II

They came into the room and paused at the doorway¹.

Simeon was speaking into the telephone. He waved a hand to them.

“Sit down, all of you. I shan’t be a minute.”

He went on speaking into the telephone.

“Is that Charlton, Hodgkins & Bruce? Is that you, Charlton? Simeon Lee speaking. Yes, isn’tit? .?.?. Yes .?.?. No, I wanted you to make a new will for me .?.?. Yes, it’s some time since I madethe other .?.?. Circumstances have altered .?.?. Oh no, no hurry. Don’t want you to spoil yourChristmas. Say Boxing Day or the day after. Come along, and I’ll tell you what I want done. No,that’s quite all right. I shan’t be dying just yet.”

He replaced the receiver, then looked round at the eight members of his family. He cackledand said:

“You’re all looking very glum². What is the matter?”

Alfred said: “You sent for us. .?.?.”

Simeon said quickly: “Oh, sorry—nothing portentous³ about it. Did you think it was a familycouncil? No, I’m just rather tired today, that’s all. None of you need come up after dinner. I shallgo to bed. I want to be fresh for Christmas Day.”

He grinned at them. George said earnestly:

“Of course .?.?. of course. .?.?.”

Simeon said: “Grand old institution, Christmas. Promotes solidarity⁴ of family feeling. Whatdo you think, Magdalene, my dear?”

Magdalene Lee jumped. Her rather silly little mouth flew open and then shut itself. She said:

“Oh—oh, yes!”

Simeon said: “Let me see, you lived with a retired⁵ naval⁶ officer”—he paused—“your father.

Don’t suppose you made much of Christmas. It needs a big family for that!”

“Well—well—yes, perhaps it does.”

Simeon’s eyes slid past her.

“Don’t want to talk of anything unpleasant at this time of year, but you know, George, I’mafraid I’ll have to cut down your allowance a bit. My establishment here is going to cost me a bitmore to run in future.”

George got very red.

“But look here, Father, you can’t do that!”

Simeon said softly: “Oh, can’t I!”

“My expenses are very heavy already. Very heavy. As it is, I don’t know how I make bothends meet. It needs the most rigorous economy.”

“Let your wife do a bit more of it,” said Simeon. “Women are good at that sort of thing. Theyoften think of economies where a man would never have dreamt of them. And a clever woman canmake her own clothes. My wife, I remember, was clever with her needle. About all she was cleverwith—a good woman, but deadly dull—”

David sprang up. His father said:

“Sit down, boy, you’ll knock something over—”

David said: “My mother—”

Simeon said: “Your mother had the brains of a louse! And it seems to me she’s transmittedthose brains to her children.” He raised himself up suddenly. A red spot appeared on each cheek.

His voice came high and shrill⁷. “You’re not worth a penny piece, any of you! I’m sick of you all!

You’re not men! You’re weaklings—a set of namby-pamby weaklings. Pilar’s worth any two ofyou put together! I’ll swear to heaven I’ve got a better son somewhere in the world than any ofyou, even if you are born the right side of the blanket!”

“Here, Father, hold hard,” cried Harry⁸.

He had jumped up and stood there, a frown on his usually good-humoured face. Simeonsnapped:

“The same goes for you! What have you ever done? Whined⁹ to me for money from all overthe world! I tell you I’m sick of the sight of you all! Get out!”

He leaned back in his chair, panting a little.

Slowly, one by one, his family went out. George was red and indignant. Magdalene lookedfrightened. David was pale and quivering. Harry blustered¹⁰ out of the room. Alfred went like a manin a dream. Lydia followed him with her head held high. Only Hilda paused in the doorway andcame slowly back.

She stood over him, and he started when he opened his eyes and found her standing¹¹ there.

There was something menacing in the solid way she stood there quite immovably.

He said irritably¹²: “What is it?”

Hilda said: “When your letter came I believed what you said—that you wanted your familyround you for Christmas, I persuaded David to come.”

Simeon said: “Well, what of it?”

Hilda said slowly: “You did want your family round you—but not for the purpose you said!

You wanted them there, didn’t you, in order to set them all by the ears? God help you, it’s youridea of fun!”

Simeon chuckled¹³. He said: “I always had rather a specialized¹⁴ sense of humour. I don’t expectanyone else to appreciate the joke. I’m enjoying it!”

She said nothing. A vague feeling of apprehension¹⁵ came over Simeon Lee. He said sharply:

“What are you thinking about?”

Hilda Lee said slowly: “I’m afraid. .?.?.”

Simeon said: “You’re afraid—of me?”

Hilda said: “Not of you. I’m afraid—for you!”

Like a judge who has delivered sentence, she turned away. She marched, slowly and heavily,out of the room. .?.?.

Simeon sat staring at the door.

Then he got to his feet and made his way over to the safe. He murmured: “Let’s have a lookat my beauties.”

 

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