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The Garden-party

Katherine Mansfield

AND after all the 天候 was ideal. They could not have had a more perfect day for a garden-party if they had ordered it. Windless, warm, the sky without a cloud. Only the blue was 隠すd with a 煙霧 of light gold, as it is いつかs in 早期に summer. The gardener had been up since 夜明け, mowing the lawns and 広範囲にわたる them, until the grass and the dark flat rosettes where the daisy 工場／植物s had been seemed to 向こうずね. As for the roses, you could not help feeling they understood that roses are the only flowers that impress people at garden-parties; the only flowers that everybody is 確かな of knowing. Hundreds, yes, literally hundreds, had come out in a 選び出す／独身 night; the green bushes 屈服するd 負かす／撃墜する as though they had been visited by archangels.

Breakfast was not yet over before the men （機の）カム to put up the marquee.

"Where do you want the marquee put, mother?"

"My dear child, it's no use asking me. I'm 決定するd to leave everything to you children this year. Forget I am your mother. 扱う／治療する me as an honoured guest."

But Meg could not かもしれない go and 監督する the ? men. She had washed her hair before breakfast, and she sat drinking her coffee in a green turban, with a dark wet curl stamped on each cheek. Jose, the バタフライ, always （機の）カム 負かす／撃墜する in a silk petticoat and a kimono jacket.

"You'll have to go, Laura; you're the artistic one."

Away Laura flew, still 持つ／拘留するing her piece of bread-and-butter. It's so delicious to have an excuse for eating out of doors, and besides, she loved having to arrange things; she always felt she could do it so much better than anybody else.

Four men in their shirt-sleeves stood grouped together on the garden path. They carried 突き破るs covered with rolls of canvas, and they had big 道具-捕らえる、獲得するs slung on their 支援するs. They looked impressive. Laura wished now that she was not 持つ／拘留するing that piece of bread-and-butter, but there was nowhere to put it, and she couldn't かもしれない throw it away. She blushed and tried to look 厳しい and even a little bit short-sighted as she （機の）カム up to them.

"Good morning," she said, copying her mother's 発言する／表明する. But that sounded so fearfully 影響する／感情d that she was ashamed, and stammered like a little girl, "Oh—er—have you come—is it about the marquee?"

"That's 権利, 行方不明になる," said the tallest of the men, a lanky, freckled fellow, and he 転換d his 道具-捕らえる、獲得する, knocked 支援する his straw hat and smiled 負かす／撃墜する at her. "That's about it." ?

His smile was so 平易な, so friendly, that Laura 回復するd. What nice 注目する，もくろむs he had, small, but such a dark blue! And now she looked at the others, they were smiling too. "元気づける up, we won't bite," their smile seemed to say. How very nice workmen were! And what a beautiful morning! She mustn't について言及する the morning; she must be 商売／仕事-like. The marquee.

"井戸／弁護士席, what about the lily-lawn? Would that do?"

And she pointed to the lily-lawn with the 手渡す that didn't 持つ／拘留する the bread-and-butter. They turned, they 星／主役にするd in the direction. A little fat chap thrust out his under-lip, and the tall fellow frowned.

"I don't fancy it," said he. "Not 目だつ enough. You see, with a thing like a marquee," and he turned to Laura in his 平易な way, "you want to put it somewhere where it'll give you a bang 非難する in the 注目する，もくろむ, if you follow me."

Laura's しつけ made her wonder for a moment whether it was やめる respectful of a workman to talk to her of bangs 非難する in the 注目する，もくろむ. But she did やめる follow him.

"A corner of the tennis-法廷，裁判所," she 示唆するd. "But the 禁止（する）d's going to be in one corner."

"H'm, going to have a 禁止（する）d, are you?" said another of the workmen. He was pale. He had a haggard look as his dark 注目する，もくろむs scanned the tennis-法廷，裁判所. What was he thinking?

