MORNING SERIAL

THEY had treated him as they would treat a best friend, and he felt honoured and glad. This was the first real kindness ever shown him, and gradually he began to sense an inward relief from all the pain and frustration he had suffered since the knowledge came to him of his mother’s plan to apprentice him in the foundry.

“Now we’ll adjourn to the middle-room — I beg your pardon, the drawing-room.” Frank got up.

“Shall I help you with the dishes, madam, or shall we leave them to Mary?” He clicked his tongue.

“Dear, dear, how absentminded of me. It’s Mary’s night out, isn’t it, Mrs. Jones?” “Indeed, Mr. Jones.” Ieuan smiled happily at the banter between them.

“Indeed, it is Mary’s night out. And I believe James, the butler, is off duty, too. So if it’s not presuming too much, I suggest that you wash the dishes.” “But, Mrs. Jones ….” Frank heaved a tremendous sigh.

“Later,” said Mrs. Jones. “After our guest has left us. And now, shall we go into the drawing room?” Frank sighed again with comic relief.

“After you, madam.” *** “Like to have some music, Ieuan?” Mrs. Jones opened the pedestal gramophone which stood in a corner of the room. Frank relaxed in an easy chair.

“Give us the overture from The Barber of Seville, Doris. Ieuan will like that, I’m sure. Then we can have a little chat together, just him and me,” he said.

So that was the purpose of the invitation, Ieuan thought. Frank wanted to talk to him again. But of what? The foundry? There was nothing else, surely? The gramophone played. He listened, captivated with the gay music, stirring to the staccato rhythm of the violins and the loud, crashing climax. And as he rested back on the settee, his eyes half-closed, he saw Frank reach for a book from a narrow shelf above his head.

“So it’s to be a chat on books, is it?” he heard Mrs. Jones say with mock despair. “Well, if that’s the case I’d better be going.” She paused. “I wonder if this is a trick to get me to wash those dishes?” Frank tapped her playfully as she bent over to close the gramophone lid, and Ieuan blushed at the gesture of familiarity.