The Flight From the Enchanter by Iris Murdoch

Author:Iris Murdoch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Film & Video, Performing Arts, History & Criticism
ISBN: 9780099283690
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 1973-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Rosa went slowly down the stairs. She was feeling very shaken. It was the first time that one of the Lusiewicz brothers had dared to come uninvited to the house in Campden Hill Square. In the very early days, before Hunter’s unaccountable spite against the brothers had developed, and before the arrival of Annette in the house, Rosa had brought them there once or twice. But since then, she had always met them elsewhere and had assumed it as an unwritten rule that they were never to visit her at Campden Hill Square. As she descended the stairs, she wondered why this seemed so imperative. She could not have the brothers visiting her at Campden Hill Square; and this was not just because of Hunter. She felt suddenly sick and afraid. Jan’s unheralded appearance displayed a new boldness. It was a portent.

She found herself staring into the face of Nina, who had stood politely at the kitchen door while Rosa made the coffee, and who was now hovering about the hall, not sure whether she ought to go into the kitchen or into the drawing-room. Rosa tried to clear her brow. At that moment there was the postman’s rat-tat on the door and a letter fell through the letter-box on to the mat. Nina, relieved that there was something that she could do, hastened to pick it up, and handed it to Rosa. As the letter changed hands, both the women noticed the superscription. It was addressed to Rosa in Mischa Fox’s handwriting. They raised their eyes immediately to look at each other and then at once looked away. In that instant each surmised how much the other knew. Nina was white and Rosa blushing furiously. Rosa led the way back into the kitchen, putting the letter into her pocket.

‘I am so sorry,’ said Rosa, ‘to keep you waiting like this. I’m being appallingly rude. Didn’t I give you any coffee? Do sit down.’ Nina sat down, and Rosa put the milk back on the stove.

‘What can I do for you?’ she asked Nina. The question sounded cruel. Nina was fathoming her inability to reply to it when there was another bang on the door.

‘Excuse me,’ said Rosa, and left the room. She opened the front door. It was Miss Foy.

‘Oh, Miss Rosa,’ said Miss Foy, ‘I’m so sorry! Is this an inconvenient time to come?’ Miss Foy was carrying a large brown-paper parcel and was wearing a small velvet hat which rested like a bird on top of her frizzy hair.

‘Come in!’ said Rosa, ‘the more the merrier!’ She led Miss Foy into the kitchen. The letter from Mischa was burning into her thigh. ‘Sit down,’ said Rosa. Just then the milk began to boil over furiously, Nina sprang up and took it off, and began to look round in a futile way for a cloth.

‘Don’t bother,’ said Rosa, and she mopped it up with her handkerchief. ‘I’m afraid that’s the last of the milk, and it’s quite burnt now.

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.