Читать книгу Up the Country - Miles Franklin - Страница 7

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Old Mazere held fast to his determination when Philip announced his intention of marrying Charlotte, and promptly executed his threat of disinheritance. But Mrs Mazere stood by her firstborn, always the best-loved of her children, reasonable and affectionate mother though she was to them all. Had not Philip held her almost a night with his head in her lap, sobbing that he could not forgo Charlotte?

"Mamma," he said, "I wish you could know how good she is. There is nothing she cannot do. She has reared the younger ones all by herself, and, Mamma, she is so good and true."

Mrs Mazere announced her intention of accompanying the bridegroom to the wedding, it being the year that Fannie was due to be weaned.

"If you defy me, you never enter my door again," raged her husband in one of his volcanic eruptions that are part of the history of the little town of Bool Bool.

"That's hardly for you to decide," maintained Mrs Mazere stoutly.

"Since when am I not the master of this house? You seem determined to fill it with colonial riff raff!"

This confirmed the determination of Mrs Mazere, née Rachel Freeborn. She herself was a colonial of humble but godfearing, honest, free-settler origin. Her name itself was a proud heritage earned by her family in far-off, if obscure, days. Her husband's disparagement of things colonial, with which he sometimes consciously but more often unintentionally belaboured his wife who had not known the amenities and glories of the old country, raised in her a clansman's feeling towards Charlotte Pool.

"That hussy, she'd set her snares for the son of a gentleman, would she—"

"By the time she's had six or seven children, she'll have discovered that one man is about the same as another. They all wear a woman out and there's no peace—whether they're gentlemen or jockeys."

"If you persist in this foolishness, I'll beat you and tie you up," shouted Mazere, beside himself with anger.

The family cowered out of sight, the little ones being shooed off to bed by their seniors. Richard and younger brother Hugh spoke of keeping guard outside their parents' door, ready to rush in and restrain Papa should Mamma really he in danger, for she had the secret and spontaneous loyalty of every child. The girls were not so apprehensive. Mamma had her proven methods of bringing Papa to heel.

"Mamma will come out on top," said Rachel, as she and Emily stole away to bed, whispering softly of marrying the first man who asked them and setting up homes of their own, as Isabel had clone already, in order to be free of Papa.

"Might get someone worse," said Emily dolefully. "Couldn't," said Rachel.

"Might be as had though."

"Not if he's nice and quiet."

"Ho! Ho! Like Simon Labosseer," jibed Emily. "Is he still waiting for you?"

"Don't be silly!" said Rachel, smiling to herself, and comfortably went to sleep.

Papa, of course, was vanquished. Mamma accompanied Philip to his wedding without her doors being closed behind her. Mazere never admitted knowledge of Mamma's visit to Maneroo, and it was not etiquette to speak of it in his hearing. To save face he went to Gundagai to sit on the Bench and during his absence, Mamma, it was officially stated, went to Mungee to be with Isabel, who was expecting a baby.