Дни грёз
Dies Irae
Itwasbutatriflingmatterthathadcausedallthiselectricityintheatmosphere,andthegirls’manneroftakingitseemedtomemostunreasonable.WithinthelastfewdaysthetimehadcomeroundforthedespatchofahampertoEdwardatschool.Onlyonehamperatermwaspermittedhim,soitspreparationwasasortofblendofrevelryandreligiousceremony.Afterthemaincorpusofthethinghadbeencarefullyselectedandsafelybestowed—thepotsofjam,thecake,thesausages,andtheapplesthatfilledupcornerssonicely—afterthelastpackagehadbeenwedgedin,thegirlshaddepositedtheirownprivateandpersonalofferingsonthetop.Iforgettheirprecisenature;anyhow,theywerenothingofanyparticularpracticalusetoaboy.Buttheyhadinvolvedsomecontrivanceandlabour,someskimpingofpocketmoney,andmuchdelightfulcloud-buildingastotheeffectontheirenrapturedrecipient.Well,yesterdaytherehadcomeaterseacknowledgmentfromEdward,heartilycommendingthecakesandthejam,stampingthesausageswiththesealofSmithmajor’sapproval,andfinallyhintingthat,fortifiedashenowwas,nothingmorewasnecessarybutaremittanceoffiveshillingsinpostagestampstoenablehimtofacetheworldarmedagainsteverybuffetoffate.Thatwasall.Neverawordorahintofthepersonaltributesorofhisappreciationofthem.Tous—toHaroldandme,thatis—theletterseemednaturalandsensibleenough.Afterall,provenderwasthemainthing,andfiveshillingsstoodforacompleteequipmentagainstthemostunexpectedturnsofluck.
