'I don't quite see,' Mrs Jack put in livelier. 'I can't catch what he says myself.'
'No more can I. That's why I wanted someone else to go. But my dear it's not for us to understand O'Conor,' Mrs Tennant explained as she replaced into its niche a fly-whisk carved out of a block of sandalwood, the handle enamelled with a reddish silver. 'We don't have to live with the servants. Not yet. It's they who condescend to stay with us nowadays. No but you're not telling me that they pass all their huge meals in utter silence. He eats with them you know. Of course Raunce was lying. He understands perfectly what O'Conor says. There's something behind all this Violet. It's detestable.'
'Raunce told you that O'Conor shut the peacocks up? But that's too extraordinary,' Mrs Jack remarked in a confident voice. She was tracing patterns on the window-pane with a purple finger nail.
'I shall get to the bottom of it,' Mrs Tennant announced. For an instant she sent a grim smile at her daughter-in-law's back. 'I shall bide my time though,' she said, then quietly left that chamber the walls of which were hung with blue silk. Mrs Jack swung round but the room was empty.
That night the servants all sat down to supper together. Mrs Welch had asked for and been granted leave to stay in Dublin overnight to consult a doctor. Her Albert had been sent to bed. By this time he was probably running naked on the steeply sloping roofs high up. Mrs Jack now looked after her children who ate with their mother and the grandparent while Miss Swift died inch by inch in the bedroom off the nursery. And because Miss Burch was still indisposed Edith as though by right took this woman's place at table. 'Well what are we waiting for?' she asked quite natural in Agatha's manner.
'Bert's just bringing in the cold joint,' Mary replied. 'Jane's lending a hand. My,' she went on, 'this certainly is nice for us girls to have company. It's a thought we both of us appreciate Mr Raunce to be invited to your supper.'
'You're welcome,' the man replied as he sharpened his carving knife against a fork. He spoke moodily.
'Come on Bert do,' Edith remarked keen to the lad when, followed by Jane carrying vegetables in Worcester dishes, he came struggling under a great weight of best beef. He cast a reproachful look in her direction but made no reply.
'If it wasn't for O'Conor being absent this could be termed a reunion,' Raunce announced pompous. 'With Miss Swift and Miss Burch confined to their quarters as they are by sickness we won't count them. Nor Mrs Welch thanks be with her 'ardening of the kidneys.'
'Charley,' Edith remonstrated.
'Pardon,' he said. He sent her a glance that seemed saturated with despair.
'I'm sure we're very happy to have you with us,' Edith said in Jane's direction. Kate watched. Her gimlet eyes narrowed.
'Because if Paddy turns up I've been charged to speak to him,' Raunce began heavy as he set about carving the joint.
'Well you know right well where he is the sad soul,' Kate replied. 'Locked up with them birds 'e's been the past ten days and only gettin' what I fetch out. Not that I defend it,' she ended.
'We can excuse him. I'd be the very last to question 'is motives,' Raunce answered who without doubt had his own reasons for leaving Paddy alone if only that he cannot have been anxious to implicate Edith in the affair of the eggs. 'Matter of that,' he continued, 'Mrs Tennant's got a lot she wants me to say and not to our friend alone. Oh no,' he said. 'For she's on about her ring still.'
'And how would that be Mr Raunce since she got it back didn't she?' Mary enquired.
'There you are,' he answered with as good reasons perhaps for not pursuing this one either. 'There you are you've said it,' he repeated rather lamely.
'It was only that man who came down upset her,' Edith explained while Albert watched. 'And you can't wonder after all. Setting everyone about the place at sixes and sevens as he did. But all's well that ends well,' she concluded.
'If it has ended,' Raunce remarked. 'A sewer rat like him should never be permitted to harass honest folk. Is that right or isn't it? What'th that you thay. Lithping like a tothpot,' he added in a wild and sudden good humour.
'Charley,' Edith called. She began to go red.
'You should have seen the expression you wore,' he said complacent, 'you should really. When he had the impudence to ask you if you'd theen a thertain thomething. D'you recollect?'
'I certainly don't,' Edith said and pouted.
But Kate took this up. 'You don't thay he thpoke like thith thurely,' she asked letting out a shriek of amusement. All of them started to laugh or giggle except Edith and Raunce's Albert.
'It's a lot of foolishness,' Edith reproved them.
'Foolithneth perhapth,' Raunce said roguish. 'But you're dead right. Whatever it may have been it was uncalled for.'
'Why Charley,' Edith went on, 'you're not going to starve yourself again. You will have your supper to-night surely?'
'No girl,' he answered but with a soft look. Truth is I don't feel equal to it.'
'The spuds are nice. I cooked 'em myself,' Jane explained and the girls all clucked with sympathy at him except Kate who went on with the lisping.
'If he'd 'a lithped at me I'm dead thure I'd 'a lithped back. I couldn't help mythelf.' Mary giggled. 'Oh Kate you don't thay tho,' she cried.
'Holy thmoke but you've got me goin' now,' Raunce laughed.
They all began giggling once more, even Edith. But Albert simpered.
'The whole thing'th too dithtathteful,' Raunce quoted. "Ere I can't get my tongue round it. Dithtasteful,' he tried again. 'No that won't do.' In a moment most of them were attempting this.
'Detethtable,' he shouted out into the hubbub then doubled up with laughter.
'Hush dear they'll hear you,' Edith giggled. 'And what do I care?' he asked. 'Now if you'd said "Huth" I might've barkened. But detethtable's right. It is detestable and distasteful if you like, to have been put through what we've been as if we were criminals,' he said. 'What d'you mean Mr Raunce?' Mary asked. 'Why over this ring she mislaid. Had an investigator sent down and all she did,' he explained. 'Got hold of my lad here then drove 'im half out of his mind with the cunning queries he put till there was Bert sayin' the first thing that came into 'is head. Proper upset you didn't he?' Raunce said to the boy who kept quiet. 'No, but it's wrong,' Raunce told the others, 'it didn't ought to be allowed. Why matters went so far he got 'im talkin' of joining up to get killed. There you are. Not but what we'd all be better off over on the other side.'
'Charley,' Edith called as though he had turned his back on her.
'Upset me too that merchant did. There's been something wrong with my interior from that day to this. I can't seem able to digest my food.'
'You want to take care,' Jane chipped in solicitous. 'Now if I was to put you together a nice bowl of hot broth,' she suggested.
'Thank you,' Raunce replied lordly. Thank you but I'd best give my economy a half holiday. It's me dyspepsia,' he explained. 'Dyth-pepthia,' he added gay on a sudden.
'Don't be disgusting,' Edith reproved him. 'And I'll do all the looking after you need,' she said glancing jealous at Jane.
Kate began to blush deeply.
'Holy Motheth,' Raunce crowed, 'now see what you've been and ' done Edie. You've set our Kate goin'.'
'Things is getting out of hand if you ask me.' Edith remarked. She looked desperate. At that Kate rose, left the room absolutely scarlet.
'Why whatever's the matter with her then?' Mary asked but if Charley was about to reply he never managed it because he was taken by a violent fit of coughing. Edith went to his side. A volley of suggestions was directed at him. Only Albert sat back apart.