Miss Silver 29 - The Gazebo by Wentworth Patricia

Author:Wentworth, Patricia [Wentworth, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

TWENTY-THREE

<< ^ >>

IT WAS EARLY the same afternoon that Miss Silver looked across the second of the vests she was knitting for Dorothy Silver's little Tina and said,

'My dear, I think you will just have to make it a duty to eat.'

Her mind had been on her knitting and upon the pretty fair-haired child who was to wear the vest. Pinks vary a good deal, but this was really a particularly pleasing shade. She looked up from it now and saw Althea Graham in profile. She had a book upon her knee, but it was a long time since she had turned a page. Her face was colourless and there were dark smudges under her eyes. The eyes themselves looked as if she had not slept. In reply to Miss Silver's remark she said in a soft, indifferent voice,

'Oh, I'm all right, thank you.'

The needles clicked briskly.

'It is possible to starve for quite a long time without being aware that one is doing so. The mind is occupied, food has become distasteful, there is a complete loss of appetite. It all happens unnoticeably. And then suddenly when one is called upon to confront an emergency one finds oneself at a loss. The mind is not active, and the judgement not to be depended upon. I should like you to promise me that you will eat an egg with your tea.'

Althea looked up with the ghost of a smile.

'How very, very kind you are. But you needn't worry about me - I am really very strong.'

Miss Silver produced what Frank Abbott would have acclaimed as one of her Moralities.

'Strength is given to us when we are trying to do what is right, but we are better able to avail ourselves of it if we do not neglect a proper allowance of food and sleep. You have eaten nothing all day. If I make a nice cup of tea, will you not please me by drinking it - perhaps with a beaten-up egg?'

'Oh, I couldn't. I don't like them raw.'

Miss Silver beamed.

'Then I will boil it lightly and cut a little thin bread and butter. I assure you that you will feel a great deal better when you have taken it.'

All at once it had become too much trouble to go on saying no. Miss Silver produced the egg, the tea, the thin bread and butter with the minimum of fuss, and when Althea had taken the first mouthful she found herself suddenly hungry. She ate the egg, the bread and butter, and some cold milk pudding pleasantly sprinkled with brown sugar, and whilst she ate Miss Silver conversed in a manner which somehow managed to be soothing without being dull. She seemed to be interested about Grove Hill.

'It is not of any very great age as a suburb, I believe?'

'No, I don't think it is.'

'These houses would be - about how old?'

'I think they began to be built about 1890. This is one of the older ones.'

'Before 1890?'

'Oh, no, I didn't mean that.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.