Miss Bulstrode’s sitting room had windows looking out in two directions, one over the drive andlawn beyond, and another towards a bank of rhododendrons behind the house. It was quite animpressive room, and Miss Bulstrode was rather more than quite an impressive woman. She wastall, and rather noble looking, with well-dressed grey hair, grey eyes with plenty of humour inthem, and a firm mouth. The success of her school (and Meadowbank was one of the mostsuccessful schools in England) was entirely1 due to the personality of its Headmistress. It was avery expensive school, but that was not really the point. It could be put better by saying thatthough you paid through the nose, you got what you paid for.
Your daughter was educated in the way you wished, and also in the way Miss Bulstrode wished,and the result of the two together seemed to give satisfaction. Owing to the high fees, MissBulstrode was able to employ a full staff. There was nothing mass produced about the school, butif it was individualistic, it also had discipline. Discipline without regimentation2, was MissBulstrode’s motto. Discipline, she held, was reassuring3 to the young, it gave them a feeling ofsecurity; regimentation gave rise to irritation4. Her pupils were a varied5 lot. They included severalforeigners of good family, often foreign royalty7. There were also English girls of good family orof wealth, who wanted a training in culture and the arts, with a general knowledge of life andsocial facility who would be turned out agreeable, well groomed8 and able to take part in intelligentdiscussion on any subject. There were girls who wanted to work hard and pass entranceexaminations, and eventually take degrees and who, to do so, needed only good teaching andspecial attention. There were girls who had reacted unfavourably to school life of the conventionaltype. But Miss Bulstrode had her rules, she did not accept morons9, or juvenile10 delinquents11, and shepreferred to accept girls whose parents she liked, and girls in whom she herself saw a prospect12 ofdevelopment. The ages of her pupils varied within wide limits. There were girls who would havebeen labelled in the past as “finished,” and there were girls little more than children, some of themwith parents abroad, and for whom Miss Bulstrode had a scheme of interesting holidays. The lastand final court of appeal was Miss Bulstrode’s own approval.
She was standing13 now by the chimneypiece listening to Mrs. Gerald Hope’s slightly whiningvoice. With great foresight14, she had not suggested that Mrs. Hope should sit down.
“Henrietta, you see, is very highly strung. Very highly strung indeed. Our doctor says—”
Miss Bulstrode nodded, with gentle reassurance15, refraining from the caustic16 phrase shesometimes was tempted17 to utter.
“Don’t you know, you idiot, that that is what every fool of a woman says about her child?”
She spoke18 with firm sympathy.
“You need have no anxiety, Mrs. Hope. Miss Rowan, a member of our staff, is a fully19 trainedpsychologist. You’ll be surprised, I’m sure, at the change you’ll find in Henrietta” (Who’s a niceintelligent child, and far too good for you) “after a term or two here.”
“Oh I know. You did wonders with the Lambeth child—absolutely wonders! So I am quitehappy. And I—oh yes, I forgot. We’re going to the South of France in six weeks’ time. I thoughtI’d take Henrietta. It would make a little break for her.”
“I’m afraid that’s quite impossible,” said Miss Bulstrode, briskly and with a charming smile, asthough she were granting a request instead of refusing one.
“Oh! but—” Mrs. Hope’s weak petulant20 face wavered, showed temper. “Really, I must insist.
After all, she’s my child.”
“Exactly. But it’s my school,” said Miss Bulstrode.
“Surely I can take the child away from a school anytime I like?”
“Oh yes,” said Miss Bulstrode. “You can. Of course you can. But then, I wouldn’t have herback.”
Mrs. Hope was in a real temper now.
“Considering the size of the fees I pay here—”
“Exactly,” said Miss Bulstrode. “You wanted my school for your daughter, didn’t you? But it’stake it as it is, or leave it. Like that very charming Balenciaga model you are wearing. It isBalenciaga, isn’t it? It is so delightful21 to meet a woman with real clothes sense.”
Her hand enveloped22 Mrs. Hope’s, shook it, and imperceptibly guided her towards the door.
“Don’t worry at all. Ah, here is Henrietta waiting for you.” (She looked with approval atHenrietta, a nice well-balanced intelligent child if ever there was one, and who deserved a bettermother.) “Margaret, take Henrietta Hope to Miss Johnson.”
Miss Bulstrode retired23 into her sitting room and a few moments later was talking French.
“But certainly, Excellence24, your niece can study modern ballroom25 dancing. Most importantsocially. And languages, also, are most necessary.”