"Only a very small 禁止（する）d," said Laura gently. ? Perhaps he wouldn't mind so much if the 禁止（する）d was やめる small. But the tall fellow interrupted.

"Look here, 行方不明になる, that's the place. Against those trees. Over there. That'll do 罰金."

Against the karakas. Then the karaka-trees would be hidden. And they were so lovely, with their 幅の広い, gleaming leaves, and their clusters of yellow fruit. They were like trees you imagined growing on a 砂漠 island, proud, 独房監禁, 解除するing their leaves and fruits to the sun in a 肉親，親類d of silent splendour. Must they be hidden by a marquee?

They must. Already the men had shouldered their 突き破るs and were making for the place. Only the tall fellow was left. He bent 負かす／撃墜する, pinched a sprig of lavender, put his thumb and forefinger to his nose and 消すd up the smell. When Laura saw that gesture she forgot all about the karakas in her wonder at him caring for things like that—caring for the smell of lavender. How many men that she knew would have done such a thing? Oh, how extraordinarily nice workmen were, she thought. Why couldn't she have workmen for her friends rather than the silly boys she danced with and who （機の）カム to Sunday night supper? She would get on much better with men like these.

It's all the fault, she decided, as the tall fellow drew something on the 支援する of an envelope, something that was to be 宙返り飛行d up or left to hang, of these absurd class distinctions. 井戸／弁護士席, for her part, ? she didn't feel them. Not a bit, not an 原子. . . . And now there （機の）カム the chock-chock of 木造の 大打撃を与えるs. Someone whistled, someone sang out, "Are you 権利 there, matey?" "Matey!" The friendliness of it, the—the—Just to 証明する how happy she was, just to show the tall fellow how at home she felt, and how she despised stupid 条約s, Laura took a big bite of her bread-and-butter as she 星／主役にするd at the little 製図／抽選. She felt just like a work-girl.

"Laura, Laura, where are you? Telephone, Laura!" a 発言する／表明する cried from the house.

"Coming!" Away she skimmed, over the lawn, up the path, up the steps, across the veranda, and into the porch. In the hall her father and Laurie were 小衝突ing their hats ready to go to the office.

"I say, Laura," said Laurie very 急速な／放蕩な, "you might just give a squiz at my coat before this afternoon. See if it wants 圧力（をかける）ing."

"I will," said she. Suddenly she couldn't stop herself. She ran at Laurie and gave him a small, quick squeeze. "Oh, I do love parties, don't you?" gasped Laura.

"Ra-ther," said Laurie's warm, boyish 発言する／表明する, and he squeezed his sister too, and gave her a gentle 押し進める. "Dash off to the telephone, old girl."

The telephone. "Yes, yes; oh yes. Kitty? Good morning, dear. Come to lunch? Do, dear. Delighted of course. It will only be a very scratch meal—just the 挟む crusts and broken mer- ? ingue-爆撃するs and what's left over. Yes, isn't it a perfect morning? Your white? Oh, I certainly should. One moment—持つ／拘留する the line. Mother's calling." And Laura sat 支援する. "What, mother? Can't hear."

Mrs. Sheridan's 発言する／表明する floated 負かす／撃墜する the stairs. "Tell her to wear that 甘い hat she had on last Sunday."

"Mother says you're to wear that 甘い hat you had on last Sunday. Good. One o'clock. Bye-bye."

Laura put 支援する the receiver, flung her 武器 over her 長，率いる, took a 深い breath, stretched and let them 落ちる. "Huh," she sighed, and the moment after the sigh she sat up quickly. She was still, listening. All the doors in the house seemed to be open. The house was alive with soft, quick steps and running 発言する／表明するs. The green baize door that led to the kitchen 地域s swung open and shut with a muffled thud. And now there （機の）カム a long, chuckling absurd sound. It was the 激しい piano 存在 moved on its stiff castors. But the 空気／公表する! If you stopped to notice, was the 空気／公表する always like this? Little faint 勝利，勝つd were playing chase in at the 最高の，を越すs of the windows, out at the doors. And there were two tiny 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs of sun, one on the inkpot, one on a silver photograph でっちあげる，人を罪に陥れる, playing too. Darling little 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs. 特に the one on the inkpot lid. It was やめる warm. A warm little silver 星／主役にする. She could have kissed it. ?

