“I don’t eat fat.”
“But you must eat fat,” said Mrs. Pybus.
Joan shook her head.
“We’ll ’ave to teach you to eat fat,” said Mrs. Pybus with a dangerous gentleness. For the time, however, the teaching was not insisted upon. “Lovely bits! Enough to feed a little dog,” said Mrs. Pybus, as she removed Joan’s plate to make way for apple tart.
The conversation was intermittent. It was as if they waited for some further event. The young man with the red hair spoke of the great world of London and the funeral of Lord Salisbury.
“’E was a great statesman, say what you like,” said the young man with red hair.
He also spoke of Holbein’s attempt to swim the channel.
“They say ’e oils ’imself all over,” said the young man.
“Lor’!” said Mrs. Pybus.
“It can’t be comfortable,” said the young man; “say what you like.”