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.Of course she was glad that Agatha was to have a well-deserved holiday and the waters would undoubtedly help her rheumatism, so there was room for gladness, but she ought not to have to tell herself this after the first thought that came into her mind had been how nice it would be to be able to ask Henry in to tea or supper without having to ask Agatha as well.She went into the kitchen with a rather firmer step than usual and quite startled Emily, who was reading the Daily Mirror over her mid-morning cup of tea.‘Oh, Emily, I hoped you would have got on to the silver by now,’ she said.‘Miss Harriet and I have done the bedrooms’ – she paused guiltily – ‘and I think I will see to the lunch myself.I am going to make a risotto out of the chicken that was left over.’‘Yes, Miss Bede.’ Emily began to assemble the materials for silver cleaning.‘I see Mrs Hoccleve’s gone,’ she remarked.‘Oh, yes, it was today she was going,’ said Belinda casually.‘I hope she won’t come to any harm, you never know with foreigners, do you?’ said Emily.‘An English gentlewoman can never come to any harm,’ said Belinda, more to herself than to Emily.‘But you do hear of people having nasty things happen to them,’ persisted Emily.‘I’ve read it in the papers.But of course Mrs Hoccleve’s elderly, really, isn’t she, so its different?’Belinda was silent.She felt she could hardly agree that Agatha was elderly when she herself was a year older and thought of herself as only middle-aged.And yet, middle-aged or elderly, what was the difference really? Calm of mind, all passion spent … she had known that before she was thirty.‘Don’t waste the Silvo like that, Emily,’ she said with unaccustomed sharpness, ‘you won’t get a better polish.It’s the rubbing that does it.’The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs told Belinda that Harriet had finished her business there, and as the kettle was boiling, she made a pot of tea and took it into the dining-room.‘I think I shall see if I can alter my black coat and make the sleeves like Agatha’s,’ Harriet was saying, half to herself.‘Do you think there is anything to let out on the seams?’‘Your coat is so nice as it is,’ said Belinda doubtfully, for she had had experience of Harriet’s attempts at alteration.‘Altering a coat is so much more difficult than a dress.’‘Yes,’ agreed Harriet gravely, ‘I think you’re right.I might buy some of that leopard-skin trimming though and put it on the cuffs and pockets.That would be a change, and sleeves are going to be important this winter, I believe.’‘Have they got Agatha away safely?’ asked Belinda casually.‘Oh, yes,’ said Harriet, in a more cheerful tone of voice.‘Mr Donne went in the taxi with her.I suppose he would see her off at the station.And do you know,’ she leaned forward eagerly, ‘the Archdeacon didn’t even kiss her.He just waved his hand, like this.’ Harriet gave a rather improbable imitation of how the Archdeacon had said goodbye to his wife.‘I expect they said their real goodbyes in the house,’ said Belinda.‘After all it’s rather upsetting, isn’t it, a parting like that?’‘The Archdeacon didn’t look in the least bit upset,’ said Harriet.‘After the taxi had gone he stood in the drive grinning and rubbing his hands, looking as pleased as Punch.’‘Oh, no, Harriet, I can’t believe that,’ said Belinda, and so, comfortably arguing, they drank their tea and were just finishing it when there was a cry from Harriet, who pointed in the direction of the window.‘Look,’ she cried, for she had been so absorbed in her task of ‘strengthening’ a pair of corsets with elastic thread that she had not noticed the Archdeacon creeping up the drive.Neither had Belinda, but she was less observant and sharp.‘I thought I would take you by surprise,’ he said.‘I am glad to find you both engaged in the trivial round, the common task.’Belinda was too agitated to think of any clever reply, while Harriet was bundling the corsets under a cushion in one of the armchairs.Belinda noticed to her horror that they were imperfectly hidden and planted herself firmly in front of the chair.It was too bad of Harriet to make these little embarrassments.The two cats were curled up in the basket-chair on the other side of the fire, so it was quite a problem to know where to seat the Archdeacon.But Harriet recovered her composure more quickly than Belinda, turned out the cats with a quick movement and offered him the chair.‘I’m afraid we have annoyed them,’ said the Archdeacon, ‘they are looking positively baleful.And yet I feel that I need rest more than they do.’ He sighed and stretched out his hands to the warmth of the fire.‘We always call them the brethren dwelling in unity,’ said Harriet.‘Behold how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity,’ she quoted, as if by way of explanation.‘The psalm, you know…’‘Of course he knows,’ said Belinda rather sharply, and yet it was odd how one sometimes felt that he might not.She began to wonder why he had come; it was unusual for him to call in the morning.‘I expect you know Agatha has just gone,’ said the Archdeacon, in answer to her thoughts.‘Such a business getting her to the station, I really feel quite exhausted.These departures are always more tiring for those who are left behind.’‘Oh, dear, we should have offered you some tea,’ said Belinda reflecting that it was in fact Mr Donne who had gone to the station with Agatha.‘We had ours some time ago so it won’t be very nice.I’ll get Emily to make you some more.’‘Well, that is kind of you, but I had some refreshment at the vicarage,’ said the Archdeacon.‘I really felt justified in having something.’Belinda nodded sympathetically, but she could see Harriet looking scornful and so began talking quickly about the Harvest Festival and the decorations which were to be done the next day.‘We must have more corn this year,’ said the Archdeacon.‘Corn is an essential part of harvest, perhaps the most important part of all.’‘Ah, yes, bread is the staff of life,’ said Harriet solemnly.‘But we mustn’t forget the other fruits of the earth.Ricardo Bianco has some very fine marrows and pumpkins, and bigger things really show up better.’‘The church always looks very nice,’ said Belinda, fearing they were going to have an argument.‘Yes, there are always plenty of willing helpers,’ said the Archdeacon complacently.‘I do hope there won’t be any unpleasantness this year,’ said Belinda, her face clouding.‘Last year there was the embarrassment of Miss Prior, if you remember.’‘The Embarrassment of Miss Prior,’ said the Archdeacon, savouring the words.‘It sounds almost naughty, but I fear it was not.I cannot recall the circumstances.’‘Oh, I remember,’ said Harriet.‘When Miss Prior came to decorate it was found that somebody else had already done the lectern and she’s always done it for the last twenty years or more.’‘Yes, poor little soul,’ said Belinda reminiscently, ‘she was rather late.She had been finishing some curtains for Lady Clara Boulding – you know, those heavy maroon velvet ones in her morning-room – and she was nearly crying.She does so enjoy doing the lectern and making a bunch of grapes hang down from the bird’s mouth
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