Page 702 - of-human-bondage-

‘Fancy bringing him in here. What will he think?’
She wore a dirty apron, and the sleeves of her cotton
dress were turned up above her elbows; she had curling
pins in her hair. Mrs. Athelny was a large woman, a good
three inches taller than her husband, fair, with blue eyes
and a kindly expression; she had been a handsome creature,
but advancing years and the bearing of many children had
made her fat and blousy; her blue eyes had become pale, her
skin was coarse and red, the colour had gone out of her hair.
She straightened herself, wiped her hand on her apron, and
held it out.
‘You’re welcome, sir,’ she said, in a slow voice, with an ac-
cent that seemed oddly familiar to Philip. ‘Athelny said you
was very kind to him in the ‘orspital.’
‘Now you must be introduced to the live stock,’ said
Athelny. ‘That is Thorpe,’ he pointed to a chubby boy with
curly hair, ‘he is my eldest son, heir to the title, estates, and
responsibilities of the family. There is Athelstan, Harold,
Edward.’ He pointed with his forefinger to three smaller
boys, all rosy, healthy, and smiling, though when they felt
Philip’s smiling eyes upon them they looked shyly down at
their plates. ‘Now the girls in order: Maria del Sol...’
‘Pudding-Face,’ said one of the small boys.
‘Your sense of humour is rudimentary, my son. Maria de
los Mercedes, Maria del Pilar, Maria de la Concepcion, Ma-
ria del Rosario.’
‘I call them Sally, Molly, Connie, Rosie, and Jane,’ said
Mrs. Athelny. ‘Now, Athelny, you go into your own room
and I’ll send you your dinner. I’ll let the children come in

01