Parson's Nine by Noel Streatfeild

Author:Noel Streatfeild
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2018-07-25T13:33:20+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The beginning of the holidays found only the younger children at home. Esdras was in camp with the Territorials, Tobit with the school O.T.C., and Esther away staying with relations. Round the Vicarage buzzed endless talk of war. David, Catherine and Miss Crosby, trying to discuss the problem levelly, running to each other with every scrap of news. The children, interested at the end of July, were bored with war talk by the fourth of August, especially as the strain of waiting for news, and the feeling of tenseness stretching almost visibly over the country, made the grown-ups short-tempered, with an inclination to snub what appeared to them foolish questions in this time of crisis. David especially found his nerves rubbed raw, torn as he was between his cloth and his breeding: cloth that preached the doctrine, “Love one another,” and breeding which cried with equal fervour, “Frustrate their knavish tricks.”

At luncheon on the fourth they were talking of the mobilization orders, Sir Edward Grey’s speech, and yesterday’s meeting of bankers, when Manasses said suddenly:

“Suppose we fight the Germans, and they take us, what difference is it going to make to us?”

There was a pause. David went white with temper.

“Go to your room,” he said, controlling himself with difficulty, “and try not to talk like a fool.”

Catherine felt that, all things considered, the children would be better out of the house. She saw an especially nice tea packed for them, and sent them off, together with Samson, with directions to stay out as long as they liked. They didn’t walk far, for the day was hot, and the tea-basket heavy, but at the first suitable spot camped, and settled down to the proper building of a fire. After tea, lying round its ashes, Manasses, who was still smarting from David’s words, and completely puzzled at what appeared to him utterly illogical grown-up bad temper, reverted to his question:

“What difference would it make to us if the Germans took us? Why was Daddy so cross when I asked him?”

They tried to look superior, and each put on an “every fool knows that” expression, until Sirach, feeling something more was required, said:

“It’s because the Germans aren’t Church of England, and he’s afraid if they took us they’d make him give up being one, and be what they are.”

“What are they?”

“Roman Catholics, I suppose. All foreigners are.”

Baruch giggled.

“Daddy wouldn’t like that; he’d have to kiss the Pope’s toe.”

Susanna picked up a handful of ashes and made a small castle.

“If the Germans took us, would the Kaiser rule us instead of the King?” she asked.

“I suppose so,” Sirach agreed. “But they aren’t going to take us. How could they with our Navy?”

“What’s more,” Maccabeus broke in truculently, “if there is a war we’ll take them.”

“What’ll we do with them if we do?” asked Manasses.

They all looked expectantly at Sirach.

“Make them work for us,” he said, after thought.

Baruch sat up, surprised.

“What, for nothing, you mean? Like slaves?”

“England never has slaves, silly, but I expect we’d make them work for us.

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