[102]Aunt Carrie herself was big, and bustling10, and overbearing, with well-cut features, a high colour, and a determined11 voice. She is described first, because she was so decidedly the head of the family. Uncle Barton only came in second. He was a gentle, pleasant little man, with kindly12 wrinkles round his eyes, and a habit of whistling under his breath when things grew stormy at home. In early days of matrimony he made a struggle for his own way, but abandoned it later in favour of a peace-at-any-price policy. He was a town councillor, and vicar's warden13 at the parish church, as well as a special constable14. In his spare time he lived for golf. Lindon, his only son, was exactly like him, even to the habit of whistling and the propensity15 for golf. With Lindon, however, shells at the present were doing the whistling, and the trenches16 took the place of bunkers. His photograph in khaki stood in a silver frame on the drawing-room mantelpiece.
The three girls—Elsie, Betty, and Vivien—were shaded varieties of their mother. When Lorraine counted up her blessings17, she always placed Rosemary and Monica as special items. She did not get on with her cousins.
"I like Uncle Barton and Lindon," she decided. "You never hear them say a nasty thing about anybody. It's the girls who pick holes in everyone and everything."
The attitude of the female portion of the family at The Firs was fiercely critical. It might be amusing to themselves, but it was uncomfortable [103]for other people. Lorraine, visiting there in a new dress, literally18 squirmed when she felt eyes of inspection19 directed upon it. It was the same with accomplishments20. Both she and Rosemary dreaded21 to play or sing at The Firs. The chilly22 "Thank you!" at the end of the performance hurt more than brickbats. The Barton Forresters were always urging on the George Forresters. They started on the assumption that, as a family, they were more clever, capable, and up-to-date, and therefore in a position to give good advice. Elsie, recently engaged to a naval23 officer, considered that she had scored over Rosemary, who was six months older and still unappropriated. Betty rubbed in her indispensable work at the Red Cross Hospital with comments on those slackers who shirked giving their fair share of help. Vivien's sharp tongue was Lorraine's chief thorn in the flesh at The Gables.
The fact that Vivien was her cousin made things extremely difficult for Lorraine. She could have done battle royal with a stranger, and fought things out in the lists at school and have finished with them. But to quarrel with Vivien was another matter. It meant also quarrelling with Aunt Carrie, Elsie, and Betty, who would take affairs to the tribunal of Pendlehurst and raise a domestic sandstorm.
Long before, when they were quite children, the two girls had quarrelled, and Aunt Carrie had solemnly, and quite unjustifiably, complained to her brother-in-law about Lorraine's conduct. Lorraine [104]had never forgiven her father for not taking her part more firmly on that occasion. The remembrance of the ready ear he had lent to the enemy's side of the question had prevented any future appeal to intervention24. Matters with Vivien went on in a species of guerrilla warfare25.
As head girl, Lorraine had, of course, the whip hand at The Gables, but in every fresh scheme she found her cousin a dead weight and an impediment. Vivien always suggested something different. At committee meetings she invariably started an opposition26 to every resolution. Nothing could be carried without bickering27. In her capacity of monitress Vivien was not a favourite. She was far too high-handed and domineering to win any measure of popularity among the juniors. Surging discontent sometimes broke out into rebellion. It is a delicate task for a general whose aide-de-camp is too officious. Lorraine, with a feeling that she was treading on eggs, brought up the subject of discipline at the next committee meeting.
"We must see that rules are kept, naturally," she conceded, "but I think perhaps lately some of us have just a little exceeded our authority. We don't want to get snubbed by Miss Kingsley, and told to mind our own business!"
"If you mean me," retorted Vivien, "I wish you'd say so straight out and have done with it! I hate innuendoes28. I consider that the kids want keeping in order, and I'm there to do it, whether they like it or whether they don't."
"We must, of course, keep order; but if we can [105]do it pleasantly, it makes a far nicer feeling in the school. Some of those babes will do anything for a monitress they like."
"Oh, it's all very well to go about fishing for popularity, like some people we know!"
"I suppose you mean me?" said Patsie quickly.
"If the cap fits, put it on."
Nellie and Claire began to giggle29 at the prospect30 of a spar between Patsie and Vivien. Dorothy was fiddling31 with her pencil and frowning.
"I don't let the kiddies take liberties with me," she vouchsafed32; "yet they escort me home in relays every day."
"A monitress ought surely to be liked!" said Audrey plaintively33.
"What I feel is, that we ought to work more in harmony," explained Lorraine. "It doesn't do for one monitress to allow a thing, and another to forbid it. The juniors don't know where they are."
"Yes, we can't each run the show on our own," agreed Patsie.
"Couldn't we draw up a sort of general list to go upon?"
"A black-list?"
"Well, I mean some general guiding rules."
"It's quite unnecessary," demurred34 Vivien. "My advice is to keep the kids in their places, and there'll be no more bother with them. It's that sloppy35 sentimental36 truckling to them that's at the bottom of all the trouble. I've got to go home now. You may make any rules you like, but I shan't promise to keep them."
