Archibald Cronin - The Stars Look Down

“They’re a stubborn pair,” Arthur explained. “I’ve done my level best to make Dan see I want him in with me at the pit. But they’ll have none of it. Independent as the devil — won’t take a penny either. All Grace’s doing of course. Grace found Winrush so successful for babies she’s trying it on with chickens and piglets.”

Grace said, quite untroubled:

“You must come and see us, Mr. Todd, I’m going to take paying guests.”

Todd gave Grace his rare, quiet smile, marvelling at her enthusiasm, her resolution. He thought it strange and fine and rather pathetic. It made him feel very old.

Here Aunt Carrie rose, with her head inclined, and noiselessly slipped out. There was no Harriet now, but another invalid to see to. Aunt Carrie’s dexterity in turning dirty linen and removing chamber pots was still required at the Law — but in another and more sacred cause.

The recognition of that stricken figure, helpless and imprisoned in his room, brought a sudden silence upon the table. Lunch broke up quickly. Arthur took Todd’s arm, escorting him to the car which would carry him to the station. Todd had decided not to go up and see Barras — it might upset him, he wisely observed. For a moment Arthur and Todd stood beside the car.

“I’ll let you know about that equipment then,” Todd paused. “It’s a fine thing you’re doing, Arthur. You’ll have a model pit if you go ahead with it.”

The words thrilled in Arthur’s ears: a model pit!

“That’s what I’ve dreamed about,” he said in a low voice. “A model pit.”

There was a silence, then Todd shook hands and got into the car, which drove off, leaving Arthur standing in the drive. Instinctively he lifted his eyes towards the sky. The sun shone upon him, the world embraced him with its warmth, the awful past was buried and forgotten. He had arisen, miraculously, and his ideal lay before him. Oh, glorious resurrection!

He went upstairs slowly, happily, to make the daily visit which he paid his father. He entered the room and advanced towards the bed.

Barras lay upon his back, a flaccid hulk, inert and helpless and immobile. His right hand was contracted, the fingers of a purplish deadness. One side of his face was stiff and a little trickle of saliva ran down the furrow of his right cheek. He seemed wholly inanimate; only his eyes were alive, rolling towards Arthur as Arthur came into the room with a pitiful and almost animal recognition.

Arthur sat down beside the bed. All the hatred and bitterness he had felt for his father were dead. He felt a calm patience now. He began to talk to his father, to explain to his father a little of what was happening. The doctor had said this might assist his faculties. And, indeed, Arthur could see that Barras understood.

He went on speaking patiently, watching these dull, rolling eyes, the eyes of a pinioned beast. Then he stopped. He saw that his father was trying to speak. A word tried to get through those sealed lips. There were two words really, but the flaccid lips refused to let them through. Arthur bent down to listen to the words but the words would not come. He could not hear them. Not yet.

At six o’clock on the evening of Saturday, December 17th, the glorious peace brought David back again. The instant the train drew into Tynecastle Central he jumped out and hurried down the platform, looking expectantly towards the barrier, eager and excited for the sight of Jenny and Robert. The first person he saw was Sally Sunley. He waved; he saw that they had got his wire all right, and she waved back in a careful way. But he hardly noticed; he was busy explaining his voucher to the ticket collector. At last he was through, breathless, smiling.

“Hello, Sally! Where’s all the family?”

Under the vigour of his welcome she smiled too — but In that same difficult manner.

“It’s fine to see you back, David. I want to speak to you for a minute. How late your train was! I’ve been waiting so long I must have a cup of coffee.”

“Well,” he smiled, “if you want coffee let’s hurry along to Scottswood Road.”

“No,” Sally said. “I must have it now. Come in here.”

Uncomprehendingly, he followed her into the refreshment room. Sally bought two cups of coffee at the counter and carried them over to one of the round cold marble-topped tables. David watched her. He protested:

“I don’t want any coffee, Sally. I’ve just had tea on the train.”

She did not appear to hear him. She sat down at the table, which was ringed with wet where somebody had lifted and laid a dripping beer glass. He sat down too, bewildered.

She said:

“I want to talk to you, David.”

“Well, yes, but can’t we talk when we get there?”

“It isn’t convenient.” She took up her spoon and stirred her coffee but she did not drink the coffee. Her eyes remained fixed upon his — there was a tragic pity in these eyes but he did not see it. As he gazed at her heavy unattractive face, with its high cheek-bones and rather full chin, he began to feel that something was wrong with Sally.

She drank her coffee very slowly: she seemed to want to spin out her coffee; but at last she had nearly finished. And struggling with his impatience he reached for his haversack.

“Let’s get along, then! Do you realise it’s nine months since my last leave. I’m dying to see Jenny and the baby. How is the kid — Robert, my boy?”

She lifted her dark eyes to his once more with sudden decision.

“David, it wasn’t really Jenny’s fault.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t because she was doing war-work or anything like that.” She paused. “You knew the baby was never very strong, David. I want you to understand it wasn’t really Jenny’s fault.”

He sat looking at her in the smoky refreshment room across the wet-ringed marble-topped table. Outside there came a noise of people cheering, welcoming the brave boys back. An engine shrieked derisively.

He did not have to say a single word. He knew why Sally was gazing at him that way. He understood that, although he had looked forward to seeing him so much, he would not see Robert after all.

While, low-voiced, she told him about it — an attack of enteritis in August, a bare two days’ illness, Jenny’s dread of letting him know — he listened in silence, gritting his teeth together. In the war he had at least learned to keep himself under control. When she had finished he remained curiously still for quite a long time.

“You won’t be hard on Jenny,” she pleaded. “She asked me specially…”

“No, I won’t say anything.” He rose, flung his pack over his shoulder and held the door open for her. They walked out of the station and along Scottswood Road. Outside No. 117 she halted.

“I’ll not come in now, David. I’ve got something to do.”

He stood looking after her, as she went on along the street, conscious, through the pain ringing in his heart, of her kindness in meeting him. What a decent little soul Sally was! Perhaps she knew he hadn’t wanted Jenny to take that job at Wirtley, to bring Robert from the clean sea air of Sleescale, to this congested city district. He swung away from the thought. Forcing the darkness from his face he went into the house.

Jenny was alone in the living-room, curled up on the old horsehair sofa, with her shoes off, penitentially caressing her small silk-stockinged toes. The sight of Jenny paying this familiar tribute to her crushed toes touched a throbbing chord of memory. From the doorway he said:

“Jenny!”

She looked up with a gasp, then held out her arms emotionally.

“Oh, David,” she cried. “At last!”

He walked over slowly. In a kind of paroxysm she flung her arms round him and, burrowing her cheek into his coat, she began to weep: