Free Loving, Living, Party Going by Henry Green Page B

ask me.'
    'Why nanny?'
    'Are you coming?'
    'Yes'm.'
    'But why nanny?'
    'Because nanny says so. Come on now. We'll go down by the fish 'atchery,' and she made off, holding Evelyn by the hand. She dragged on her right leg.
    'Tell you what,' Albert said to Moira as they loitered to follow, 'I'll bite 'is little 'ead off'n.'
    'You'll what?'
    'Like they did in the local where I was evacuated.'
    'What's the local?'
    'In the pub down in the country. There was a man there bit the 'eads off of mice for a pint. The lady I was evacuated with said so.'
    'You shan't you wicked boy I'll call nanny.'
    'I'll show yer,' he said darting sideways towards the base of that tower. 'You wait till I find'm,' he said and she burst out wailing.
Miss Swift came back, mopped the child's face. The others watched as though disinterested. She did not ask Albert. 'I'll tell Mrs Welch about you' was all she told him.
    Later that same afternoon Raunce was in the pantry lending his lad a hand with the tea things. That is to say while his Albert washed the cups and saucers, the spoons and plates, Raunce held up a heavy silver tray like a cymbal to polish it. 'Ha' he went at the expanse of mirror metal, 'ha,' then he rubbed his breath away as he whistled through his teeth in time to the short strokes in the way a man will when grooming a horse, and squinting terribly the while.
    Suddenly he spoke. Bert grew quiet at his voice. Raunce said,
    'I could have laughed right in her face,' and stopped.
    'When was that?' Albert enquired.
    'Yes so I could and with you sitting there still as a mouse.'
    The boy looked speechless at him.
    'Oh get on with your work,' Raunce quoted from another context There was another lull while Albert redoubled his effort and the butler watched. 'It's not as if we had all night,' Raunce went on, 'which is to say I have not,' he said speaking genteely and he let a short guffaw, 'lucky Charley they call me, begorrah,' he added.
    'Yes Mr Raunce,' mumbled Albert.
    'It won't wash your acting the innocent my lad. The moment she come in that door between the scullery and where we was sitting over our tea I could tell you felt the draught.'
    'I didn't feel nothing.'
    'When Mrs Welch reported present on the steps there was something caused my eyes to settle on that cheese face of yours, something told me. And when she started about that waterglass of 'ers which is missing I says to myself Charley you don't have to look far, it's plain as my face in the mirror. What induced you to take the stuff?'
    'I never.'
    'Come on tell uncle.'
    'I never took nothing.'
    'You've no call to feel uneasy my lad. I've not made out I was any different from what I am now have I?'
    'Mr Raunce I haven't so much as seen it.'
    'Well, if you won't, then I will. I'll tell you. It's because you overheard me say what my old mother had written that they was on the
very brink of starvation over in London with the bombing. You must've idea'd you'd go get hold of some to send 'em a few eggs in.'
    'Gawd's truth I did not Mr Raunce.'
    'Don't stand there like a stuck pig my lad. Get down to it for the love of Moses. We aren't finished with the day's work by a long chalk. But you got your parents in London yet?' he went on. 'Haven't you?'
    There was no reply except for the slop of sink water.
    'Well haven't you?'
    'Yes Mr Raunce.'
    'All right then why make a mystery? You thought you might send 'em along an egg or two.'
    'I tell you I never.'
    'I'm not saying you did, all I'm telling you is you thought you might. There's times I despair of you my lad,' Raunce said. 'Well not possibly make anything out of you that's one item dead certain. And another thing now. Once you can shine a bit of good silver up like this here you'll have learned a start of the trade that's took me many a long year to master. And I'm still learning.'
    'I couldn't even name what that glass is for,' the boy uttered deep in his sink.
    'D'you want me to fetch you one?' Raunce shouted at once. 'Would you provoke me to