Westwood Read Free Page B

spider?’ looking about for something to poke it with. Margaret made a shuddering noise.
    ‘Oh, I rather like them ,’ said Hilda. ‘The only creepy-crawlies I can’t stand are earwigs. When we were at Bracing Bay the year before the war there was a boy always trying to put earwigs down the back of my bathing costume; honestly, I used to scream so you could hear me all over the beach!’
    ‘Listen!’ said Margaret suddenly. Far away to the east over the river’s estuary a faint ululation was beginning, and even as the two girls listened it was taken up close at hand.
    ‘There!’ said Hilda. ‘Oh dear, Mother’ll be having fits. What shall we do? There isn’t time to run home, I s’pose?’
    ‘Of course not,’ said Margaret decidedly. ‘We’ll go and sit on the stairs,’ and she led the way back to the hall.
    ‘Gosh, isn’t it hard!’ said Hilda, sitting down gingerly.
    Margaret took out a packet of cigarettes and lit one, and Hilda produced a paper bag.
    ‘Last of my sweet ration,’ she said, holding up a large round greenish object. ‘Sorry I can’t give you half.’
    ‘Can’t you bite it?’ suggested Margaret, with a reluctant smile in her voice, and they both laughed.
    ‘Oh, you are a dear old stick!’ suddenly said Hilda, looking up at her friend, as she sat on the stair above. ‘Doesn’t it seem ages since we were at school?’
    ‘Years,’ and Margaret sighed.
    ‘You’re different, you know.’
    ‘How do you mean, different?’
    ‘I don’t know. Just different. When I saw you at the station, the first thing I thought was, she’s different.’
    Margaret was silent.
    ‘As if something had happened to you to make you – sort of miserable,’ concluded Hilda.
    Margaret’s cigarette glowed in the dusk.
    ‘Is that guns?’ she said.
    ‘I expect so. Never mind them. What I mean is –’
    ‘Aren’t you frightened?’ asked Margaret seriously.
    ‘Me frightened?’ cried Hilda. ‘Whatever do you mean, Margaret Steggles?’
    ‘Well, how should I know? I’ve never been in a raid with you before.’
    ‘I’m not frightened of anything,’ announced Hilda. ‘And if you went about with as many Service boys as I do, you wouldn’t be either.’
    ‘Yes, I should,’ said Margaret in a low tone, staring across the dim hall to the pale square that marked the front door. ‘I’m not so frightened for myself – though that comes into it too, of course. It’s all the other people I think about, all over the world, when I hear that ,’ and she jerked her head in the direction of the distant barrage that sounded like giants rapidly and furiously stamping.
    ‘They’re all right in South America,’ said Hilda.
    ‘Oh –!’ Margaret moved impatiently.
    ‘I mean, they don’t have air-raids.’
    ‘That doesn’t make it any better. You don’t understand.’
    ‘It’s you that doesn’t understand. It does make it better. I like to think of them having cocktails and all the chocolates they want and silk stockings. It cheers me up to think that someone can.’
    ‘I can only think about all the people who haven’t enough food, let alone cocktails and silk stockings.’
    ‘Well, don’t think about them. It doesn’t do any good. You always did take everything so seriously at school and now you worry about your old Russia all the time, and you’re always moaning about reconstruction. Honestly, Margaret, you get me down.’
    ‘I’m sorry,’ said Margaret, politely and bitterly. ‘You make me sound a complete bore.’
    ‘I didn’t say anything about being a bore,’ cried Hilda remorsefully. ‘You’re ever so much cleverer than I am; I couldn’t be a teacher to save my life, and you know how fond I am of you, you old mutt! It’s only that I don’t like to see you so browned-off and different.’
    Again Margaret was silent.
    ‘I’m sure something’s happened,’ said Hilda. ‘I do wish you’d cough it up, then you’d feel better.’
    ‘Do you always cough things