The 前線 door bell pealed, and there sounded the rustle of Sadie's print skirt on the stairs. A man's 発言する／表明する murmured; Sadie answered, careless, "I'm sure I don't know. Wait. I'll ask Mrs Sheridan."

"What is it, Sadie?" Laura （機の）カム into the hall.

"It's the florist, 行方不明になる Laura."

It was, indeed. There, just inside the door, stood a wide, shallow tray 十分な of マリファナs of pink lilies. No other 肉親，親類d. Nothing but lilies—canna lilies, big pink flowers, wide open, radiant, almost frighteningly alive on 有望な crimson 茎・取り除くs.

"O-oh, Sadie!" said Laura, and the sound was like a little moan. She crouched 負かす／撃墜する as if to warm herself at that 炎 of lilies; she felt they were in her fingers, on her lips, growing in her breast.

"It's some mistake," she said faintly. "Nobody ever ordered so many. Sadie, go and find mother."

But at that moment Mrs. Sheridan joined them.

"It's やめる 権利," she said calmly. "Yes, I ordered them. Aren't they lovely?" She 圧力（をかける）d Laura's arm. "I was passing the shop yesterday, and I saw them in the window. And I suddenly thought for once in my life I shall have enough canna lilies. The garden-party will be a good excuse."

"But I thought you said you didn't mean to 干渉する," said Laura. Sadie had gone. The florist's man was still outside at his 先頭. She put her arm ? 一連の会議、交渉／完成する her mother's neck and gently, very gently, she bit her mother's ear.

"My darling child, you wouldn't like a 論理（学）の mother, would you? Don't do that. Here's the man."

He carried more lilies still, another whole tray.

"Bank them up, just inside the door, on both 味方するs of the porch, please," said Mrs. Sheridan. "Don't you agree, Laura?"

"Oh, I do, mother."

In the 製図／抽選-room Meg, Jose and good little Hans had at last 後継するd in moving the piano.

"Now, if we put this chesterfield against the 塀で囲む and move everything out of the room except the 議長，司会を務めるs, don't you think?"

"やめる."

"Hans, move these （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs into the smoking-room, and bring a 掃海艇 to take these 示すs off the carpet and—one moment, Hans—" Jose loved giving orders to the servants, and they loved obeying her. She always made them feel they were taking part in some 演劇. "Tell mother and 行方不明になる Laura to come here at once.

"Very good, 行方不明になる Jose."

She turned to Meg. "I want to hear what the piano sounds like, just in 事例／患者 I'm asked to sing this afternoon. Let's try over 'This life is 疲れた／うんざりした.'"

Pom! Ta-ta-ta Tee -ta! The piano burst out so passionately that Jose's 直面する changed. She clasped her 手渡すs. She looked mournfully and enigmat- ? ically at her mother and Laura as they （機の）カム in.

This Life is 少しの -ary,
A 涙／ほころび—a Sigh.
A Love that Chan -ges,
??This Life is 少しの -ary,
A 涙／ほころび—a Sigh.
A Love that Chan -ges,
And then . . . Good-bye!

"Aren't I in good 発言する／表明する, mummy?" she beamed.

This Life is 少しの -ary,
Hope comes to Die.
A Dream—a Wa -kening.

But now Sadie interrupted them. "What is it, Sadie?"

"If you please, m'm, cook says have you got the 旗s for the 挟むs?"

"The 旗s for the 挟むs, Sadie?" echoed Mrs. Sheridan dreamily. And the children knew by her 直面する that she hadn't got them. "Let me see." And she said to Sadie 堅固に, "Tell cook I'll let her have them in ten minutes.

