Agatha sat down across the table from her. She did not speak again until the tea was brought. Then she came out almost tragically dramatic, in a very different tone to the one she had used in the servants' hall.
'They're not either of them coming back now,' she said. 'There's been a telegram. They're staying over.'
'Not ever?' Mrs Welch enquired sharp, drawing a tumbler of what appeared to be water towards her.
'Oh I don't go so far as that Mrs Welch,' Miss Burch replied, 'I wouldn't like to say they were never returning, but here we are now on our own and there's Raunce in there over his dinner upsetting my girls with his talk of the war and this I. R. A. worry.'
'I never let that man into my kitchen.'
'You're one of the lucky ones Mrs Welch. You've a place you can call your own.'
'Ah,' this woman answered, 'but run over by two-legged mice.'
'Can't keep nothing safe,' she went on after a silence, and took a gulp out of the glass. 'It's me kidneys,' she explained.
'I wonder you don't take that hot,' Miss Burch commented.
'Hot?' Mrs Welch cried. 'Not on your life not with…' and then she checked herself. 'It's not natural to sup what's been heated except when it's soup or broth,' she went on careful. Miss Burch eyed the tumbler. On which Mrs Welch put her head back and drank what was left at one go, as if in defiance. 'There you are,' she said to Agatha in a thicker voice.
'Very soon if he carries on in the way he's doing,' Miss Burch began again rather quickly, 'I'll remain to do the work alone. Even now with Miss Swift taken bad there's only Edith to look after the children.'
At this Mrs Welch without warning let out a shout of, 'Who took my waterglass tell me that,' and leaned right across the table.
'Bless me,' Miss Burch said, hurriedly drinking up her tea. 'But it's not as if it was any more trouble takin' your Albert out for the afternoons I'm sure. The girl's bringing a third along doesn't amount to nothing,' she said.
At this point, as Agatha was getting up to go, Mary the scullery maid came in the door. 'I spoke to the butcher'm,' she said.
There was a heavy silence. At last Mrs Welch replied unctuously, 'So you spoke in spite of what I said,' From her voice she might have been pleased.
'E said Captain Davenport had left for England sudden. Jane and me's wonderin' if per'aps they've learned something about this invasion.'
'Maybe there's something you don't know Mary,' Miss Burch said, 'and which has nothing to do with wars or rumours of wars.'
'I won't wear it,' Mrs Welch suddenly shouted out thumping the table. 'You'll get us all butchered in our beds that's what I tell you.'
'I was only out by the larder when he rang the bell'm an' I 'id behind the monument like you said but 'e must've catched sight of my dress for he came behind.'
'Did he?' Miss Burch announced with dignity. There's no end to it nowadays,' she said. She stopped by the door, turned back towards Mrs Welch. 'And the Captain's gone over you say? I shall go and lie down.'
'Well don't stand there lookin' Mary, get on with your work,' Mrs Welch remarked as if exhausted and once she was alone got out the key, unlocked the cupboard, and poured another measure of gin. 'For why?' she asked herself aloud, 'because it ain't no use.' When they broke up after dinner in the servants' hall Albert went to clear away in the nursery. Kate followed to help. Paddy returned to his lamproom. This gave Raunce a chance to say to Edith quite formal, 'Have you seen the pictures in my room?' She called him every day now with his early tea. So she said, 'What d'you mean?'
'Why the pictures I've hanged on the walls.' She had done this bedroom out these last five weeks and had carefully examined what he had put in place of Mr Eldon's Coronation likenesses of King Edward and his Danish Queen.
'What's that?' she asked.
'It's brought a big improvement you'll see,' he answered, leading the way. He said twice to himself, 'if I make it seem ordinary she'll follow,' and did not look round for he heard her come after. But his legs went shaky. Probably it was trying to counteract this that made him walk stiff.
'Mortal damp these passages are,' he remarked as their footfalls echoed.
'You want to take care with those swollen glands,' she replied.
'That's why I've got it well wrapped round,' he said. 'Trust little Charley.' It was not long before he was opening his door and entering in front of her.
'Well?' he asked, 'what d'you say to that? Brightens the old place up doesn't it?'
Making herself dainty she looked once more at the two colourful lithographs of Windsor Castle, and the late King George's Coronation Coach, a plain house photograph of Etonians including Mr Jack in tails, and the polychrome print of scarlet-coated soldiers marching in bearskins. The frames were black and matched.
'The British Grenadiers girl,' he said hearty. 'Grenadier Guardsmen they are,' he said. 'Finest soldiers in the world,' he added.
She let this pass, merely enquiring if the pictures were not out of Mr Jack's old playroom and if he did not think they would mind his taking them.
'I don't pay attention,' he announced.
'So I notice,' she said.
'Well what's the object?' he wanted to know. They can't remember what they've got.' He was getting almost brisk with her.
'No,' she replied, 'but that's not saying they would never recognize a picture which is hung on the wall.'
'All right,' he said, 'what then? They couldn't make out I'd took it could they when it's in the house all the time.'
'Oh I'm not talkin' of that old picture,' she replied, not looking at him. There's other matters I've noticed.'
'Really!' he asked as though he had not made up his mind whether or no to be sarcastic.
'Yes Mr Raunce,' she said.
'Aw come on now,' he objected, 'you don't need to call me Mr Raunce, not when we're like this. I'm Charley to you as we are.'
'All right, yes… Charley,' she murmured.
'Listen dear you don't want to bother your head with what you see,' he began again.
'Me?' she answered. 'I'm not worrying.' S 'Well then what is it you take exception to?' i 'Oh nothing,' she said as if she did not care what he did.
'Should it be the lamp wicks now why they're just my perks since I come into the place,' he explained. 'I know old Aggie Burch reckons she tumbled something the other day and I don't doubt she's talked. But you needn't run away with the notion I put new wicks down in my book and then buy none. Why it's to get them a stock up. One day they might turn round to find there won't be r wicks being made no more for the duration. If I didn't tell Mrs T. i i they were required I couldn't get any for 'er could I?'! › 'It'll be all right till they find you out.' / 'No one ever found out Charley Raunce. Lucky Charley they call me.' i I 'It's the lucky ones have furthest to fall,' she said low. [, 'But what's it to you?' he asked as though challenging her. 'It's | nothing to you,' he said. j 'I do care,' she said and turned away abruptly.!
'What's this?' he enquired chuckling, a light in his eyes. Coming • up behind he laid hold of her shoulders. 'Here give us a little kiss,' he said. For answer she burst into noisy tears. 'Now girlie,' he cried; as if stricken, dropped his hands and sat heavily down on the bed. He seized her wrist and began rubbing the knuckles.
'Oh I don't know,' she broke out keeping her head turned so he should not see and blowing her nose, 'it's all this talk of invasion -an' the Jerries an' the Irish – then what I witnessed when I called: my young lady – an' you makin' out I never seen what I did – oh it's. disgustin' that's what this old place is, it's horrible,' she said. '
'Why whatever's up?' Raunce asked abashed, still rubbing the back of her hand.