The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot

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Book: The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot Read Free
Author: Angus Wilson
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there’s some urgent medical reason. There’s no doctor’s report in Mrs Tucker’s case, is there, Mr Darlington?’
    He shook his head.
    ‘But if they’re doing something harmful to themselves,’ Miss Rogers said.
    ‘Oh come,’ Lady Pirie cried, ‘a drop of gin isn’t as bad as all that,’ and she chuckled. But Meg took Miss Rogers’ suggestion more seriously.
    ‘Perhaps it may be. But we’re out to help those old people to lead independent lives. The right to harm oneself a bit is surely the essence of independence. Why, one shouldn’t even interfere where people are close to one, let alone with strangers.’
    She paused for a moment; then to heighten the absurdity of the whole matter she produced an absurd example.
    ‘My husband’s an inveterate gambler. I’m sure it’s frightfully bad for him to waste his money like that. But I would no more think of refusing to telephone to his bookmaker for him if he was ill …’ Sheleft the absurdity in mid-air and then turned quietly to drawing the general conclusion.
    ‘That really is the value of this training business I’m so keen on. It gives you at least a few basic rules in a job where, in the main, you’re thrown back on personal decision all the time. Don’t you agree, Mr Purdyke?’
    ‘Oh, indeed,’ Mr Purdyke said. He could hardly say less with Mr Darlington, all trained, sitting there; but he added, ‘I think Miss Rogers was trying to use her initiative.’
    Meg carefully mistook his intention.
    ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘but you’ll know better next time, won’t you, Miss Rogers? You’ll go to Mr Darlington if there’s any query. But you’re obviously cut out for this work.’ She paused for a moment. ‘I wish,’ she said, ‘you could take a social service course. Apart from this job, qualifications are so important in the modern world.’
    ‘There is an evening course – a shortened one,’ Mr Darlington began and Lady Pirie grunted to show that she was not out of touch.
    ‘Why, that’s a good idea, Viola,’ Meg said, ‘but do you think, Miss Rogers, you could do evening work as well as this? Lady Pirie suggests … ’
    The girl’s heavy body sagged a little.
    ‘I don’t know that I could afford the fees at the moment, to be honest.’
    ‘Oh! I think the committee could do something about that,’ Meg cried, ‘surely. Unfortunately I shan’t be here but you’ll make it clear to the rest of them that it has my support, Viola, won’t you? We haven’t got Mr Purdyke’s view yet, though.’
    Mr Purdyke hastened to agree with Lady Pirie. Meg only just checked herself from saying something about Mrs Masters’ undoubted support of the idea. Mr Darlington would like the joke, but such jokes often proved too costly pleasures. Miss Rogers’ thanks she deflected on to Lady Pirie.
    She could not avoid a small sigh of relief as the girl left the room. It’s the thought of all that lumpy underwear that revolts me so, she decided.
    *
    As soon as Miss Rogers had gone, Mr Purdyke also took his leave. He found the meeting an increasing strain since Mr Darlington had introduced these little red American cloth chairs with metal legs, buthe had to admit that the dirty cream distempered offices of the Society did need a note of brightness,
    Mr Darlington, who hated disorder, would normally have escaped to his private office, leaving the slopped tea cups and overflowing ashtrays to tomorrow’s cleaners. He wanted still more, however, to continue talking to Meg Eliot, and so he stayed, perched on the edge of the table and sucking at his empty pipe.
    ‘If I may say so, Mrs Eliot,’ he said, ‘you handled that beautifully.’
    Meg Eliot’s dark eyes glittered, ‘I hope I wasn’t too fierce with the poor thing,’ she said and by not waiting for his answer showed that her fears were a formality. ‘But really,’ she went on, and her tone became fierce and earnest, ‘I can’t let that moral bullying pass uncriticized . The paid social

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