Sadie went.

"Now, Laura," said her mother quickly, "come with me into the smoking-room. I've got the ? 指名するs somewhere on the 支援する of an envelope. You'll have to 令状 them out for me. Meg, go upstairs this minute and take that wet thing off your 長，率いる. Jose, run and finish dressing this instant. Do you hear me, children, or shall I have to tell your father when he comes home tonight? And—and, Jose, pacify cook if you do go into the kitchen, will you? I'm terrified of her this morning."

The envelope was 設立する at last behind the dining-room clock, though how it had got there Mrs. Sheridan could not imagine.

"One of you children must have stolen it out of my 捕らえる、獲得する, because I remember vividly—cream cheese and lemon-curd. Have you done that?"

"Yes."

"Egg and—" Mrs. Sheridan held the envelope away from her. "It looks like mice. It can't be mice, can it?"

"Olive, pet," said Laura, looking over her shoulder.

"Yes, of course, olive. What a horrible combination it sounds. Egg and olive."

They were finished at last, and Laura took them off to the kitchen. She 設立する Jose there pacifying the cook, who did not look at all terrifying.

"I have never seen such exquisite 挟むs," said Jose's rapturous 発言する／表明する. "How many 肉親，親類d did you say there were, cook? Fifteen?"

"Fifteen, 行方不明になる Jose."

"井戸／弁護士席, cook, I congratulate you." ?

Cook swept up crusts with the long 挟む knife and smiled 概して.

"Godber's has come," 発表するd Sadie, 問題／発行するing out of the pantry. She had seen the man pass the window.

That meant the cream puffs had come. Godber's were famous for their cream puffs. Nobody ever thought of making them at home.

"Bring them in and put them on the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, my girl," ordered cook.

Sadie brought them in and went 支援する to the door. Of course Laura and Jose were far too grown-up to really care about such things. All the same, they couldn't help agreeing that the puffs looked very attractive. Very. Cook began arranging them, shaking off the extra icing sugar.

"Don't they carry one 支援する to all one's parties?" said Laura.

"I suppose they do," said practical Jose, who never liked to be carried 支援する. "They look beautifully light and feathery, I must say."

"Have one each, my dears," said cook in her comfortable 発言する／表明する. "Yer ma won't know."

Oh, impossible. Fancy cream puffs so soon after breakfast. The very idea made one shudder. All the same, two minutes later Jose and Laura were licking their fingers with that 吸収するd inward look that only comes from whipped cream.

"Let's go into the garden, out by the 支援する way," 示唆するd Laura. "I want to see how the men are ? getting on with the marquee. They're such awfully nice men."

But the 支援する door was 封鎖するd by cook, Sadie, Godber's man and Hans.

Something had happened.

"Tuk-tuk-tuk," clucked cook like an agitated 女／おっせかい屋. Sadie had her 手渡す clapped to her cheek as though she had toothache. Hans's 直面する was screwed up in the 成果／努力 to understand. Only Godber's man seemed to be enjoying himself; it was his story.

"What's the 事柄? What's happened?"

"There's been a horrible 事故," said Cook. "A man killed."

"A man killed! Where? How? When?"

But Godber's man wasn't going to have his story snatched from under his nose.

"Know those little cottages just below here, 行方不明になる?" Know them? Of course, she knew them. "井戸／弁護士席, there's a young chap living there, 指名する of Scott, a carter. His horse shied at a traction-engine, corner of 強硬派 Street this morning, and he was thrown out on the 支援する of his 長，率いる. Killed."

"Dead!" Laura 星／主役にするd at Godber's man.

"Dead when they 選ぶd him up," said Godber's man with relish. "They were taking the 団体／死体 home as I come up here." And he said to the cook, "He's left a wife and five little ones."

