Читать книгу The New Abbey Girls - Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley - Страница 4

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“But we thought you were teaching in Oxford last night! You said so at the wedding yesterday!” Joy was remonstrating, as she gave joyful welcome to this, their first teacher at the Cheltenham school, and a friend now of many months—“In spite of the fearful dressing-down we got when she first saw our dancing, that we thought was so awfully good!” as the girls were wont to say mournfully.

“So I was,” Madam said imperturbably. “I had classes all evening. But I thought I’d give you a surprise, and I wanted to see the abbey again. My first visit, at Christmas, was so very short.”

“But we asked you to come, and you said you had to get back to town for classes this morning?”

“They’ve got measles in the school. So they wired me, and I’ve got the morning off. I can’t go back till they’re out of quarantine, of course.”

“No, you go to schools too much. Oh, that’s topping! Can you stop a few days?”

“Schools, or teachers’ classes. Oh, I’ve a town class to-night; three, in fact; and a lecture by the Director afterwards, and I’ve got to sing. But I’ve the morning off, so I came back to give you a shock. I thought you’d let me in.”

“You did it! Several shocks. But it’s topping to have you here.”

“Busy person!” said Jen. “She shall sing to us, to your piano, Joy. She can practise for to-night. ‘Aunt Nancy,’ I suppose?”

“No, not ‘Aunt Nancy!’ English songs to-night,” Madam retorted. “ ‘The Blacksmith,’ if you really want to know, and ‘Dabbling in the Dew.’ ”

“The President would say it was bad taste on their part not to have ‘Aunt Nancy’ and ‘Cocky Robin,’ ” said Joy. “She’s crazy about them.”

“Oh, they’ll have those for encores!” Jen assured her gravely. “She won’t get off with only two!”

Madam laughed. “Are you trying to pretend it’s last Vacation School, or preparing for next?” she asked of Joy.

“Oh, I often fly round like this in mornings. I’ll run you down to Wycombe in Belinda after lunch. If you’ll come with me, that is?”—there was a sudden touch of gravity in Joy’s usually mocking tone.

Madam gave her a quick look. “Will you? I’d love it! The woods are glorious! But my bag’s down at the station. I walked up through the woods, by the beech path.”

“We’ll pick it up as we go. I thought maybe you’d rather not, knowing I nearly killed Jenny-Wren!”

“She’s fearfully careful now,” Jen said anxiously. “I can’t get her to put on any speed at all. It’s hideously dull! We only crashed that time because we were all talking and laughing, Dick and Jack and the rest. ’Twasn’t her fault more than anybody else’s.”

“Oh, yes, it was! Everybody’s been awfully decent about it, but I know perfectly well how it happened, and I haven’t forgotten,” Joy said sombrely.

“I’d love to be whirled down to Wycombe, instead of going all the way round by train,” Madam said warmly.

“You’re a sport! I won’t smash you up, honestly. I know I’d have to reckon with somebody if I did!”

“Where is he, by the way? What have you done with him? You had a funny husband yesterday!” Jen said reproachfully. “Oh, did you see him, in the garden, after Joan had gone?”

“I was trying not to look,” Madam said seriously, but with amused eyes. “He wanted to play singing games on the lawn, didn’t he? Oh, he went back to town last night. We didn’t know to-day was to be a holiday, or I might have let him stay. He has heaps of work on hand, so we parted at the station, and he went home to get on with it.”

“He nearly killed me in ‘Haste to the Wedding,’ ” Joy said reminiscently. “He and you ought to be sued for dancing to the public danger. I’m sure it’s against the bye-laws. Anything wilder than you two when it comes to ‘Partners swing and change,’ I never saw. It’s absolutely dangerous.”

“He tries to take me off my feet. But he can’t do it because I lean back. You’re quite safe if you lean well back. It was a jolly dance!” Madam said yearningly.

“I shouldn’t have thought he could ever pull you over,” Jen remarked.

“Oh, you don’t know! He’s strong. I have to lean very well back!” Madam laughed. “He’ll be wild when he hears I’ve been here again without him. He’s simply dying for another look at your old books; he wants to spend hours examining them. You’d have to search him when he was going away, though; I wouldn’t answer for him where early manuscripts are concerned. When are you coming to town to see his book? He’s doing one, just like yours, you know.”

They were crossing the garth towards the refectory; and Jen, with Joan in her mind, stood back and watched, for Joan still held that no one could walk or run quite like Madam, whether in a blue tunic or, as now, in a swinging gray cloak and short skirt and soft comfortable hat. Then she dashed after them, and caught them at the top of the dark winding stair.

“What do you mean? Nobody could make a book like these now,” Joy argued, as they stood in the refectory by the big cases which held the manuscripts discovered in the secret chamber under the abbey.

“He could. He’s doing one. You must come and see it. Of course, it will take years to finish it. I’d like you to see it. It’s really rather good.” Madam was turning over the leaves of a missal with careful fingers but critical eyes, her studiously-offhand tone holding only the faintest suggestion of pride in her husband’s beautiful work. “He’s been at it for years already. He’s doing the whole thing, of course, the lettering as well as the borders and the designs and the illuminating.”

“Just like an old monk in a monastery?” Jen marvelled. “I knew he was an artist, but I didn’t know just what he did. But nobody has time for that kind of work nowadays!”

“Beautiful work for its own sake? Not many, perhaps; but I seem to have found one who cares to do it. I’d like him to show you his book. It’s going to be shown at an exhibition soon, but if you come in time you shall have a private view.”

“Oh, we’ll come!” Joy said warmly. “I’m going up to town one day soon! And you’ll show us your flat? Cicely raves about it. She’s told us oceans about the day she went to see you.”

