They had kept him a long time there without news before Michael came in.
“Well?”
“Well, sir, it looks uncommonly like measles.”
“H’m! Now, how on earth did he get that?”
“Nurse has no idea; but Kit’s awfully sociable. If there’s another child in sight, he goes for him.”
“That’s bad,” said Soames. “You’ve got slums at the back here.”
“Ah!” said Michael: “Slums to the right of us, slums to the left of us, slums to the front of us–how can you wonder?”
Soames stared. “They’re not notifiable,” he said, “thank goodness!”
“Slums?”
“No. Measles.” If he had a dread, it was a notifiable disease, with the authorities poking their noses in, and having up the drains as likely as not. “How’s the little chap feeling?”
“Very sorry for himself.”
“In my opinion,” said Soames, “there’s a great deal more in fleas than they think. That dog of his may have picked up a measley flea. I wonder the doctor’s don’t turn their attention to fleas.”
“I wonder they don’t turn their attention to slums,” said Michael; “that’s where the fleas come from.”
Again Soames stared. Had his son-inlaw got slums in his bonnet now? His manifestations of public spirit were very disturbing. Perhaps he’d been going round those places, and brought the flea in himself, or some infection or other.
“Have you sent for the doctor?”
“Yes; he’ll be here any minute.”
“Is he any good, or just the ordinary cock-and-bull type?”
“The same man we had for Fleur.”
“Oh! Ah! I remember–too much manner, but shrewd. Doctors!”
There was silence in the polished room, while they waited for the bell to ring; and Soames brooded. Should he tell Michael about the afternoon? His mouth opened once, but nothing came out. Over and over again his son-inlaw had surprised him by the view he took of things. And he only stared at Michael, who was gazing out of the window–queer face the young fellow had; plain, and yet attractive, with those pointed ears and eyebrows running up on the outside–wasn’t always thinking of himself like good-looking young men seemed to be. Good-looking men were always selfish; got spoiled, he supposed. He would give a penny for the young fellow’s thoughts.
“Here he is!” said Michael, jumping up.
Soames was alone again. How long alone, he didn’t know, for he was tired, and, in spite of his concern, he dozed. The opening of the door roused him in time to assume anxiety before Fleur spoke.
“It’s almost certainly measles, Dad.”
“Oh!” said Soames, blankly. “What about nursing?”
“Nurse and I, of course.”
“That’ll mean you can’t get about.”
“And aren’t you glad?” her face seemed to say. How she read his thoughts!
God knew he wasn’t glad of anything that troubled her–and yet!
“Poor little chap!” he said, evasively: “Your mother must come back. I must try and find him something that’ll take his attention off.”
“Don’t trouble, Dad; he’s too feverish, poor darling. Dinner’s ready. I’m having mine upstairs.”
Soames rose and went up to her.
“Don’t you be worrying,” he said. “All children–”
Fleur put her arm out.
“Not too near, Dad. No, I won’t worry.”
“Give him my love,” said Soames. “He won’t care for it.”
Fleur looked at him. Her lips smiled a very little. Her eyelids winked twice. Then she turned and went out, and Soames thought:
‘She–poor little thing! I’m no use!’ It was of her, not of his grandson, that he thought.
Chapter IV.
IN THE MEADS
The Meads of St. Augustine had, no doubt, once on a time been flowery, and burgesses had walked there of a Sunday, plucking summer nosegays. If there were a flower now, it would be found on the altar of the Reverend Hilary’s church, or on Mrs. Hilary’s dining-table. The rest of a numerous population had heard of these unnatural products, and, indeed, seeing them occasionally in baskets, would utter the words: “Aoh! Look at the luv-ly flahers!”
When Michael visited his uncle, according to promise, on Ascot Cup Day, he was ushered hurriedly into the presence of twenty little Augustinians on the point of being taken in a covered motor van for a fortnight among flowers in a state of nature. His Aunt May was standing among them. She was a tall woman with bright brown shingled hair going grey, and the slightly rapt expression of one listening to music. Her smile was very sweet, and this, with the puzzled twitch of her delicate eyebrows, as who should say placidly: “What next, I wonder?” endeared her to everyone. She had emerged from a Rectory in Huntingdonshire, in the early years of the century, and had married Hilary at the age of twenty. He had kept her busy ever since. Her boys and girls were all at school now, so that in term time she had merely some hundreds of Augustinians for a family. Hilary was wont to say: “May’s a wonder. Now that she’s had her hair off, she’s got so much time on her hands that we’re thinking of keeping guinea-pigs. If she’d only let me grow a beard, we could really get a move on.”
She greeted Michael with a nod and a twitch.
“Young London, my dear,” she said, privately, “just off to Leatherhead. Rather sweet, aren’t they?”
Michael, indeed, was surprised by the solidity and neatness of the twenty young Augustinians. Judging by the streets from which they came and the mothers who were there to see them off, their families had evidently gone ‘all out’ to get them in condition for Leatherhead.
He stood grinning amiably, while they were ushered out on the glowing pavement between the unrestrained appreciation of their mothers and sisters. Into the van, open only at the rear, they were piled, with four young ladies to look after them.
“Four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,” murmured Michael.
His aunt laughed.
