 Chapter 22 of The House with the Twisting Passage by Marian St John Webb This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The House with the Twisting Passage by Marian St John Webb Chapter 22 The Real Miss Claire Jenny, you're wanted upstairs in the drawing-room, said Aunt Abby that evening. Come here and let me fix your hair ribbon straight, and now come along and be a good girl. Aunt Abby took hold of Jenny's hand and let her solemnly up the stairs to the door of the drawing-room, where she tapped on the door. Come in, called a voice. I've brought my niece Jenny, Miss, as you asked me, said Aunt Abby, opening the door and pushing Jenny inside the room. Jenny stood nervously inside the door and looked across the big room to where a lady was sitting, in a deep armchair beside the fire. The room was gloomy and full of shadows, being lighted by one red-shaded electric lamp, which stood on a table near the half. What an enormous room it must be, thought Jenny, to make the lady look so far away. Then Jenny became aware that the door had closed behind her, and that Aunt Abby had gone. She was alone with the strange lady. But was she a stranger? Jenny looked again and knew she had seen her before. Come here, little girl. Come over to me, said the lady, and her voice seemed to come from a great distance. Jenny started obediently to walk to water. It seemed a very long way across the carpet, but Jenny kept her eyes steadily on the figure in the armchair as she approached. It seemed almost like a dream to Jenny, walking across like this toward the cold-eyed, thin-lipped lady at the other end of the room. How well Jenny remembered the face of the lady, the other Miss Claire. She had never expected to see her again. Why had she sent for her, Jenny wondered? Could it be that Miss Claire had seen her throw the mat out of the window on top of Mr Snatcher? Jenny's heart gave a jump, and she paused for a second, half-way toward Miss Claire. Miss Claire had not taken her eyes off Jenny, since the little girl had entered the room, and as Jenny came to a standstill on the half-thrug before her chair, she said slowly, So, you are Jenny. Yes, please, said Jenny. And how is Lady Barbara? said Miss Claire. Oh, exclaimed Jenny. I do hope you're not vexed with me. Vexed? Why should I be? Miss Claire inquired coldly. I found her, and she looked lonely. Jenny found herself sane. Miss Claire nodded. I used to take her out just a bit, and nurse her. Faulted Jenny. And tell her that Miss Claire hadn't forgotten her. I know. But I had. Broke in Miss Claire harshly. I had quite forgotten her. Jenny could think of nothing to say. That was before I knew you had grown up, said Jenny presently. I know. My old nurse told me, said Miss Claire. Jenny understood now. That was how Miss Claire knew about her and Lady Barbara. I sent for you, Miss Claire went on, because I have heard a lot about you from the various people who have been living in this house. I suppose you were sorry to come back and find all your friends had gone. Yes, said Jenny faintly. Miss Claire rose to her feet, and began to move restlessly about the room. Jenny? She turned suddenly to the little girl on the half-rug. Go upstairs and fetch Lady Barbara down. I want to see her. Jenny obeyed instantly. There was something in Miss Claire's voice that made her do so. She ran quickly upstairs to the old nursery, and got Lady Barbara out of the cupboard. Oh my dear, Miss Claire's come. She's come at last. And she wants you. So you see she hasn't forgotten you. Jenny assured the old doll. In her haste she gathered up with the doll the torn old exercise book in which Miss Claire used to do her lessons. She didn't notice this until she was half way down the stairs. Miss Claire was seated by the fire when Jenny got back to the drawing room. Jenny carried the doll over to her and placed it on her knee. Miss Claire gazed down in silence at Lady Barbara's face, while Jenny felt a funny lump come into her throat to think that at last, after all these years, the poor old doll's wish had been granted. She had found Miss Claire again. Whatever Lady Barbara's feelings were, she kept them well under control. Not the slightest sign of any sort did she show. Though Jenny used to say afterward that she was sure there were tears in the pathetic eyes that Lady Barbara kept so fixedly staring at the ceiling. And whatever Miss Claire's feelings were, she too kept them well under control. She just stroked Lady Barbara's hair and looked at her in silence. Jenny seemed to be the only one who couldn't manage her feelings. Here were Miss Claire and Lady Barbara behaving in a strictly correct manner, and here was Jenny with a tear rolling slowly down each cheek. She was feeling all that she imagined the other two ought to feel. Jenny, well, what's the matter? inquired Miss Claire sharply, looking up in astonishment at Jenny in tears. I'm not crying really, said Jenny, at least only a little bit because I was feeling how happy Lady Barbara must be to find you again after all this long, long time. And then something went click in Miss Claire's brain, like a little door opening. And for the first time in