"Jose, come here." Laura caught 持つ／拘留する of her sister's sleeve and dragged her through the kitchen ? to the other 味方する of the green baize door. There she paused and leaned against it. "Jose!" she said, horrified, "however are we going to stop everything?"

"Stop everything, Laura!" cried Jose in astonishment. "What do you mean?"

"Stop the garden-party, of course." Why did Jose pretend?

But Jose was still more amazed. "Stop the garden-party? My dear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can't do anything of the 肉親，親類d. Nobody 推定する／予想するs us to. Don't be so extravagant."

"But we can't かもしれない have a garden-party with a man dead just outside the 前線 gate."

That really was extravagant, for the little cottages were in a 小道／航路 to themselves at the very 底（に届く） of a 法外な rise that led up to the house. A 幅の広い road ran between. True, they were far too 近づく. They were the greatest possible eyesore, and they had no 権利 to be in that neighbourhood at all. They were little mean dwellings painted a chocolate brown. In the garden patches there was nothing but cabbage stalks, sick 女／おっせかい屋s and tomato cans. The very smoke coming out of their chimneys was poverty-stricken. Little rags and shreds of smoke, so unlike the 広大な／多数の／重要な silvery plumes that uncurled from the Sheridans' chimneys. Washerwomen lived in the 小道／航路 and sweeps and a cobbler, and a man whose house-前線 was studded all over with minute bird-cages. Children 群れているd. ? When the Sheridans were little they were forbidden to 始める，決める foot there because of the 反乱ing language and of what they might catch. But since they were grown up, Laura and Laurie on their prowls いつかs walked through. It was disgusting and sordid. They （機の）カム out with a shudder. But still one must go everywhere; one must see everything. So through they went.

"And just think of what the 禁止（する）d would sound like to that poor woman," said Laura.

"Oh, Laura!" Jose began to be 本気で annoyed. "If you're going to stop a 禁止（する）d playing every time someone has an 事故, you'll lead a very strenuous life. I'm every bit as sorry about it as you. I feel just as 同情的な." Her 注目する，もくろむs 常習的な. She looked at her sister just as she used to when they were little and fighting together. "You won't bring a drunken workman 支援する to life by 存在 sentimental," she said softly.

"Drunk! Who said he was drunk?" Laura turned furiously on Jose. She said just as they had used to say on those occasions, "I'm going straight up to tell mother."

"Do, dear," cooed Jose.

"Mother, can I come into your room?" Laura turned the big glass door-knob.

"Of course, child. Why, what's the 事柄? What's given you such a colour?" And Mrs. Sheridan turned 一連の会議、交渉／完成する from her dressing-（米）棚上げする／（英）提議する. She was trying on a new hat. ?

"Mother, a man's been killed," began Laura.

"Not in the garden?" interrupted her mother.

"No, no!"

"Oh, what a fright you gave me!" Mrs. Sheridan sighed with 救済, and took off the big hat and held it on her 膝s.

"But listen, mother," said Laura. Breathless, half-choking, she told the dreadful story. "Of course, we can't have our party, can we?" she pleaded. "The 禁止（する）d and everybody arriving. They'd hear us, mother; they're nearly 隣人s!"

To Laura's astonishment her mother behaved just like Jose; it was harder to 耐える because she seemed amused. She 辞退するd to take Laura 本気で.

"But, dear child, use your ありふれた sense. It's only by 事故 we've heard of it. If someone had died there 普通は—and I can't understand how they keep alive in those poky little 穴を開けるs-we should still be having our party, shouldn't we?"

Laura had to say "yes" to that, but she felt it was all wrong. She sat 負かす／撃墜する on her mother's sofa and pinched the cushion frill.

"Mother, isn't it terribly heartless of us?" she asked.

"Darling!" Mrs. Sheridan got up and （機の）カム over to her, carrying the hat. Before Laura could stop her she had popped it on. "My child!" said her mother, "the hat is yours. It's made for you. ? It's much too young for me. I have never seen you look such a picture. Look at yourself!" And she held up her 手渡す-mirror.

