black curtain, then suddenly
bathed in a bewildering glow of light and scent and colour.

Jeremy's first impression, as he fell into this new world, was of an
ugly, harsh, but funny voice crying out very loudly indeed: "Oh, my
great aunt! Oh, my great aunt! Oh, my great aunt!" A roar of laughter
rose about him, almost lifting him off his feet, and close to his car a
Glebeshire voice sobbed: "Eh, my dear. Poor worm! Poor worm!"

He was aware then of a strong smell of oranges, of Uncle Samuel pushing
him forward, of stumbling over boots, knees, and large hands that were
clapping in his very nose, of falling into a seat and then clinging to
it as though it was his only hope in this strange puzzling world. The
high funny voice rose again: "Oh, my great aunt! Oh, my great aunt!" And
again it was followed by the rough roar of delighted laughter.

He was aware then that about him on every side gas was sizzling, and
then, as he recovered slowly his breath, his gaze was drawn to the great
blaze of light in the distance, against which figures were dimly moving,
and from the heart of which the strange voice came. He heard a woman's
voice, then several voices together; then suddenly the whole scene
shifted into focus, his eyes were tied to the light; the oranges and
the gas and the smell of clothes and heated bodies slipped back into
distance--he was caught into the world where he had longed to be.

He saw that it was a shop--and he loved shops. His heart beat thickly as
his eyes travelled up and up and up over the rows and rows of shelves;
here were bales of cloth, red and green and blue; carpets from the East,
table-covers, sheets and blankets. Behind the long yellow counters young
men in strange clothes were standing. In the middle of the scene was
a funny old woman, her hat tumbling off her head, her shabby skirt
dragging, large boots, and a red nose. It was from this strange creature
that the deep ugly voice proceeded. She had, this old woman, a number of
bales of cloth under her arms, and she tried to carry them all, but one
slipped, and then another, and then another; she bent to pick them up
and her hat fell off; she turned for her hat and all the bales tumbled
together. Jeremy began to laugh--everyone laughed; the strange voice
came again and again, lamenting, bewailing, she had secured one bale, a
smile of cautious triumph began to spread over her ugly face, then the
bales all fell again, and once more she was on her kn