1935-01-25 — Page 11

UNFINISHED

PORTRAIT OF

VENETIA JONES

(Continued from Page 9.).

He had inherited so much; the remarkable beauty of his face, an, intellectual turn of mind, his estates his and his melancholy. It was melancholy which silenced others,; Barbican despised, them for being! in awe of it. After all, melancholy, was not more mysterious than gout,' not more romantic than rheumatism.

He reached the kitchen garden.į Susan, with her silent guests grouped) round her, gave to this scent an undue and ridiculous importancs so that it seemed like an encounter be tween Hitler and Mussolini instead of a meeting between a brother and sister in a kitchen garden.

Somewhere in the house a bell rang, persistent, doom-like. Bar- bican knew it was the bell which was run for the midday meal and that when he was not here every- one rushed into the home. But be! cave of his presence they walked But of the kitchen garden now in a slow, solemn. sad procession,

Two or three of the guests tried to talk to him as they walked. They talked in high nervous, unnatural voices, anxious to impress and an- xious for a hearing. One of the women said that she thought the country was lovely in summer time; another told him that because it was hot she had got quite sunburnt during the morning and hoped to; get still more sunburst during the afternoon.

On fine days they had their meals out of doors on a long table in the orchard. The children were always whispering, nudging each other and laughing even the grown-up people! talked a great deal, shouting each other down. Henry admitted that this was a kind of hell," "but' at ' least it was their own kind of hell. Barbican, however, was never ex-] pected to join in this sort of thing: he was too dignified. Dignity upon] dignity built up his character like a tower of bricks,

And so to-day they all hunekrd, Indoors. The guests did not p themselves to food, off' n side table, Instead, two menservants waited on them, one of them in livery.

in

The children were brought The eldest boy walked up to Bar- ican and shook hands with him. The others said: "How do you do, Uncle Paul?" They had already rehearsed it in the nursery. All! the children were very neat and exact; even the youngest, who hadj a genius for untidiness, was dress-

cd up.

Barbican looked round the room for Venetia Jones. Henry, who was always hungry, was here already.

Susan said: "I don't suppose Venetia has heard the bell, Henry. Will you go and tell her that lun-) theon is ready?"

But she came into the room then and said rather seriously, as if she were making a set apeech:

late. I am so sorry."

"1.am

Barbican wondered if she was! often late for meals and had grown used to saying: "I am sorry."

Susan said: "Will you sit there, Venetia, next to my brother?"

She answered, polite and as in- different as Barbian himself, "Yes, thank you." But all the same sho took her place opposite to him, the youngest child on her right sida and the German governess on her] left.

Barbican did not know why she had done this. Perhaps she had done it on purpose or as a joke, or else she really preferred their com pany to bis. She looked so serene, so unaware, and she smiled at him with kindness. There was some- thing about her which was differ- ent. She was indeed different to anyone he had ever known, because ahe did not appear to be at all afraid of him. She seemed, in spite of him, to be completely herself, although he could not at this mo ment decide what this self was really Hke.

He looked across the table at her and said: "Do you enjoy sitting for your portrait?".

She said "No," and smiled at him "But at least it is a success. I expect Henry is pleased.".

"Perhaps."

It seemed that she was going to

say something else, but the woman

on his right asked him:

"Did you come down by car, Lörd Barbican 7"

"Yes.

"What kind of a car is it?” He said: "If you mean

make, it is a Rolls Ro

- This seemed to alle

She did not know wha

But Venetia Jones

She cald: "The

HELLO, DAUGHTER' WHERE'S. MAGGIE AIN'T SHE HOME?

MY HUSBAND LIKES TO BE ALONE,TOO

I MUST RUSH HIM TO THE DOCTOR. OH'

MY POOR

LITTLE DOGGIE-

DONT BLAME

Rosie's

BEAU

HIM-

GED MANUS

Ragird S. Patine dice

THE CHINA MAIL, FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1935

YES, DADDY! SHE'S IN THE MUSIC ROOM: WITH MRS. CARRIE

GOSSUP-

SUFFERIN' CATS!

HERE COMES MAGGIE SHE'S COMIN' IN MY ROOM-

Bringing Up Father

BY GOLLY! WHEN YOU

BUY A HAT YOU USE YOUR HEAD AN' I'M USIN' MY HAT. TOʻGIT AHEAD OF MAGGIE-

PLL HAVE TO HIDE ME FEED UNTIL SHE GITS OUT OF

HERE *.

DOES YOUR HUSBAND STILL WANT

YOU TO CONTINUE YOUR VOCAL CAREER?

OH YES! HE WANTS

ME TO GO TO

EUROPE TO STUDY-

JUST A MINUTE ILL DRIVE YOU

THERE IN MY CAR

HELLO, MARIE' WİLL YOU MEET ME AT THE DUNKER RESTAURANT, RIGHT AWAY? I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ROSIE, SHE 15 ANGRY AT ME AND I WANT YOU: -TO HELP ME MAKE UP WITH HER-I'LL

MEET YOU IN- FIVE MINUTES-

SO!!! YOU SNAKE-IN-THE GRASS! FIRST YOU!

BREAK ROSIES HEART- NOW I FIND YOU WITH MY GIRLS

BERT

HERBIE, DEAREST

LET ME EXPI PLEASE!

AGAIN I DON'T

BLAME

HIM-

„BY GOLLYET

DIDN'T SEE HER DOG COME IN HERE-

BUYIN' A CAN THAT JUST FITS IN ME HAT WÜZ A GOOD IDEA: I'LL HAVE NO MORE TROUBLE, SNEAKIN': CORNED BEEF AN' CABBAGE INTO THE HOUSE TO

ENJOY A GOOD FEED FROM NOW ON-

OH! THIS IS A DARLING ROOM-1 SUPPOSE MR.JIGGS SPENDS MOST OF HIS TIME HERE?

1000

YES-I'M LOCKED IN HERE SIX NIGHTS A WEEK-

NOW-1 MUST SHOW. YOU

OUR LIBRARY-

HECTOR-WHAT

IS THE MATTER

WITH YOU?)

1955, King Pextures Spudscare, Inc. Creat Britain rights reserved.

LEOMCMANUS

G

YOU CAN TALK TÒ

ROSIE- YOU ARE HER BEST FRIEND. SHE'LL LISTEN TO YOU TELL HER HOW UNHAPPY JAM.

NOW HERBIE WILL -NEVER SPEAK TO

ME AGAIN -ITS ALL YOUR FAULT

YOU SILLY KIDS-

MAD AT EACH). OTHER OVER. NOTHING

AND HELL TELL. ROSIE, WHICHU WILLIMAKE HI

· FURIOUS4W

LD

I THINK HE'S GOING

*TO EXPLODE:

WOW WOW!!! HE

ATE EVERYTHING BUT THE CAN!

HE MEANS HE LIKES TO: BE ALONE IN|

HOW TO KEEP FROM GETTING OLD

ANOTHER

FIVE THOUSAND

-FEET AND WE'LL BE AT THE

TOP

1935, King Fincures Syndicate, loc, Great Biltain rights reserved.

HERE-