Ivy Compton-Burnett - Two Worlds and Their Ways

This was hardly a correct estimate of Maria’s feeling, as she showed on her return from speeding her daughter’s guests.

“How exhausting half-grown creatures are!” she said, smiling at the boys as creatures wholly ungrown. “You do not know whether they are going to talk as women or children; and it is always one or the other, and never the thing they are. But they are all very nice, Clemence, my dear. And how much they seem to like you! You went a long way in the time. People cannot say now that you have no friends. Which of them do you like the best?”

“Well, I was only with them for one term,” said Clemence, while Lesbia smiled to herself over the fleeting experience. “And we were always together, so that it was difficult to know them separately. I think perhaps Gwendolen, though she was not as clever as the others, or was supposed not to be.”

“The happy one who was going to cry in the train?” said Sir Roderick. “I suppose she is up and down.”

“I like the tall one,” said Holland.

“Verity. She is a handsome girl,” said Maria. “But how advanced for her age! She seems to be missing her childhood.”

“The one in the grey dress seemed an interesting type,” said Miss Petticott. “I was struck by her conversation. Maud I think was the name.”

“She was struck by it herself,” said Bacon. “I thought at first she was a mistress.”

“Did you think they were all mistresses?” said Sir Roderick to Sturgeon.

“No. Two of them I knew were not.”

“They did not worry you much,” said Maria. “I suppose they found you too young.”

“They did not find us anything,” said Bacon, grinning. “They took no steps to do so.”

“You did not manage much of an approach yourselves,” said Sir Roderick.

“It was not for us to make the advance,” said Holland.

“Did you admire them?”

“No,” said Bacon.

“I did,” said Holland.

“And so did I,” said his host. “As pretty a group as could be wanted by man or boy. I cannot imagine Lesbia lording it over them. I mean, I cannot picture you ordering them here and there and everywhere, Lesbia.”

“Is that what I did, Clemence?” said Lesbia, hardly moving her head.

“No,” said Clemence, smiling. “You believed in self-government.”

“You rascal! You saw the whole thing with a twinkle in your eye,” said Sir Roderick, feeling that this disposed of any idea of his daughter’s losing by the change in her life.

“Clemence has a keen sense of humour,” said Miss Petticott. “I confess I kept on thinking of things she had told me, while her guests were here. I hope I did not betray myself.”

Lesbia’s eyes rested on Miss Petticott.

“No, no, Miss Petticoat. You talked to the two who did not matter,” said Sir Roderick. “Who did not mind, I should say. And here is Miss James still with us. She would always be kind, I am sure. I hope she need not leave us just yet. Would you like to look after girls instead of boys, Miss James?”

“Well, boys are my speciality, Sir Roderick. We matrons are specialists as much as anyone else. And the matron in a boys’ school has a rather unique position. Her being the only woman on the staff throws her into several kinds of prominence. In a girls’ school she tends to become a mere character for attending on people.”

“Is Miss Tuke that? I thought she was nice,” said Bacon.

“And so she was,” said Miss James. “You are quite right to think so, and to say what you think. She may be in danger of becoming rather too nice. That is what I meant.”

“I should have thought you might be too,” said Bacon.

“Oh, ah, Miss James, you are given away,” said Sir Roderick. “You are betrayed by the hand that fed you, by one of those whom your hand has fed. I do not doubt that he is right. There is more give than take in your life, I am sure.”

“Well, that position may have its own privileges, Sir Roderick. Indeed, it may itself constitute a privilege. And my life, as I have said, includes those of another kind.”

“I am sure of it, Miss James. And quite right too. It would be very wrong if it did not. I hope Miss Tuke has a fair deal, I am sure.”

“I did not mean to imply that she had not, Sir Roderick. Unfairness did not come into my mind. I was only making a sort of generalisation, a thing that perhaps one should not do, as it may result in a false impression.”

“We are too ready to deduce the particular from the general.”

“Exactly, Sir Roderick. Those would be my very words.”

“But they were not,” murmured Bacon.

“You make me feel that Sefton must be dull without you all,” said Maria. “Do you think his life is a dreary one?”

“No,” said Sturgeon, seeing it as consisting of days like the present one. “But it could not always be a holiday.”

“Every day at home would be a half-holiday at school,” said Sefton.

“The hours at school are too long,” said his father.

“Yes, they are,” said Bacon.

“You would learn more in shorter ones. Or you would learn as much.”

“No, we should learn less. But we should like it better. People do not so much like to learn.”

“I cannot think how your parents can part with you all,” said Maria.

“It is for our good,” said Holland. “They have to make the sacrifice.”

“And you are grateful to them?”

“Yes,” said three voices on a dutiful note.

“And are they grateful to you for being such good boys?”

“No,” said Bacon, opening his eyes.

“You do not have much trouble, do you, Miss James?” said Sir Roderick. “And the credit for that is largely yours, I am sure.”

“Well, things are not always quite as the moment may suggest. There are two sides to every picture, and more than that to the nature of boys.”

“And if anyone knows all sides of it, you do.”

“Well, I have got to the stage when they seem to repeat themselves, and that probably shows that my knowledge is pretty complete.”

“What would you all do without Miss James?” said Sir Roderick, with a faint note of reproach.

“Even the masters could not do without her,” said Sturgeon.

“Do you think I am wrong to take Sefton away from school, Miss James?” said Maria.

“Yes, in the sense of mistaken, Lady Shelley.”

“My wife acts first, and asks advice afterwards,” said Sir Roderick. “What she wants is support of her own opinion, and she cannot always have it.”

“I am afraid I am rather an uncompromising person to face with a straight question, Sir Roderick. I am likely to give a straight answer. I think that shows more respect for the person who asks it. People are apt to say the right thing, to feel they can do nothing, and may as well present themselves in a welcome light. But I do not claim to be a person who oils the wheels of the world. It might be better if I were; I make no claim.”

“Does she make none?” said Bacon.

“Ah, you are a brave girl, my dear,” said Mr. Firebrace, in an automatic manner.

The boys met each other’s eyes.

“She cannot help what the old man said,” said Bacon.

There was a sound of people’s entering the house, and Oliver came into the room accompanied by Mr. Spode.

“Why, Mr. Spode, this is a pleasure indeed,” said Sir Roderick. “We hardly felt we could hope for it.”

“Why, my boy, my boy,” said Mr. Firebrace, rising and advancing with outstretched hands.

“I have come to conduct our party home. Cassidy felt that Miss James should have an escort. It came to him after she had gone.”

“Well, her companions are young to be seen in that light,” said Sir Roderick.

“The dusk is gathering,” said Mr. Spode on his deeper note.