Loving

'It's in the pantry Mr Raunce,' Albert said.

•What is?'

'The gardening glove.'

'You'll excuse me it's not. I ought to know seeing that's my own pantry. Where is it then?'

'I put 'er glove in the cupboard,' Albert said, 'on the bottom shelf. I seen it only this morning.'

'Oh well if you've hidden the thing,' Raunce replied and they fell back on silence.

Edith looked up to find Kate watching her. She blushed.

'Land's sakes there she goes colouring again,' Raunce announced hearty. 'She should go and give one of them blood transfusions they are asking volunteers for, she's got too much,' he commented out of one side of his mouth to Miss Burch next him.

'Don't be disgusting,' was all this woman said.

But he had obviously recollected. Eggs must have made him think of waterglass. 'Wait a minute,' he cried. Kate watched. 'I've just remembered summat,' he went on. He paused, and his eyes were on Edith while her blushes flooded once more. 'I do believe I done you a real injustice,' he said to Albert perhaps. But he did not seem able to take his eyes off the girl while she looked at him melting as though at his mercy.

'We shall have to make them open up the drains for us that's all,' Miss Burch stated, still on about the ring.

'Oh forget it,' Charley said to Edith, probably meaning this remark for Albert. He lowered his eyes and an odd sort of bewilderment showed in his face. But Miss Burch must. have understood that he was answering her for she objected, 'I can't forget,' and she spoke resigned. 'I'm sure I've looked every place and it was a beautiful ring, an antique,' she added.

At this moment Mrs Welch had an idea away in the kitchen. Leaving her black notebook she shuffled swift into the scullery where little Albert was at table over a cup of cocoa while the two girls prepared vegetables in one of six sinks.

'There's none of you girls go talking to the tradesmen?' she asked in a menacing voice and gave no warning.

'Oh no m'm.'

'There's not one of you so much as passes the time of day with that butcher?'

'No m'm truly.'

'Because remember what I said. Don't have nothing to do with them Irish or you'll likely bring our own blood on us. By reason of the I. R. A. And never forget.'

'Yes m'm.'

'And where do they carry the victuals when they call?' Mrs Welch went on to ask.

'They leave 'em in the outside larder like you said.'

'Now when d'you fetch what they've left?'

'When they're gone,' the girls answered.

That's right. Also I'll take up with those merchants what they've delivered short, what they owe me, on the blower, understand. Nor you 'aven't spoken with one of them?'

'No m'm.'

'And 'ow d'you know when they've been?'

'They ring the little bell as they're leavin'.'

That's right. Then it can't be one of the tradesmen after all,' she said going back into the kitchen and there cried out loud to herself, 'Oh my waterglass.'

What she had lost still seemed uppermost on Mrs Welch's mind when after dinner that same day Miss Burch dropped in to have a word.

'I've been and measured'n again,' she greeted Agatha, 'and there's above a quart gone without trace. Mary bring Miss Burch a cup of tea.'

'I do miss Mr Eldon, I do miss that man,' Miss Burch said. 'No matter who couldn't happen to lay their hands on something he always imagined where to find it. He startled you that way.'

'Not what is short out of my jar he never could.'

'No matter where it was Mrs Tennant dropped whatever it might be,' Agatha went on regardless, 'he was on 'and to restore it. He knew where things had lodged before they were rightly out of your fingers. There you are Mrs Welch it's a gift.'

'It's a gift right enough the way some is born sticky fingered.'

'Now I wouldn't say anyone had taken that ring, no I'd never go so far as that. I don't believe there's a soul in this Castle would do such a thing.'

'I've 'ad the matter over with my girls,' Mrs Welch said, 'right into things I've been, and I've given Albert a talkin' to my word. If 'e'd known the slightest bit I'd've had it out of 'im you can lay your oath on that.'

'It's a mystery.'

'A dark mystery's right,' Mrs Welch echoed. 'A ring will roll I grant, but don't tell me above a quart of waterglass will fly out of what it's in without a drop spilled on the floor, the diabolical stroke,' she added.

'I knew a woman once went down to Brighton for the Whitsun,' Miss Burch began, 'and her ring slipped in the sand. The next day she went back with her little nipper's wooden shovel, dug away where she'd been seated, and there it was after the tide had been over even.'

'You'll 'ave to get the plumbin' opened up that's all.'

'Just what I said with the cup of cocoa this morning,' Miss Burch replied. 'Of course I've got my girls searching this minute but they would never see the Crown jewels laying right before them they're so occupied looking over their shoulders for that Raunce.'

'I won't 'ave 'im in my kitchen.'

'Oh you're fortunate, you've a place you can call your own. Though he's improved the last few days, I will allow that. We may make something of him yet.'

'Ave they so much as glanced at those drains in the last twelvemonth?' Mrs Welch enquired.

'They should be done out,' Miss Burch said. 'But the proper time will be when they both go over for Mr Jack's leave which will be any time now or so I'm led to believe.'

'I was goin' to speak to 'er myself on it,' Mrs Welch announced. 'It ain't 'ealthy in these old buildings that has a cesspool dug before sewers come to be invented. Not with children about that is.'

'And where would the little chap be this afternoon?'

'My Albert? Oh I sent 'im up to Miss Swift to get 'is run out.'

'That's right,' Miss Burch said. 'It's not right for them to be all day inside. Like Raunce is for instance.'

'Gawd 'elp us with the man when they do go over the other side for Mr Jack.' As she spoke Mrs Welch started to look wild again.

'You think so?' Miss Burch asked seeming at once to dread.

'It's not thinking, I'm certain sure. Well there's just the one thing for it,' Mrs Welch cried suddenly frantic, 'every mortal object must be under lock and key. There maun't be a drawer can be opened or a door they shall get in by. And as for my pots and pans I'll get me a padlock and chains and stake 'em down to me dresser,' she almost shouted pointing to the vast array of burnished copper and aluminium. 'And if I can't get a chain will go through them 'oles in the 'andles so 'elp me God I'll send to Berlin if I shouldn't find what'll suit in this poor law island.'

'To Berlin?' Miss Burch asked with a gasp.

'That's right,' Mrs Welch answered and seemed gratified. 'We're in a nootral country aren't we?'

'Bless me but I can't stay sitting here,' Miss Burch said getting up, 'I must do a bit more I suppose. I'm obliged to you for the cup of tea I was parched,' she added.

'You're welcome,' Mrs Welch replied as she reopened her black notebook.

Agatha walked stiffly through the back premises towards Mrs Tennant's bedroom which was being given a thorough turnout by her girls. She had made the loss of this ring an excuse to favour the room with a proper doing. But unusual sounds of activity in the pantry made her choose to go through this on the way upstairs. She found Raunce hard at it with silver out over green baize cloths across every table he could lay hands on and even into his bedroom. Saucers filled with a violet coloured polish, old toothbrushes, shammy leather and the long white soft-haired brushes were laid out for use among sauceboats, salvers, rose bowls and the silver candlesticks of all shapes and sizes. She passed Raunce and his lad in a silence which seemed to grant gracious approval.

'The old cow,' Charley remarked once she was out of earshot.

'You've said it,' the boy replied.

'You know Bert I sometimes marvel women can go sour like that. When you think of them young, soft and tender it doesn't 'ardly seem possible now the way they turn so that you would never hold a crab apple up to them they're so acid.'