Chapter 91 Chapter 91

Early the next morning, Philip got up to tidy up Mildred's room.He dismissed the woman who had been taking care of his life.About six o'clock Mildred arrived.Philip, who had been standing by the window looking out, quickly went downstairs to open the door, and helped her bring her luggage upstairs.The so-called luggage was just three large parcels wrapped in brown paper.Due to the need to make ends meet, she had to pawn off some unnecessary supplies.Mildred was still wearing the same silk dress from last night. Although she hadn't applied makeup, the circles around her eyes were still dark, which was obviously the mark left by her careless washing in the morning.It made her look sickly.The way she stepped out of the carriage with the child in her arms was sad and moving.She seemed a little shy.The two of them found that they had nothing to say, they just exchanged a few words in a flat way.

"Ah, you're finally here." "I've never lived in this part of London." Philip showed her the room.It was in that room that Cronshaw died.Philip never wanted to go back to that room, though he knew it was absurd.Since Cronshaw's sudden death he had been in that little room, sleeping on a folding bed.At first, he moved into the small room because he wanted his friend to sleep comfortably.The child lay peacefully in her mother's arms. "I suppose you don't recognize her," said Mildred. "I haven't seen her since we sent her to Brighton."

"Where are you going to put her? She's too heavy for a long time, and I can't hold her." "I'm afraid I don't have a cradle yet," said Philip, smiling awkwardly. "Oh, she can sleep with me. She sleeps with me all the time." Mildred put the child in an easy chair, and looked round the room.She recognized most of the furnishings in the room from what she had seen in Philip's old lodgings.There was only one thing I hadn't seen, and that was the portrait Lawson had drawn for Philip last summer, which now hung over the fireplace.Mildred examined the portrait with a critical eye.

"In some ways I like this picture. But in other ways I don't like it. I think you are much more beautiful than this picture." "Things do change," laughed Philip, "you never told me I was pretty to my face." "I'm not the type to worry about a man's looks. I don't like pretty men. In my opinion, pretty men are too arrogant." After all, her eyes scanned the room, out of female instinct, she was looking for a mirror, but there was no mirror in the room.She raised her hand and patted the thick bangs on her forehead. "I live here, what will people say?" she asked suddenly.

"Well, there's only one other man and his wife living here. He's out all the time, and I don't see his wife all the time except on Sundays when he pays the rent. They never see each other. I haven't said a word or two to one of them since I've lived here." Mildred went into the bedroom, unpacked, and put things away.Philip tried to read a little, but was too excited to read.So, he sat back in the chair, with a cigarette in his mouth, and stared at the sleeping child with a smile on his eyes.Philip was very happy.He was confident that he had no attachment to Mildred at all.He too was amazed that the feeling which he had previously felt for Mildred was gone.He vaguely felt that he had a disgust for her body, and if he wanted to touch her, he would definitely get goose bumps.He couldn't figure out what was going on with him.Just then Mildred came in with a knock at the door.

"Let me tell you, you don't have to knock when you come in," said Philip. "Have you looked at every room?" "I've never seen such a small kitchen." "Then you'll find that the kitchen is big enough for you to cook fine pastries for both of us," Philip replied flatly. "I saw nothing in the kitchen. I thought I'd better go out and buy something." "Got to buy some. But, sorry, I have to remind you to be smart about your money." Philip gave her some money.She went out into the street.After half an hour, she came back and put the things she bought on the table.She was still out of breath from climbing the stairs.

"Hey, you're anemic," said Philip, "and I've got to give you some Blau's pills." "I searched for a while before I found the store. I bought some pork liver. The taste of pork liver is quite fresh, isn't it? Besides, you can't eat a lot of pork liver at once, so the pork liver is worth more than the pork in the butcher shop ." There was a gas stove in the kitchen, and after she had stewed the liver on it, Mildred went in to spread the tablecloth. "Why do you only share one piece?" asked Philip. "Don't you eat it yourself?"

Mildred's cheeks were flushed. "I thought maybe you didn't like eating at my table." "Why don't you like eating at the same table with you?" "Well, I'm just a servant, aren't I?" "Don't be stupid! How can you be so stupid?" Philip smiled brightly, but Mildred's humility aroused in him a strange confusion.Poor man!I can still vividly remember her manner when they first met.Philip pondered for a while before speaking. "Don't think I'm giving you a handout," he said, "we're just making a deal. I'll feed you and you'll work for me. You don't owe me anything. To you , and nothing disgraceful."

Mildred didn't respond to this, but big tears rolled down her forehead.Philip knew from experience at the hospital that women of Mildred's class considered serving others a low quality.Philip could not help feeling a little out of control, but he blamed himself, for Mildred was evidently tired and out of sorts.He stood up and went to help her spread a tablecloth on the other side of the table.At this time, the child woke up.Mildred had prepared canned Merlin for her in advance.When the liver and sausages were ready, they sat down to eat.In order to save money, Philip gave up alcohol and only drank some boiled water.However, he still has a half bottle of whiskey in his house.So he thought it might do Mildred good to drink a little.He did his best to make the supper pleasant, but Mildred looked gloomy and exhausted.As soon as supper was over, she got up and put the child back to bed.

"I think you would do your health good if you went to bed early," said Philip. "You look very tired." "I want to go to bed after washing the dishes." Philip lit his pipe and buried himself in his book.It was pleasant to hear people moving about in the next room.Because sometimes, loneliness overwhelms him.Mildred came in and cleaned the table.From time to time, I could hear the clinking of dishes when she was washing.Philip thought to himself that it was her distinctive personality to sweep the table and clear the dishes in a black silk dress, and he smiled at the thought.However, he still had to work hard, so he walked to the table with the book in his hand.He was studying Osler's Internal Medicine.The book was so popular with students that it replaced Taylor's textbook, which had been in use for many years.Presently Mildred came in, rolling down her rolled-up sleeves as she went.Philip glanced at her casually, but did not move.The scene was bizarre.Philip felt a little embarrassed, lest Mildred think he would make a fool of her, but he did not know how to appease her except by sexual gratification.

"Hello, I have class at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, so I have to have breakfast at a quarter past eight. Can you make it in time?" "Oh, in time. Why can't it be too late? Every morning when I was on Congress Avenue I had to get up to Herne Hill to catch the eight-twelve." "I hope you'll find your room comfortable. Get a long night's sleep tonight and you'll be a different person tomorrow." "I suppose you're a late reader, don't you?" "I'm usually there until eleven o'clock, or around eleven-thirty." "Then I wish you good night." "Good night." There was a table between them, but Philip didn't offer to reach out.Mildred closed the door softly.Philip heard her moving about in the bedroom.Presently I heard the creaking of the bed in which Mildred had gone to bed.