"Mr Tanner was anxious to explain how it was that he had a lawyer in the family, so chat when they all decided to sell up and quit New Zealand there had been someone they could absolutely trust with the legal business. That meant that he had to say something about his grandfather, who had been an orphan from Stamford in Lincolnshire and was sent out to a well-to-do family north of Auckland, supposedly as an apprentice, but it turned out that he was to be more or less of a servant."
This quote reveals Mr. Tanner's desire to explain the origins of the lawyer in his family, and the role that this person played in helping them sell up and leave New Zealand. The mention of being anxious to explain and the use of chat suggest a conversational tone and a desire to connect with others. The reference to his grandfather's background as an orphan and his experience as an apprentice shows the challenges and hardships that he faced. The mention of a well-to-do family north of Auckland and the revelation that he was more or less a servant suggests the ways in which class and social status can shape opportunities and experiences.
"He added that they would need rock salt, so Tanner drove back into the town once more to buy the rock salt and a sack of millet. By the time he got to Hiruharama the dark clear night sky was pressing in on every side. I ought to have taken you with me, he told Kitty. She said she had been all right. He hadn't, though, he'd been worried. You mean you've forgotten something at the stores, said Kiny. Tanner went out to the dray and fetched the pigeons, still shifting about and conferring quietly in their wicker basket."
This quote illustrates the practicalities and challenges of daily life in a rural setting. The mention of rock salt and millet suggests a focus on basic needs and sustenance. The reference to the dark clear night sky and the sense of it pressing in on every side shows a sense of isolation and vulnerability. The conversation between Tanner, Kitty, and Kiny reveals a sense of concern and worry, and the mention of the pigeons in the wicker basket suggests a connection to nature and animals.
"The doctor drove up bringing with him his wife's widowed sister, who lived with them and was a nurse, or had been a nurse. Tanner came out of the bedroom covered with blood, something like a butcher. He told the doctor he'd managed to deliver the child, a girl, in fact, he'd wrapped it in a towel and tucked it up in the washbasket. The doctor took him back into the bedroom and made him sit down. The nurse put down the things she'd brought with her and looked around for the tea-tin. Brinkman sat there, as solid as his chair."
This quote reveals the intensity and urgency of a medical emergency, as well as the ways in which different people respond in different ways. The mention of the doctor and the nurse suggests a professional approach to the situation, while the reference to Tanner being covered in blood and the comparison to a butcher shows the situation's impact on him. The description of the child wrapped in a towel and tucked in the washbasket suggests a sense of care and concern. The mention of the nurse looking for the tea-tin and Brinkman sitting solidly in his chair reveals different ways of coping with the situation.
