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was in the middle of showing him the inside of the bargue-
no, with its beautiful ornamentation and secret drawers,
when a tall girl, with two plaits of bright brown hair hang-
ing down her back, came in.
‘Mother says dinner’s ready and waiting and I’m to bring
it in as soon as you sit down.’
‘Come and shake hands with Mr. Carey, Sally.’ He turned
to Philip. ‘Isn’t she enormous? She’s my eldest. How old are
you, Sally?’
‘Fifteen, father, come next June.’
‘I christened her Maria del Sol, because she was my first
child and I dedicated her to the glorious sun of Castile; but
her mother calls her Sally and her brother Pudding-Face.’
The girl smiled shyly, she had even, white teeth, and
blushed. She was well set-up, tall for her age, with pleasant
gray eyes and a broad forehead. She had red cheeks.
‘Go and tell your mother to come in and shake hands
with Mr. Carey before he sits down.’
‘Mother says she’ll come in after dinner. She hasn’t
washed herself yet.’
‘Then we’ll go in and see her ourselves. He mustn’t eat the
Yorkshire pudding till he’s shaken the hand that made it.’
Philip followed his host into the kitchen. It was small
and much overcrowded. There had been a lot of noise, but
it stopped as soon as the stranger entered. There was a large
table in the middle and round it, eager for dinner, were seat-
ed Athelny’s children. A woman was standing at the oven,
taking out baked potatoes one by one.
‘Here’s Mr. Carey, Betty,’ said Athelny.

00 Of Human Bondage