"But, mother," Laura began again. She couldn't look at herself; she turned aside.

This time Mrs. Sheridan lost patience just as Jose had done.

"You are 存在 very absurd, Laura," she said coldly. "People like that don't 推定する／予想する sacrifices from us. And it's not very 同情的な to spoil everybody's enjoyment as you're doing now."

"I don't understand," said Laura, and she walked quickly out of the room into her own bedroom. There, やめる by chance, the first thing she saw was this charming girl in the mirror, in her 黒人／ボイコット hat trimmed with gold daisies, and a long 黒人／ボイコット velvet 略章. Never had she imagined she could look like that. Is mother 権利? she thought. And now she hoped her mother was 権利. Am I 存在 extravagant? Perhaps it was extravagant. Just for a moment she had another glimpse of that poor woman and those little children, and the 団体／死体 存在 carried into the house. But it all seemed blurred, unreal, like a picture in the newspaper. I'll remember it again after the party's over, she decided. And somehow that seemed やめる the best 計画（する）. . . .

Lunch was over by half-past one. By half-past two they were all ready for the fray. The green-coated 禁止（する）d had arrived and was 設立するd in a corner of the tennis-法廷，裁判所. ?

"My dear!" trilled Kitty Maitland, "aren't they too like frogs for words? You せねばならない have arranged them 一連の会議、交渉／完成する the pond with the conductor in the middle on a leaf."

Laurie arrived and あられ／賞賛するd them on his way to dress. At the sight of him Laura remembered the 事故 again. She 手配中の，お尋ね者 to tell him. If Laurie agreed with the others, then it was bound to be all 権利. And she followed him into the hall.

"Laurie!"

"Hallo!" he was half-way upstairs, but when he turned 一連の会議、交渉／完成する and saw Laura he suddenly puffed out his cheeks and goggled his 注目する，もくろむs at her. "My word, Laura! You do look 素晴らしい," said Laurie. "What an 絶対 topping hat!"

Laura said faintly "Is it?" and smiled up at Laurie, and didn't tell him after all.

Soon after that people began coming in streams. The 禁止（する）d struck up; the 雇うd waiters ran from the house to the marquee. Wherever you looked there were couples strolling, bending to the flowers, 迎える／歓迎するing, moving on over the lawn. They were like 有望な birds that had alighted in the Sheridans' garden for this one afternoon, on their way to—where? Ah, what happiness it is to be with people who all are happy, to 圧力（をかける） 手渡すs, 圧力（をかける） cheeks, smile into 注目する，もくろむs.

"Darling Laura, how 井戸／弁護士席 you look!"

"What a becoming hat, child!" ?

"Laura, you look やめる Spanish. I've never seen you look so striking."

And Laura, glowing, answered softly, "Have you had tea? Won't you have an ice? The passion-fruit ices really are rather special." She ran to her father and begged him. "Daddy darling, can't the 禁止（する）d have something to drink?"

And the perfect afternoon slowly ripened, slowly faded, slowly its petals の近くにd.

"Never a more delightful garden-party . . . " "The greatest success . . . " "やめる the most . . . "

Laura helped her mother with the good-byes. They stood 味方する by 味方する in the porch till it was all over.

"All over, all over, thank heaven," said Mrs. Sheridan. "一連の会議、交渉／完成する up the others, Laura. Let's go and have some fresh coffee. I'm exhausted. Yes, it's been very successful. But oh, these parties, these parties! Why will you children 主張する on giving parties!" And they all of them sat 負かす／撃墜する in the 砂漠d marquee.

"Have a 挟む, daddy dear. I wrote the 旗."

"Thanks." Mr. Sheridan took a bite and the 挟む was gone. He took another. "I suppose you didn't hear of a beastly 事故 that happened today?" he said.

