Faintley Speaking (Mrs. Bradley) by Mitchell Gladys

Author:Mitchell, Gladys [Mitchell, Gladys]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2013-12-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Kindleford School

“And the treason, too long pent,

To his ears was evident.

The young deities discuss’d

Laws of form and metre just,

Orb, quintessence, and sunbeams,

What subsisteth and what seems.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson—Uriel

The first person Laura noticed as she entered the school playground was Mark. She had not bargained for this. She would have to teach Mark; she might have to rebuke or even punish him; she would have to forget their previous alliance and the easy and confidential fabric of which it had been built, and, above all, she would have to forget (and, what was much more difficult, see to it that Mark forgot, too) that she and he had been together when she found Miss Faintley’s body.

Slightly to her resentment, it appeared that Miss Golightly had foreseen these complications and was prepared to deal with them in what Laura deemed to be her characteristic fashion.

Laura had acknowledged Mark’s salute and shy grin with a nod, and had gone straight to the head teacher’s room to report that she had arrived and was prepared to begin her duties. Miss Golightly greeted her charmingly, produced the school time-table, explained Laura’s part in it shortly and comprehensibly, showed her a list of school duties which included keeping a milk and dinner list, officiating in the playground during break, taking her turn at dinner duty, supervision of the cloakrooms, the banning of chewing-gum and strip-cartoon papers (for all), facial adornment (for the girls), lethal weapons (for the boys), fountain-pens (for both sexes), and likewise personal bottles of ink. There was also the more debatable matter of gymnastics on the cloakroom bars and pegs, and the shooing off of all children from the school premises when school was over except for such as claimed to be (a) going to the lavatory because they were being put in detention; (b) required for choir practice, dramatic club, games practice or any other recognized out-of-school activity; or (c) waiting (a nuisance this, but unavoidable, it appeared) for the bus to take them to the outlying villages from which they were separated each school day.

“Fun and games, in fact,” commented Laura cheerfully. “All right, Miss Golightly. Fair enough. What a ghastly life kids lead, when one comes to think of it! Harried, chivvied, overruled and put upon! I’m glad I’m as old as I am. How do you feel about it?”

Miss Golightly smiled sourly, but Laura, accustomed to Mrs. Bradley’s leering, intimidating grins, was not impressed. Miss Golightly sensed this, and her smile altered and became amiable.

“I entirely agree with you, Miss Menzies,” she replied.

“Grand! Now, touching a matter of slight embarrassment to himself and me—”

“I shall see Street,” said the headmistress. “You need anticipate no difficulty there. You get his form once a week only. Out of school there will naturally be no contact.”

“Unless the police case calls for it,” said Laura. “That seems to sum things up,” she added brightly. “And now, what about the botany syllabus?”

Miss Golightly opened a drawer and handed over a type-script. Laura glanced at it.

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