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With her voice Mrs. Tams said, "Shall I begin to clear all these things away, mam?" But with her self-conscious eyes Mrs. Tams said to the self-conscious eyes of Rachel, "What a staggering world we live in, don't we?"
Louis had conducted him there without the assistance of Mrs. Tams, who had been not merely advised, but commanded, to go to bed. Julian had entered the house like an exasperated enemy glum, suspicious, and ferocious. His mien seemed to say: "You wanted me to come, and I've come. But mind you don't drive me to extremities."
Compunction, instead of softening him, made him angry with himself. He felt awkward, at a loss, furious. "Mrs. Tams!" he called out, and hurried from the room. "Mrs. Tams!" As he went out he was rather startled to find that the door had not been quite closed. In the lobby he called again, "Mrs. Tams!" The kitchen gas showed a speck of blue.
Tams, intermitting her duties, stood still and gazed at Rachel. "Was it far, ma'am, as he had for to go?" A simple question, and yet how difficult to answer plausibly! "Yes rather." "I suppose he'll be back to-night, ma'am?" "Oh yes, of course!" replied Rachel, in absurd haste. "But if he isn't, I'm not to worry, he said. But he fully expects to be. We scarcely had time to talk, you see.
He kept on calling. "Shall I fetch missis, sir?" Mrs. Tams suggested at length. He nodded. Mrs. Tams departed, laden. Certainly the fat creature, from whom nothing could be hid by a younger generation, had divined that strife had supervened on illness, and that great destinies hung upon the issue. Neither Mrs. Tams nor Rachel returned to the bedroom.
And amid the heavenly frizzling of bacon and the odour of her own special coffee Rachel stood sternly watching the clock while Mrs. Tams rattled plates and did the last deeds before serving the meal. Then Mrs. Tarns paused and said
"If ye'll excuse me being so bold, sir," said Mrs. Tams, "ye ought for be right well ashamed o' yeself. And that I'll say with my dying breath." She dropped on to the hard Windsor chair, and, lifting her apron, began to whimper. Louis could feel himself blushing. "It seems to me you'd better look out for a fresh situation," he remarked curtly, as he turned to leave the kitchen.
She could dress herself noiselessly; in a week she had perfected all her little devices for avoiding noise and saving time. She finally left the room neat, prim, with lips set to a thousand responsibilities. She had a peculiar sensation of tight elastic about her eyes, but she felt no fatigue, and she did not yawn. Mrs. Tams, who had just descended, found her taciturn and exacting.
He enjoyed a little dandyism; dandified, he was a better man; the "fall" of a pair of trousers over the knee, the gloss of white wristbands, just showing beneath the new cloth of a well-cut sleeve these phenomena not only pleased him but gave him confidence. And herein was the sole bright spot of his universe when Mrs. Tams entered. He was rather curt with Mrs.
Mrs. Tams went to the window and pulled aside the blind. "Aye!" she announced simply. "It's Miss Rachel and Mr. Fores." Mrs. Maldon caught her breath. "You didn't tell me she was out with Mr. Fores," said Mrs. Maldon, stiffly but weakly. "It's first I knew of it," Mrs. Tams replied, still spying over the pavement. "He's given her th' key. There! He's gone." Mrs. Maldon muttered "The key?
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