Chatteris swore at the hall-porter. “Tell her I’m here,” he said.
“She’s retired,” said the hall-porter with official severity.
“Will you tell her I’m here?” said Chatteris, suddenly white.
“What name, sir?” said the hall-porter, in order, as he explains, “to avoid a frackass.”
“Chatteris. Tell her I must see her now. Do you hear, now?”
The hall-porter went to Parker, and came half-way back. He wished to goodness he was not a hall-porter. The manager had gone out—it was a stagnant hour. He decided to try Parker again; he raised his voice.
The Sea Lady called to Parker from the inner room. There was an interval of tension.
I gather that the Sea Lady put on a loose wrap, and the faithful Parker either carried her or sufficiently helped her from her bedroom to the couch in the little sitting-room. In the meanwhile the hall-porter hovered on the stairs, praying for the manager—prayers that went unanswered—and Chatteris fumed below. Then we have a glimpse of the Sea Lady.
“I see her just in the crack of the door,” said the porter, “as that maid of hers opened it. She was raised up on her hands, and turned so towards the door. Looking exactly like this——”
And the hall-porter, who has an Irish type of face, a short nose, long upper lip, and all the rest of it, and who has also neglected his dentist, projected his face suddenly, opened his eyes very wide, and slowly curved his mouth into a fixed smile, and so remained until he judged the effect on me was complete.