The Northern Correspondent by Jean Stubbs

Author:Jean Stubbs
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781800550049
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2020-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

The evening was a paradox. Though Ambrose intended it to be a private occasion, their entrance caused a public sensation.

Heads turned, conversations were suspended, waiters smiled and bowed. Old Benjamin Tyler, the landlord, hurried to welcome them. Then one gentleman, warming himself by the fire, strode forward to bow to Naomi, to shake Ambrose by the hand, speaking loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room.

‘Your servant, ma’am. Good evening, Mr Longe. Anthony Clerk, at your service. My name will mean nothing to you, sir, but I am one of your many admiring readers. May I congratulate you on the courageous stance of The Northern Correspondent with regard to certain local evils, and on your own gallantry in defending this lady last Monday against a crowd of ruffians? I trust, ma’am, that you have recovered from such a shocking fright — and that you, sir, are feeling pretty much yourself again? I shall not trouble you further, Mr Longe. I simply wanted to shake you by the hand!’

Naomi smiled and inclined her head. Ambrose murmured a polite response. Pleased, confused, they began to make their way to the George’s private parlour, but Mr Clerk’s statement had dissolved the usual diffidence of collected strangers. To their astonishment, everyone in the room stood up and applauded, and those nearest to them stretched out their hands to be shaken likewise. Astonished, they acknowledged as many as they could, and heard the door of the parlour close behind them with a profound sense of relief.

‘I did not know you were so famous, Mr Longe!’ cried Naomi, smiling, laughing.

‘It is not fame, Miss Bloom, merely notoriety!’ he replied.

The foreign habit of an aperitif had become fashionable of late, and they sipped little glasses of aquavit. For several minutes they were able to make fun of their reception, to consider the menu and consult the waiter and choose their food and wine with care. Then silence and shyness stole upon them. The joy of celebration was shadowed by thoughts of a more serious nature.

They both began to speak of some triviality at once. They stopped. They excused themselves.

‘Pray do continue,’ said Ambrose courteously.

‘It was nothing,’ Naomi said, which was no more than the truth.

They were rescued by the entrance of two waiters, who came in at that moment trundling a trolley full of good things.

Reprieved, they discussed the soup, brown and creamy, flavoured with Madeira, and consumed it fairly rapidly in order to talk of the oysters which followed. They drank Chablis in a manner suggestive of desperation rather than delight. Between courses they used the parlour as a topic, praising the comfort bestowed by red velvet curtains, a Turkish carpet, and a generous fire.

A dish of veal cutlets found them more relaxed. Roast beef and potatoes with a rich, dark claret persuaded them to joke again. An apricot tart made with bottled fruit caused them to speculate on the future of canned foods, which were both a novelty and a luxury. Naomi said

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.