Sister of the Housemaster (16 page)

When they entered the living-room, Arnold looked up to greet them cheerily, but, on second thoughts, he did not speak. There was a grimness about the two of them that would not welcome c
h
eeriness. They almost looked as if they had been quarrelling, so he held
his
peace. Sylvia looked from one to the other, also made her deductions, and, for once, decided that she would not comment either. If they had found somet
hing
to quarrel a
bo
ut, that did
n
ot displease her
.

CHAPTER EIGHT

EASTER holidays had come to an end, and
l
ife was flowing back into the old buildings of the school. The scene of the last day of term was now reversed. Boys strolled in through the wide gates, instead of hurrying out, with coats over their arms, squash or tennis rackets in their hands, greeting their friends, finding out where they were in the studies and dormitories. The courtyards and the big quadrangle were full of cars, from which parents were unstrapping trunks and hoys unloading tuck boxes. Arnold sat in
his
study, interviewing parents of new boys, or discussing the problems of older boys. This was a busy day for him. Later, there would be the procession of boys themselves, bringing their health certificates and other things; and he would have a word for each one, to show that each had a personality for him, was a real entity. Certainly the quiet, which he had said was a thing to wonder at, was already completely vanished, and would not return for a long time. The clatter of feet was back again, the chatter and the shouting and the laughter. New boys, young and lost, immaculate in the new school clothes, observing the rules even to the extent of wearing the wide straw hats, lived through the eternity of the first few hours at a new school, those agonizing hours when one had no friends, that seemed as if they would never end, of which the memory would never be quite erased. Yet their sharp edge was blunted the moment an older boy spoke to a new boy, saying:
“
Hullo, you
’
re new, aren
’
t you? Do you know your way about yet?
”
Or even when one of the young giants of the school, the gentlemen of the upper sixth, said:
“
Are you new? Would you like to be my fag?
”

Ingrid was delighted with the crowded, bustling scene. She had already been very busy, helping Nora Everton prepare for the invasion, and now she greeted the boys she knew with friendliness and pleasure. She had been feeling rather depressed and lonely. She had felt that this absence from her work was stretching itself out too far. A restlessness had seized her, and she was glad to help Nora and have plenty to do. She was also looking forward to Laurence
’
s return, for she had, after all, seen very little of him during the latter part of the holidays. Sylvia had insisted that she could not spare her. And Ingrid was realizing just how much of the pleasure of the Lent term had been due to Laurence
’
s companionship. She expected that when he returned this strange feeling of frustration inside her would disappear.

She was a little late taking tea to Sylvia.

“
I
’
m sorry, Sylvia,
”
she said.
“
I hope you didn
’
t mind. I was helping Nora, and didn
’
t realize what time it was.
”

“
I simply can
’
t see why you should help at all. You
’
re not employed by the school. Nora Everton i
s
the matron
—
let her do the work.
”

“
Well, she is very busy and I like helping. It
’
s rather fun.
”

“
It isn
’
t fun,
”
said Sylvia,
“
to know that you can
’
t even make a cup of tea for yourself
—
that you can
’
t have a cup of tea until somebody else comes to do it for you.
”

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
said Ingrid.
“
I know it
’
s rotten for you. Perhaps it won
’
t be long before you are better, and can do things for yourself.
”

“
Oh, I know how much you are looking forward to that day,
”
said Sylvia bitterly.

“
Well, aren
’
t you?
”
asked Ingrid.

“
Of course I am,
”
replied Sylvia irritably, bat she was, in truth, wondering if she would like it. She had gro
wn
accustomed to being waited on, and she rather enjoyed it. She would be glad to go out again, glad to visit her friends, instead of always receiving their visits
here, but she would not be at all pleased to take up the reins of housekeeping again, to take on the daily round, the common task.

Ingrid was in the main hall a little later,
w
ith Nora, who was detailing boys to help others with their trunks. The usually tidy hall was a mass of luggage and boxes, labelled with the names of places far and near, from Felixstowe to Funchal, Manchester to Milan, Abroath to Arosa. It amused Ingrid to picture the large web of which this school was the center, to imagine the innumerable lines bringing in the boys from such w
i
dely scattered places.

As she and Nora sorted out the luggage, (
“
You are in C Dormitory, Smith Three
”
, or
“
In the Lower Study, Ke
rn
ey
”
) Laurence came in by the tall, double doors, and greeted the two girls formally, as the presence of the boys required.

“
I have some good news,
”
he said to them.
“
Where can we go, so that I can tell you?
”

“
Come up to my room,
”
said Miss Everton.
“
I’
ve earned a cup of tea, and I
’
m sure you and Ingrid have.
”

“
I had one w
i
th Sylvia,
”
said Ingrid.

“
Then have another.
”

They made their way up the narrow, spiral staircase that led to a few studies and Miss Everton
’
s sitting-room, having delighted a school monitor to sort out luggage. Miss Everton put on the kettle, while Ingrid arranged cups.

“
Well, what is the good news?
”
asked Miss Everton.

