The Lesson

Way Back

On the way back, unfortunately, Loring was laughed at by a pair of young women. How it happened was this:

She went out the main gate of the cemetery and continued up the boulevard to the place where one branching street would lead to another and to her own eventually at the base of the hill on which sat her house. As she passed by a high house, she saw two girls leaning on the wall, dressed well.

In Loring then the feeling that we sometimes have — to speak to someone and be joined with them for a moment. These girls reminded her somehow of her own youth, or perhaps it was not so — perhaps she simply wanted to know the time. In any case, she to them:

— Do you know the time?

One girl laughed, a short hoarse bark. The other sneered.

— Do you know the time? she parroted, in a nasty imitation of Loring voice.

— Do you know the time? the nasty girl said again.

— Oh, said Loring, slightly distressed.

— What a moron, said the second girl. As if the clock weren’t right there on the church. As if the clock didn’t ring less than a minute ago. As if she herself were not wearing a watch. What a moron.

— What a god-given fool, said the first girl.

They both laughed that short hoarse barking laugh again, and looked closely at Loring.

— Come over here, they said.

— No, said Loring. Leave me alone.

One actually laid a hand on her and drew her over to the house.

— Come here, aren’t you Loring Wesley? I think my mother knew you. Is this what you look like now?

— Can you see this dress she’s wearing? It isn’t fit to take a shit in. And this scarf, why it’s filth all over. Oh, no, no, you can’t go out like that. Don’t you have anyone to look after you?

At this point the mother of one of the two girls came out of the house.

Loring tried to get away.

— Mother, do you know this old woman?

The mother looked at Loring, pushed her spectacles down and looked again.

— Why, Loring, she said. Loring Wesley. What are you doing out and about?

— Just back from the, back from the cemetery, Lisa.

Loring felt that invoking her loss might make them lose interest, or give her credit, or something, and allow her to go.

— Oh, still on about that, said Lisa. Girls, why don’t you go inside.

— Just look at her clothes, Mother. She shouldn’t be allowed, not like that, she just shouldn’t be allowed.

— Leave off! Inside, girls.

The girls went off snickering in all their youthful beauty.

Meanwhile, Loring was leaning on the wall, her back partly turned to the woman, Lisa.

— Loring, dear, you mustn’t listen to them.

But then,

— You do look in a bad way. Can I…

— No, no, said Loring. I just fell. This dress was fine when I went out this morning, I just, I…I was attacked by dogs.

— Oh, I just knew something vile had happened. Well, let me walk you home.

— Oh, no, no.

— Well, if you won’t let me, you will at least let my son.

She went to the door of her house and called up.

— Claude! Claude Patrick!

Her son soon came.

— Claude, I want you to help Loring here back to her house. She is an old friend of ours.

Beneath her breath she said, She and her husband were once the most famous people in the town.

The woman went back inside.

— Goodbye, Loring. Goodbye.