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Chapter 3
Tomyminditwasanextraordinaryimprovement,butasanexampleoftheignoranceofthelowerclassesinthematteroftaste,ourservant,Sarah,onseeingthem,evincednosignofpleasure,butmerelysaid“shethoughttheylookedverywellastheywasbefore.”
April26.—Gotsomemoreredenamelpaint(red,tomymind,beingthebestcolour),andpaintedthecoal-scuttle,andthebacksofourShakspeare,thebindingofwhichhadalmostwornout.
April27.—Paintedthebathred,andwasdelightedwiththeresult.SorrytosayCarriewasnot,infactwehadafewwordsaboutit.ShesaidIoughttohaveconsultedher,andshehadneverheardofsuchathingasabathbeingpaintedred.Ireplied:“It’smerelyamatteroftaste.”
Fortunately,furtherargumentonthesubjectwasstoppedbyavoicesaying,“MayIcomein?”ItwasonlyCummings,whosaid,“Yourmaidopenedthedoor,andaskedmetoexcusehershowingmein,asshewaswringingoutsomesocks.”Iwasdelightedtoseehim,andsuggestedweshouldhaveagameofwhistwithadummy,andbywayofmerrimentsaid:“Youcanbethedummy.”Cummings(Ithoughtratherill-naturedly)replied:“Funnyasusual.”Hesaidhecouldn’tstop,heonlycalledtoleavemetheBicycleNews,ashehaddonewithit.
Anotherringatthebell;itwasGowing,whosaidhe“mustapologiseforcomingsooften,andthatoneofthesedayswemustcomeroundtohim.”Isaid:“Averyextraordinarythinghasstruckme.”“Somethingfunny,asusual,”saidCummings.
