They regarded London as a terrible place, though a necessity: Daddy's
office was there; Christmas and Birthday presents came from London,
but also it was where the Radical govunment lived--an enormous, evil,
octopus kind of thing that made Daddy poor. Weeden, too, had been
known to say dark things with regard to selling vegetables, hay, and
stuff. "What can yer igspect when a Radical govunment's in?" And the
fact that neither he nor Daddy did anything to move it away proved
what a powerful thing it was, and made them feel something hostile to
their happiness dwelt London-way beyond that crumbling wall.
The composite picture grew steadily in their little minds. When
ominous clouds piled up on that northern horizon, floating
imperceptibly towards them, it was a fragment of London that had
broken off and come rolling along to hover above the old Mill House. A
very black cloud was the Seat of Govunment.
London itself, however, remained as obstinately remote as Heaven, yet
the two visibly connected; for while the massed vapours were part of
London, the lanes and holes of blue were certainly the vestibule of
Heaven.
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