The Garden Party and Other Stories

the sky without a cloud. Only the blue was veiled with a haze of light gold, as it is sometimes in early summer. The gardener had been up s

ple at garden-parties; the only flowers that everybody is certain of knowing. Hundreds, yes, literally hundre

ver before the men came

want the marqu

d to leave everything to you children this year. For

fast, and she sat drinking her coffee in a green turban, with a dark wet curl stamped on

o, Laura; you're

to have an excuse for eating out of doors, and besides, she loved having to ar

tool-bags slung on their backs. They looked impressive. Laura wished now that she had not got the bread-and-butter, but there was nowhere to p

ded so fearfully affected that she was ashamed, and stammered like

, freckled fellow, and he shifted his tool-bag, knocked ba

she looked at the others, they were smiling too. "Cheer up, we won't bite," their smile seemed to say. How very nic

t the lily-lawn?

bread-and-butter. They turned, they stared in the direction. A lit

like a marquee," and he turned to Laura in his easy way, "you want to put

r it was quite respectful of a workman to talk to her

" she suggested. "But the band

he workmen. He was pale. He had a haggard look as his d

erhaps he wouldn't mind so much if the band wa

place. Against those trees.

aves, and their clusters of yellow fruit. They were like trees you imagined growing on a desert island, proud, sol

smell. When Laura saw that gesture she forgot all about the karakas in her wonder at him caring for things like that - caring for the smell of lavender. How many men that she knew would have done such a thing? Oh, how ex

hem. Not a bit, not an atom . . . And now there came the chock-chock of wooden hammers. Some one whistled, some one sang out, "Are you right there, matey?" "Matey!" The friendliness of it, the - the - Just to prove how h

ou? Telephone, Laura!" a v

eps, across the veranda, and into the porch. In the hall her fath

u might just give a squiz at my coat befor

f. She ran at Laurie and gave him a small, quick sque

d he squeezed his sister too, and gave her a ge

ry scratch meal - just the sandwich crusts and broken meringue-shells and what's left over. Yes, isn't it a perfect morning? Yo

the stairs. "Tell her to wear tha

t sweet hat you had on last Sun

g voices. The green baize door that led to the kitchen regions swung open and shut with a muffled thud. And now there came a long, chuckling absurd sound. It was the heavy piano being moved on its stiff castors. But the air! If you stopped to notice, was the air always like this? Little faint winds we

s print skirt on the stairs. A man's voice murmured; Sadie answere

die?" Laura cam

florist, M

pots of pink lilies. No other kind. Nothing but lilies - canna lilies, big pink

he crouched down as if to warm herself at that blaze of lilies; sh

intly. "Nobody ever ordered so m

ent Mrs. Sherid

ra's arm. "I was passing the shop yesterday, and I saw them in the window. And I suddenly thoug

had gone. The florist's man was still outside at his van. She put her arm

like a logical mother, would you

lilies still, an

both sides of the porch, please," said

do, m

nd good little Hans had at last

the wall and move everything out of the

ui

and - one moment, Hans -" Jose loved giving orders to the servants, and they loved obeying her. She alw

ood, Mi

sounds like, just in case I'm asked to sing this

Jose's face changed. She clasped her hands. She looked mournf

Life is

ar - a

e that

Life is

ar - a

e that

n . . . G

o sounded more desperate than ever, her face brok

ood voice, mum

Life is

comes

m - a Wa

errupted them. "W

k says have you got the

the children knew by her face that she hadn't got them. "Let me see." And

ie

out for me. Meg, go upstairs this minute and take that wet thing off your head. Jose, run and finish dressing this instant. Do you hear me, children, or shall

e dining-room clock, though how it had g

of my bag, because I remember vividly - cre

es

envelope away from her. "It looks l

d Laura, looking

at a horrible combination

off to the kitchen. She found Jose there pacifyi

s," said Jose's rapturous voice. "How many

n, Miss

, I congrat

th the long sandwich kn

ie, issuing out of the pantry. She

er's were famous for their cream puffs. N

t them on the table,

-up to really care about such things. All the same, they couldn't help agreeing that the puf

e back to all one's

o never liked to be carried back. "They look

said cook in her comfortabl

one shudder. All the same, two minutes later Jose and Laura were licking the

gested Laura. "I want to see how the men are getting

blocked by cook, Sadie

ng had

her cheek as though she had toothache. Hans's face was screwed up in the effort

matter? What

ible accident," said

ed! Where?

ng to have his story snatch

there's a young chap living there, name of Scott, a carter. His horse shied at a traction-engi

a stared at

h. "They were taking the body home as I come up here." And h

the kitchen to the other side of the green baize door. There she paused and leaned

