Bliss, and Other Stories

maller than they did by day, the gardens far bigger and wilder. Bright stars speckled the sky and the moon hung over the harbour d

the storeman, pointing to a little

side the harbour disappeared, and although they were still in the town th

ht,

O," he

use against one wall built by himself. All the glasshouse was spanned and arched over with one beautiful vine. He took her brown basket from her, lined it with three large leaves, and then he felt in his belt for a little horn knife, reached up and snapped off a bi

ew minutes one of the child

wk Street, or Ch

; she always felt that Charlotte Crescent belonged specially t

roads with high clay banks on either side, up steep, steep hills, down into bushy valleys, through wide shallow rivers. Further and further. Lottie's head wagged; she

er blow abou

ice," said

he eldest is called, and the youngest's name is Rags. He's got a ram. He has to feed it with a nenamuel tea

has horns and

rushing animals like dogs and parrots. I often dream that animals rush a

wing up her eyes. Then she put her finger out and strok

answered the store

a whip lash, looping suddenly an island of green, and behind the island, but out of sight until you came upon it, was the house. It was long and low built, with a pillared verandah and balcony all the way round. The soft white bulk of it lay stretched upon the green garden like

utton she had pressed against while sleeping. Tenderly the storeman lifted her, set her cap straight, and pulled down her crump

The grandmother came out of the dark hal

r way in the d

ectly

of the nest. If she stood still for a moment she fell asleep, if she l

dmother, "can I trust

my g

ht breathing thing into her hands and the

but the parrots were only on the wall-paper) down a narrow passag

ng down Lottie and opening the dining-room doo

the room eating a dish of fried chops and drinking tea out of a brown china teapot. Over the back of her mother's chair leaned Isabel. She had a comb in her fingers and in

inda did not really care; she d

or we shall have the house on fire before we a

e table. "Have another chop, Beryl. Tip-top meat, isn't it? Not too lean and not too

way she had. The grandmother brought the children bread and milk a

upper," said Isabel,

per, the bone and all and Worc

st, Isabel," s

, Mummy? I never thought of boasting. I thought th

hed back his plate, took a tooth-pick out of his

ite of something in the kitchen

" The old woma

where my slippers were put? I suppose I shall no

he top of the canvas hold-all

get them for me

Stan

going over to the fire he turned his

is a pretty pic

amiliar pink pinafore; the sleeves of her blouse were rolled up to her shoulders showing

ll take to get straight-coup

girl and I have simply slaved all day, and ever since mother came she has wor

scented

pect me to rush away from the o

yl. She put down her cup and

ith a palm leaf fan while I have a gang of professionals to do the job? By Jove, if

in his sensitive stomach. But Linda put up a hand

ut she smiled and curled her fingers into the big red hand she held. Burnell becam

going to like

ought to, mother," said Isabel. "Kezia