"My dear," said Mrs. Sheridan, 持つ／拘留するing up her ? 手渡す, "we did. It nearly 廃虚d the party. Laura 主張するd we should put it off."

"Oh, mother!" Laura didn't want to be teased about it.

"It was a horrible 事件／事情／状勢 all the same," said Mr. Sheridan. "The chap was married too. Lived just below in the 小道／航路, and leaves a wife and half a dozen kiddies, so they say."

An ぎこちない little silence fell. Mrs. Sheridan fidgeted with her cup. Really, it was very tactless of father. . . .

Suddenly she looked up. There on the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する were all those 挟むs, cakes, puffs, all un-eaten, all going to be wasted. She had one of her brilliant ideas.

"I know," she said. "Let's （不足などを）補う a basket. Let's send that poor creature some of this perfectly good food. At any 率, it will be the greatest 扱う／治療する for the children. Don't you agree? And she's sure to have 隣人s calling in and so on. What a point to have it all ready 用意が出来ている. Laura!" She jumped up. "Get me the big basket out of the stairs cupboard."

"But, mother, do you really think it's a good idea?" said Laura.

Again, how curious, she seemed to be different from them all. To take 捨てるs from their party. Would the poor woman really like that?

"Of course! What's the 事柄 with you to- ? day? An hour or two ago you were 主張するing on us 存在 同情的な, and now—"

Oh 井戸／弁護士席! Laura ran for the basket. It was filled, it was heaped by her mother.

"Take it yourself, darling," said she. "Run 負かす／撃墜する just as you are. No, wait, take the arum lilies too. People of that class are so impressed by arum lilies."

"The 茎・取り除くs will 廃虚 her lace frock," said practical Jose.

So they would. Just in time. "Only the basket, then. And, Laura!"—her mother followed her out of the marquee—"don't on any account—"

"What mother?"

No, better not put such ideas into the child's 長，率いる! "Nothing! Run along."

It was just growing dusky as Laura shut their garden gates. A big dog ran by like a 影をつくる／尾行する. The road gleamed white, and 負かす／撃墜する below in the hollow the little cottages were in 深い shade. How 静かな it seemed after the afternoon. Here she was going 負かす／撃墜する the hill to somewhere where a man lay dead, and she couldn't realize it. Why couldn't she? She stopped a minute. And it seemed to her that kisses, 発言する／表明するs, tinkling spoons, laughter, the smell of 鎮圧するd grass were somehow inside her. She had no room for anything else. How strange! She looked up at the pale sky, and all she thought was, "Yes, it was the most successful party."

Now the 幅の広い road was crossed. The 小道／航路 be- ? gan, smoky and dark. Women in shawls and men's tweed caps hurried by. Men hung over the palings; the children played in the doorways. A low hum （機の）カム from the mean little cottages. In some of them there was a flicker of light, and a 影をつくる／尾行する, crab-like, moved across the window. Laura bent her 長，率いる and hurried on. She wished now she had put on a coat. How her frock shone! And the big hat with the velvet streamer—if only it was another hat! Were the people looking at her? They must be. It was a mistake to have come; she knew all along it was a mistake. Should she go 支援する even now?

No, too late. This was the house. It must be. A dark knot of people stood outside. Beside the gate an old, old woman with a crutch sat in a 議長，司会を務める, watching. She had her feet on a newspaper. The 発言する／表明するs stopped as Laura drew 近づく. The group parted. It was as though she was 推定する／予想するd, as though they had known she was coming here.

Laura was terribly nervous. 投げ上げる／ボディチェックするing the velvet 略章 over her shoulder, she said to a woman standing by, "Is this Mrs. Scott's house?" and the woman, smiling queerly, said, "It is, my lass."

Oh, to be away from this! She 現実に said, "Help me, God," as she walked up the tiny path and knocked. To be away from those 星／主役にするing 注目する，もくろむs, or be covered up in anything, one of those women's shawls even. I'll just leave the basket and go, she decided. I shan't even wait for it to be emptied. ?

