agreeable to you: that goes without saying. But naturally I know how much supervision an estate entails, and it seemed to me—that is to say, I wondered—whether you might not prefer us not to wait for probate—which, you know, may take some time—but to come and stay with you as soon as possible."
Under his great-aunt's unwinking stare his voice dwindled and finally ceased. Rosemary took up the thread, saying: "It seems rather silly not to move in now, don't you think? Particularly as the people who have bought our house want possession as soon as possible."
"I suppose," said Emily, "that one of your maids has given notice."
"Both," replied Rosemary with complete candour. "Cook gave notice yesterday, because she says she can't get on with the kitchener, and this morning that devil of a house-parlour-maid said she was going, too, because cook's leaving made her feel unsettled. I mean, I simply can't face it."
"You can move in here when you like," said Emily.
Miss Allison, seated by the window, looked up from her needlework in momentary surprise, then bent her head again over the embroidery.
"Darling, how angel of you!" said Rosemary. "You've simply saved my life!"
"Very kind—very kind indeed!" Clement said, looking at the floor. "I need hardly say that we look upon this house as yours, Aunt Emily."
"Oh, utterly!" agreed Rosemary. "I loathe having to look after a house, and I haven't the least intention of interfering with anything here—except, of course, quite small details, like having my own rooms redecorated, which I absolutely must have done. I'm one of those people who are ridiculously sensitive to colour, and I know that if I had to have a blue sitting room, for instance, it would get on my nerves to such an extent that I should probably go mad. But as for ordering meals, or telling the servants what to do, I should be quite, quite hopeless. I shall beg and implore Patricia to carry on just as usual."
Miss Allison smiled but said nothing. Emily, having listened to this speech with an expression of contempt on her face, turned her eyes towards Clement and addressed him abruptly: "I've invited Jim to stay next week. If you don't like it you'll have to lump it."
"My dear aunt!" protested Clement. "You have every right to invite whom you please, and as for my not liking to have Jim here, good heavens, I shall be extremely pleased to see him!"
"I'll tell him," said Emily sardonically. She moved her hands in her lap. "There's another thing. What you do with the business is no concern of mine; but if you mean to take up with that plausible American I'll have you know that your cousin was set against it. I dare say you and those Mansells think yourselves very clever, but there's not one of you has the head my son had!"
Clement reddened and replied with some annoyance: "Really, Aunt, it is quite unnecessary for you to tell me that. I spoke to Silas about it last night, and I may say that upon reflection I fully agree with his view of the matter. Not that Roberts is an American. He has lived for some years in the States, but he is of English birth."
"That's neither here nor there," said Emily. "He dined here last week, and I didn't take to him. What's more, he talks like an American. That's enough for me."
Clement permitted himself to smile rather superciliously and to give the faintest shrug of the shoulders before changing the subject. He told his great-aunt that she must prepare her mind for the unpleasantness of an inquest, to which she replied that she was not born yesterday.
By the time the Clement Kanes took their departure Clement at least had won Miss Allison's sympathy. It seemed to her that he was behaving towards Emily with patience and considerable restraint. Indeed, so unresentful of snubs did he show himself to be that Patricia ventured to ask Emily, when he had gone, what she found to dislike in him.
"He's a fool," Emily said harshly. "A weak fool! and that wife of his!" Her fingers worked
Under his great-aunt's unwinking stare his voice dwindled and finally ceased. Rosemary took up the thread, saying: "It seems rather silly not to move in now, don't you think? Particularly as the people who have bought our house want possession as soon as possible."
"I suppose," said Emily, "that one of your maids has given notice."
"Both," replied Rosemary with complete candour. "Cook gave notice yesterday, because she says she can't get on with the kitchener, and this morning that devil of a house-parlour-maid said she was going, too, because cook's leaving made her feel unsettled. I mean, I simply can't face it."
"You can move in here when you like," said Emily.
Miss Allison, seated by the window, looked up from her needlework in momentary surprise, then bent her head again over the embroidery.
"Darling, how angel of you!" said Rosemary. "You've simply saved my life!"
"Very kind—very kind indeed!" Clement said, looking at the floor. "I need hardly say that we look upon this house as yours, Aunt Emily."
"Oh, utterly!" agreed Rosemary. "I loathe having to look after a house, and I haven't the least intention of interfering with anything here—except, of course, quite small details, like having my own rooms redecorated, which I absolutely must have done. I'm one of those people who are ridiculously sensitive to colour, and I know that if I had to have a blue sitting room, for instance, it would get on my nerves to such an extent that I should probably go mad. But as for ordering meals, or telling the servants what to do, I should be quite, quite hopeless. I shall beg and implore Patricia to carry on just as usual."
Miss Allison smiled but said nothing. Emily, having listened to this speech with an expression of contempt on her face, turned her eyes towards Clement and addressed him abruptly: "I've invited Jim to stay next week. If you don't like it you'll have to lump it."
"My dear aunt!" protested Clement. "You have every right to invite whom you please, and as for my not liking to have Jim here, good heavens, I shall be extremely pleased to see him!"
"I'll tell him," said Emily sardonically. She moved her hands in her lap. "There's another thing. What you do with the business is no concern of mine; but if you mean to take up with that plausible American I'll have you know that your cousin was set against it. I dare say you and those Mansells think yourselves very clever, but there's not one of you has the head my son had!"
Clement reddened and replied with some annoyance: "Really, Aunt, it is quite unnecessary for you to tell me that. I spoke to Silas about it last night, and I may say that upon reflection I fully agree with his view of the matter. Not that Roberts is an American. He has lived for some years in the States, but he is of English birth."
"That's neither here nor there," said Emily. "He dined here last week, and I didn't take to him. What's more, he talks like an American. That's enough for me."
Clement permitted himself to smile rather superciliously and to give the faintest shrug of the shoulders before changing the subject. He told his great-aunt that she must prepare her mind for the unpleasantness of an inquest, to which she replied that she was not born yesterday.
By the time the Clement Kanes took their departure Clement at least had won Miss Allison's sympathy. It seemed to her that he was behaving towards Emily with patience and considerable restraint. Indeed, so unresentful of snubs did he show himself to be that Patricia ventured to ask Emily, when he had gone, what she found to dislike in him.
"He's a fool," Emily said harshly. "A weak fool! and that wife of his!" Her fingers worked
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