Telling by Elizabeth Bowen

Author:Elizabeth Bowen
Language: eng
Format: epub

Charles had perfect manners: square, bluffy perfect. He never thought about anybody, never felt anybody— just classified them. Josephine was"a girl staying in the houseI'"a friend of my sistersI' He would think at once (in a moment when Terry had told him),"A girl staying in the house--it's--well, I mean, if it hadn't been a girl staying in the hous--I'

Terry went over to him; they pushed the cabinet. But Terry pushed too hard, crooked; the further corner grated against the walL"Oh, I say, we've scratched the paint," said Charles. And indeed they had; on the wall was a grey scar. Charles went scarlet: he hated things to be done badly. It was nice of him to say:"We.ve scratched the paint." Would he say later:"We've killed Josephine"?

"I think perhaps you'd better help with the sofas," said Charles civilly.

"You should have seen the blood on my hands just now," said Terry.

"Bad luck!" Charles said quickly and went away»

Beatrice, Josephine's friend, stood with her elbows on the mantelpiece looking at herself in the glass above. Last night a man had kissed her down in the chapel (Terry had watched them). This must seem to Beatrice to be written all over her face—what else could she be looking at? Her eyes in the looking-glass were dark, beseeching. As she saw Terry come up behind her she frowned angrily and turned away.

"I say, Beatrice, do you know what happened down in the chapel?"

"Does it interest you?" She stooped quickly and pulled down the sofa loose-cover where it had"runkled" up, as though the sofa legs were indecent.

"Beatrice, what would you do if I'd killed somebody?"

"Laugh," said she, wearily.

"If I'd killed a woman?"

"Laugh harder. Do you know any women?"

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