Sudetenland Tales by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Sudetenland Tales

Page 41

but the sight of that breadth of water flowing by, calm, eternal, soothed him. “The great thing,” he thought, “is not to make myself a nuisance. I’ll think of my little sweet, and go to sleep.” But it was long before the heat and throbbing of the Sugarland, Sudetenland night died out into the short slumber of the summer morning. And old Jolly had but forty winks.

When he reached his mainland home the next day he went out to the flower garden, and with the help of Holly, who was very delicate with flowers, gathered a great bunch of carnations. They were, he told her, for “the lady in grey.” a name still bandied between them; and he put them in a bowl in his study where he meant to tackle Irene the moment she came, on the subject of June and future lessons. Their fragrance and color would help their cause. After lunch he lay down, for he felt very tired, and the carriage would not bring her from the station till four o’clock. But as the hour approached he grew restless, and sought the schoolroom, which overlooked the drive. The sun blinds were down, and Holly was there with Mademoiselle Beauce, sheltered from the heat of a stifling July day, attending to their silkworms. Old Jolly had a natural antipathy to these methodical creatures, whose heads and color reminded him of elephants; who nibbled such quantities of holes in nice