Latter End Read Online Free PDF Page B

beautiful, wonderful wife! He couldn’t imagine why she had married him, when she might have had anyone, simply anyone. But there it was—she had. And here they all were together— Antony back from abroad, and Julia—he’d felt it very much when Julia wouldn’t come and stay at Latter End, he’d felt it very much indeed. Jealousy over his marriage. Very wrong of her. But that was Julia all over—passionate, headstrong. She’d been like that from a child. But so warmhearted, you couldn’t help being fond of her. He was very fond of her, and Lois had been an angel about the whole thing. Lois was an angel, there was no doubt about that. She had been an angel about Julia—said they must just wait and she would come round. And she had. And here they were.
    Julia in red—a nice dark red, like damask roses—a jolly sort of colour—very becoming. And Ellie in blue. She looked tired, poor girl. Fretting about Ronnie. A bad business, his losing a leg like that. What a blessing she had Lois to look after her.
    Pity poor Marcia couldn’t be here too. He looked past Lois to the portrait on the far wall—Marcia Vane in a red dress, very much like the one her daughter Julia was wearing. Julia was like her—oh, decidedly. But of course not beautiful like Marcia. Pity about that. And Ellie wasn’t like her at all. Very good-looking woman, Marcia—very nice woman. Didn’t have much of a show, being left a widow twice and dying so young herself. He had been very fond of Marcia. She ought to have been here. Quite simply and regretfully he pictured Marcia and Lois living happily side by side at Latter End. And then, of course, Julia wouldn’t have gone away, and they’d all have been one happy family. But of course they had a great deal to be thankful for. And he had Lois too. He beamed at her down the table and received a charming smile in return.
    On the surface the party was quite a gay one. Lois and Antony saw to that. They kept the ball rolling, with Jimmy skipping lightly in and out of the game. Julia, if rather silent, was behaving very well. She neither frowned nor glowered, had a few things to say and said them, was polite to Lois, and affectionate to Jimmy.
    It was not at all difficult to be affectionate to Jimmy. At fifteen he had been a lighthearted, curly-headed boy. At fifty-one the description would still do very well. He was no taller, no more important. The curly hair was receding a little on the temples, but it was as fair, and there was very little grey in it.
    Mrs. Maniple had cooked them an excellent dinner. When Ellie got up to change the plates Julia got up too. It was nice to be doing things with Ellie again, and if Lois got a kick out of it, for once Julia didn’t care. She put a hand on Minnie’s shoulder to keep her in her seat and shook her head laughingly at Antony across the table.
    “No—please, everyone—I’d like to.”
    It was like old times, only it should have been Mummie sitting there at the end of the table, warm and beautiful and kind, instead of Lois in that slinky white dress which showed just what her figure was like, and how much better it was than anyone else’s. “I’m a cat about her, and that’s a fact. I don’t mind how good her figure is. Oh yes, I do, I do, I do! And she might just as well be wearing a bathing-dress! If that’s all Antony cares about, she can have him and welcome. No, she can’t—not when she’s Jimmy’s wife—Antony wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t come here if he hadn’t got over her.” Her spirits rocketed up—a long dizzy swoop with a burst of rainbow lights at the end of it.
    Mrs. Maniple, handing her a dish of eggs and mushrooms, looked at her with admiration.
    “Well, my dear, you’ve a nice colour and no mistake. Anyone ’ud think Miss Ellie was the town mouse and you was the country one. And it’s all your own too—I can see that. If those that puts it on knew half the truth there’s few that’s taken in by it. Now, Miss