CHAPTER II: THE MEETING
I
Soon after dinner one day in the following spring, Mr. Critchlow
knocked at Constance's door. She was seated in the rocking-chair
in front of the fire in the parlour. She wore a large 'rough'
apron, and with the outlying parts of the apron she was rubbing
the moisture out of the coat of a young wire-haired fox-terrier, for whom no more original name had been found than 'Spot.' It is true that he had a spot. Constance had more than once called the world to witness that she would never have a young dog again, because, as she said, she could not be always running about after them, and they ate the stuffing out of the furniture. But her last dog had lived too long; a dog can do worse things than eat furniture; and, in her natural reaction against age in dogs, and also in the hope of postponing as long as possible the inevitable sorrow and upset which death causes when it takes off a domestic pet, she had not known how to refuse the very desirable fox- terrier aged ten months that an acquaintance had offered to her. Spot's beautiful pink skin could be seen under his disturbed hair; he was exquisitely soft to the touch, and to himself he was loathsome. His eyes continually peeped forth between corners of the agitated towel, and they were full of inquietude and shame.
Amy was assisting at this performance, gravely on the watch to see
that Spot did not escape into the coal-cellar. She opened the door
to Mr. Critchlow's knock. Mr. Critchlow entered without any
formalities, as usual. He did not seem to have changed. He had the
same quantity of white hair, he wore the same long white apron, and his voice (which showed however an occasional tendency to shrillness) had the same grating quality. He stood fairly straight. He was carrying a newspaper in his vellum hand.
"Well, missis!" he said.
"That will do, thank you, Amy," said Constance, quietly. Amy went
slowly.
"So ye're washing him for her!" said Mr. Critchlow.
"Yes," Constance admitted. Spot glanced sharply at the aged man.
"An' ye seen this bit in the paper about Sophia?" he asked, holding the Signal for her inspection.
"About Sophia?" cried Constance. "What's amiss?"
"Nothing's amiss. But they've got it. It's in the 'Staffordshire
day by day' column. Here! I'll read it ye." He drew a long wooden
spectacle-case from his waistcoat pocket, and placed a second pair
of spectacles on his nose. Then he sat down on the sofa, his knees
sticking out pointedly, and read: "'We understand that Mrs. Sophia
Scales, proprietress of the famous Pension Frensham in the Rue
Lord Byron, Paris'--it's that famous that nobody in th' Five Towns
has ever heard of it--'is about to pay a visit to her native town, Bursley, after an absence of over thirty years. Mrs. Scales belonged to the well-known and highly respected family of Baines. She has recently disposed of the Pension Frensham to a limited company, and we are betraying no secret in stating that the price paid ran well into five figures.' So ye see!" Mr. Critchlow commented.
"How do those Signal people find out things?" Constance murmured.
"Eh, bless ye, I don't know," said Mr. Critchlow.
This was an untruth. Mr. Critchlow had himself given the
information to the new editor of the Signal, who had soon been
made aware of Critchlow's passion for the press, and who knew how
to make use of it.
"I wish it hadn't appeared just to-day," said Constance.
"Why?"
"Oh! I don't know, I wish it hadn't."
"Well, I'll be touring on, missis," said Mr. Critchlow, meaning
that he would go.
He left the paper, and descended the steps with senile
deliberation. It was characteristic that he had shown no curiosity
whatever as to the details of Sophia's arrival.
Constance removed her apron,, wrapped Spot up in it, and put him
in a corner of the sofa. She then abruptly sent Amy out to buy a
penny time-table.
"I thought you were going by tram to Knype," Amy observed.
"I have decided to go by train," said Constance, with cold
dignity, as if she had decided the fate of nations. She hated such
observations from Amy, who unfortunately lacked, in an increasing
degree, the supreme gift of unquestioning obedience.