recognized as true； the words of W。 B。 Yeats： ‘A pity beyond all telling is hid at the heart of love。’ She had smiled over the poem； and stroked the page； because she had known both that she loved Colin； and that passion formed a huge part of her love。
Sometimes； though； her patience wore thin。 Sometimes she wanted a little concern and reassurance too。 Colin had erupted into a predictable panic when she had told him that she had received a firm diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes； but once she had convinced him that she was not in imminent danger of dying； she had been taken aback by how quickly he dropped the subject； how pletely he reimmersed himself in his election plans。
（That morning； at breakfast； she had tested her blood sugar with the glueter for the first time； then taken out the prefilled needle and inserted it into her own belly。 It had hurt much more than when deft Parminder did it。
Fats had seized his cereal bowl and swung round in his chair away from her； sloshing milk over the table； the sleeve of his school shirt and onto the kitchen floor。 Colin had let out an inchoate shout of annoyance as Fats spat his mouthful of cornflakes back into his bowl； and demanded of his mother； ‘Have you got to do that at the bloody table？’
‘Don’t be so damn rude and disgusting！’ shouted Colin。 ‘Sit up properly！ Wipe up that mess！ How dare you speak to your mother like that？ Apologize！’
Tessa withdrew the needle too fast； she had made herself bleed。
‘I’m sorry that you shooting up at breakfast makes me want to puke； Tess；’ said Fats from under the table； where he was wiping the floor with a bit of kitchen roll。
‘Your mother isn’t “shooting up”； she’s got a medical condition！’ shouted Colin。 ‘And don’t call her “Tess”！’
‘I know you don’t like needles； Stu；’ said Tessa； but her eyes were stinging； she had hurt herself； and felt shaken and angry with both of them； feelings that were still with her this evening。）
Tessa wondered why Parminder did not appreciate Vikram’s concern。 Colin never noticed when she was stressed。 Perhaps； Tessa thought angrily； there’s something in this arranged marriage business … my mother certainly wouldn’t have chosen Colin for me …
Parminder was shoving bowls of cut fruit across the table for pudding。 Tessa wondered a little resentfully what she would have offered a guest who was not diabetic； and forted herself with the thought of a bar of chocolate lying at home in the fridge。
Parminder； who had talked five times as much as anybody else all through supper； had started ranting about her daughter； Sukhvinder。 She had already told Tessa on the telephone about the girl’s betrayal； she went through it all again at the table。
‘Waitressing with Howard Mollison。 I don’t； I really don’t know what she’s thinking。 But Vikram—’
‘They don’t think； Minda；’ Colin proclaimed； breaking his long silence。 ‘That’s teenagers。 They don’t care。 They’re all the same。’
‘Colin； what rubbish；’ snapped Tessa。 ‘They aren’t all the same at all。 We’d be delighted if Stu went and got himself a Saturday job – not that there’s the remotest chance of that。’
‘—but Vikram doesn’t mind；’ Parminder pressed on； ignoring the interruption。 ‘He can’t see anything wrong with it； can you？’
Vikram answered easily： ‘It’s work experience。 She probably won’t make university； there’s no shame in it。 It’s not for everyone。 I can see Jolly married early； quite happy。’
‘Waitressing …’
‘Well； they can’t all be academic； can they？’
‘No； she certainly isn’t academic；’ said Parminder； who was almost quivering with anger and tension。 ‘Her marks are absolutely atrocious – no aspiration； no ambition – waitressing – “let’s face it； I’m not going to get into uni” – no； you certainly won’t； with that attitude – with Howard Mollison … oh； he must have absolutely loved it – my daughter going cap in hand for a job。 What was she thinking – what was she thinking？’
‘You wouldn’t like it if Stu took a job with someone like Mollison；’ Colin told Tessa。
‘I wouldn’t care；’ said Tessa。 ‘I’d be thrilled he was showing any kind of work ethic。 As far as I can tell； all he seems to care about is puter games and—’
But Colin did not know that Stuart smoked； she broke off； and Colin said； ‘Actually； this would be exactly the kind of thing Stuart would do。 Insinuate himself with somebody he knew we didn’t like； to get at us。 He’d love that。’
‘For goodness sake； Colin； Sukhvinder isn’t trying to get at Minda；’ said Tessa。
‘So you think I’m being unreasonable？’ Parminder shot at Tessa。
‘No； no；’ said Tessa； appalled at how quickly they had been sucked into the family row。 ‘I’m just saying； there aren’t many places for kids to work in Pagford； are there？’
‘And why does she need to work at all？’ said Parminder； raising her hands in a gesture of furious exasperation。 ‘Don’t we give her enough money？’
‘Money you earn yourself is always different； you know that；’ said Tessa。
