have got stuck Madam.'
'Stuck? What d'you mean stuck?'
'It does not seem to be revolving Madam, and I'm sure the wind is not in that quarter.'
She reacted at once. She strode up to that arrow and gave it a wild tug presumably to drag the pointer away from those now disgusting people lying there in a position which, only before she had known Dermot, she had once or twice laughed at to her husband. The arrow snapped off in her hand. The vane up top might have been held in a stiff breeze or something could have jammed it.
Charley knew nothing as yet about Clancarty. 'It's the spring Madam,' he said cheerful as he took that broken piece from her. 'You noticed the arm did not have any give Madam?'
'Oh get on with your work,' she said appearing to lose control and half ran out. Shaking his head, grumbling to himself, Raunce made his way upstairs.
He made his way smooth down the Long Passage until he found one of the girls. It was Edith opposite Mrs Jack's chamber, doing out this lady's bathroom.
'Hello ducks,' he whispered.
'What brings you here?' she asked as soft.
'Who d'you think?' he answered.
'Get on with you,' she said.
'Look it's like this,' he began. 'This weathervane now. Where's the old works? I mean behind a little door or suchlike there must be a spring to do with some clockwork. At least that's what I'm led to understand.'
She looked disappointed.
'Behind a little door there's clockwork? Whatever's that?' she enquired.
'Don't ask me but Mr Eldon's left a book of directions which makes mention. Here,' he said, 'give us a kiss.' She said no as though she had been waiting to say this. She backed away against sweet primrose tiles. 'No,' she repeated quite loud and decided.
'Whatever's the matter with you these days?' he asked.
'I'm fed up I shouldn't wonder.'
'No need to take it out on me is there? What's up?'
'It's the war most likely,' she said pouting 'I shall have to get me out of this old place.'
'You don't want to talk like that my girl. Why we're on a good thing here all of us. Trust Uncle Charley, he's seen some. There's a war on, the other side. You don't want none of it do you? And there's the grub question. You got to consider that. About this weathervane now. I'll have to find the other one of you then, that's the only thing left for me to do.' He leered at her. 'Where is she?' he demanded.
Edith looked sideways as though embarrassed but she told him.
'Next door in Mrs Tennant's bathroom,' she said.
He whipped out and along that passage. He looked in the next open door. Against deep blue tiles Kate with her doll's face and tow hair was rearranging a scarlet bathrobe on the chromium towel horse. Edith had followed. But where he went in she stayed by the door, through which she watched as though reluctant.
He slipped up behind Kate, put his palms over her eyes.
'Guess baby,' he said, still whispering.
She gave a great screech beneath her breath, so discreetly she hardly made a sound.
'Why Charley you did give me a start'
'I don't know,' he said, 'but I can't seem to bring it off these days. See here,' he went on, hands still over her eyes, 'where's there a kind of box in the wall with clockwork inside to do with that weather-vane?'
She stood quiet, seemed almost to press her face into his palms. But she let out a giggle at the question.
'Oh my,' she said, 'what next?'
'Come on,' he said murmuring yet, 'give us a kiss,' as he turned
her. And while he heartily kissed Kate's mouth her right eye winked at Edith under one of his outstanding ears.
Charley straightened himself at last, passed a forefinger over his lips. At once Edith said as though she could hear somebody. 'It's this way Mr Raunce.'
He came smoothly out, automatic. She led him along. Neither looked back. Soon she stopped at a panel with a button. She opened it. He put his head forward to peer. He saw two shafts which met to be joined by three gear wheels interlocked. And caught between those teeth, held by the leg was a
'Stuck? What d'you mean stuck?'
'It does not seem to be revolving Madam, and I'm sure the wind is not in that quarter.'
She reacted at once. She strode up to that arrow and gave it a wild tug presumably to drag the pointer away from those now disgusting people lying there in a position which, only before she had known Dermot, she had once or twice laughed at to her husband. The arrow snapped off in her hand. The vane up top might have been held in a stiff breeze or something could have jammed it.
Charley knew nothing as yet about Clancarty. 'It's the spring Madam,' he said cheerful as he took that broken piece from her. 'You noticed the arm did not have any give Madam?'
'Oh get on with your work,' she said appearing to lose control and half ran out. Shaking his head, grumbling to himself, Raunce made his way upstairs.
He made his way smooth down the Long Passage until he found one of the girls. It was Edith opposite Mrs Jack's chamber, doing out this lady's bathroom.
'Hello ducks,' he whispered.
'What brings you here?' she asked as soft.
'Who d'you think?' he answered.
'Get on with you,' she said.
'Look it's like this,' he began. 'This weathervane now. Where's the old works? I mean behind a little door or suchlike there must be a spring to do with some clockwork. At least that's what I'm led to understand.'
She looked disappointed.
'Behind a little door there's clockwork? Whatever's that?' she enquired.
'Don't ask me but Mr Eldon's left a book of directions which makes mention. Here,' he said, 'give us a kiss.' She said no as though she had been waiting to say this. She backed away against sweet primrose tiles. 'No,' she repeated quite loud and decided.
'Whatever's the matter with you these days?' he asked.
'I'm fed up I shouldn't wonder.'
'No need to take it out on me is there? What's up?'
'It's the war most likely,' she said pouting 'I shall have to get me out of this old place.'
'You don't want to talk like that my girl. Why we're on a good thing here all of us. Trust Uncle Charley, he's seen some. There's a war on, the other side. You don't want none of it do you? And there's the grub question. You got to consider that. About this weathervane now. I'll have to find the other one of you then, that's the only thing left for me to do.' He leered at her. 'Where is she?' he demanded.
Edith looked sideways as though embarrassed but she told him.
'Next door in Mrs Tennant's bathroom,' she said.
He whipped out and along that passage. He looked in the next open door. Against deep blue tiles Kate with her doll's face and tow hair was rearranging a scarlet bathrobe on the chromium towel horse. Edith had followed. But where he went in she stayed by the door, through which she watched as though reluctant.
He slipped up behind Kate, put his palms over her eyes.
'Guess baby,' he said, still whispering.
She gave a great screech beneath her breath, so discreetly she hardly made a sound.
'Why Charley you did give me a start'
'I don't know,' he said, 'but I can't seem to bring it off these days. See here,' he went on, hands still over her eyes, 'where's there a kind of box in the wall with clockwork inside to do with that weather-vane?'
She stood quiet, seemed almost to press her face into his palms. But she let out a giggle at the question.
'Oh my,' she said, 'what next?'
'Come on,' he said murmuring yet, 'give us a kiss,' as he turned
her. And while he heartily kissed Kate's mouth her right eye winked at Edith under one of his outstanding ears.
Charley straightened himself at last, passed a forefinger over his lips. At once Edith said as though she could hear somebody. 'It's this way Mr Raunce.'
He came smoothly out, automatic. She led him along. Neither looked back. Soon she stopped at a panel with a button. She opened it. He put his head forward to peer. He saw two shafts which met to be joined by three gear wheels interlocked. And caught between those teeth, held by the leg was a
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