She finnicked to a finish at the sink , her hands pink and swollen-looking , and then a wail from upstairs .sx The baby !sx She had forgotten it .sx Heating milk , she rushed upstairs , and while she soothed Angela it boiled over .sx She was torn between the two problems until nearly midday .sx This wasn't playing the game .sx She , Mary , was taking things in a sporting way , and was hampered of showing off by a young child .sx Why , that alone was one woman's work ; it was clearly impossible .sx She fed the child and put it back in bed , perhaps it would still be warm from her late lying ?sx The attack on the parlour left her beaded with sweat and her hair filled with dust .sx She would buy a dusting-cap to-morrow if she was still alive ?sx Even as she swept , the dust settled peacefully again .sx With an hysterical sob she desisted ; you could get as dirty , apparently , in a day as you could in a year , so why worry ?sx But it did worry her ; she was unused to uncleanliness .sx And there was Dion , cool , neat , transacting his business in the light of day .sx She hated him violently .sx And the slops to empty .sx Faugh !sx She had no basin-cloths .sx The carpet looked dingy already , although it was brand-new .sx Like a distressed terrier she ran from room to room .sx It was a chilly October that year ; they must have a fire .sx She approached the range .sx 'Now , how do I start you ?sx ' she whimpered .sx She was demoralised ; she dared not touch ' the handles ' the thing might explode .sx She went to the shed in the yard .sx No coal .sx They had forgotten the coal .sx Oh , God !sx She ran upstairs weeping .sx The knock at the door went unheard .sx When the greengrocer's wife came in her husband was serving in the little shop down the road she .sx dropped her basket at sight of a young lady wrapped in a thick coat , hugging a baby and crying , crying .sx .. ` Why , my dear , whatever is the matter ?sx ' .sx Mrs Clubbit sat down and took the huddled figure in her brawny arms .sx .. Ten days later Mary Saffyn stumbled against a small form in the grocer's , and apologised .sx The figure turned .sx ' Granted .sx ' ` Why , Letty !sx ' .sx ` If it isn't Miss Mary !sx ' .sx Mrs Saffyn could almost have embraced her father's ex-scullerymaid .sx ` Wait,' she told Letty , peremptorily , and the other obeyed respectfully .sx They walked down the street together .sx ' I did hear you had come to London .sx Are you in service ?sx ' she asked graciously .sx ` No , Miss Mary , I'm married .sx He's a theatrical .sx I lef' the village over a year ago .sx I was in a public met m'husband there .sx The Grapes , in the Tottenham Court Road .sx He was always in an' out , like .sx ' ` Yes ?sx What is his name , Letty ?sx ' .sx ' Robert Lord , Miss .sx ' ` He is an actor ?sx ' .sx ` Well , he 'as bin .sx But Bob .sx .. ' .sx Letty Lord shifted her packages and thought .sx Men like Bob were wonderfully difficult to explain .sx If he'd been content to remain a small turn on the suburban halls .sx .. if he'd even been content to put on sketches .sx .. but his mind that was never still .sx .. always thinking ahead .sx Critical .sx Never blinded by his own successes or anybody else's .sx Saying right out that the big men were on the wrong tack .sx And so often right .sx ' Yes , Let' .sx I know his show's making 4,000 a week .sx But don't you see it's rotten stuff ?sx Bad for the public .sx I give it two months .sx .. ' And , ` Once it comes off , he'll have his way to make all over again , 'cos he's lost the confidence of the critics that count , and the public that really makes a manager .sx .. ' .sx " E's got ideas,' struggled the wife of Robert Lord .sx ` That's very good .sx ' ` I mean .sx .. 'e sees things .sx He don't like poor shows .sx ' Mrs Saffyn smiled , kindly .sx ` An idealist ?sx ' .sx Letty brightened .sx ` That's right , Miss Mary .sx Always goes on about " getting somewhere " .sx Highly determined , he is .sx ' Mary saw .sx Saw further than Letty .sx Wanting to ` arrive ' was , it seemed , a way husbands had .sx She said , ' I am married , too .sx I live in this street .sx Number ten .sx ' ` You , Miss Mary !sx ' .sx ' You must call me Mrs Saffyn , now .sx But I must run in , or my little girl will be crying .sx ' ` I got a little girl too , Ma'am .sx Dora .sx She's a year , now .sx ' Mrs Saffyn shook hands with Letty warmly , and prophesied future encounters .sx Poor little Letty !sx She , too , was evidently already bewildered .sx And , her ex-mistress remembered , there was that nice young fellow at Holt Royal who had loved her .sx Sam Hookway , the thatcher .sx As Letty Lord turned , Mrs Saffyn's eye fell on her string bag filled with vegetables , topped by an insufficiently wrapped loaf .sx Her own container was a cheerful raffia basket .sx But its contents was the same .sx Mr Arbuthnot wrote again a week later , and Mary Saffyn came with the letter to her husband as he was finishing his coffee .sx ` Oh Polly,' he rose , discarding the Daily Mail , and pulled out a chair for her .sx ` I've heard from father well , nothing much , it's a short letter .sx I'm to have three hundred a year .sx ' ` By Jove !sx It's awfully decent of the old boy ; I'm awfully glad for you , Polly dearest , but I don't want him to think .sx .. I don't like .sx .. ` Oh , my dear , he doesn't .sx He would have done the same whoever I'd married .sx It's a great weight off my mind .sx ' His face saddened .sx She realised how easy it was to say things that sounded ambiguous , and yet Dion wasn't offended by trifles .sx He could be most sweet and reasonable .sx It hurt him , perhaps , that now his wife would bring the major portion at least , the equal share to their finances ?sx And she was so proud and happy to do it !sx Besides , even Dion mustn't forget what was due to her .sx .. In the matter of the housework Dion had offered her a ` morning woman ' several times ; Mrs Clubbit knew of at least six , all friends of her own and reliable , and Mary had refused .sx Mrs Clubbit herself had inspired Mrs Saffyn with the desire to excel in