Mansfield_TheTirednessOfRosabel1.pdf

8/10/2019 Mansfield_TheTirednessOfRosabel1.pdf

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TH

At the corner of Oxfor

practically the reason why

cocoa at Lyons are not

establishment. As she sw

hand and clung to the rai

her soul for a good dinnebrandy saucesomethin

much her own age who

and the rain had tear-spat

was blurred and misty, b

silver, and the jewellers'

horribly wet, and she kn

black, greasy mud. Ther

oozing out of everybody i

still, staring in front of

Sapolio Saves Time,

annoying dialogue betwLamplough's Pyretic Sal

mouthing the words in a

each time that she turned

a hot, voluptuous night,

Heavens! Rosabel stirred

felt almost stifled. Throug

seat seemed to resolve i

stumbled a little on her

pardon, said Rosabel, b

smiling as she read.

Westbourne Grove look

mysterious, dark, even th

lights trailing luridlyto

the Grand Canal. She wa

of the street until she cam

four flights! It was really

to have a lift, something s

at Earl's Courtbut four

of her and the stuffed alb

the little gas jet, she alm

up a steep hill, but there

http://www.katherinemansfieldsociety.org

TIREDNESS OF ROSABEL (1908)

By Katherine Mansfield

Circus Rosabel bought a bunch of viol

she had so little teafor a scone and a boil

ample sufficiency after a hard day's w

ng on to the step of the Atlas 'bus, grabbed

ing with the other, Rosabel thought she wo

rroast duck and green peas, chestnut stufhot and strong and filling. She sat down

as reading Anna Lombard in a cheap, pap

tered the pages. Rosabel looked out of the

t light striking on the panes turned their d

shops seen through this, were fairy pala

w the bottom of her skirt and petticoat wo

was a sickening smell of warm humanity

n the 'busand everybody had the same ex

hem. How many times had she read thes

aves LabourHeinz's Tomato Sauce

en doctor and judge concerning the supine. She glanced at the book which the gir

way that Rosabel detested, licking her firs

he page. She could not see very clearly; it w

a band playing, and a girl with lovely, w

suddenly and unfastened the two top buttons

h her half-closed eyes the whole row of peo

to one fatuous, staring face. And this w

way out and lurched against the girl nex

ut the girl did not even look up. Rosabel

d as she had always imagined Venice

e hansoms were like gondolas dodging up

gues of flame licking the wet streetmagi

more than glad to reach Richmond Road,

e to No. 26 she thought of those four flights

riminal to expect people to live so high up.

imple and inexpensive, or else an electric st

lights! When she stood in the hall and saw t

tross head on the landing, glimmering ghost

st cried. Well, they had to be faced; it was

as not the satisfaction of flying down the oth

ets, and that was

d egg and a cup of

rk in a millinery

her skirt with one

ld have sacrificed

fing, pudding withnext to a girl very

r-covered edition,

indows; the street

llness to opal and

es. Her feet were

ld be coated with

it seemed to be

pression, sitting so

advertisements

and the inane,

erlative merits ofread so earnestly,

finger and thumb

s something about

ite shoulders. Oh,

of her coat she

ple on the opposite

as her corner. She

her. I beg your

saw that she was

to look at night,

nd down, and the

fish swimming in

ut from the corner

of stairs. Oh, why

Every house ought

ircase like the one

e first flight ahead

-like in the light of

very like bicycling

er side.


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Her own room at last! S

blouse, unhooked her old

unlaced her bootson co

went over to the wash-stenough water to soak the

second time she had scrat

It was just seven o'clock.

restfulRosabel did not

on the window-sill jus

outside!

She began to think of all

awful woman in the grey

purple with something rosand then said she would

help smiling; the excuse

But there had been one ot

colour of that green ribbo

seen her electric brougha

and so well dressed.

What is it exactly that I

hat, untied her veil, and g

You must have a black h

round it and then round y

into your belta decent-s

The girl glanced at Rosab

They had been very hard

was almost in despair. Th

Oh, one moment, Mada

will please you better. Spaper, and yes, there was

a black velvet rose, nothi

handed it to Rosabel.

Let me see how it looks

Rosabel turned to the mir

Oh, Harry, isn't it ador

Rosabel. It suits you, bea


e closed the door, lit the gas, took off her

flannel dressing-gown from behind the doo

nsideration her stockings were not wet eno

nd. The jug had not been filled again to-dponge, and the enamel was coming off the

hed her chin.

f she pulled the blind up and put out the gas

ant to read. So she knelt down on the floor,

t one little sheet of glass between her and t

that had happened during the day. Would s

ackintosh who had wanted a trimmed moto

y each sideor the girl who had tried on ecall in to-morrow and decide definitely.

as worn so thin.

era girl with beautiful red hair and a whit

shot with gold they had got from Paris last

at the door; a man had come in with her,

ant, Harry? she had said, as Rosabel took

ve her a hand-mirror.

at, he had answered, a black hat with a fea

our neck and ties in a bow under your chin,

ized feather.

l laughingly. Have you any hats like that?

to please; Harry would demand the impos

n she remembered the big, untouched box u

, she had said. I think perhaps I can show

he had run up, breathlessly, cut the cords,he very hatrather large, soft, with a great,

g else. They had been charmed. The girl ha

n you, she said, frowning a little, very serio

or and placed it on her brown hair, then face

ble, the girl cried, I must have that! S

utifully.

hat and coat, skirt,

, pulled it on, then

gh to change. She

ay. There was justasinthat was the

it was much more

pillowing her arms

e great wet world

he ever forget that

r-capsomething

ery hat in the shopRosabel could not

e skin and eyes the

week. Rosabel had

uite a young man,

the pins out of her

ther that goes right

and the ends tuck

sible, and Rosabel

stairs.

you something that

cattered the tissuecurled feather, and

put it on and then

us indeed.

them.

e smiled again at


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A sudden, ridiculous feeli

perishable thing in the girl

It's exquisitely finishedbrougham, and left Harry

I shall go straight home

heard her say.

