E. Delafield - The Collected Works of E. M. Delafield (Illustrated Edition)

E. M. Delafield

The Provincial Lady Series, Zella Sees Herself, The War-Workers, Consequences, Gay Life...

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ISBN 978-80-272-0183-9

PROVINCIAL LADY SERIES

The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) Table of Contents ILLUSTRATIONS "Robert reads the Times " Cook Mademoiselle The Rector "Very, very distinguished novelist" The Vicar's Wife Lady B. "Can hear Robert's neighbour...telling him about her chilblains" Vicky Mrs. Blenkinsop Howard Fitzsimmons "He did it, she says, at the Zoo" Cousin Maud Cissie Crabbe Lady Frobisher The Gardener "Schoolmaster and his wife talk to one another...across me" "Elderly French couple with talkative friend" Rose Robin Miss Pankerton Jahsper

The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) Table of Contents ILLUSTRATIONS The Battered Lady Vicky in the Hall Undergo Permanent Wave Literary Club Members Emma in Wales The Socks Lady Continental Breakfast unhappily not a Success with Robert At the Casino Robin singing in Church The Party in Bloomsbury The Bloomsbury Tea Shop The Visit to the Fortune Teller Pamela Pringle as "Chastity" Starting the Car Tension at the Picnic The Polite American I call for Robert at his Club Robert imbibes Culture The Gardening Family Imported Talent graces the Programme

The Provincial Lady in America (1934)

The Provincial Lady in Russia (I Visit The Soviets) (1937)

The Provincial Lady in Wartime (1940)

NOVELS

Zella Sees Herself (1915)

The War Workers (1918)

Consequences (1919)

Tension (1920)

The Heel of Achilles (1921)

Humbug: A Study in Education (1922)

Messalina of the Suburbs (1924)

Gay Life (1933)

General Impressions (1933)

Late and Soon (1943)

SHORT STORIES

The Bond of Union (1924)

Lost in Transmission (1924)

Time Work Wonders (1924)

The Hotel Child (1924)

The Gallant Little Lady (1924)

Impasse (1924)

The Appeal (1924)

The Philistine: A Story (1926)

PLAYS

The First Stone (1924)

To See Ourselves. A Domestic Comedy in Three Acts (1931)

Table of Contents

ILLUSTRATIONS

"Robert reads the Times "

Cook

Mademoiselle

The Rector

"Very, very distinguished novelist"

The Vicar's Wife

Lady B.

"Can hear Robert's neighbour...telling him about her chilblains"

Vicky

Mrs. Blenkinsop

Howard Fitzsimmons

"He did it, she says, at the Zoo"

Cousin Maud

Cissie Crabbe

Lady Frobisher

The Gardener

"Schoolmaster and his wife talk to one another...across me"

"Elderly French couple with talkative friend"

Rose

Robin

Miss Pankerton

Jahsper

November 7th. —Plant the indoor bulbs. Just as I am in the middle of them, Lady Boxe calls. I say, untruthfully, how nice to see her, and beg her to sit down while I just finish the bulbs. Lady B. makes determined attempt to sit down in armchair where I have already placed two bulb-bowls and the bag of charcoal, is headed off just in time, and takes the sofa.

Do I know, she asks, how very late it is for indoor bulbs? September, really, or even October, is the time. Do I know that the only really reliable firm for hyacinths is Somebody of Haarlem? Cannot catch the name of the firm, which is Dutch, but reply Yes, I do know, but think it my duty to buy Empire products. Feel at the time, and still think, that this is an excellent reply. Unfortunately Vicky comes into the drawing-room later and says: "O Mummie, are those the bulbs we got at Woolworths?"

Lady B. stays to tea. ( Mem .: Bread-and-butter too thick. Speak to Ethel.) We talk some more about bulbs, the Dutch School of Painting, our Vicar's wife, sciatica, and All Quiet on the Western Front .

(Query: Is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living in the country all the year round?)

Lady B. enquires after the children. Tell her that Robin—whom I refer to in a detached way as "the boy" so that she shan't think I am foolish about him—is getting on fairly well at school, and that Mademoiselle says Vicky is starting a cold.

Do I realise, says Lady B., that the Cold Habit is entirely unnecessary, and can be avoided by giving the child a nasal douche of salt-and-water every morning before breakfast? Think of several rather tart and witty rejoinders to this, but unfortunately not until Lady B.'s Bentley has taken her away.

Finish the bulbs and put them in the cellar. Feel that after all cellar is probably draughty, change my mind, and take them all up to the attic.

Cook says something is wrong with the range.

November 8th. —Robert has looked at the range and says nothing wrong whatever. Makes unoriginal suggestion about pulling out dampers. Cook very angry, and will probably give notice. Try to propitiate her by saying that we are going to Bournemouth for Robin's half-term, and that will give the household a rest. Cook replies austerely that they will take the opportunity to do some extra cleaning. Wish I could believe this was true.

Preparations for Bournemouth rather marred by discovering that Robert, in bringing down the suit-cases from the attic, has broken three of the bulb-bowls. Says he understood that I had put them in the cellar, and so wasn't expecting them.

November 11th.—Bournemouth. Find that history, as usual, repeats itself. Same hotel, same frenzied scurry round the school to find Robin, same collection of parents, most of them also staying at the hotel. Discover strong tendency to exchange with fellow-parents exactly the same remarks as last year, and the year before that. Speak of this to Robert, who returns no answer. Perhaps he is afraid of repeating himself? This suggests Query: Does Robert, perhaps, take in what I say even when he makes no reply?

Find Robin looking thin, and speak to Matron who says brightly, Oh no, she thinks on the whole he's put on weight this term, and then begins to talk about the New Buildings. (Query: Why do all schools have to run up New Buildings about once in every six months?)

Take Robin out. He eats several meals, and a good many sweets. He produces a friend, and we take both to Corfe Castle. The boys climb, Robert smokes in silence, and I sit about on stones. Overhear a woman remark, as she gazes up at half a tower, that has withstood several centuries, that This looks fragile —which strikes me as a singular choice of adjective. Same woman, climbing over a block of solid masonry, points out that This has evidently fallen off somewhere.

Take the boys back to the hotel for dinner. Robin says, whilst the friend is out of hearing: "It's been nice for us, taking out Williams, hasn't it?" Hastily express appreciation of this privilege.

Robert takes the boys back after dinner, and I sit in hotel lounge with several other mothers and we all talk about our boys in tones of disparagement, and about one another's boys with great enthusiasm.

Am asked what I think of Harriet Hume but am unable to say, as I have not read it. Have a depressed feeling that this is going to be another case of Orlando about which was perfectly able to talk most intelligently until I read it, and found myself unfortunately unable to understand any of it.