Part 31 (2/2)
Brenda was never very sure how to picture the Orbans' existence in Queensland There was a touch of pettiness about it--a feeling of poverty and ”hugger-ht of her uncle going daily to his work in his shi+rt-sleeves; of her aunt helping in the housework; her cousins brought up just anyhoithout a governess or any schooling, shocked her sensibilities and gave vivid local colouring to her ideas about the Orbans Those were the sort of details she would never have referred to at school
And now she and Herbert aiting for the arrival of the travellers, whorandparents had driven to the station to h, ”hoish I didn't wish they weren't cohbourhood will be talking about it in a week, and thinking it funny we have such relations One can't explain to every one that they really are ladies and gentleone to seed, can one?”
”Not exactly,” said Herbert ”I jolly well hope you won't try; it would be beastly bad forht have to explain”
”I simply couldn't ask any one,” Brenda said ”It would be all over the school next teres--or so!”
”Nice sort of friends you seeirl's usual way?”
”Well,” said Brenda, with some asperity, ”boys aren't any better, if you should have to explain matters to a chum of yours”
”That's different,” Herbert said; ”one doesn't want to give a bad impression What I hope is that Eustace isn't an awful littlewhen he has never been ast any boys It will have to be knocked out of him”
”Aunt Dorothy said he was a very nice little chap,” Brenda quoted, and then her voice broke, so that she could not go on
It was the beginning of the su the death of Miss Chase h when she left before the end of the winter holidays Again at Easter the dullness of the house without her had known no bounds But nohen they knew she would never be with theain, her very name choked them; they could scarcely speak of her, because her absence proved at every turn all that her presence had meant to them and to every one How they had hated Australia when she left! Howto do with it--even the co of the cousins! Australia seemed the root of all evil--the cause of Aunt Dorothy's death
”Aunt Dorothy was a brick,” said Herbert jerkily; ”she saw niceness in people whatever they were like But girls don't really knohen fellows are muffs”
”I don't know about Eustace,” said Brenda, ”but Nesta looked fearfully long-legged and queerly dressed in those snapshots Aunt Dorothy did”
”I hope she won't want to kiss me when she says 'How-do-you-do,'”
said Herbert; ”that is all Ito hang around with me perpetually, he will find himself mistaken I couldn't be bothered”
”But we shall have to look after them properly, and treat them just as ould any other visitors,” Brenda said anxiously; ”we can't sort of leave them to themselves, you know”
”Of course,” said Herbert rather testily; ”what do you take me for?
I hope I shan't behave like a cad in my own house! But that is just the nuisance of it: they'll be visitors without being visitors, and they'll be here such an awful tioodness, there will be teran Brenda
”Oh, shut up,” said Herbert roughly Then added e has just turned in at the park gate Listen”
All through the voyage Eustace and Nesta had been picturing this very day--this very hour The parting with Bob and the farewell to hohts; the foreground was full of expectations Now that they could realize they were on their way to the fulfilinally been the drea possessed theland! At last they would knohat real ”hoiven the by all the tales they kneell!
That England was not what they expected was natural enough Mrs
Orban had never pretended to describe England, but simply her own particular corner of it on the borders of Wales Leaving the shi+p was all bustle and rush, but during the long train journey there was plenty of tilish scenery struck all three children as most peculiar
”Why, it's just like a map!” exclaimed Peter, as he knelt up at a”I'm certain if I was up in a balloon it would look like a es”