88
CHRISTINA STEAD
all, a special pan, oiled but never washed, though she never touched
oil), meatballs (a combination of veal and beef, finely chopped),
string beans (bad for the liver); and she also mentioned several
surgical cases she had heard of. There was a man, a native born
citizen, who had his stomach removed and the large intestine joined
to the esophagus and after walking bent double for eighteen months,
he had been able to become a waiter in the Palace Hotel. Gilbert
observed that he knew a literary man who remained a literary man
after the same operation. Mrs. Anderson became worried. She said
in a gloomy manner:
"And there are some who live entirely on salads; but in my
opinion, salads are full of water and lead to dropsy."
"Anything else, Mamma?" said Gilbert, opening the door.
Mrs. Anderson clung to the doorpost and peeped round it,
looking frail and irresolute. It was hard for her to mention anything
outright; it was a breach of diplomacy. She said shamefacedly:
"Who knows if brown bread is better than white?"
"Well, I shall get some brown bread."
"Brown bread - naturally, some people live on nothing but
that. As for the Russians, what beautiful teeth! Oh, like pearls!
Every tooth in their head sound until they're a hundred, perhaps
more. But as for their cooking, it's that of barbarians. And the
Rumanians broil bits of raw meat hard over an open fire. No, give
me barley soup or some white fish, even a pancake - I can manage
that sometimes."
Gilbert said: "Well, I'd better write this down." He made a
note. He knew something more was required and waited. There
was
a silence. Mrs. Anderson crept to the doorsill and coming very
close, took hold of his arm and said:
"Supposing anyone comes in in the afternoon - suddenly, un–
announced! There's tea - what's that? In China even when you're
doing business, people put a cup of tea before you: it's mere custom.
Colored water! There should be more. Say, a chocolate cake!"
Having thus expressed her wish, Mrs. Anderson drew back and
looked quite cross.
"Why, is anyone coming this afternoon?" he said, knowing that
someone must be.
She turned her back and looked sulkily around.
