Edward Knight's Family
| |
|
Elizabeth Austen, later Knight, continued.
'By now my grandfather had been dead for two years, and my grandmother was much of an invalid. I do not remember her even going out of doors, and she spent a good deal of time on the drawing room sofa. There was much coming and going in the house; her sister Marianne was there, very active and witty and gay, and, in addition to my Aunts Lou and Cam, there were uncles and aunts and little cousins who lived in Tilmanstone village, or near by. Then there were splendid uncles – to my mind – who came to stay; I was happy with them all.
But no one was like grandmama! Evelyn has described her most truly. I at once fell under her spell, and was much with her. Every day after tea, when the others had gone about their business, she liked me to sit at the foot of her sofa and rub her feet. It was then that she talked to me softly in her beautiful voice and I had the happiness of her enchanting smile. She was most easy to talk to. I felt at home with her and loved her at once, and more so as the days went by. But I also reverenced her greatly, not only for her age and relationship to me, but for a quality about her that gave me the knowledge that she was goodness itself. In those late afternoon hours I did not want ...'
[62]