thirty years she remembered what it felt like when she was the little girl in the picture hanging upstairs on the wall in the passage. At the same moment the hard, cold-looking Miss Claire's eyes seemed to melt, and with a new, soft expression in them she looked at Jenny and smiled. The old Miss Claire, with the cold eyes, would have said, There there, my child, dry your eyes and be sensible. But the Miss Claire, with the new, soft light in her eyes, nodded to Jenny, understanding. Then she bent her head down over Lady Barbara, as if listening. Do you know what Lady Barbara told me just then? The new Miss Claire asked Jenny as she raised her head. What? said Jenny breathlessly. She's very happy to see me again, she says, but she wants me to give her to you, so that she can look after her for me. She says you have been so kind to her. Will you take her, Jenny? She shall belong to both of us, if you like, but you shall be the one to take care of her. Oh, Miss Claire! was all Jenny could say, as she received Lady Barbara in her willing arms. She drops the exercise book in her excitement, and Miss Claire picked it up. Why, what's this? she exclaimed, turning over the pages. I found it up in the nursery cupboard. It's yours, said Jenny. And the next minute she found herself sitting on the arm of Miss Claire's chair, telling her all about the discoveries she had made up in the old nursery. Jenny had forgotten all about being shy, forgotten all of disappointment in the old Miss Claire. This Miss Claire she was talking to seemed so different, and altogether, just like the little girl in the picture would have grown up to be, if she had grown up in the right way. And so Jenny chatted away, telling Miss Claire all about the games in the passage, and how she used to pretend the Miss Claire in the picture was chasing her. I used to play a game something like that, said Miss Claire. Only I pretended it was a little old man chasing me, because he wanted me to carry a heavy bundle of sticks on my back. But then Jenny told Miss Claire how pleased she was when she found out through the exercise book that Miss Claire didn't know what nine times six were. Miss Claire began to laugh. Do you know Jenny? I'll tell you a secret, but you must promise not to tell a soul. It's between you and me only. Miss Claire leapt forward and whispered, I don't know what nine times six are even now. I don't tell anyone whatever you do. Jenny promised solemnly, and looking into Miss Claire's twinkling eyes, felt that the secret made them more than friends. Gradually Jenny told Miss Claire all about her pretending people, and the extraordinary way in which they had seemed to come alive, and what they had told her. And lastly she confessed about Mr Snatcher. Miss Claire began to laugh again, and laughed until the tears came into her eyes. Oh Jenny, Jenny, she said, what an odd little girl you are. And then it was Miss Claire's turn, and she told Jenny all about how, when she decided to come and live in her old home again, the rest home had been closed down. I have had many disappointments in my life, said Miss Claire, and I have grown into the habit of shutting myself up away from people. I wanted to be alone, to be away from everybody. I wanted everything silent and quiet and restful, to forget. I think I wanted to forget even the time when I was happy. I don't know why. But happiness can never be quite forgotten, Jenny. And tonight I have remembered quite a lot of happy things. I have remembered. Miss Claire broke off, and then went on suddenly. Jenny, we'll have all those people, all your friends back again. What do I want with a great lonely house full of shadows, full of silence? We'll open up all the rooms again, and take all the sheets off the furniture, and have all the lights on. As if to make a start at once, Miss Claire got up quickly, and one after another switched on all the electric lights in the room. Jenny had to blink her eyes. It was so bright. We'll ask them all back again, went on Miss Claire eagerly, and we'll invite others as well. We'll fill this gloomy old house with people, and we'll drive all the shadows away. Would you like that, Jenny? For the life of her, Jenny could not reply. She was too excited. But her eyes and her smile were sufficient answer for Miss Claire. It seemed to Jenny too good to be true. It seemed selfish and wrong to fill up the rooms with shadows, Miss Claire went on, when there are people waiting outside. And she continued planning with Jenny what she was going to do. They were both so absorbed that they neither of them heard a repeated knocking at the drawing-room door, so that they were surprised to see it slowly open, and Aunt Abby appear. Oh, excuse me, Miss Claire, she said. Only it was getting so late, and I thought Jenny might be bothering you. And bothering me? Bothering me? Do you hear that, Jenny? Miss Claire laughed happily. Aunt Abby was surprised to hear Miss Claire laugh. But the next second, her surprise deepened into sheer amazement, as Miss Claire stooped, put her arms round Jenny, and kissed her. The End End of Chapter 22 And End of The House with the Twisting Passage by Marion St John Webb