[106]Vivien scraped back her chair and clumped37 noisily from the room, leaving the majority of the committee indignant. They consulted together, and by general consent drew up a short code for the use of monitresses. They handed a copy of it to Vivien next morning. She glanced at it casually38, and flung it into the waste-paper basket.
"I'm a monitress as much as the rest of you," she remarked, "and I have my authority from Miss Kingsley. I can't see that I'm answerable to anyone else."
Among the juniors, Vivien's reputation was not pleasant. Naturally, they talked over the monitresses among themselves. Juniors are sharp-eyed little mortals, and they had a very good idea of how matters stood.
"Vivien loves to boss," said Nan Carson. "She's wild because she's not head, and she takes it out of us in exchange."
"I don't see why she should order us about so."
"She's not a mistress!"
"No, only a monitress."
"It's not fair."
"I shall tell her so, some day."
"She's a mean old thing!"
"Why should we obey her?"
So matters jogged along till one day they reached a crisis. Vivien happened to be passing the door of Form II at about ten minutes to nine. It was, of course, before the official school hour, and Miss Poole had not yet entered to take the call-over. Some of the children were getting out books, some [107]were making a last effort to learn lessons, and a few were talking, laughing, and throwing paper pellets at one another. They were not making very much noise, and most monitresses would have just walked past the door and taken no notice. Not so Vivien. She bustled39 in, and commanded order.
"Marjorie, sit down! Connie, shut your desk! Doris, stop talking! Effie, pick up those pieces of paper at once! You ought all to be quietly in your places."
"I don't care what time it is. If you're here at half-past eight you'll have to behave yourselves. I shall come in again in a few minutes, and if any girl is talking I shall put her name down."
Vivien stalked away, leaving mutiny behind her.
"No one's ever told us before that we weren't to talk before Miss Poole came into the room."
"It's absurd nonsense!"
"Everybody talks before nine!"
"You bet Vivien does herself!"
"I'm not going to sit still," piped Effie.
"Remember Vivien's coming back," warned Marjorie.
"She won't come back for a few minutes!" grinned Effie, hopping41 between the desks, "and I don't care if she does, either! I'm not afraid of Vivien! She may jaw42 away as much as she likes. It amuses her, and it doesn't hurt me. So there we are. See?"
Some of the girls sniggered, and Effie, encouraged [108]by popular approbation43, waxed more reckless still. She danced to the blackboard, seized the chalk, and began to draw.
"Here's Vivien's portrait," she announced. "This is her long nose, and this is her mouth, and this is her hair."
"Oh, it is like her!" chirruped Gracie.
"The very image!" hinnied Doris.
"Shut up, Effie, and rub it off, you silly cockchafer," recommended Marjorie, giggling44 in spite of herself.
"No, no! I haven't finished. I must put her blouse and swanky tie. Wait a sec!" cried the artist, drawing in those details and adding a large balloon issuing from the mouth of her model, and containing the words: "No talking, girls!"
"You'll be caught," urged Marjorie, seizing the duster to clean the blackboard. Effie snatched it out of her hand.
"All right, Grannie. Half a sec. more! I've just time!"
The last half second was the undoing46 of Effie, for at that very same instant the monitress reentered the room. Effie wiped the blackboard with frantic47 speed, but not before Vivien had caught a clear view of her portrait. She glared first at Effie, who had skipped back to her place, then at the nine other conscious faces. Finally she announced:
"You'll every one of you report yourselves to me at four o'clock this afternoon. I shall expect [109]you in the handicraft room, and you'll each bring a poetry book with you. I shall stay here now until Miss Poole comes. I'm not going to have this form a bear-garden."
The mistress, entering almost immediately, looked rather astonished to see Vivien standing48 by her desk. Her enquiring49 glance asked an explanation.
"It was necessary for someone to come in here and keep order, Miss Poole," vouchsafed Vivien.
The mistress turned a reproachful eye on her flock.
"I thought I could have trusted you, girls! I'm sorry to hear you've not been behaving yourselves."
The form focused indignant glances at Vivien, but dared not utter a protest. Their wrath50, overflowed51, however, at the earliest opportunity for conversation.
"Tell-tale-tit!"
"Mean thing!"
"And we've actually got to report ourselves to her at four o'clock."
"It's the limit!"
Though the juniors might rage, the established tradition of The Gables compelled them to comply with the monitress's orders. They grumbled, but obeyed. Directly afternoon school was over, ten sullen53 and sulky girls presented themselves at the door of the handicraft room. This was situated54 at the opposite end of the playground, and was, in fact, the old coach-house converted into a sort of [110]joiner's shop. The school, in relays, learned wood-carving here, and carpentry, and clay modelling, and any other crafts which made too much mess inside the form rooms or the gymnasium.
Vivien was busy at the bench, planing a piece of wood. She greeted the victims grimly.
