a private railway carriage. One wagon-lits compartment, lined with flowers, held the coffin; in another Julius had his meals, a third was his sleeper. It must have been a lonely journey. In the station in the morning there was a wait while they were being shifted to a siding. When Julius stepped out, upright in his dark clothes, holding his tall hat, to meet Edu and Friedrich, he looked the picture of a broken man.

The coffin had to be lifted through a window. They followed it to a mortuary chapel in the suburbs. After that Edu said, “We thought you had better stay with us—I mean—you know—till after it’s all over.”

“We think it would be best for our parents,” said Friedrich.

Julius inclined his head.

“Your brother and sister-in-law are arriving tomorrow.”

“Yes,” said Julius.

Sarah was waiting for him. “Oh Jules, there you are. Come in. The poor girl. It’s so sad. Dear Jules.”

He said nothing.

“Friedrich is coming back after lunch. Did they tell you?—it’s for the day after tomorrow. There’re still one or two points we’ll have to decide on.”

“Yes,” he said.

“You see: the old people will not be going.”

He bowed.

“There’ll be a tremendous crowd—”

“Yes?”

He was standing in the middle of her drawing-room. Sarah touched his sleeve. “I’ll take you upstairs,” she said.

Julius said, “Henrietta—?”

“Oh, the baby,” said Sarah.

“My daughter.”

Sarah gave him a look. “I hear she’s very well looked after,” she said.

“I must see her,” said Julius.

“Jules dear; I should wait a day or two. My parents-in-law—I don’t know how to explain—they think—everybody thinks—It’s been too much for them.”

“I will send for her.”

“I don’t think her grandparents would like her to go out.”

“Her grandparents—”

“You’ll find they’ve become very fond of her,” said Sarah.

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