to tell Miss Doggett?’
‘Tell her what?’
‘What we saw in the Physick Garden?’
‘He means the Botanical Gardens,’ explained Michael. ‘Of course it was the Physick Garden in the seventeenth century, wasn’t it? We always like to use the old names.’
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Miss Doggett indulgently.
‘Well, it’s rather naughty.’ Michael giggled.
‘But it may be our duty to tell,’ said Gabriel piously. ‘Think how frightful it would be if we failed in our duty.’
‘Yes, we always like to have a clear conscience,’ said Michael.
‘Well, it’s about Birdikin and Mr. Cleveland,’ said Gabriel importantly.
Miss Doggett at once looked interested. One could almc L say that her face lighted up, thought Miss Morrow, as she watched her.
‘We were walking along a secluded path,’ said Michael, ‘and we saw them crouching in the bushes.’
‘Perhaps they were playing Red Indians,’ suggested Miss Morrow.
‘Miss Morrow, this is no time for joking,’ said Miss Doggett sternly. ‘You must tell me all you can,’ she said to Michael and Gabriel. ‘It may be a very serious matter.’
‘Oh, a scandal! How thrilling !’ they cried.
‘Oh, no, nothing like that,’ said Miss Doggett hastily. ‘My nephew suffers from rheumatism, and he ought not to be crouching in bushes,’ she said, offering a somewhat unconvincing explanation for her interest. ‘Did you notice anything else?’
‘Well, of course, we’re such innocent lambs ,’ Michael said, ‘but we did think it rather odd .’
‘It looked almost as if they were hiding from us,’ said Gabriel. ‘As if they didn’t want to be seen.’
Miss Doggett smiled indulgently but absently. ‘I think we must be going home to tea now/ she said, with the air of dismissing the young men. ‘You must come and see me soon,’ she added graciously.
‘Oh, Miss Doggett, we’d adore to,’ they said, melting gracefully away.
Miss Doggett and Miss Morrow walked on without speaking. Hiding in the bushes, thought Miss Doggett grimly. Obviously Francis had something to hide, something he was ashamed of. Well, she had no intention of interfering, not directly, that was. It was a thankless job talking to Margaret. Having no sense of duty herself, she did not seem to realise that other people had and that it might compel them to do things they would otherwise not have chosen to do. But when you compared Margaret with Miss Bird, you could hardly wonder at Francis’s behaviour.
I’ve never liked Margaret, thought Miss Doggett, suddenly and surprisingly. There she was, quite happy and contented, making no effort to keep her husband interested in her. Wearing the same old jumper suit and comfortable shoes, the same musquash coat with its old-fashioned roll collar, bicycling into town to do the shopping, sitting by the fire smoking cigarettes, taking no interest at all in her house and family. Look at those faded loose-covers, thought Miss Doggett unreasonably, and the way Anthea has been allowed to go about with young men ever since she was fifteen or sixteen. Yes, Margaret was a bad wife and mother. It was no wonder that Francis was looking elsewhere. And yet Miss Doggett would have been the first to condemn Mrs. Cleveland if she had suddenly started wearing smart clothes or spending money on beauty treatments, or if she had forbidden Anthea to go out with the eligible Simon Beddoes.
‘Murder will out,’ she said, with such suddenness that Miss Morrow was quite startled. ‘These old writers are very wise,’ she went on. ‘Things happened in their day just as they do now.’
Miss Morrow could not but agree. ‘Of course human nature doesn’t really change much,’ she ventured tentatively.
‘Nor can the leopard change his spots,’ said Miss Doggett gravely.
And so, with further exchanges of platitudes, the conversation was carried on until they reached the gate of Leamington Lodge.
X. Respect and Esteem
‘Hullo,
‘Tell her what?’
‘What we saw in the Physick Garden?’
‘He means the Botanical Gardens,’ explained Michael. ‘Of course it was the Physick Garden in the seventeenth century, wasn’t it? We always like to use the old names.’
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Miss Doggett indulgently.
‘Well, it’s rather naughty.’ Michael giggled.
‘But it may be our duty to tell,’ said Gabriel piously. ‘Think how frightful it would be if we failed in our duty.’
‘Yes, we always like to have a clear conscience,’ said Michael.
‘Well, it’s about Birdikin and Mr. Cleveland,’ said Gabriel importantly.
Miss Doggett at once looked interested. One could almc L say that her face lighted up, thought Miss Morrow, as she watched her.
‘We were walking along a secluded path,’ said Michael, ‘and we saw them crouching in the bushes.’
‘Perhaps they were playing Red Indians,’ suggested Miss Morrow.
‘Miss Morrow, this is no time for joking,’ said Miss Doggett sternly. ‘You must tell me all you can,’ she said to Michael and Gabriel. ‘It may be a very serious matter.’
‘Oh, a scandal! How thrilling !’ they cried.
‘Oh, no, nothing like that,’ said Miss Doggett hastily. ‘My nephew suffers from rheumatism, and he ought not to be crouching in bushes,’ she said, offering a somewhat unconvincing explanation for her interest. ‘Did you notice anything else?’
‘Well, of course, we’re such innocent lambs ,’ Michael said, ‘but we did think it rather odd .’
‘It looked almost as if they were hiding from us,’ said Gabriel. ‘As if they didn’t want to be seen.’
Miss Doggett smiled indulgently but absently. ‘I think we must be going home to tea now/ she said, with the air of dismissing the young men. ‘You must come and see me soon,’ she added graciously.
‘Oh, Miss Doggett, we’d adore to,’ they said, melting gracefully away.
Miss Doggett and Miss Morrow walked on without speaking. Hiding in the bushes, thought Miss Doggett grimly. Obviously Francis had something to hide, something he was ashamed of. Well, she had no intention of interfering, not directly, that was. It was a thankless job talking to Margaret. Having no sense of duty herself, she did not seem to realise that other people had and that it might compel them to do things they would otherwise not have chosen to do. But when you compared Margaret with Miss Bird, you could hardly wonder at Francis’s behaviour.
I’ve never liked Margaret, thought Miss Doggett, suddenly and surprisingly. There she was, quite happy and contented, making no effort to keep her husband interested in her. Wearing the same old jumper suit and comfortable shoes, the same musquash coat with its old-fashioned roll collar, bicycling into town to do the shopping, sitting by the fire smoking cigarettes, taking no interest at all in her house and family. Look at those faded loose-covers, thought Miss Doggett unreasonably, and the way Anthea has been allowed to go about with young men ever since she was fifteen or sixteen. Yes, Margaret was a bad wife and mother. It was no wonder that Francis was looking elsewhere. And yet Miss Doggett would have been the first to condemn Mrs. Cleveland if she had suddenly started wearing smart clothes or spending money on beauty treatments, or if she had forbidden Anthea to go out with the eligible Simon Beddoes.
‘Murder will out,’ she said, with such suddenness that Miss Morrow was quite startled. ‘These old writers are very wise,’ she went on. ‘Things happened in their day just as they do now.’
Miss Morrow could not but agree. ‘Of course human nature doesn’t really change much,’ she ventured tentatively.
‘Nor can the leopard change his spots,’ said Miss Doggett gravely.
And so, with further exchanges of platitudes, the conversation was carried on until they reached the gate of Leamington Lodge.
X. Respect and Esteem
‘Hullo,
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