“Yes, poor little dears, won’t they be hot! But aren’t they good?” She lowered her voice. “And d’you know what they’ll say when they come back after their fortnight? ‘Oh! yes, we liked it all very much, thank you, but it was rather slow. We like the streets better.’ Every year it’s the same.”
“Then, what’s the use of sending them, Aunt May?”
“It does them good physically; they look sturdy enough, but they aren’t really strong. Besides, it seems so dreadful they should never see the country. Of course we country-bred folk, Michael, never can realise what London streets are to children–very nearly Heaven, you know.”
The motor van moved to an accompaniment of fluttered handkerchiefs and shrill cheering.
“The mothers love them to go,” said his aunt; “it’s kind of distinguished. Well, that’s that! What would you like to see next? The street we’ve just bought, to gut and re-gut? Hilary’ll be there with the architect.”
“Who owned the street?” asked Michael.
“He lived in Capri. I don’t suppose he ever saw it. He died the other day, and we got it rather reasonably, considering how central we are, here. Sites are valuable.”
“Have you paid for it?”
“Oh! no.” Her eyebrows twitched. “Postdated a cheque on Providence.”
“Good Lord!”
“We had to have the street. It was such a chance. We’ve paid the deposit, and we’ve got till September to get the rest.”
“How much?” said Michael.
“Thirty-two thousand.”
Michael gasped.
“Oh! We shall get it, dear, Hilary’s wonderful in that way. Here’s the street.”
It was a curving street of which, to Michael, slowly passing, each house seemed more dilapidated than the last. Grimy and defaced, with peeling plaster, broken rails and windows, and a look of having been abandoned to its fate–like some half-burnt-out ship–it hit the senses and the heart with its forlornness.
“What sort of people live here, Aunt May?”
“All sorts–three or four families to each house. Covent Garden workers, hawkers, girls in factories, out-of-works–every kind. The unmentionable insect abounds, Michael. The girls are wonderful–they keep their clothes in paper bags. Many of them turn out quite neat. If they didn’t, of course, they’d get the sack, poor dears.”
“But is it possible,” said Michael, “that people can WANT to go on living here?”
His aunt’s brows became intricate.
“It isn’t a question of want, my dear. It’s a simple economic proposition. Where else can they live so cheaply? It’s more than that, even; where else can they go at all, if they’re turned out? The Authorities demolished a street not long ago up there, and built that great block of workmen’s flats; but the rents were prohibitive to the people who had been living in the street, and they simply melted away to other slums. Besides, you know, they don’t like those barracky flats, and I don’t wonder. They’d much rather have a little house, if they can; or the floor of a house if they can’t. Or even a room. That’s in the English nature, and it will be till they design workmen’s dwellings better. The English like to live low down: I suppose because they always have. Oh! Here’s Hilary!”
Hilary Charwell, in a dark grey Norfolk suit, a turn-down collar open at the neck, and no hat, was standing in the doorway of a house, talking to another spare man with a thin, and, to Michael, very pleasant face.
“Well, Michael, my boy, what think you of Slant Street? Each one of these houses is going to be gutted and made as bright as a new pin.”
“How long will they keep bright, Uncle Hilary?”
“Oh! That’s all right,” said Hilary, “judging by our experiments so far. Give ’em a chance, and the people are only too glad to keep their houses clean. It’s wonderful what they do, as it is. Come in and see, but don’t touch the walls. May, you stay and talk to James. An Irish lady in here; we haven’t many. Can I come in, Mrs. Corrigan?”
“Sure an’ ye can. Plased to see your rivirence, though ut’s not tidy I am this mornin’.”
A broad woman, with grizzled black hair and brawny arms, had paused in whatever she was doing to a room inconceivably crowded and encrusted. Three people evidently slept in the big bed, and one in a cot; cooking seemed to go on at the ordinary small black hearth, over which, on a mantel-board, were the social trophies of a lifetime. Some clothes were hung on a line. The patched and greasy walls had no pictures.
“My nephew, Mr. Michael Mont, Mrs. Corrigan; he’s a Member of Parliament.”
The lady put her arms akimbo.
“Indeed, an’ is he, then?”
It was said with an infinite indulgence that went to Michael’s heart. “An’ is ut true your rivirence has bought the street? An’ what would ye be doing with ut? Ye won’t be afther turning us out, I’m thinking.”
“Not for the world, Mrs. Corrigan.”
“Well, an’ I knew that. I said to them: ‘It’s cleaning our insides he’ll maybe doing, but he’ll never be afther putting us out.’”
“When the turn of this house comes, Mrs. Corrigan–I hope before very long–we’ll find you good lodgings till you can come back here to new walls and floors and ceilings, a good range, no more bugs, and proper washing arrangements.”
“Well, an’ wouldn’t that be the day I’d like to see!”
“You’ll see it fast enough. Look Michael, if I put my finger through there, the genuine article will stalk forth! It’s you that can’t knock holes in your walls, Mrs. Corrigan.”
“An’ that’s the truth o’ God,” replied Mrs. Corrigan. “The last time Corrigan knocked a peg in, ’twas terrible–the life there was in there!”
“Well, Mrs. Corrigan, I’m delighted to see you looking so well. Good morning, and tell Corrigan if his donkey wants a rest any time, there’ll be room in our paddock.
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