第10章

IdonotremembermuchofmyjourneytoWimblehurstwithmymotherexcepttheimageofherassittingboltupright，asratherdisdainingthethird-classcarriageinwhichwetraveled，andhowshelookedawayfrommeoutofthewindowwhenshespokeofmyuncle。“Ihavenotseenyouruncle。”shesaid，“sincehewasaboy。”Sheaddedgrudgingly，“Thenhewassupposedtobeclever。”

Shetooklittleinterestinsuchqualitiesascleverness。

“Hemarriedaboutthreeyearsago，andsetupforhimselfinWimblehurst。SoIsupposeshehadsomemoney。”

Shemusedonscenesshehadlongdismissedfromhermind。

“Teddy。”shesaidatlastinthetoneofonewhohasbeenfeelinginthedarkandfinds。“HewascalledTeddy。aboutyourage。Nowhemustbetwenty-sixorseven。”

IthoughtofmyuncleasTeddydirectlyIsawhim；therewassomethinginhispersonalappearancethatinthelightofthatmemoryphraseditselfatonceasTeddiness——acertainTeddidity。

Todescribeitinandothertermsismoredifficult。Itisnimblenesswithoutgrace，andalertnesswithoutintelligence。Hewhiskedoutofhisshopuponthepavement，ashortfigureingreyandwearinggreycarpetslippers；onehadasenseofayoungfattishfacebehindgiltglasses，wiryhairthatstuckupandforwardovertheforehead，anirregularnosethathaditsaquilinemoments，andthatthebodybetrayedanequatoriallaxity，anincipient“bowwindow“astheimagegoes。Hejerkedoutoftheshop，cametoastandonthepavementoutside，regardedsomethinginthewindowwithinfiniteappreciation，strokedhischin，and，asabruptly，shotsidewaysintothedooragain，chargingthroughitasitwerebehindanextendedhand。

“Thatmustbehim。”saidmymother，catchingatherbreath。

WecamepastthewindowwhosecontentsIwaspresentlytoknowbyheart，averyordinarychemist’swindowexceptthattherewasafrictionalelectricalmachine，anairpumpandtwoorthreetripodsandretortsreplacingthecustomaryblue，yellow，andredbottlesabove。TherewasaplasterofParishorsetoindicateveterinarymedicinesamongthesebreakables，andbelowwerescentpacketsanddiffusersandspongesandsoda-watersyphonsandsuch-likethings。Onlyinthemiddletherewasarubricatedcard，veryneatlypaintedbyhand，withthesewords——

BuyPonderevo’sCoughLinctusNOW。

NOW！

WHY？

TwopenceCheaperthaninWinter。

YouStoreapples！whynottheMedicineYouareBoundtoNeed？

inwhichappealIwastorecognisepresentlymyuncle’sdistinctivenote。

Myuncle’sfaceappearedaboveacardofinfant’scomfortersintheglasspaneofthedoor。Iperceivedhiseyeswerebrown，andthathisglassescreasedhisnose。ItwasmanifesthedidnotknowusfromAdam。Astareofscrutinyallowedanexpressionofcommercialdeferencetoappearinfrontofit，andmyuncleflungopenthedoor。

“Youdon’tknowme？”pantedmymother。

Myunclewouldnotownhedidnot，buthiscuriositywasmanifest。Mymothersatdownononeofthelittlechairsbeforethesoapandpatentmedicine-piledcounter，andherlipsopenedandclosed。

“Aglassofwater，madam。”saidmyuncle，wavedhishandinasortofcurveandshotaway。

Mymotherdrankthewaterandspoke。“Thatboy。”shesaid，“takesafterhisfather。Hegrowsmorelikehimeveryday。

AndsoIhavebroughthimtoyou。”

“Hisfather，madam？”

“George。”

Foramomentthechemistwasstillataloss。Hestoodbehindthecounterwiththeglassmymotherhadreturnedtohiminhishand。Thencomprehensiongrew。

“ByGosh！”hesaid。“Lord！”hecried。Hisglassesfelloff。Hedisappearedreplacingthem，behindapileofboxed-upbottlesofbloodmixture。“Eleventhousandvirgins！”Iheardhimcry。Theglasswasbangeddown。“O-ri-entalGums！”

Heshotawayoutoftheshopthroughsomemaskeddoor。Oneheardhisvoice。“Susan！Susan！”

Thenhereappearedwithanextendedhand。“Well，howareyou？”

hesaid。“Iwasneversosurprisedinmylife。Fancy！。You！”

Heshookmymother’simpassivehandandthenmineverywarmlyholdinghisglassesonwithhisleftforefinger。

“Comerightin！”hecried——“comerightin！Betterlatethannever！”andledthewayintotheparlourbehindtheshop。

