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even on birthdays; and to…day; on a cold morning; with a crackling
fire and marmalade; perhapsand then all the presents。
Oh; he was happy。 As he rubbed his back with the towel a wonderful
glowing Christian charity spread from his head to his toes and
tingled through every inch of him。 Helen should sit in the chair
when she pleased; Mary should be allowed to dress and undress the
large woollen dog; known as 〃Sulks;〃 his own especial and beloved
property; so often as she wished; Jampot should poke the twisted end
of the towel in his ears and brush his hair with the hard brushes;
and he would not say a word。 Aunt Mary should kiss him (as; of
course; she would want to do); and he would not shiver; he would
(bravest deed of all) allow Mary to read 〃Alice in Wonderland〃 in
her sing…sing voice so long as ever she wanted。 。 。 Sausages!
Sausages!
In his shirt and his short blue trousers; his hair on end; tugging
at his braces; he stood in the doorway and shouted:
〃Helen; there are sausagesbecause it's my birthday。 Aren't you
glad??
And even when the only response to his joyous invitation was Helen's
voice crossly admonishing the Jampot: 〃Oh; you do pull so; you're
hurting!〃his charity was not checked。
Then when he stood clothed and of a cheerful mind once more in front
of the fire a shyness stole over him。 He knew that the moment for
Presents was approaching; he knew that very shortly he would have to
kiss and be kissed by a multitude of persons; that he would have to
say again and again; 〃Oh; thank you; thank you so much!〃 that he
would have his usual consciousness of his inability to thank anybody
at all in the way that they expected to be thanked。 Helen and Mary
never worried about such things。 They delighted in kissing and
hugging and multitudes of words。 If only he might have had his
presents by himself and then stolen out and said 〃Thank you〃 to the
lot of them and have done with it。
He watched the breakfast…table with increasing satisfactionthe
large teapot with the red roses; the dark blue porridge plates; the
glass jar with the marmalade a rich yellow inside it; the huge loaf
with the soft pieces bursting out between the crusty pieces; the
solid square of butter; so beautiful a colour and marked with a
large cow and a tree on the top (he had seen once in the kitchen the
wooden shape with which the cook made this handsome thing)。 There
were also his own silver mug; given him at his christening by Canon
Trenchard; his godfather; and his silver spoon; given him on the
same occasion by Uncle Samuel。
All these things glittered and glowed in the firelight; and a kettle
was singing on the hob and Martha the canary was singing in her cage
in the window。 (No one really knew whether the canary were a lady or
a gentleman; but the name had been Martha after a beloved housemaid;
now married to the gardener; and the sex had followed the name。)
There were also all the other familiar nursery things。 The hole in
the Turkey carpet near the bookcase; the rocking…horse; very shiny
where you sit and very Christmas… tree…like as to its tail; the
doll's house; now deserted; because Helen was too old and Mary too
clever; the pictures of 〃Church on Christmas Morning〃 (everyone with
their mouths very wide open; singing a Christmas hymn; with holly);
〃Dignity and Impudence;〃 after Landseer; 〃The Shepherds and the
Angels;〃 and 〃The Charge of the Light Brigade。〃 So packed was the
nursery with history for Jeremy that it would have taken quite a
week to relate it all。 There was the spot where he had bitten the
Jampot's fingers; for which deed he had afterwards been slippered by
his father; there the corner where they stood for punishment (he
knew exactly how many ships with sails; how many ridges of waves;
and how many setting suns there were on that especial piece of
corner wallpaperthree ships; twelve ridges; two and a half suns);
there was the place where he had broken the ink bottle over his
shoes and the carpet; there by the window; where Mary had read to
him once when he had toothache; and he had not known whether her
reading or the toothache agonised him the more; and so on; an
endless sequence of sensational history。
His reminiscences were cut short by the appearance of Gladys with
the porridge。 Gladys; who was only the between…maid; but was
nevertheless stout; breathless from her climb and the sentiment of
the occasion; produced from a deep pocket a dirty envelope; which
she laid upon the table。
〃Many 'appy returns; Master Jeremy。〃 Giggle 。 。 。 giggle。 。 。 〃Lord
save us if I 'aven't gone and forgotten they spunes;〃 and she
vanished。 The present…giving had begun。
He had an instant's struggle as to whether it were better to wait
until all the presents had accumulated; or whether he would take
them separately as they arrived。 The dirty envelope lured him。 He
advanced towards it and seized it。 He could not read very easily the
sprawling writing on the cover; but he guessed that it said 〃From
Gladys to Master Jeremy。〃 Within was a marvellous card; tied
together with glistening cord and shining with all the colours of
the rainbow。 It was apparently a survival from last Christmas; as
there was a church in snow and a peal of bells; he was;
nevertheless; very happy to have it。
After his introduction events moved swiftly。 First Helen and Mary
appeared; their faces shining and solemn and mysteriousHelen self…
conscious and Mary staring through her spectacles like a profound
owl。
Because Jeremy had known Mary ever since he could remember; he was
unaware that there was anything very peculiar about her。 But in
truth she was a strange looking child。 Very thin; she had a large
head; with big outstanding ears; spectacles; and yellow hair pulled
back and 〃stringy。〃 Her large hands were always red; and her
forehead was freckled。 She was as plain a child as you were ever
likely to see; but there was character in her mouth and eyes; and
although she was only seven years old; she could read quite
difficult books (she was engaged at this particular time upon
〃Ivanhoe〃); and she was a genius at sums。
The passion of her life; as the family were all aware; was Jeremy;
but it was an unfortunate and uncomfortable passion。 She bothered
and worried him; she was insanely jealous; she would sulk for days
did he ever seem to prefer Helen to herself。 No one understood her;
she was considered a 〃difficult child;〃 quite unlike any other
member of the family; except possibly Samuel; Mr。 Cole's brother…
in…law; who was an unsuccessful painter and therefore 〃odd。〃
As Mary was at present only seven years of age it would be too much
to say that the family was afraid of her。 Aunt Amy's attitude was:
〃Well; after all; she's sure to be clever when she grows up; poor
child;〃 and although the parishioners of Mary's father always
alluded to her as 〃the ludicrous Cole child;〃 they told awed little
stories about the infant's mental capacities; and concluded
comfortably; 〃I'm glad Alice (or Jane or Matilda or Anabel) isn't
clever like that。 They overwork when they are young; and then when
they grow up〃
Meanwhile Mary led her private life。 She attached herse