“Like a top.”
“Capital.”
They smiled at each other, Cicely reflecting that tops didn’t really sleep. They spun round and round, just as she had during her vigils, and went into a sort of silly trance. And then they fell flatly down. Cicely had experienced all this and more; so she told the exact truth and pleased her mother at the same time. As a matter of fact, she detested lying, even white-lying. At school, lying, or any form of feminine deceit or guile, had been voted by the leaders of public opinion—bad form. Women, in the past, had been driven to subterfuge by brutal MAN. The New Woman, educated like a public-school boy, must tell the truth, and flaunt it if necessary, like an Oriflamme.
Mother and daughter attended Divine Service. Cicely perceived Dr. Pawley in his pew, but Mr. Grimshaw was conspicuously absent, a fact which distracted Cicely’s thoughts from the Liturgy. The small church was full as usual, although many of the younger men had already joined up, not without some pressure from the parson and the lady of the manor. The more aged and infirm, in receipt of doles, quite understood that regular attendance “paid.” Backsliders were overlooked when Lady Selina offered her “oblations” at the Midsummer and Christmas bun-festivals. Just before Christmas beef-time the attendance was remarkable.
After church Dr. Pawley accounted satisfactorily for the absence of his colleague, who, it seemed, had spent the night with a child suffering horribly from croup.
“He never spares himself, good fellow,” said Pawley. “In this case he insisted on sparing me.”
Lady Selina inclined her head. The thought came to Cicely, to be dismissed as disloyal, that her mother had not seemed too well pleased when listening politely to Dr. Pawley’s praises of his partner. Did she resent the young man’s ever-increasing popularity in the village? Lady Selina strolled back to the Manor, saying nothing. In the old days Dr. Pawley was often invited to luncheon on Sundays. Cicely said presently:
“Are you expecting Dr. Pawley to luncheon, Mums?”
“No. Stimson has enough to do as it is. Besides, it would be difficult to leave out Mr. Grimshaw.”
“But why leave him out?”