‘I rather like it. It belonged to Walter’s grandfather, who was
a merchant in India. It is interesting to have it, I think.’
Hugo said:
‘Oh, yes . . . yes, of course! If there is a reason for it, that
is quite different!’
He looked at the portrait of the grandfather, a big portrait
in oils, badly painted, but he said nothing about it.
He said:
‘That room upstairs is awfully nice! that drawing-room, with
the steps down to the garden, and I am sure you can make the
garden awfully nice.’
I had hardly seen Hugo, since I had been engaged; only once or
twice, at parties; at Campden Hill Square, and at Mollie’s. I
did not want to see him much just then.
He gave me an alabaster bowl; old white alabaster; I think it
was Chinese. I put it on the drawing-room chimney-piece, in the
middle, and straight silver candlesticks, from George and Mollie,
on either side. Walter thought it looked rather bare. He thought
it would have been more convenient to put a clock there, but
he didn’t mind about things like that.
We had old walnut furniture in the drawing-room, after all, for
Cousin Delia and Cousin John gave me a walnut cabinet, a beautiful
thing, like one at Yearsly, and Grandmother gave me a writing-desk,
Queen Anne walnut too.