Fortunes of the Heart by Jenny Telfer Chaplin Page B

display at Kelvingrove Park.
    Again that silence.
    “Just one proviso: we leave Hannah with Granny Gorbals . ‘ Twould be too much for
the poor child, what with the crowds, the noise, and the bustle. We do that ...
and yes, I think such a visit would indeed be feasible.”
    The girls looked at each other in disbelief, clapped a hand
to mouth and ended by flinging their arms wide and hugging each other.
    Daniel got to his feet, walked around the table, and shook
Dadda by the hand.

 

 
 
    Chapter
18

 
    The summer was going on and as yet, Dadda had not fulfilled
his promise to take the family to Kelvingrove Park,
there to see the wonders of the Exhibition. True, he had been on the point of
going towards the end of May, but then the weather had broken and there were
fierce storms, and he decided to leave it until a later date. What further
strengthened his resolve was that there had been reports of a number of leaks
in the Exhibition’s main roof and he decided in his unassailable wisdom that
this would be harmful to Wee Isabella’s somewhat delicate constitution. To
drive home the point, he had even brought back from the Fruit Market a cutting
from one of the newspapers. Under a report of the problems of the leaking roof,
there was a cartoon picture of some Glasgow street urchins standing in front of
the White Windsor display of soap carvings of such notables as Queen Victoria
herself, the Prince Consort, Burns, Scott, and Livingstone. The aptly-worded
caption read: THE GREAT UNWASHED get a free tub at the Exhibition during a
thunderstorm.’
    Pearce nodded his head sagely.
    “I have already said we will go, and go we shall. But we’ll
wait until there are no more leaks in the roof or until the weather improves.
Whichever is first.”
    And there the matter had rested, with no amount of cajoling,
coaxing or ever tears of any avail in making Dadda change his mind.
    By the time that the month of August was drawing to a close,
the sun was again shining from a cloudless blue sky. Not only that, but on the
22nd of August, the streets of Glasgow were ablaze with colour of a different
variety. From the topmost of every building, from each Civic office hung flags
and bunting. In short, Glasgow itself was decorated to the hilt. Further, it
was being said that not only had there been a flurry of repainting and an
additional ornate porch added to the Main Building of the Exhibition, but also the
statue of Robert Burns had been removed from the Grand Hall, there to make way
for an impressive, blue bedecked throne.
    “Yes, it’s true, Isabella,” Daniel said. “The Queen herself
is coming to Glasgow – and this very day.”
    Isabella clapped her hands in delight, and this action was
soon copied by Hannah, for whom movement and laughter of any kind was always a
delight.
    Daniel ruffled Hannah’s coarse black hair affectionately as
he passed her go-chair. Then, looking up at Mammy, with head cocked on side, he
said in his quiet, thoughtful way: “Mammy. There’s far more flags and
excitement in the streets now for the Queen’s visit than there was for the
opening day itself when the Prince and Princess of Wales came. Why do you think
that should be?”
    Kate raised her head from the pile of freshly ironed clothes
which she was about to hang up to air on the overhead wooden pulley. Glad of a
break from her over-warm task, she sank with a sigh into the nearest chair.
    “You’re perfectly right, Daniel. People hereabouts are much
more impressed. at the prospect of this visit. Of course, many a one thought
she should have made an effort and opened it herself. But there’s another
reason ...”
    Danny’s face posed the question and Kate went on: “Well, the
truth of the matter is this: Her Majesty has only once been in Glasgow, close
on forty years ago, if I understand it right. Seems she hated the grim, grey
skies, was appalled at the state of our slums, and said that she disliked the
City of Glasgow so much that she