AfterBladesoverthatapartmentstruckmeasstuffyandpetty，butitwasverycomfortableincomparisonwiththeFrappliving-room。Ithadafaint，disintegratingsmellofmealsaboutit，andmymostimmediateimpressionwasoftheremarkablefactthatsomethingwashungaboutorwrappedroundordrapedovereverything。Therewasbright-patternedmuslinroundthegas-bracketinthemiddleoftheroom，roundthemirroroverthemantel，stuffwithball-fringealongthemantelandcasinginthefireplace，——Ifirstsawball-fringehere——andeventhelamponthelittlebureauworeashadelikealargemuslinhat。Thetable-clothhadball-fringeandsohadthewindowcurtains，andthecarpetwasabedofroses。Therewerelittlecupboardsoneithersideofthefireplace，andintherecesses，ill-madeshelvespackedwithbooks，andenrichedwithpinkedAmericancloth。Therewasadictionarylyingfacedownwardonthetable，andtheopenbureauwaslitteredwithfoolscappaperandtheevidencesofrecentlyabandonedtoil。Myeyecaught“ThePonderevoPatentFlat，aMachineyoucanLivein。”writteninlargefirmletters。Myuncleopenedalittledoorlikeacupboarddoorinthecornerofthisroom，andrevealedthenarrowesttwistofstaircaseIhadeverseteyesupon。“Susan！”

hebawledagain。“Wantje。Someonetoseeyou。Surprisin’。”

Therecameaninaudiblereply，andasuddenloudbumpoverourheadsasofsomearticleofdomesticutilitypettishlyflungaside，thenthecautiousstepsofsomeonedescendingthetwist，andthenmyauntappearedinthedoorwaywithherhanduponthejamb。

“It’sAuntPonderevo。”criedmyuncle。“George’swife——andshe’sbroughtoverherson！”Hiseyeroamedabouttheroom。Hedartedtothebureauwithasuddenimpulse，andturnedthesheetaboutthepatentflatfacedown。Thenhewavedhisglassesatus，“Youknow，Susan，myelderbrotherGeorge。Itoldyouabout’imlotsoftimes。”

Hefrettedacrosstothehearthrugandtookupapositionthere，replacedhisglassesandcoughed。

MyauntSusanseemedtobetakingitin。Shewasthenratheraprettyslenderwomanoftwenty-threeorfour，Isuppose，andI

rememberbeingstruckbythebluenessofhereyesandtheclearfreshnessofhercomplexion。Shehadlittlefeatures，abuttonnose，aprettychinandalonggracefulneckthatstuckoutofherpalebluecottonmorningdress。Therewasalookofhalf-assumedperplexityonherface，alittlequizzicalwrinkleofthebrowthatsuggestedafaintlyamusedattempttofollowmyuncle’smentaloperations，avainattemptandacertainhopelessnessthathadinsuccessionbecomehabitual。Sheseemedtobesaying，“OhLord！What’shegivingmeTHIStime？”AndascametoknowherbetterIdetected，asacomplicationofhereffortofapprehension，asubsidiaryriddleto“What’shegivingme？”andthatwas——toborrowaphrasefrommyschoolboylanguage“Isitkeeps？”Shelookedatmymotherandme，andbacktoherhusbandagain。

“Youknow。”hesaid。“George。”

“Well。”shesaidtomymother，descendingthelastthreestepsofthestaircaseandholdingoutherhand！“you’rewelcome。Thoughit’sasurprise。Ican’taskyoutoHAVEanything，I’mafraid，forthereisn’tanythinginthehouse。”Shesmiled，andlookedatherhusbandbanteringly。“Unlesshemakesupsomethingwithhisoldchemicals，whichhe’squiteequaltodoing。”

Mymothershookhandsstiffly，andtoldmetokissmyaunt。

“Well，let’sallsitdown。”saidmyuncle，suddenlywhistlingthroughhisclenchedteeth，andbrisklyrubbinghishandstogether。Heputupachairformymother，raisedtheblindofthelittlewindow，lowereditagain，andreturnedtohishearthrug。“I’msure。”hesaid，asonewhodecides，“I’mverygladtoseeyou。”

AstheytalkedIgavemyattentionprettyexclusivelytomyuncle。

Inotedhimingreatdetail。Iremembernowhispartiallyunbuttonedwaistcoat，asthoughsomethinghadoccurredtodistracthimashediditup，andalittlecutuponhischin。I

likedacertainhumourinhiseyes。Iwatched，too，withthefascinationthatthingshaveforanobservantboy，theplayofhislips——theywerealittleoblique，andtherewassomething“slipshod。”ifonemaystrainawordsofar，abouthismouth，sothathelispedandsibilatedeverandagainandthecomingandgoingofacuriousexpression，triumphantinqualityitwas，uponhisfaceashetalked。Hefingeredhisglasses，whichdidnotseemtofithisnose，frettedwiththingsinhiswaistcoatpocketsorputhishandsbehindhim，lookedoverourheads，andeverandagainrosetohistoesanddroppedbackonhisheels。

HehadawayofdrawingairinattimesthroughhisteeththatgaveawhisperingzesttohisspeechIt’sasoundIcanonlyrepresentasasoftZzzz。