Part 3 (1/2)
”No! I shall get a scolding anyway, so I might as well have all the fling I can get. I'll have tea with you and the boys, and a little private chat with Jack afterwards. You won't mind leaving us alone for a few minutes? It's something about Ron, but I won't promise not to get in a little flirtation on my own account.”
Jack's wife laughed happily.
”Flirt away--it will cheer him up! I'll put the boys to bed, and give you a fine opportunity. Here they come, back from their walk. I must hurry, dear, and cut bread and b.u.t.ter. I'll carry down the hat, and put it on when Jack comes in.”
Aunt Margot's appearance at tea was hailed with a somewhat qualified approval.
”You must talk to _us_, mother,” Jim said sternly; ”talk properly, not only, 'Yes, dear,' 'No, dear,' like you do sometimes, and then go on speaking to her about what we can't understand. She's had you all afternoon!”
”So I have, Jim. It's your turn now. What do you want to say?”
Jim immediately lapsed into silence. Having gained his point, he had no remark to offer, but Pat lifted his curly head and asked eagerly--
”Muzzer, shall I ever grow up to be a king?”
”No, my son; little boys like you are never kings.”
”Not if I'm very good, and do what I'm told?”
”No, dear, not even then. No one can be a king unless his father is a king, too, or some very, very great man. What has put that in your head, I wonder? Why do you want to be a king?”
Pat widened his clear grey eyes; the afternoon suns.h.i.+ne shone on his ruffled head, turning his curls to gold, until he looked like some exquisite cherub, too good and beautiful for this wicked world.
”'Cause if I was a king I could take people prisoners and cut off their heads, and stick them upon posts,” he said sweetly; his mother and aunt exchanged horrified glances. Pat alternated between moods of angelic tenderness, when every tiger was a ”good, _good_ tiger,” and naughty children ”never did it any more,” and a condition of frank cannibalism, when he literally wallowed in atrocities. His mother forbode to lecture, but judiciously turned the conversation.
”Kings can do much nicer things than that, Patsy boy. Our kind King Edward doesn't like cutting off heads a bit. He is always trying to prevent men from fighting with each other.”
”Is he?”
”Yes, he is. People call him the Peace-maker, because he prevents so many wars.”
”_Bother_ him!” cried Pat fervently.
Margot giggled helplessly. Mrs Martin stared fixedly out of the window, and Jim in his turn took up the ball of conversation.
”Mummie, will you die before me?”
”I can't tell, dear; n.o.body knows.”
”Will daddy die before me?”
”Probably he will.”
”May I have his penknife when he's dead?”
”I think it's about time to cut up that lovely new cake!” cried Margot, saving the situation with admirable prompt.i.tude. ”We bought it for you this afternoon, and it tastes of chocolate, and all sorts of good things.”
The bait was successful, and a silence followed, eloquent of intense enjoyment; then the table was cleared and various games were played, in the midst of which Jack's whistle sounded from without, and his wife and sons rushed to meet him. They looked a typical family group as they re- entered the room, Edith happily hanging on to his arm, the boys prancing round his feet, and the onlooker felt a little pang of loneliness at the sight.
John Martin was a tall, well-made man, with a clean-shaven face and deep-set grey eyes. He was pale and lined, and a nervous twitching of the eyelids testified to the strain through which he had pa.s.sed, but it was a strong face and a pleasant face, and, when he looked at his wife, a face of indescribable tenderness. At the moment he was smiling, for it was always a pleasure to see his pretty sister-in-law, and to-night Edith's anxious looks had departed, and she skipped by his side as eager and excited as the boys themselves.
”Dad, dad, has there been any more 'splosions?”