Sinister Street, vol. 1

rom the glooms and shadows of his solitary childhood. Michael had for so long been familiar with ugliness that he was dangerously near to an eternal imprisonment in a maze of black fancies. He had

ls of horror, the newspapers themselves had gradually acquired a definitely sinister personality. If at dusk Michael found a newspaper by Nurse's arm-chair, he would approach it with

, the scented good mornings and good nights, the gay shopping walks and all the joys which belonged to him and her, stood threatening and inevitable the normal existence with Nurse in which these

men in conversation, he was aware of a tight-throated feeling of pleasure. They were both so tall and slim and beauti

o be rather good frien

politely, when she was going out. In bed that night he whispered to his mother how much he liked Miss Cart

ht?" he aske

" she answered. "Nanny will s

el questioned som

new-comer assumed her duties. During this time Michael hummed inc

nted Nanny. "Tut-tut. It might be the Queen of England. S

but he hoped that by sending Valentines to every inmate of the house he might be allowed to include Miss Carthew. Nurse was agreeable to the notion of receiving a token, and in her company Michael set out to a neighbou

ng now,"

et one for Miss Ca

do you want to give her a Valentine for?" Nurse de

let me

choosing. Here, this will do," said Nurs

n painted with the rosiest of Cupids, the most crimson of pierced hearts, a Valentine

he declare

I told you ab

s a shilling," s

ng," grumbled Nurse.

have that one

raid of Nurse, so absolutely determined was he to presen

t one," he added

a thing. No, nothing more this morning, thank you," Nurse added, turning to the stationer. "The little

hop. As he walked home, he dug his nails wrathfully into the envelope of Valentines, and then suddenly he saw a drain in the gutter. He hastily stooped and pushed the packet between the b

them," said Mi

ed them? What do you

em away," s

purp

what I like wit

boy," said Nurse, hor

red. "I wanted to give Miss Carthew a

ere, I'm your mother," said Nurse, looking mo

outraged son. "You're not. You're not. Why, you'

certain luxury in this penitence just as he used to enjoy a reconciliation with the black kittens. Perhaps it was this scene with Nurse that prompted him soon afterwards to the creati

t hum," Stella begged very solemnly. "Pleas

ou ask me not to hum, I'll hu

y the drum, already worn very thin, burst. Michael was furious and immediately proceeded to twang an over-varnished zither. So furiously did he twang the zither that finally he caught one of his nails in a sharp

illy. Say practise," Micha

fat stolidity of demeanour and voice which

an you," Mich

d down the lid. Stella must have withdrawn her fingers in time, for there was no sign of any pinch or bruise upon the

Everybody doesn't want to hear your stupid piano-playing. Boys at school thi

little bo

ice and all

little boys

ittle girl

ils and puppy

at little girl

's perversion of the original rhyme made her inarticul

, he thought sensuously of the imminent reconciliation, and in about ten minutes, having found some barley

taking off her mackintosh and handing it to Gladys to be dried. With the removal of her wet outdoor clothes, Miss Carthew seemed to come nearer to Michael and, as they faced each other over the

e questions he asked the better she would like it. Miss Carthew had all the mental and imaginative charm of the late Mrs. Frith in combination with an outward attractiveness that made her more dearly beloved. Indeed Miss Carthew had numberless pleasant qualities. If she promised anything, the promise was always kept to the letter. I

ow it, Michael?"

to go t

of time before you went to

, and I went to bed ear

hen she rang the bell and told withered Gladys that she wished to s

o bed very early last nig

"Early last night. Wednesday n

go to bed?" Miss

d Nurse. "Why the pr

," said Miss Carth

ned and came very close to Miss Carthew and pe

or governesses," said Nurse. "No. Tu

el will go to bed at half-past seven. It's not goo

o, I don't understa

iss Carthew. "You n

on. However, he did not go to bed that night till half-past seven and at the end of the week could rattle off the Venite in two br

ath edged with white stones down to the foot of the cliff. Day and night great ships used to sail from the harbour, some outward bound with the crew singing in the cool airs of a summer morning, some homeward bound, battered by storms. Miss Carthew, when a little girl, had been the intimate friend of many coastguards, had been allowed to peep through their long telescopes, had actually seen a cannon fired at close quarters. Before her own eyes the lifeboat had plunged forth to rescue ships and with her own hands she had caught fish on quiet sunny mornings and on windless nights under the moon. Her most valuable possession, however, must have been that father who could sit for hours and never tell the same tale twice, but hold all who heard him entranced with a narrative of hostile Indians, of

ke us away for our holidays

is year you and Stella are going with Nurse, because Stella

ly going t

eparatory School," Mis

llowed to make friends with several boys in Carlington Road, some of whom were already scholars of St. James' Preparatory School and one of whom actually had a broth

d with Nurse at Mr. and Mrs. Wagland's lodgings, where the harmonium was played and conversation was carried on by whispers and the mysterious nods of three heads. However, the beginning of August arrived, and Miss Carthew said good-bye for a month. Wooden spades, still gritty with last year's sand, were produced from the farthest corners of cupboards: mouldy shrimping nets and dirtied buckets and canvas shoes lay about on the bed, and at last, huddled in paraphernalia, Nurse and St

talk of 'ladies and gentlemen' at the Kindergarten, and since then Miss Carthew had indirectly confirmed his supposition that it was a terrible thing not to be a gentleman and the son of a gentleman. He grew very critical of his own dress and wished that he were not compelled to wear a sailor-top that was slightly shabby. Once Mr. and Mrs. Wagland accompanied them to church on a Sunday morning, and Michael was horrified. People would inevitably think that he was the son of Mr. Wagl

ip with the world of men. He would have to enquire of porters and guards; he would have to be polite without being prodded to ladies sitting opposite. No doubt they would ask questions of him and he would have to answer distinctly. And beyond this immediate encounter with reality was School. He had not grasped how near he was to the first morning. A feeling of hopelessness, of inabilit

d anxiously across his path. On the rounded summit of the highest hill within reach he sat down near a clump of tremulous harebells. The sky was on every side of him, the largest sky ever imagined. Far away in front was the shining sea, above whose nebulous horizon ships hung motionless. Up here was the sound of summer airs, the faint lisp of wind in parched herbage, the twitter of desolate birds, and in some unseen vale below the bleating of a flock of sheep. Bumble-bees droned from flower to flower of the harebells and a church clock struck the hour of four. The world was opening her arms and calling to Michael. He felt up there in the silver weather as the ugly duckling mus

ou do get yourself into, I'm sure. Can't

e silly old sheep run awa

d to frighten poor animals so. You'

ichael boastfully. "He wou

ry knowingly, as she laid ou

egged, "don't make a po

f any policeman to check his desires, and because it was impossible to voice in any other

up and roll him all down the hill, I would. I'd put his head in a

d and round the spread-out

you'll go straight back to the carriage and w

chatter fast enough to keep pace with the new power which was inspiring him with inexpressible energy. He talked of what he was going to do in Hampshire; he talked of what he was going to do on the j

e matter with

his legs to watch the flight, swept half the tea-cups with him. For a moment he was abashe

te. Michael became his silent self again and was now filled with apprehensions. All that had seemed so easy to attain was now complicated by the unknown. He would have been glad of Miss Carthew's company. The green-

arm and talking shyly to Nancy Carthew and a sidling spaniel alternately, as they walked from the stil