ODOUR OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS
1
of the house, and come awkwardly down the three
2
steps, a jumble of shuffling footsteps and muttering
3
voices. The old woman was silent. The men were
4
in the yard. 5
Then Elizabeth heard Matthews, the manager of
6
the pit, say : " You go in first, Jim. Mind ! "7
The door came open, and the two women saw a
8
collier backing into the room, holding one end of a
9
stretcher, on which they could see the nailed pit-
10
boots of the dead man. The two carriers halted,
11
the man at the head stooping to the lintel of the
12
door. 13
" Wheer will you have him ? " asked the manager,
14
a short, white-bearded man. 15
Elizabeth roused herself and came from the
16
pantry carrying the unlighted candle. 17
" In the parlour," she said. 18
" In there, Jim ! " pointed the manager, and the
19
carriers backed round into the tiny room. The
20
coat with which they had covered the body fell off
21
as they awkwardly turned through the two door-
22
ways, and the women saw their man, naked to the
23
waist, lying stripped for work. The old woman
24
began to moan in a low voice of horror. 25
" Lay th' stretcher at th' side," snapped the
26
manager, " an' put 'im on th' cloths. Mind now,
27
mind ! Look you now ---- ! "28
One of the men had knocked off a vase of chrysan-
29
themums. He stared awkwardly, then they set
30
down the stretcher. Elizabeth did not look at her
31
husband. As soon as she could get in the room, she
32
went and picked up the broken vase and the
33
flowers.
