Saraband for Two Sisters

“I knew someone was here,” she said. “For a moment I thought-“ “That Richard had come back?” I asked.

“Y-yes.”

“You look relieved.”

“Bersaba, what a thing to say!”

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

I was laughing now-I felt like an observer outside the scene. This was typical of us. I was caught in an awkward situation and I turned the tables promptly and placed my sister in it.

“You’ve guessed I know that I don’t like”-she waved her hands-“all that. ... I know it goes with marriage and has to be accepted.”

I jumped off the bed.

“Well, now I know what it’s like to sleep there. Cheer up, Angelet. The Blue Room is very nice ... and peaceful, and I am in the next room.” She turned to me and hugged me.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Bersaba.”

“So am I,” I answered.

And arm in arm we went out of the room.

This helped to placate my conscience a little. All I had done was save Angelet from what she disliked, and in doing so I had pleased myself and Richard. I had flown in the face of convention; I had committed sins and forced Richard to do the same ... very well, that was admitted; but it had not brought ill to everyone. I wasn’t easy in my mind, of course. I knew what I had done and it was no use my advising others to face the truth if I didn’t face it myself. That night, when I had said goodnight to my sister and lay in my bed, I could not sleep because I kept going over that moment when Angelet had found me on the bed; and from there my thoughts went to Carlotta and how I had tried to stir up people against her. There was no doubt that I was a very sinful person. Then I wondered what Luke Longridge would say if I ever told him of all the sins I had committed. He would despise me of course and probably forbid me to enter his farmhouse where I might contaminate his sister. I think I should have enjoyed luring him on to some indiscretion to prove that none of us was as good as we thought ourselves to be and that those who wore the cloak of virtue so ostentatiously might well be the ones who had most to hide.

I don’t know why I thought about Luke Longridge. There was only one man who interested me. I wanted to be with him so much; I wanted to make him admit that he knew that I had come to him at night; I wanted him to scheme with me as I used to scheme with Bastian. I wanted to hear his voice saying impatiently, “When, when, where?” as Bastian used to.

And yet I could still think of Luke Longridge.

As I lay there sleepless I fancied I heard strange noises in the house.

“Boards creak,” I told myself. “It is nothing.”

Suddenly there was a violent noise as though a great caldron had been thrown across the room. I fancied it was coming from the direction of the kitchen. I got out of bed and wrapped a robe around me.

I went to the stairs and listened. That was a sound of scuffling. Someone was in the kitchen. Undoubtedly something was going on down there Angelet had come out of her room. She gave a cry of relief when she saw me.

“What is it, Bersaba? I heard ... noises... .”

“Something is happening down there,” I said. “Let’s go and see.”

I called out, “Who’s there? What is it?”

Mrs. Cherry appeared. She looked distraught. “Oh, it’s nothing at all, mistress. It’s just some of the pots as had not been put up right” I said, “It sounded like a caldron being thrown across the floor.»

“These things make a terrible noise.”

She stood facing us on the stairs, almost as though she were barring our way. “It’s all right now,” she went on, looking at Angelet. “Cherry’s putting them up again. Secure this time. One of the men ... you know... . Put up anyhow... then we gets this scare in the night.”

Cherry appeared. His face was pale, and his eyes looked shifty, I thought. “Begging your pardon, me ladies,” he said, “I am that sorry. It was one of them ... as didn’t put the things up right. Mr. Jesson will have something to say about this in the morning.”

There was Mr. Jesson and behind him Meg and Grace.

I had the odd impression that they were banding together to stop our advance. It

 was a stupid notion which had come to me because of all those mock battles. The military tradition was strong in this house.

“I should go back to bed if I were you, my ladies,” said Mrs. Cherry. “I’m right down sorry you was disturbed.”

Angelet said, “It’s all right now then, is it, Mrs. Cherry? They won’t fall again?”

“As right as rain,” said Mrs. Cherry cheerfully.

“I’ll have something to say to somebody in the morning, I promise you,” said Jesson. I turned to Angelet. “On that promise,” I said lightly, “I think we should go back to our beds.”

“Goodnight, me ladies!” There was almost jubilation in the cry.

“Goodnight,” we said.

We went back to the Blue Room first.

“Oh, dear,” said Angelet, “I was just getting off.”

“Only just? My dear sister, don’t you sleep well?”

“I haven’t lately. I wish I could. I hate lying awake at night.”

“You slept very well on Mrs. Cherry’s special cure for toothache,” I said.

“Oh, that. Yes, for hours and hours.”