The man leant over her a

handEver been painte

No, said Rosabel, shor

insolence, of familiarity.

Oh, well you ought to be

Rosabel did not pay the sl

of no one else all day; h

eyebrows, and his hair gr

crisp curl, his laughing,

money into hers Rosa

was hot if those slim h

Suppose they changed pl

in love with each other,one moment. He would

stairs, following Rosabel.

in dull silver vases. She

would fasten her hat an

glovesa button had co

her furs and gloves and h

opened the door, Harry w

Rosabel! On the way to

sprays of Parma violets, fi

Oh, they are sweet! she

It is as you always shoul

(Rosabel realised that her

head against the wall.) O

behind a grove of palms

oysters, and pigeons, and

coffee and cigarettes. Sh

talking with that charmi

something that gripped th


ng of anger had seized Rosabel. She longed t

's face, and bent over the hat, flushing.

off inside, Madam, she said. The girlto pay and bring the box with him.

and put it on before I come out to lunch

she made out the bill, then, as he counted

? he said.

ly, realising the swift change in his voice,

, said Harry. You've got such a damned pr

ightest attention. How handsome he had bee

is face fascinated her; she could see clearl

ew back from his forehead with just the sli

isdainful mouth. She saw again his slim

el suddenly pushed the hair back from her

nds could rest one moment the luck of th

ces. Rosabel would drive home with him, o

ut not engaged, very nearly, and she woulwait in the brougham while her maid took

Then the great, white and pink bedroom wit

would sit down before the mirror and the

find her a thin, fine veil and another p

e off the gloves she had worn that mornin

andkerchief, taken a big muff and run dow

as waiting, they drove away together. Th

the Carlton they stopped at Gerard's, Harr

lled her hands with them.

said, holding them against her face.

be, said Harry, with your hands full of vi

knees were getting stiff; she sat down on the

h, that lunch! The table covered with flow

playing music that fired her blood like wi

creamed potatoes, and champagne, of cou

would lean over the table fingering her gl

g gaiety which Harry so appreciated. Aft

m both, and then tea at the Cottage.

o throw the lovely,

swept out to her

ith you, Rosabel

he money into her

the slight tinge of

tty little figure.

n! She had thought

y his fine, straight

ghtest suspicion of

ands counting the

face, her forehead

t girl!

f course they were

sayI won't bethe hat-box up the

roses everywhere

little French maid

ir of white sude

. She had scented

stairs. The butler

twas life, thought

bought her great

lets.

floor and leant her

rs, a band hidden

nethe soup, and

se, and afterwards

ss with one hand,

rwards a matinee,


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Sugar? Milk? Cream?

intimacy. And then home

drench the air with their s

I'll call for you at nine,

The fire had been lighted

letters waiting herinvit

motor tourshe glanced

her bedroom, too, and he

silver, silver shoes, silver

famous woman at the ball

presented to this English

lovely white shoulders.

But she became very tir

moment. The fire was out

boudoir. She took off her

stood peeling off her glov

and caught her in his arm

and she was very tired.

(The real Rosabel, the gir

hand up to her hot mouth.

Of course they rode in theCourt Circular, all the wo

They were married short

down to Harry's old anc

curtseyed to them as th

convulsively. And that ni

after the journey and went

The real Rosabel got up fback of a chair. She slipp

out of her hairthe soft,

candle and groped her w

closely round her neck, cu

So she slept and dreamed,

something which was not

And the night passed. Pre

grey light flooded the dul

And because her heritag


The little homely questions seemed to

again in the dusk, and the scent of the Parm

eetness.

e said as he left her.

in her boudoir, the curtains drawn, there

tions for the Opera, dinners, balls, a week-

through them listlessly as she went upstairs

r beautiful, shining dress spread on the bed

scarf, a little silver fan. Rosabel knew tha

that night; men paid her homage, a foreign

onder. Yes, it was a voluptuous night, a ba

d. Harry took her home, and came in wit

in the drawing room, but the sleepy maid w

loak, dismissed the servant, and went over t

es; the firelight shone on her hair, Harry ca

Rosabel, Rosabel, Rosabel Oh, the h

l crouched on the floor in the dark, laughed

park next morning, the engagement had beerld knew, all the world was shaking hands wi

ly afterwards at St. George's, Hanover Sq

estral home for the honeymoon; the peas

y passed; under the folds of the rug he

ght she wore again her white and silver fr

upstairs to bed quite early.

om the floor and undressed slowly, foldingd over her head her coarse, calico nightdres

rown flood of it fell round her, warmly. Th

y into bed, pulling the blankets and grimy

ddling down in the darkness.

and smiled in her sleep, and once threw out

there, dreaming still.

ently the cold fingers of dawn closed over h

l room. Rosabel shivered, drew a little gas

was that tragic optimism, which is all

suggest a joyous

violets seemed to

ere a great pile of

end on the river, a

to dress. A fire in

white tulle over

she was the most

rince desired to be

d playing, and her

h her for just one

aited for her in her

o the fireplace, and

e across the room

ven of those arms,

aloud, and put her

n announced in theth her.

uare, and motored

nts in the village

pressed her hands

ck. She was tired

er clothes over the, and took the pins

n she blew out the

honeycomb quilt

her arm to feel for

r uncovered hand;

ing breath, sat up.

oo often the only


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inheritance of youth, still

mouth.


half asleep, she smiled, with a little nervou

s tremor round her

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