"
That he was in a peculiar mental condition is proved by the fact that
he did not remark the absence of his mother until he was putting her
share of baked ham on to a plate.
He thought: "This is a bit thick, this is!" meaning the extreme
lateness of his mother for the meal. But his only audible remark was
a somewhat impatient banging down of the hot plate in front of his
mother's empty chair.
In answer to this banging Nellie quietly began:
"Your mother--"
(He knew instantly, then, that Nellie was disturbed about something or
other. Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law lived together under one
roof in perfect amity. Nay, more, they often formed powerful and
unscrupulous leagues against him. But whenever Nellie was disturbed,
by no matter what, she would say "your mother" instead of merely
"mother!" It was an extraordinary subtle, silly and effective way of
putting him in the wrong.)
"Your mother is staying upstairs with Robert."
Robert was the eldest child, aged eight.
"Oh!" breathed Edward Henry. He might have inquired what the nurse was
for; he might have inquired how his mother meant to get her tea. But
he refrained, adding simply, "What's up now?"
And in retort to his wife's "your," he laid a faint emphasis on the
word "now," to imply that those women were always inventing some fresh
imaginary woe for the children.
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