The Aloe Read Online Free PDF Page A

a towel, glowing and slapping his thighs. He pitched the wet towel on top of her cape and hat and standing firm in the exact centre of a square of sunlight he began to do his exercises – deep breathing – bending – squatting like a frog and shooting out his legs. He was so saturated with health that everything he did delighted him, but this amazing vigour seemed to set him miles and worlds away from Linda – she lay on the white tumbled bed, and leaned towards him laughing as if from the sky –
    “Oh hang! Oh damn!” said Stanley who had butted into a crisp shirt only to find that some idiot had fastened the neck band and he was caught – He stalked over to her waving his arms. “Now you look the image of a fat turkey,” said she – “Fat I like that” said Stanley – “why I haven’t got a square inch of fat on me. Feel that –” “My dear – hard as nails” mocked she –” You’d be surprised –” said Stanley as though this were intensely interesting, “at the number of chaps in the club who’ve got a corporation – young chaps, you know – about my own age –” He began parting and brushing his strong ginger hair, his blue eyes fixed and round in the glass – bent at the knees because the dressing table was always – confound it – a bit too low for him. “Little Teddy Dean for example” and he straightened, describing upon himself an enormous curve with the hair brush. “Of course they’re sitting on their hind quarters all day at the office and when they’re away from it – as far as I can make out they stodge and they snooze – I must say I’ve got a perfect horror.” “Yes my dear don’t worry you’ll never be fat – You’re far too energetic,” repeating the familiar formula that he never tired of hearing. “Yes. Yes I suppose that’s true,” and taking a mother of pearl pen knife out of his pocket he began to pare his nails – “Breakfast, Stanley” Beryl was at the door – “Oh Linda Mother says don’t get up – Stay where you are until after lunch won’t you?” She popped her head in at the door. She had a big piece of syringa stuck through a braid of her hair. “Everything we left on the verandah last night is simply sopping this morning. You should see poor dear Mother wringing out the sofa and chairs – however, no harm done – not a pennorth’s of harm” this with the faintest glance at Stanley – “Have you told Pat what time to have the buggy round – It’s a good six-and-a-half miles – from here to the office—” “I can imagine what his morning start off for the office will become” – thought Linda. Even when they lived in town – only half an hour away – the house had to slow down each morning – had to stop like a steamer – every soul on board summoned to the gangway to watch Burnell descending the ladder and into the little cockle shell – They must wave when he waved – give him good-bye for good-bye and lavish upon him unlimited loving sympathy as though they saw on the horizon’s brim the untamed land to which he curved his chest so proudly, the line of leaping savages ready to fall upon his valiant sword –
    “Pat Pat,” she heard the servant girl calling – But Pat was evidently not to be found – the silly voice went baaing all over the garden. “It will be very high pressure indeed” – she decided – and did not rest again until the final slam of the front door sounded – and Stanley was gone.
    Later she heard her children playing in the garden. Lottie’s stolid compact little voice cried “Kezia I sa bel” – Lottie was always getting lost or losing people and finding them again – astonished – round the next tree or the next corner – “Oh there you are” – They had been turned out to grass after breakfast with strict orders not to come near the house until they were called – Isabel wheeled a neat pram load of prim dolls and Lottie was allowed for a great treat to walk beside