The Beginning of Spring

by Penelope Fitzgerald

thought, and he does know it himself. The results would be the same, and at the same wages I pay you, (which he takes it are fair ones), but would take place a good deal sooner. A third possibility: Karl Karlovich doesn’t want you, but he suspects that I do. This distresses him, partly on his sister’s account, partly, I think, on mine, as I’m sure he has my moral welfare at heart, and it’s come to him that if he can get you away to England (still at the same wages), he’ll deliver me from temptation.’ ‘I don’t quite know how I’d explain it to her,’ he said aloud. ‘But are you sure the children want to go to Norbury?’ Charlie looked disheartened. ‘Not quite sure,’ he said. Frank decided that after all his brother-in-law was a more honourable man than himself, but he also realized that he didn’t care, and the relief of admitting this combined, to some extent, with the relief of seeing Charlie off with his hold-all, his portmanteau, the presents which he had bought with Dolly in the Rows and the dozen