St. Peter's Finger by Gladys Mitchell

Author:Gladys Mitchell [Mitchell, Gladys]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780312001926
Google: nL7lHAAACAAJ
Publisher: Sphere
Published: 1972-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

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chapter 14

hobbies

“The ever-flourishing and fruitful soil

Unpurchased food produced: all creatures were

His subjects, serving more for love than fear.”

george sandys: Deo Opt. Max.

« ^ »

Mother patrick was grafting fruit-trees. It was the Saturday half-holiday for the private-school children, and the day, although dull, was calm and not cold. She descended the ladder when she saw Mrs. Bradley, and waved her grafting knife.

“Go and find me two sensible children, dear,” she said. Feeling rather like a sensible child herself, Mrs. Bradley grinned amiably and walked towards the school. But no children, sensible or otherwise (and, in any case, how she was to pick out the one kind from the other, since she could neither see with Mother Patrick’s eyes nor think with her mind, she did not know), were anywhere to be seen. At last, in a corner of the vestibule, she found a child, who, challenged, said that her name was Mary Maslin. Mary Maslin was crying.

“I beg your pardon,” said Mrs. Bradley formally, “but I have been asked by Mother Patrick to find her two sensible children. Can it be that you are a sensible child? For, if so, half my task is accomplished.”

“But I don’t want to help Mother Patrick. I don’t want to help anybody,” said Mary Maslin, through sobs. Mrs. Bradley sat down beside her on a bench which covered school boot-holes, and observed that it was not a very nice day for anybody to be out of doors.

“It isn’t that,” said Mary, obviously in need of a confidante. “It’s because my mother’s come back here to take me away.”

“To take you away from school?”

“Yes. She’s going to let me have a private governess, and perhaps I’m to go to New York. But I don’t want a private governess. I want to stay here with the girls.”

“It certainly seems rather trying,” Mrs. Bradley agreed, “to be obliged to leave school in the middle of term like this.”

“All because of what happened to Ursula,” Mary observed without reticence. “It’s so stupid. As if I should do a dreadful thing like that! They know quite well I shouldn’t!”

“Of course not. But I can understand your mother’s feelings.”

“She wants Ulrica to come away, too. She wants to have her stay with me, and for us to share the governess. And I don’t want that! I don’t like Ulrica much. She’s clever and I’m not, and I’m glad I’m not. I’d hate to be clever and horrible, and I don’t want her anywhere near me! I suppose I can’t say so to mother, but Ulrica scares me. I don’t feel comfortable with her.”

“But you don’t feel comfortable at all,” Mrs. Bradley pointed out. “Look here, Mary, I think I can make you a promise. I will speak to your mother, and although I shall not be able to prevent her from taking you away from the school—in fact, it’s just as well that you should go—a change will do you good— I certainly will see to it that Ulrica doesn’t go with you.

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