Read Online House That Berry Built by Dornford Yates - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dornford Yates
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autumn is fine. You see, you will get the sun here, when Lally is in the shade. All through the winter, Evergreen gets the sun. And people who live at Lally walk up this road in mid-winter, to warm their bones.”
“I can well believe it,” said Berry. “You could live here all the year round in a house which was properly built.”
“You could, indeed,” said the lawyer. “And now let me give you counsel. Why don’t you build a small villa halfway between here and Besse? The peasants would be very ready to sell you some land.”
“To tell you the truth,” said I, “we’ve been playing with the idea. But, you see, there’s no water. Even for this little house, we have to get water from Lally twice in the day.”
De Moulin stood very still.
Then—
“Would you like to build there – higher up, along this road?”
“Yes,” said my sister, “we should. But we cannot consider building, because – well, a cottage with water is better than a palace without.”
“Indubitably, Madame,” said the lawyer. He fingered his chin. “It is strange you should raise this point. Every year for the last six years, Besse has asked for the Lally water – and Lally has always refused. It is not that we have not to spare – I am on the Town Council, you know – but pipes cost money to lay and Besse is very small and has two very good springs. At a meeting of the Council on Friday, the request will come up again…”
Jill was trembling with excitement, and Daphne had a hand to her mouth.
Nobody said anything.
De Moulin was frowning upon his finger-tips.
Then he looked at Daphne and smiled.
“Madame, I can promise nothing. I have but one vote. But they sometimes take my advice, and – and, but for your brother and cousin, I should be bereft tonight.”
Our state of mind was now curious.
Until that first morning, when I had remarked ‘the site’, we had had no idea whatever of building a house: and such is human nature that, had ‘the site’ been practicable, I doubt if we should have given it very much thought. As it was, we had played with the idea, because we knew very well that it was only a game. We had never taken it seriously… And yet, as time went by and the neighbourhood tightened its spell, the game had come to mean a good deal to us. In fact, it had come to mean this – that, if ever, in days to come, we thought of building, we should dismiss that thought – because no site could compare with the one between Lally and Besse. And now, in a flash, the situation had changed. In two days’ time the game might be no longer a game…
The next morning, Thursday, after breakfast, we had things out.
“Let’s get this clear,” said Berry. “If the Council gives Besse the main water, do we really desire to build?”
“Yes,” said Jill.
“I think so,” said Daphne. “Quite a small place, of course. If it’s not going to cost too much.”
Berry looked at me.
“I’d like to,” said I, “simply because I’d like us to have a home. I decline to live in a town, and after White Ladies – well, no home in the English country would be of much use to me.”
“I’m with you there,” said everyone.
There was a little silence.
Then—
“I could bear a home here,” said Daphne.
“So could I,” said Jonah. “That is because the contrast would be so very marked.”
Berry fingered his chin.
“I frequently wonder,” he said, “where you would be without me. I don’t deny the site is attractive. Ludwig, the mad king of Bavaria, would have thrown a fit about it. But we are neither mad nor monarchs: and this is a practical age. The fact that the main water may be available to such a site is a phenomenon. But that is not going to make it practicable. Houses have to be built – and damned well built, if I’m going to live in them. Of bricks or stone or whatever they build them of. And this site is not on the level. Show it to a contractor, and he will become either insolent or
“I can well believe it,” said Berry. “You could live here all the year round in a house which was properly built.”
“You could, indeed,” said the lawyer. “And now let me give you counsel. Why don’t you build a small villa halfway between here and Besse? The peasants would be very ready to sell you some land.”
“To tell you the truth,” said I, “we’ve been playing with the idea. But, you see, there’s no water. Even for this little house, we have to get water from Lally twice in the day.”
De Moulin stood very still.
Then—
“Would you like to build there – higher up, along this road?”
“Yes,” said my sister, “we should. But we cannot consider building, because – well, a cottage with water is better than a palace without.”
“Indubitably, Madame,” said the lawyer. He fingered his chin. “It is strange you should raise this point. Every year for the last six years, Besse has asked for the Lally water – and Lally has always refused. It is not that we have not to spare – I am on the Town Council, you know – but pipes cost money to lay and Besse is very small and has two very good springs. At a meeting of the Council on Friday, the request will come up again…”
Jill was trembling with excitement, and Daphne had a hand to her mouth.
Nobody said anything.
De Moulin was frowning upon his finger-tips.
Then he looked at Daphne and smiled.
“Madame, I can promise nothing. I have but one vote. But they sometimes take my advice, and – and, but for your brother and cousin, I should be bereft tonight.”
Our state of mind was now curious.
Until that first morning, when I had remarked ‘the site’, we had had no idea whatever of building a house: and such is human nature that, had ‘the site’ been practicable, I doubt if we should have given it very much thought. As it was, we had played with the idea, because we knew very well that it was only a game. We had never taken it seriously… And yet, as time went by and the neighbourhood tightened its spell, the game had come to mean a good deal to us. In fact, it had come to mean this – that, if ever, in days to come, we thought of building, we should dismiss that thought – because no site could compare with the one between Lally and Besse. And now, in a flash, the situation had changed. In two days’ time the game might be no longer a game…
The next morning, Thursday, after breakfast, we had things out.
“Let’s get this clear,” said Berry. “If the Council gives Besse the main water, do we really desire to build?”
“Yes,” said Jill.
“I think so,” said Daphne. “Quite a small place, of course. If it’s not going to cost too much.”
Berry looked at me.
“I’d like to,” said I, “simply because I’d like us to have a home. I decline to live in a town, and after White Ladies – well, no home in the English country would be of much use to me.”
“I’m with you there,” said everyone.
There was a little silence.
Then—
“I could bear a home here,” said Daphne.
“So could I,” said Jonah. “That is because the contrast would be so very marked.”
Berry fingered his chin.
“I frequently wonder,” he said, “where you would be without me. I don’t deny the site is attractive. Ludwig, the mad king of Bavaria, would have thrown a fit about it. But we are neither mad nor monarchs: and this is a practical age. The fact that the main water may be available to such a site is a phenomenon. But that is not going to make it practicable. Houses have to be built – and damned well built, if I’m going to live in them. Of bricks or stone or whatever they build them of. And this site is not on the level. Show it to a contractor, and he will become either insolent or
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