Tessa’s chair faced a wall that was covered in photographs of the Jawanda children。 She had sat here often； and had counted how many appearances each child made： Jaswant； eighteen； Rajpal； nieen； and Sukhvinder； nine。 There was only one photograph on the wall celebrating Sukhvinder’s individual achievements： the picture of the Winterdown rowing team on the day that they had beaten St Anne’s。 Barry had given all the parents an enlarged copy of this picture； in which Sukhvinder and Krystal Weedon were in the middle of the line of eight； with their arms around each other’s shoulders； beaming and jumping up and down so that they were both slightly blurred。
Barry； she thought； would have helped Parminder see things the right way。 He had been a bridge between mother and daughter； both of whom had adored him。
Not for the first time； Tessa wondered how much difference it made that she had not given birth to her son。 Did she find it easier to accept him as a separate individual than if he had been made from her flesh and blood？ Her glucose…heavy； tainted blood …
Fats had recently stopped calling her ‘Mum’。 She had to pretend not to care； because it made Colin so angry； but every time Fats said ‘Tessa’ it was like a needle jab to her heart。
The four of them finished their cold fruit in silence。
。
VIII
Up in the little white house that sat high above the town； Simon Price fretted and brooded。 Days passed。 The accusatory post had vanished from the message boards； but Simon remained paralysed。 To withdraw his candidacy might seem like an admission of guilt。 The police had not e knocking about the puter； Simon half regretted throwing it off the old bridge now。 On the other hand； he could not decide whether he had imagined a knowing grin from the man behind the till when he handed over his credit card in the garage at the foot of the hill。 There was a lot of talk about redundancies at work； and Simon was still afraid of the contents of that post ing to the bosses’ ears； that they might save themselves redundancy pay by sacking himself； Jim and Tommy。
Ｚei8。电子书
Andrew watched and waited； losing hope every day。 He had tried to show the world what his father was； and the world； it seemed； had merely shrugged。 Andrew had imagined that someone from the printworks or the council would rise up and tell Simon firmly； ‘no’； that he was not fit to set himself up in petition with other people； that he was unsuitable and sub…standard； and must not disgrace himself or his family。 Yet nothing had happened； except that Simon stopped talking about the council or making telephone calls in the hope of garnering votes； and the leaflets that he had had printed out of hours at work sat untouched in a box in the porch。
Then； without warning or fanfare； came victory。 Heading down the dark stairs in search of food on Friday evening； Andrew heard Simon talking stiffly on the telephone in the sitting room； and paused to listen。
‘… withdraw my candidacy；’ he was saying。 ‘Yes。 Well； my personal circumstances have changed。 Yes。 Yes。 Yeah； that’s right。 OK。 Thank you。’
Andrew heard Simon replace the receiver。
‘Well； that’s that；’ his father said to his mother。 ‘I’m well out of it； if that’s the kind of shit they’re throwing around。’
He heard his mother return some muffled； approving rejoinder； and before Andrew had time to move； Simon had emerged into the hall below； drawn breath into his lungs and yelled the first syllable of Andrew’s name； before realizing that his son was right in front of him。
‘What are you doing？’
Simon’s face was half in shadow； lit only by the light escaping the sitting room。
‘I wanted a drink；’ Andrew lied； his father did not like the boys helping themselves to food。
‘You start work with Mollison this weekend； don’t you？’
‘Yeah。’
‘Right； well； you listen to me。 I want anything you can get on that bastard； d’you hear me？ All the dirt you can get。 And on his son； if you hear anything。’
‘All right；’ said Andrew。
‘And I’ll put it up on the fucking website for them；’ said Simon； and he walked back into the sitting room。 ‘Barry Fairbrother’s fucking ghost。’
As he scavenged an assortment of food that might not be missed； skimming off slices here； handfuls there； a jubilant jingle ran through Andrew’s mind： I stopped you； you bastard。 I stopped you。
He had done exactly what he had set out to do： Simon had no idea who had brought his ambitions to dust。 The silly sod was even demanding Andrew’s help in getting his revenge； a plete about…turn； because when Andrew had first told his parents that he had a job at the delicatessen； Simon had been furious。
‘You stupid little tit。 What about your fucking allergy？’
‘I thought I’d try not eating any of the nuts；’ said Andrew。
‘Don’t get smart with me； Pizza Face。 What if you eat one accidentally； like at St Thomas’s？ D’you think we want to go through that crap again？’
But Ruth had supported Andrew； telling Simon that Andrew was old enough to take care； to know better。 When Simon had left the room； she had tried to tell Andrew that Simon was only worried about him。
‘The only thing he’s