Then the door opened. A little woman in 黒人／ボイコット showed in the gloom.

Laura said, "Are you Mrs. Scott?" But to her horror the woman answered, "Walk in, please, 行方不明になる," and she was shut in the passage.

"No," said Laura, "I don't want to come in. I only want to leave this basket. Mother sent—"

The little woman in the 暗い／優うつな passage seemed not to have heard her. "Step this way, please, 行方不明になる," she said in an oily 発言する／表明する, and Laura followed her.

She 設立する herself in a wretched little low kitchen, lighted by a smoky lamp. There was a woman sitting before the 解雇する／砲火／射撃.

"Em," said the little creature who had let her in. "Em! It's a young lady." She turned to Laura. She said meaningly, "I'm 'er sister, 行方不明になる. You'll excuse 'er, won't you?"

"Oh, but of course!" said Laura. "Please, please don't 乱す her. I—I only want to leave—"

But at that moment the woman at the 解雇する／砲火／射撃 turned 一連の会議、交渉／完成する. Her 直面する, puffed up, red, with swollen 注目する，もくろむs and swollen lips, looked terrible. She seemed as though she couldn't understand why Laura was there. What did it mean? Why was this stranger standing in the kitchen with a basket? What was it all about? And the poor 直面する puckered up again.

"All 権利, my dear," said the other. "I'll thenk the young lady."

And again she began, "You'll excuse her, 行方不明になる, ? I'm sure," and her 直面する, swollen too, tried an oily smile.

Laura only 手配中の，お尋ね者 to get out, to get away. She was 支援する in the passage. The door opened. She walked straight through into the bedroom where the dead man was lying.

"You'd like a look at 'im, wouldn't you?" said Em's sister, and she 小衝突d past Laura over to the bed. "Don't be afraid, my lass,"—and now her 発言する／表明する sounded fond and sly, and 情愛深く she drew 負かす／撃墜する the sheet—" 'e looks a picture. There's nothing to show. Come along, my dear."

Laura （機の）カム.

There lay a young man, 急速な／放蕩な asleep—sleeping so soundly, so 深く，強烈に, that he was far, far away from them both. Oh, so remote, so 平和的な. He was dreaming. Never wake him up again. His 長，率いる was sunk in the pillow, his 注目する，もくろむs were の近くにd; they were blind under the の近くにd eyelids. He was given up to his dream. What did garden-parties and baskets and lace frocks 事柄 to him? He was far from all those things. He was wonderful, beautiful. While they were laughing and while the 禁止（する）d was playing, this marvel had come to the 小道／航路. Happy . . . happy . . . All is 井戸／弁護士席, said that sleeping 直面する. This is just as it should be. I am content.

But all the same you had to cry, and she couldn't go out of the room without 説 something to him. Laura gave a loud childish sob. ?

"許す my hat," she said.

And this time she didn't wait for Em's sister. She 設立する her way out of the door, 負かす／撃墜する the path, past all those dark people. At the corner of the 小道／航路 she met Laurie.

He stepped out of the 影をつくる／尾行する. "Is that you, Laura?"

"Yes."

"Mother was getting anxious. Was it all 権利?"

"Yes, やめる. Oh, Laurie!" She took his arm, she 圧力（をかける）d up against him.

"I say, you're not crying, are you?" asked her brother.

Laura shook her 長，率いる. She was.

Laurie put his arm 一連の会議、交渉／完成する her shoulder. "Don't cry," he said in his warm, loving 発言する／表明する. "Was it awful?"

"No," sobbed Laura. "It was 簡単に marvellous. But Laurie—" She stopped, she looked at her brother. "Isn't life," she stammered, "isn't life—" But what life was she couldn't explain. No 事柄. He やめる understood.

"Isn't it, darling?" said Laurie.

THE END

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