Thyrza. George Gissing

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СКАЧАТЬ not before nine o'clock,' Mrs. Bower replied. 'Did you want her partic'lar?'

      'Oh no, it'll do any time.'

      'Whilst I think of it,' said Mrs. Bower, letting her sewing fall upon her lap and settling the upper part of her stout body in an attitude of dignity; 'you and your sister 'll come an' eat your Christmas dinner with us?'

      Lydia east down her eyes.

      'It's very kind of you, Mrs. Bower, but I'm sure I don't know whether Thyrza 'll be well enough. I must be very careful of her for a time.'

      'Well, well, you'll see. It'll only be a quiet little fam'ly dinner this year. You'll know there's places kep' for you.'

      Lydia again expressed her thanks, then took leave. As she left the shop, she heard Mr. Bower's voice again raised in impressive oratory.

      On entering the house in Walnut Tree Walk, she found Mrs. Grail just descending the stairs. The old lady never spoke above her breath at such casual meetings outside her own door.

      'Come in for a minute,' she whispered.

      Lydia followed her into the parlour. Gilbert was settled for the evening at the table. A volume lent by Egremont lay before him, and he was making notes from it. At Lydia's entrance he rose and spoke a word, then resumed his reading.

      'I've just taken Thyrza a little morsel of jelly I made this afternoon,' Mrs. Grail said, apart to the girl. 'I'm sure she looks better to-night.'

      'How good you are, Mrs. Grail! Yes, she does look better, but I couldn't have believed a day or two 'ud have made her so weak. I shan't let her go out before Christmas.'

      'No, I don't think you ought, my dear.'

      As Mrs. Grail spoke, the knocker of the house-door sounded an unusual summons, a rat-tat, not loud indeed, but distinct from the knocks wont to be heard here.

      'Mr. and Mrs. Jarmey are both out,' said Lydia. 'They're gone to the theatre. Perhaps it's for you, Mrs. Grail?'

      'No, that's not at all likely.'

      'I'll go.'

      Lydia opened. A gentleman stood without; he inquired in a pleasant voice if Mr. Grail was at home.

      'I think so,' Lydia said. 'Will you please wait a minute?'

      She hurried back to the parlour.

      'It's a gentleman wants to see Mr. Grail,' she whispered, with the momentary excitement which any little out-of-the-way occurrence produces in those who live a life void of surprises. And she glanced at Gilbert, who had heard what she said. He rose:

      'I wonder whether it's Mr. Egremont! Thank you, Miss Trent; I'll go to the door.'

      Lydia escaped up the stairs. Gilbert went out into the passage, and his surmise was confirmed. Egremont was there, sheltering himself under an umbrella from rain which was once more beginning to fell.

      'Could I have a word with you?' he said, with friendly freedom. 'I should have written, but I had to pass so near—'

      'I'm very glad. Will you come in?'

      It was the first time that Egremont had been at the house. Gilbert conducted him into the parlour, and took from him his hat and umbrella.

      'This is my mother,' he said. 'Mr. Egremont, mother; you'll be glad to see him.'

      The old lady regarded Walter with courteous curiosity, and bowed to him. A few friendly words were exchanged, then Egremont said to Grail:

      'If you hadn't been in, I should have left a message, asking you to meet me to-morrow afternoon.'

      Mrs. Grail was about to leave the room; Egremont begged her to remain.

      'It's only a piece of news concerning our library scheme. I think I've found a building that will suit us. Do you know a school in Brook Street, connected with a Wesleyan Chapel somewhere about here?'

      Gilbert said that he knew it; his mother also murmured recognition.

      'It'll be to let at the end of next quarter: they're building themselves a larger place. I heard about it this afternoon, and as I was told that evening classes are held there, I thought I'd come and have a look at the place to-night. At last it is something like what we want. Could you meet me there, say at three, to-morrow afternoon, so that we could see it together in daylight—if daylight be granted us?'

      Grail expressed his readiness.

      'You were reading,' Waiter went on, with a glance at the table. 'I mustn't waste your time.'

      He rose, but Gilbert said:

      'I should be glad if you could stay a few minutes. Perhaps you haven't time?'

      'Oh yes. What are you busy with?'

      Half an hour's talk followed, of course mainly of books. Egremont looked over the volumes on the shelves; those who love such topics will know how readily gossip spun itself from that centre. He was pleased with Grail's home; it was very much as he had liked to picture it since he had known that Gilbert lived with his mother. Mrs. Grail sat and listened to all that was said, a placid smile on her smooth face. At length Egremont declared that he was consuming his friend's evening.

      'Perhaps you'll let me come some other night?' he said, as he took up his hat. 'I know very few people indeed who care to talk of these things in the way I like.'

      Gilbert came back from the door with a look of pleasure.

      'Now, isn't he a fine fellow, mother? I'm so glad you've seen him.'

      'He seems a very pleasant young man indeed,' Mrs. Grail replied. 'He's not quite the picture I'd made of him, but his way of speaking makes you like him from the very first.'

      'I never heard him say a word yet that didn't sound genuine,' Gilbert added. 'He speaks what he thinks, and you won't find many men who make you feel that. And he has a mind; I wish you could hear one of his lectures; he speaks in just the same easy running way, and constantly says things one would be glad to remember. They don't understand him, Bower, and Bunce, and the others; they don't feel his words as they ought to. I'm afraid he'll only have two or three when he begins again.'

      Mrs. Grail turned presently to a different topic.

      'Would you believe, Gilbert!' she murmured. 'Those two girls have saved up more than a pound to buy that poor old Mr. Boddy a top-coat for Christmas. When I went up with the jelly, Thyrza had the money out on the table; she told me as a great secret what it was for. Kind-hearted things they are, both of them.'

      Gilbert assented silently. His mother seldom elicited a word from him on the subject of the sisters.

      On the following afternoon, Gilbert and Egremont met at the appointed place just as three was striking. Already night had begun to close in, a sad wind moaned about the streets, and the cold grey of the sky was patched about with dim shifting black clouds. Egremont was full of cheeriness as he shook hands.

      'What a wonderful people we are,' he exclaimed, 'to have developed even so much civilisation in a climate such as this!'

      The school building which they were about to inspect stood at the junction of two streets, which consisted chiefly of dwellings. In the nature of things СКАЧАТЬ