"If you can't remember to behave yourselves in school, you'll have to have something to remind you," she remarked. "You may all sit down there. Have you brought your poetry books? Very well, turn to page sixteen and learn the first three verses of Lochinvar. You'll stay here till you know them."
As a matter of fact, Vivien was entirely55 exceeding her authority. Miss Kingsley had never given the monitresses leave to keep girls in, or give them punishment lessons. Such privileges belonged to mistresses only. The form, however, was not aware of this, and supposed that she had received instructions from head-quarters. They took their places like martyrs56, and opened their poetry books, outwardly submissive, but with black rebellion raging in their hearts.
Vivien, going on with her carpentering, kept a strict eye upon them, and said "Hush57!" if any one attempted to con3 her task even in a whisper. She heard each child recite her verses separately, and would not let any of them go till all had said their portions perfectly58. By the time they had completely finished it was a quarter to five.
"You may trot59 home now if you like," allowed the monitress. "And just let this be a lesson to [111]you for the future. Go in order and close the door after you."
The martyrs made a decent exit, but once outside they stood and pulled faces at the closed door.
"She's an absolute beast!"
"It's abominable60!"
"To keep us all this time!"
"And learning hateful poetry!"
"And we hadn't done anything to deserve it, either!"
"What can we do to pay her out?"
"I know," said Effie. "Hush!"
She held up a warning hand and ran back to the coach-house door. The key was on the outside, in the lock. She stood and listened for a moment, then turned it and fled across the playground, followed by the rest of the form. Instead of going home, however, they stayed in the cloak-room, giggling over their achievement.
"If she's so fond of the handicraft room, she may stay there!"
"She shall just be kept in herself, to see what it feels like."
"Serve her right!"
Vivien, having finished to her satisfaction the particular little bit of carpentering upon which she had been engaged, put away her tools at last, and turned to leave. She was very much surprised to find that she could not open the door. She rattled62 the handle, thinking it had stuck. Then she suddenly realized that it was locked, [112]and that she was a prisoner. She hammered till her knuckles63 were sore, and shouted, but nobody came. It struck her that she was in an exceedingly awkward position. The handicraft room was some little distance from the house. It was improbable that Miss Kingsley, Miss Janet or the maids would hear her. The window was nailed up, and would not open, so escape that way was impossible. Had those wretched juniors locked her in on purpose, and scooted off home? She stamped with wrath at the idea. Yet it seemed only too probable. If so, would she have to spend the night here? The prospect was appalling64. She made a last despairing assault on the door. To her immense relief a voice on the other side responded. It was a deep, gruff, evidently feigned65 voice, and it said:
"Hullo, there!"
"Hullo! Let me out!" shouted Vivien.
"No, thanks! You're better where you are!"
"Let me out, I tell you!"
"Gently! Gently! Don't show temper!"
Vivien seized the handle again, and rattled lustily, but with no effect. She thought she heard a noise like suppressed chuckling66.
"Will you unlock this door and let me out?"
"If we do, will you promise not to boss so hard again?"
"I shan't promise anything of the sort!"
"Right oh! Ta-ta!"
"Here! Come back!" Vivien shouted.
"Will you promise?"
"I shall do my duty as a monitress."
"But you won't exceed it?"
"All right!" rather sulkily.
"Honour bright, and no bunkum?"
"I've told you so."
The bottom of the door did not fit closely to the step, and presently through this small aperture69 the key was pushed. There was a sound of pelting70 footsteps. By the time Vivien had managed to unlock the door, nobody was in sight. She had the wisdom not to report the matter at head-quarters. She knew that she had exceeded her authority in keeping the children in, and doubted whether Miss Kingsley would back her up. It was too humiliating an experience to relate to her fellow-monitresses, so she kept it to herself. She utterly71 ignored it when she met the members of Form II next morning. Several of them blushed so consciously that she easily guessed who had been the ringleaders, but she judged it discreet72 to take no more notice. The sinners, giggling over the joke among themselves, decided that they were now quits with Vivien.
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1
solicitors
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| 初级律师( solicitor的名词复数 ) | |
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portico
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| n.柱廊，门廊 | |
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con
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| n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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epitome
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| n.典型，梗概 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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constable
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| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
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propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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accomplishments
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| n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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intervention
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| n.介入，干涉，干预 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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bickering
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| v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁 | |
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innuendoes
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| n.影射的话( innuendo的名词复数 )；讽刺的话；含沙射影；暗讽 | |
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giggle
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| n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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fiddling
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| 微小的 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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plaintively
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| adv.悲哀地，哀怨地 | |
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demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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clumped
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| adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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undoing
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| n.毁灭的原因，祸根；破坏，毁灭 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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enquiring
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| a.爱打听的，显得好奇的 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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54
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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59
trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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64
appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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65
feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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66
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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67
wretches
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| n.不幸的人( wretch的名词复数 )；可怜的人；恶棍；坏蛋 | |
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68
parley
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| n.谈判 | |
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69
aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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70
pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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71
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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72
discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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