“She didn’t see The Book.” Madam spoke in solemn capitals. “It was away on loan. Oh, I’ll give you tea! Just let me know when you’re coming. I’m out a great deal, you know.”

“Would you consider me a fit and proper guardian for an infant of fourteen, to set it a good example and bring it up in the way it should go?” Joy asked suddenly, while they were still poring over the beautiful old illuminated sheets.

“The very last person in the world I should choose. Why?” Madam asked absently, intent on a fourteenth-century book of prayers.

“You always were crushing!” Joy wailed. “D’you remember, Jen?—‘You’re all wrong, you four! You’re wrong every single time!’—and then she hurled herself off the form and came flying across the room at us, end we stared at her, open-mouthed and blank and terrified.”

“Nonsense! You were never terrified, not one of you, for a single second!” Madam retorted swiftly. “You simply thought how funny I was. I saw that well enough. But you were wrong; dreadfully wrong!”

“Of course we were! We haven’t stopped being grateful to you yet for pulling us up so suddenly.” Jen was sitting on the table among the priceless manuscripts, swinging her legs. “And we were so frightfully pleased with ourselves; that was why it was so funny. But you didn’t paralyse us; we just loved it—and you, from the first. How the President went on when we got home that night! She and Newcastle talked about you till after midnight. But you do paralyse some people, you know.”

“I know. I can’t think why,” Madam said pensively. “There’s a fearful story, that’s never been forgotten against me, of some one finding two people shivering out in the passage, terrified to go into their class; and when they opened the door, it was my room. I’ve never been allowed to forget it. But who is the infant you want to be guardian to?” to Joy. “I’m not so sure; perhaps I’m wrong. I haven’t seen very much of you lately,” and she gave her a keen, thoughtful look.

“Oh, I quite agree with you! It’s just how I feel myself. And I don’t want to do it a scrap. But I’ve been asked to take on the job, and well, when you can do a thing, you feel such a rotter if you say you won’t.”

“It would be a great chance for the child, of course. But it would mean some responsibility for you,” Madam said thoughtfully, when she understood the position. “You could hardly leave her here on Mrs. Shirley’s hands continually, if you wanted to come up to town for classes, as you spoke of doing.”

“No, it wouldn’t be quite playing the game towards aunty. She isn’t at all strong. It all needs some thinking about—Help! What on earth is it?”

“Oh, you little wretch! How you made us jump!” Jen cried wrathfully, as a small figure fell rather than climbed down from the high niche which had once been the pulpit, or seat of the lay brother who read aloud during meal times to the assembled monks.

“Is this your new ward?” and Madam, having recovered from the shock, turned to look curiously at the dishevelled little figure, dusty and untidy, with big black eyes and a cloud of wild black hair.

“No, it’s the novelette girl!” Jen was beginning shrilly, when she was interrupted.

“The bell’s gone! You didn’t hear, you were talking so hard! They’ll be up here in a minute; they always come here first. Visitor-people, to see the abbey. Aren’t you going to hide?”—to Joy. “You always do, when people come. But I don’t believe you’ve time, unless aunty keeps them at the gate. I’ll go”—and she whirled past them and down the winding stair in the wall.

“Gracious! It is after twelve! Then we can’t say anything! We shall jolly well be caught this time!” Joy groaned, glancing hurriedly at her wristwatch.

“Oh, couldn’t we hide, as the child suggested?” Madam laughed. “Where do you generally go? Perhaps she’ll keep them at bay for a moment. I’m game; but where? I want to see your underground passages again. Couldn’t we——?”

“Through the chapter-house!” Jen laughed. “We’ll go home by Underground, Joy!”

“Come on!” said Madam, eager as a schoolgirl for a joke or a new experience. “Joy, as mistress of everything and head over all, you simply must not be seen running about in a tunic at this time of day! Lead the way, Jenny-Wren!”

“I suppose it isn’t quite the thing! It’s not usual, anyway. Come on, then, if you’re sure you don’t mind!” and they all three followed the tempestuous small girl down the narrow stair.

“Don’t fall and twist your ankle! Not you!” Jen warned Madam. “It’s awful to have to sit out and watch other people dance! You wouldn’t like it at all. The steps are frightfully uneven. There! That’s safe!”

They could not have crossed the garth unseen. Already Ann’s voice could be heard, “reciting dates,” as Jen murmured, to the tourists. But it only took a second for them all to slip into the chapter-house, which stood at right angles to the refectory. Joy, delighting in the freedom of her costume, took a flying vault through the low window at the inner end, and Jen followed as swiftly and easily. They both turned to give their hands to their guest, but found her already on the sill; she took Jen’s hand and sprang lightly down, and they all vanished into the tunnel of the secret passage, through the old carved door.

“I’d forgotten your flying leaps on to forms and chairs!” Joy laughed. “I was going to apologise for asking you to climb through windows, but perhaps I needn’t.”

“Oh, don’t trouble! But you abbey people are so unexpected!” and Madam paused on the steps to laugh. “I might have known I’d be in for something unusual when I came here! Have we a light? Or do we sit in the dark? I suppose you’ll have to shut the door?”

“I keep a torch in a hidie-hole, for fear of accidents,” and Joy burrowed in the dark, and flashed on an electric torch, while Jen closed the outer door. “It’s not the first time I’ve taken cover here! I’m not keen on tourists. Do you want to see the crypt and the well again? Or shall we go straight home to lunch?”

“Oh, I think we might just have a minute down there. I’d like to see the abbot’s tomb again.”

“Right-o! I do know a little about this, if Joan left anything out when you came before,” and Joy led the way down the steps.