Katherine Mansfield

“ Harry's nostrils quivered; his lips curled back in a hideous grin while he whispered: "Tomorrow," and with her eyelids Miss Fulton said: "Yes."
"Here it is," said Eddie. "'Why Must it Always be Tomato Soup?' It's so deeply true, don't you feel? Tomato soup is so dreadfully eternal."
"If you prefer," said Harry's voice, very loud, from the hall, "I can phone you a cab to come to the door."
"Oh, no. It's not necessary," said Miss Fulton, and she came up to Bertha and gave her the slender fingers to hold. ”

“ The sight of them, so intent and so quick, gave Bertha a curious shiver.
"What creepy things cats are!" she stammered, and she turned away from the window and began walking up and down. . . .
How strong the jonquils smelled in the warm room. Too strong? Oh, no. And yet, as though overcome, she flung down on a couch and pressed her hands to her eyes.
"I'm too happy–too happy!" she murmured.
And she seemed to see on her eyelids the lovely pear tree with its wide open blossoms as a symbol of her own life.
Really–really–she had everything. She was young. ”

“ Bertha had to dig her nails into her hands–so as not to laugh too much.
It was over at last. And: "Come and see my new coffee machine," said Bertha.
"We only have a new coffee machine once a fortnight," said Harry. Face took her arm this time; Miss Fulton bent her head and followed after.
The fire had died down in the drawing-room to a red, flickering "nest of baby phoenixes," said Face.
"Don't turn up the light for a moment. It is so lovely." And down she crouched by the fire again. She was always cold . . . "without her little red flannel jacket, of course," thought Bertha. ”

“ But now–ardently! ardently! The word ached in her ardent body! Was this what that feeling of bliss had been leading up to? But then, then– "My dear," said Mrs. Norman Knight, "you know our shame. We are the victims of time and train. We live in Hampstead. It's been so nice."
"I'll come with you into the hall," said Bertha. "I loved having you. But you must not miss the last train. That's so awful, isn't it?"
"Have a whisky, Knight, before you go?" called Harry.
"No, thanks, old chap."
Bertha squeezed his hand for that as she shook it. ”

“ It would be silver now, in the light of poor dear Eddie's moon, silver as Miss Fulton, who sat there turning a tangerine in her slender [Page 130] fingers that were so pale a light seemed to come from them.
What she simply couldn't make out–what was miraculous– was how she should have guessed Miss Fulton's mood so exactly and so instantly. For she never doubted for a moment that she was right, and yet what had she to go on? Less than nothing.
"I believe this does happen very, very rarely between women. Never between men," thought Bertha. ”

“ She stood watching them, her hands by her side, like the poor little girl in front of the rich girl with the doll.
The baby looked up at her again, stared, and then smiled so charmingly that Bertha couldn't help crying:
"Oh, Nanny, do let me finish giving her her supper while you put the bath things away.
"Well, M'm, she oughtn't to be changed hands while she's eating," said Nanny, still whispering. "It unsettles her; it's very likely to upset her."
How absurd it was. Why have a baby if it has to be kept–not in a case like a rare, rare fiddle–but in another woman's arms? ”

“ She jumped up from her chair and ran over to the piano.
"What a pity someone does not play!" she cried. "What a pity somebody does not play."
For the first time in her life Bertha Young desired her husband. Oh, she'd loved him–she'd been in love with him, of course, in every other way, but just not in that way. And equally, of course, she'd understood that he was different. ”

“ She talked and laughed and positively forgot until he had come in (just as she had imagined) that Pearl Fulton had not turned up.
"I wonder if Miss Fulton has forgotten?"
"I expect so," said Harry. "Is she on the 'phone?"
"Ah! There's a taxi, now." And Bertha smiled with that little air of proprietorship that she always assumed while her women finds were new and mysterious. "She lives in taxis."
"She'll run to fat if she does," said Harry coolly, ringing the bell for dinner. "Frightful danger for blonde women."
"Harry–don't!" warned Bertha, laughing up at him. ”

“ And she took her arm and they moved into the dining-room. [Page 128]
What was there in the touch of that cool arm that could fan–fan–start blazing–blazing–the fire of bliss that Bertha did not know what to do with?
Miss Fulton did not look at her; but then she seldom did look at people directly. Her heavy eyelids lay upon her eyes and the strange half-smile came and went upon her lips as though she lived by listening rather than seeing. ”

“ Both, as it were, caught in that circle of unearthly light, understanding each other perfectly, creatures of another world, and wondering what they were to do in this one with all this blissful treasure that burned in their bosoms and dropped, in silver flowers, from their hair and hands? ”

“ For ever–for a moment? And did Miss Fulton murmur: "Yes. Just that." Or did Bertha dream it?
Then the light was snapped on and Face made the coffee and Harry said: "My dear Mrs. Knight, don't ask me about my baby. I never see her. I shan't feel the slightest interest in her until she has a lover," and Mug took his eye out of the conservatory for a moment and then put it under glass again and Eddie Warren drank his coffee and set down the cup with a face of anguish as though he had drunk and seen the spider.
"What I want to do is to give the young men a show. ”

“ Oh, I am so tempted to do a fried-fish scheme, with the backs of the chairs shaped like frying-pans and lovely chip potatoes embroidered all over the curtains."
"The trouble with our young writing men is that they are still too romantic. You can't put out to sea without being seasick and wanting a basin. ”

“ "I saw myself driving through Eternity in a timeless taxi." ”

“ Then you can come part of the way in my taxi."
"I shall be so thankful not to have to face another drive alone after my dreadful experience."
"You can get a taxi at the rank just at the end of the street. You won't have to walk more than a few yards."
"That's a comfort. I'll go and put on my coat."
Miss Fulton moved towards the hall and Bertha was following when Harry almost pushed past.
"Let me help you."
Bertha knew that he was repenting his rudeness–she let him go. What a boy he was in some ways–so impulsive–so–simple.
And Eddie and she were left by the fire. ”