“
Mr. Leonards has taken up a post in Canada, and the Head has released him, so that he won
’
t be here this term.
”

“
Why
is that good?
”
Miss Everton wanted to know.
“
He was a nice man
—
we all liked him.
”

“
I know,
”
said Ingrid.
“
He was a Housemaster
—
and that means there has to be a new one.
”

“
Oh, of course,
”
said Miss Everton.

They both looked at Laurence, and he nodded his head, smiling at them.

“
Yes,
”
he said.
“
Housemaster of Paul
’
s. The Head got in touch with me during the holidays, and now it is settled.
”

“
There will be some heartburning,
”
said Miss Everton.
“
A lot of people will think they should have been chosen, but I do congratulate you, Laurence. It
’
s wonderful to have a Housemastership when you are still young.
”

“I
quite realize,
”
said Laurence,
“
that it is
a
stroke of pure luck. If the Head had had more time to think about it, I don
’
t imagine it would
have
come my way. It was the fact that it all
h
appened rather suddenly and unexpectedly that made him look round near home, and light on
me.
”

“
I
’
m sure it was more than that,
”
said Ingrid.
“
After all, Laurence, you are too modest
—
you
hav
e such good qualifications, both scholastic and sporting.
”

“
Well, I hope it was a little more than just luck; but of course, I do realize, as Nora says, that there will be many people who won
’
t like it. I shall have to tread very carefully, and settle in slowly.
”

They discussed this piece of good news until Miss Everton said she had better run down and see how the muddle was sorting itself out. As soon as she had left the room, Laurence crossed to Ingrid
’
s side and sat down near to her.

“
Ingrid,
”
he said,
“
you do realize how marvellous this is as far as we are concerned?
”

She looked at him smilingly, shaking her head a little.

Laurence went on:

“
I get a better salary, of course. That is one thing. But the real thing is that it means I am getting on
—
I
’
m not going to be the poor fellow who stops in a rut and just can
’
t get out of it
...
And another satisfactory point. As Housemaster, I could quite possibly have a flat fixed up in my House. Nothing like Arnold
’
s, of course. Arnold has been here a long time, and is absolutely invaluable to the school, and has a privileged position which nobody would dream of denying him. I shall be small beer compared with Arnold, I know that
.
But I
’
m on my way, Ingrid, and with a better salary and a place to live in, I can even think of getting married.
”

“
I thought you had already started thinking of that,
”
she said teasingly.

“
I think of it a great deal,
”
he said quite seriously,
“
and I hope you do, too, Ingrid.
”

“
You know what we arranged. We said we would wait, so that both of us could get on with our work.
”

“
I know, but circumstances have changed. Oh, I know that you want to do your job
—
I shouldn
’
t have the effrontery to suggest that you should give it up very soon; but, darling, we could be engaged, couldn
’
t we?
”

“
Too fast, Laurence, too fast. You haven
’
t forgotten that I
’
m not really in love with you
?
”

“
Not really in love, you say. That means you are a little in love with me; and we get on so well, Ingrid. Do let us be engaged. Give it a trial.
”

“
Oh no. I would want to be sure
—
not to have to take things on trial. But you know, Laurence, that I think of it very much. Perhaps, later
...
I don
’
t know, I should want to be sure of my love for you. Let
’
s wait a little. But I
’
m so happy about your success
—
it
’
s wonderful
—
and I do see that it makes a lot of difference for you
—
you have so much to
o
ffer now.
”

“
I hope I can satisfy the Head. I realize that it
’
s a period of probation for me
—
he will have an eye on me.
”

“
I’m
sure you
’
ll do that. I think you
’
ll be a good Housemaster.
”

“
I shan
’
t be if I stay here talking to you. There is a lot to do, and I must go. I waited until the last of the parents had gone, and then had to run over and tell you. But think the whole thing over, Ingrid.
”

“
Of course I will,
”
she promised. She accompanied him to the hall, which was regaining its usual composure, and went on to Arnold
’
s part of the House to prepare supper.

She was extremely pleased to hear of Laurence
’
s good fortune, and for him, she was happy. For herself, it did not seem to make very much difference, and she wondered why. If she had been in the least in love with Laurence, surely she would have delighted in this news for their future together. She had been delighted to see him back, because they were such good companions, because be made the whole life at school here more interesting and pleasurable. Yet this latest news, instead of increasing her delight, seemed, unaccountably, to have lessened it. The knot of frustration inside her had not disappeared. Something made her restless and dissatisfied.

Searching for the reason, she decided that it must be the long, enforced absence from her work. She wished wholeheartedly that she could get back to it. She knew that if she mentioned it to Arnold, as she had once assured him that she would at once worry about her and become anxious about keeping her; and the beginning of term, when he had plenty to do, was no
time
to add to his problems. Ingrid also decided that it was not possible to speak to Sylvia herself about finding another person to come and take over the running of this household. Once Sylvia had the idea that Ingrid wanted to be away, she would never cease reproaching her.

She decided that she would speak, in strictest confidence, to Sylvia
’
s doctor, and, after one his visits, she went with him through the hall and out into the quadrangle.

She
explained her position to him and he gave her very sympathetic attention.