" cried Jose in astonish

rty, of course." Wh

ear Laura, don't be so absurd. Of course we can't do anythin

garden-party with a man dead

s there was nothing but cabbage stalks, sick hens and tomato cans. The very smoke coming out of their chimneys was poverty-stricken. Little rags and shreds of smoke, so unlike the great silvery plumes that uncurled from the Sheridans' chimneys. Washerwomen lived in the lane and sweeps and a cobbler, and a man whose house-front was studded all over with minute bird-cages. Chi

band would sound like to t

ry strenuous life. I'm every bit as sorry about it as you. I feel just as sympathetic." Her eyes hardened. She looked at her sister just as sh

on Jose. She said, just as they had used to say on th

ar," co

your room?" Laura turne

en you such a colour?" And Mrs. Sheridan turned round

's been killed

rden?" interru

, n

heridan sighed with relief, and took of

dful story. "Of course, we can't have our party, can we?" she pleaded. "The b

like Jose; it was harder to bear because she see

t. If some one had died there normally - and I can't understand how they keep aliv

lt it was all wrong. She sat down on her m

terribly heartless

had popped it on. "My child!" said her mother, "the hat is yours. It's made for you. It's much too you

again. She couldn't look at

dan lost patience ju

ike that don't expect sacrifices from us. And it's not very sy

vet ribbon. Never had she imagined she could look like that. Is mother right? she thought. And now she hoped her mother was right. Am I being extravagant? Perhaps it was extravagant. Just for a moment she had another glimpse of that poor woman a

ere all ready for the fray. The green-coated band had ar

e frogs for words? You ought to have arranged them roun

emembered the accident again. She wanted to tell him. If Laurie agreed with the

uri

he suddenly puffed out his cheeks and goggled his eyes at her. "My word, L

and smiled up at Laurie, a

couples strolling, bending to the flowers, greeting, moving on over the lawn. They were like bright birds that had alighted in the Sheridans' garden for

ura, how we

ecoming h

Spanish. I've never see

ice? The passion-fruit ices really are rather special." She ran to her fat

lowly ripened, slowly faded

arty . . . " "The greatest succes

ood-byes. They stood side by side

some fresh coffee. I'm exhausted. Yes, it's been very successful. But oh, these parties, these parties!

, daddy dear. I

was gone. He took another. "I suppose you didn't hea

her hand, "we did. It nearly ruined the pa

a didn't want to b

. "The chap was married too. Lived just below in the lane,

Sheridan fidgeted with her cup. Reall

those sandwiches, cakes, puffs, all uneaten, all goi

, it will be the greatest treat for the children. Don't you agree? And she's sure to have neighbours calling in and so o

really think it's a g

nt from them all. To take scraps from their

today? An hour or two ago you were insi

basket. It was filled, it

t as you are. No, wait, take the arum lilies too. Pe

n her lace frock,"

, then. And, Laura!"- her mother followed her

t mo

ideas into the child's h

r the afternoon. Here she was going down the hill to somewhere where a man lay dead, and she couldn't realize it. Why couldn't she? She stopped a minute. And it seemed to her that kisses, voices, tinkling spoo

tle cottages. In some of them there was a flicker of light, and a shadow, crab-like, moved across the window. Laura bent her head and hurried on. She wished now she had put on a coat. How her frock shone! And

d woman with a crutch sat in a chair, watching. She had her feet on a newspaper. The voices stopped as Laura

shoulder, she said to a woman standing by, "Is this Mrs. Scott'

ocked. To be away from those staring eyes, or to be covered up in anything, one of those women's s

A little woman in blac

er horror the woman answered, "Walk in ple

t to come in. I only want to l

to have heard her. "Step this way, please, miss,"

low kitchen, lighted by a smoky lamp. T

It's a young lady." She turned to Laura. She said meanin

. "Please, please don't disturb

ips, looked terrible. She seemed as though she couldn't understand why Laura was there. What did it mean? Why wa

said the other. "I'll

her, miss, I'm sure," and her face

k in the passage. The door opened. She walked straight

to the bed. "Don't be afraid, my lass,"- and now her voice sounded fond and sly, and fondly

ra

w, his eyes were closed; they were blind under the closed eyelids. He was given up to his dream. What did garden-parties and baskets and lace frocks matter to him? He was far from all those things. He was wonder

ldn't go out of the room without saying some

my hat,"

d her way out of the door, down the path, past all thos

the shadow. "Is

es

ting anxious. W

!" She took his arm, sh

crying, are you?"

k her head

der. "Don't cry," he said in his w

, she looked at her brother. "Isn't life," she stammered, "isn't life -"

darling?" s