the novel game .sx Dion was delighted , which illogically angered his wife ; she did not wish to shine merely as a domestic drudge !sx This moral patting-on-the-back had led to a scene .sx Mary , torn between a wish to prove her manysidedness , and a desire to cry with fatigue and complain of her lot , blazed up and demanded a servant .sx Dion , astonished at the volte-face , coming at a time when things seemed to be settling down at last , agreed readily .sx Mary thought he had behaved rather well over the whole business .sx The servant was installed , and with her came unforeseen complications .sx She monopolised the kitchen , of course , which was the hub of the house , and complained whenever it was ` passed through ' with a disregard of the way in which the house was constituted .sx That was the prime factor in her dismissal .sx There were , too , arguments between herself and her mistress as to the apportioning of work , a question which it was no one's business to solve .sx When Mrs Saffyn helped with the work she was railed at for being in the way ; when she desisted , complaints as to overwork came thick and fast .sx She left ' at the end of her month .sx ' If anyone , the builder and architect were to blame .sx Then Dion had a quiet talk with his wife .sx He said , ` Look here , Polly dear , this can't go on .sx I can't see you turning yourself into a slave .sx It's ridiculous !sx It isn't as if it was necessary .sx Just at first , before I quite knew how we stood , and before I saw the difficulty about the house , I thought you could manage .sx But it's absurd to muddle along like this why , we could afford a houseparlourmaid and a cook , at a tight pinch , and if we knew where to put 'em .sx You manage wonderfully , dear , but I must insist on a char at least .sx She'll go at twelve , or whenever it is , and she needn't worry you .sx Your father's been awfully generous , and when my dear old dad falls in I shall get about two or three hundred a year besides what I make , and I'm doing very well .sx ' Hesitating at innovation , she agreed , and a Clubbit-vouched charwoman , very willing and respectful and .sx not too talkative , was imported .sx This time the work was organised by her mistress , and while Mrs Renney fetched coals , cleaned boots , knives and steps , washed the breakfast things and saucepans , and scrubbed , Mrs Saffyn ` did ' the upper part of the house and the shopping .sx Then at midday Mrs Renney , after a cup of cocoa and a wedge of bread and cheese , left her mistress to descend and prepare lunch .sx Mary saw that Dion was right , and that it was well the climax had come thus early in the game .sx Life was now if you were not taking it at Paradise level eminently ' possible ' .sx Her enthusiasm for this more sober existence blinded her at first to the fact that she was tied at all ; she even chafed at her bonds and share of the work , would begin to dress for walks or make plans for the evening , and then remember Angela .sx .. the tea .sx .. the supper .sx The cooking at first looked as if it might defeat them .sx She had , when a little frightened and discouraged , envisaged the possibility of a temporary separation from Dion while she learnt the business he could live at the club ?sx And Mrs Clubbit , Mrs Renney and Dion had taught her all they knew ; the greengrocer's wife , warming , with the plates , to friendliness and cheer , the menus of the working-man's year , and Dion the trifles , omelettes , devilled bones , chafing-dish fallals .sx But his hand had lost its cunning , he admitted .sx Mary was an over-anxious student , and from this mosaic foundation she surpassed in time her teachers .sx Privily she wrote to Mrs Mallowe at The Holt for recipes there was , she saw , no question of being ` unable ' to cook , and they couldn't dine often at restaurants because of Angela , and Dion wouldn't leave her on his free nights .sx From that day the Saffyns put aside appearances , and frankly ` lived ' in the kitchen .sx They were more comfortable than they had ever been since their marriage .sx Mary had suggested the innovation in hints and hesitations , and Dion jumped at it .sx Home was a lounge , appearances he reserved for the world outside .sx 6 .sx No claim of Angela or Dion was allowed to take precedence over Mary Saffyn's weekly letter to her father .sx It was not always a work of sheer pleasure ; many times she halted in a sentence while the atmosphere of the past enveloped her .sx Country sights , sounds , smells .sx .. the awakening to an autumnal morning with flowers dripping in the borders .sx .. the rows of dahlias capped with flowerpots by Macpherson , ` against the earwigs ' .sx .. apples which thudded into the grass .sx .. high-ceiling'd rooms .sx Space .sx ` MY DARLING FATHER , .sx I am very well , and so are Angela and Dion .sx ' An egotistic sentence that she refrained from altering .sx It was news in the order father would prefer .sx .. That had been made very plain when Mary , soliciting the first visit of Mr Arbuthnot to her home , had met with refusal .sx Her father qualified it with the assumption that she would go to Holt Royal .sx Her honeymoon was not long over .sx She refused , in her turn .sx For weeks the epistolatory fencing continued .sx For .sx weeks she told herself that her father's dislike of London was valid excuse .sx As for going home .sx .. Dion and Angela were tangible obstacles .sx They should , mentally , remain so until her father and herself should come to terms .sx It was Mary who forced herself to become explicit .sx ` .sx .. dear , is it because of Dion you won't come to see me ?sx ' .sx And his answer :sx ` I would naturally prefer to see you alone .sx ' Well .sx .. She gave in .sx The explanation to Dion called for a preliminary bracing .sx He hadn't liked it ; became cool and aloof , and full of an unnerving commonsense .sx ` Of course he wants to see you ; you'll leave Angy with friends , I suppose .sx Oh , I shall manage .sx .. ' .sx She met Mr Arbuthnot at a halfway place - an hotel twenty miles from the Stannuses .sx