Free Mansfield with Monsters by Katherine Mansfield Page A

Mrs Raddick pressing notes into her hand as they passed through the swing doors.
    Hennie and I stood on the steps a minute, watching the people. He had a very broad, delighted smile. At twelve, he was too young to be leechbonded. His pleasure was all his own.
    â€œI say,” he cried, “there’s an English bulldog. Are they allowed to take dogs in there?”
    â€œNo, they’re not.”
    â€œHe’s a ripping chap, isn’t he? I wish I had one. They’re such fun. They frighten people so, and they’re never fierce with their—the people they belong to.” Suddenly he squeezed my arm. “I say, do look at that old woman. Who is she? Why does she look like that? Is she a leechlost?”
    The ancient, withered creature, wearing a green satin dress, a black velvet cloak and a white hat with purple feathers, jerked slowly, slowly up the steps as though she were being drawn up on wires. She stared in front of her, she was laughing and nodding and cackling to herself; her claws clutched round what looked like a dirty boot-bag. Whether her alien was still attached was not clear; the ruinous work of its excessive nectar was all too obvious.
    But just at that moment there was Mrs Raddick again with— her —and another lady hovering in the background. Mrs Raddick rushed at me. She was brightly flushed, gay, a different creature. She was like a woman who is saying ‘good-bye’ to her friends on the station platform, with not a minute to spare before the train starts.
    â€œOh, you’re here, still. Isn’t that lucky! You’ve not gone. Isn’t that fine! I’ve had the most dreadful time with—her,” and she waved to her daughter, who stood absolutely still, disdainful, looking down, twiddling her foot on the step, miles away. “They won’t let her in. I swore she was twenty-one, old enough to host one of… them. But they won’t believe me. I showed the man my purse; I didn’t dare to do more. But it was no use. He simply scoffed… And now I’ve just met Mrs MacEwen from New York, and she just won thirteen thousand in the Salle Privee —and she wants me to go back with her while the luck lasts. Of course I can’t leave—her. But if you’d—”
    At that ‘she’ looked up; she simply withered her mother. “Why can’t you leave me?” she said furiously. “What utter rot! How dare you make a scene like this? This is the last time I’ll come out with you. You really are too awful for words.” She looked her mother up and down. “Calm yourself,” she said superbly. Her leech shivered and shrank at her bitterness.
    Mrs Raddick was desperate, just desperate. She was ‘wild’ to go back with Mrs MacEwen, but at the same time…
    I seized my courage. “Would you—do you care to come to tea with—us?”
    â€œYes, yes, she’ll be delighted. That’s just what I wanted, isn’t it, darling? Mrs MacEwen… I’ll be back here in an hour… or less… I’ll—”
    Mrs R dashed up the steps. I saw her bag was open again.
    So we three were left. But really it wasn’t my fault. Hennie looked crushed to the earth, too. When the car was there she wrapped her dark coat round her—to escape contamination. Even her little feet looked as though they scorned to carry her down the steps to us.
    â€œI am so awfully sorry,” I murmured as the car started. My leech was as confused as I was by my pleasure and discomfort.
    â€œOh, I don’t mind ,” said she. “I don’t want to look twenty-one. Who would—if they were seventeen! It’s”—and she gave a faint shudder—“the stupidity I loathe, and being stared at by old fat men. Beasts!”
    Hennie gave her a quick look and then peered out of the window.
    We drew up before an immense palace of pink-and-white marble with