清洁女工之死21

Twenty-one

Mrs. Wetherby walked back home from the post office with a gait surprisingly spry in onehabitually reported to be an invalid¹.

Only when she had entered the front door did she once more shuffle² feebly into the drawingroom and collapse³ on the sofa.

The bell was within reach of her hand and she rang it.

Since nothing happened she rang it again, this time keeping her finger on it for some time.

In due course Maude Williams appeared. She was wearing a flowered overall and had aduster in her hand.

“Did you ring, madam?”

“I rang twice. When I ring I expect someone to come at once. I might be dangerously ill.”

“I’m sorry, madam. I was upstairs.”

“I know you were. You were in my room. I heard you overhead. And you were pulling thedrawers in and out. I can’t think why. It’s no part of your job to go prying⁴ into my things.”

“I wasn’t prying. I was putting some of the things you left lying about away tidily.”

“Nonsense. All you people snoop. And I won’t have it. I’m feeling very faint. Is Miss Deirdrein?”

“She took the dog for a walk.”

“How stupid. She might know I would need her. Bring me an egg beaten up in milk and alittle brandy. The brandy is on the sideboard in the dining room.”

“There are only just the three eggs for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Then someone will have to go without. Hurry, will you? Don’t stand there looking at me.

And you’re wearing far too much makeup⁵. It isn’t suitable.”

There was a bark in the hall and Deirdre and her Sealyham came in as Maude went out.

“I heard your voice,” said Deirdre breathlessly. “What have you been saying to her?”

“Nothing.”

“She looked like thunder.”

“I put her in her place. Impertinent girl.”

“Oh, Mummy darling, must you? It’s so difficult to get anyone. And she does cook well.”

“I suppose it’s of no importance that she’s insolent⁶ to me! Oh well, I shan’t be with you muchlonger.” Mrs. Wetherby rolled up her eyes and took some fluttering breaths. “I walked too far,”

she murmured.

“You oughtn’t to have gone out, darling. Why didn’t you tell me you were going?”

“I thought some air would do me good. It’s so stuffy⁷. It doesn’t matter. One doesn’t reallywant to live—not if one’s only a trouble to people.”

“You’re not a trouble, darling. I’d die without you.”

“You’re a good girl—but I can see how I weary you and get on your nerves.”

“You don’t—you don’t,” said Deirdre passionately⁸.

Mrs. Wetherby sighed and let her eyelids⁹ fall.

“I—can’t talk much,” she murmured. “I must just lie still.”

“I’ll hurry up Maude with the eggnog.”

Deirdre ran out of the room. In her hurry she caught her elbow on a table and a bronze godbumped to the ground.

“So clumsy,” murmured Mrs. Wetherby to herself, wincing¹⁰.

The door opened and Mr. Wetherby came in. He stood there for a moment. Mrs. Wetherbyopened her eyes.

“Oh, it’s you, Roger?”

“I wondered what all the noise was in here. It’s impossible to read quietly in this house.”

“It was just Deirdre, dear. She came in with the dog.”

Mr. Wetherby stooped and picked up the bronze monstrosity from the floor.

“Surely Deirdre’s old enough not to knock things down the whole time.”

“She’s just rather awkward.”

“Well, it’s absurd to be awkward at her age. And can’t she keep that dog from barking?”

“I’ll speak to her, Roger.”

“If she makes her home here, she must consider our wishes and not behave as though thehouse belonged to her.”

“Perhaps you’d rather she went away,” murmured Mrs. Wetherby. Through half-closed eyesshe watched her husband.

“No, of course not. Of course not. Naturally her home is with us. I only ask for a little moregood sense and good manners.” He added: “You’ve been out, Edith?”

“Yes. I just went down to the post office.”

“No fresh news about poor Mrs. Upward?”

“The police still don’t know who it was.”

“They seem to be quite hopeless. Any motive¹¹? Who gets her money?”

“The son, I suppose.”

“Yes—yes, then it really seems as though it must have been one of these tramps. You shouldtell this girl she’s got to be careful about keeping the front door locked. And only to open it on thechain when it gets near dusk. These men are very daring and brutal¹² nowadays.”

“Nothing seems to have been taken from Mrs. Upward’s.”

“Odd.”

“Not like Mrs. McGinty,” said Mrs. Wetherby.

“Mrs. McGinty? Oh! the charwoman. What’s Mrs. McGinty got to do with Mrs. Upward?”

“She did work for her, Roger.”

“Don’t be silly, Edith.”

Mrs. Wetherby closed her eyes again. As Mr. Wetherby went out of the room she smiled toherself.

She opened her eyes with a start to find Maude standing¹³ over her, holding a glass.

“Your egg nog, madam,” said Maude.

Her voice was loud and clear. It echoed too resonantly¹⁴ in the deadened house.

Mrs. Wetherby looked up with a vague feeling of alarm.

How tall and unbending the girl was. She stood over Mrs. Wetherby like—“like a figure ofdoom,” Mrs. Wetherby thought to herself—and then wondered why such extraordinary words hadcome into her head.

She raised herself on her elbow and took the glass.

“Thank you, Maude,” she said.

Maude turned and went out of the room.

Mrs. Wetherby still felt vaguely¹⁵ upset.

 

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