DORIS LESSING
567
Jody and Sebastian could be seen at work. Then, as dark fIlled the
courtyard , with the meal entrusted to the oven, the two went into the
sitting room. This was, like all the house, large, shabby, and com–
fortable. In this room Jody's smart clothes seemed out of place, but
her manner said she did not propose to apologize for them.
They had a drink. Another. Then they played Scrabble.
It
was quite dark when the couple returned, entering the house
with Connie still drooping between them. They shouted greetings at
Sebastian and Jody, and sent apologetic smiles from the door before
taking the child upstairs to bed.
Soon they were downstairs again, for it appeared that Connie
was exhausted and only too ready to sleep. Angela and Henry ex–
plained how there had been delays, the doctor was always over–
worked . . . they took Connie to the big hospital ten miles away
... there they had to wait again. Connie might need to have her
tonsils out , but of course "they" did not like doing the operation these
days . Angela and Henry sat side by side in the ancient sofa that
faced a fireplace, now empty, but it must be ever so cozy in winter.
They animatedly told their story to Sebastian sitting in the large
armchair on their right, and to J ody, in her armchair to their left.
They turned from side to side, from one to the other, as if conscien–
tiously allotting their attention . Then , it being dinner time, the four
went into the kitchen where they ate, Henry at the head of the table ,
Angela at the foot. Angela was yawning, drooping, prettily apologiz–
ing: she had driven across from Switzerland this morning with Con–
nie, after visiting her mother. She had hardly slept last night. "Poor
love," said Henry, before Sebastian did. Angela smiled gratitude at
him , and then turned her round, usually rosy, face, now drained
and wan , to Sebastian, and shook her head , and smiled a helpless in–
capacity to do more than laugh at her own condition . Coffee was
carried into the sitting room, but Angela was already asleep on the
sofa . They all laughed, and this time Sebastian was in time to rouse
her , and take her up the stairs to bed, supporting her as she smiled
back apologies, sending kisses to everyone , including Jody who by
now surely would be happy to have one.
Sebastian came down again quite soon, careful to make a noise
in the hall before entering the sitting room. Henry was sitting where
Angela had sat, blinking and yawning, and Jody was by him,
holding his hand. She sat upright by the sprawling man , her expen–
sively shod feet in front of her, her yellow hair gleaming.