The next arrivals were prefaced by such a gust26 of expensive perfume as almost to knock MissBulstrode backwards27.
“Must pour a whole bottle of the stuff over herself every day,” Miss Bulstrode noted28 mentally,as she greeted the exquisitely29 dressed dark-skinned woman.
“Enchantée, Madame.”
Madame giggled30 very prettily31.
The big bearded man in Oriental dress took Miss Bulstrode’s hand, bowed over it, and said invery good English, “I have the honour to bring to you the Princess Shaista.”
Miss Bulstrode knew all about her new pupil who had just come from a school in Switzerland,but was a little hazy32 as to who it was escorting her. Not the Emir himself, she decided33, probablythe Minister, or Chargé d’Affaires. As usual when in doubt, she used that useful title Excellence,and assured him that Princess Shaista would have the best of care.
Shaista was smiling politely. She was also fashionably dressed and perfumed. Her age, MissBulstrode knew, was fifteen, but like many Eastern and Mediterranean34 girls, she looked older—quite mature. Miss Bulstrode spoke to her about her projected studies and was relieved to find thatshe answered promptly35 in excellent English and without giggling36. In fact, her manners comparedfavourably with the awkward ones of many English school girls of fifteen. Miss Bulstrode hadoften thought that it might be an excellent plan to send English girls abroad to the Near Easterncountries to learn courtesy and manners there. More compliments were uttered on both sides andthen the room was empty again though still filled with such heavy perfume that Miss Bulstrodeopened both windows to their full extent to let some of it out.
The next comers were Mrs. Upjohn and her daughter Julia.
Mrs. Upjohn was an agreeable young woman in the late thirties with sandy hair, freckles37 and anunbecoming hat which was clearly a concession38 to the seriousness of the occasion, since she wasobviously the type of young woman who usually went hatless.
Julia was a plain freckled39 child, with an intelligent forehead, and an air of good humour.
The preliminaries were quickly gone through and Julia was despatched via Margaret to MissJohnson, saying cheerfully as she went, “So long, Mum. Do be careful lighting40 that gas heater nowthat I’m not there to do it.”
Miss Bulstrode turned smilingly to Mrs. Upjohn, but did not ask her to sit. It was possible that,despite Julia’s appearance of cheerful common sense, her mother, too, might want to explain thather daughter was highly strung.
“Is there anything special you want to tell me about Julia?” she asked.
Mrs. Upjohn replied cheerfully:
“Oh no, I don’t think so. Julia’s a very ordinary sort of child. Quite healthy and all that. I thinkshe’s got reasonably good brains, too, but I daresay mothers usually think that about their children,don’t they?”
“Mothers,” said Miss Bulstrode grimly, “vary!”
“It’s wonderful for her to be able to come here,” said Mrs. Upjohn. “My aunt’s paying for it,really, or helping41. I couldn’t afford it myself. But I’m awfully42 pleased about it. And so is Julia.”
She moved to the window as she said enviously43, “How lovely your garden is. And so tidy. Youmust have lots of real gardeners.”
“We had three,” said Miss Bulstrode, “but just now we’re shorthanded except for local labour.”
“Of course the trouble nowadays,” said Mrs. Upjohn, “is that what one calls a gardener usuallyisn’t a gardener, just a milkman who wants to do something in his spare time, or an old man ofeighty. I sometimes think—Why!” exclaimed Mrs. Upjohn, still gazing out of the window—“howextraordinary!”
Miss Bulstrode paid less attention to this sudden exclamation44 than she should have done. For atthat moment she herself had glanced casually45 out of the other window which gave on to therhododendron shrubbery, and had perceived a highly unwelcome sight, none other than LadyVeronica Carlton-Sandways, weaving her way along the path, her large black velvet46 hat on oneside, muttering to herself and clearly in a state of advanced intoxication47.
Lady Veronica was not an unknown hazard. She was a charming woman, deeply attached to hertwin daughters, and very delightful when she was, as they put it, herself—but unfortunately atunpredictable intervals48, she was not herself. Her husband, Major Carlton-Sandways, coped fairlywell. A cousin lived with them, who was usually at hand to keep an eye on Lady Veronica andhead her off if necessary. On Sports Day, with both Major Carlton-Sandways and the cousin inclose attendance, Lady Veronica arrived completely sober and beautifully dressed and was apattern of what a mother should be.
But there were times when Lady Veronica gave her well-wishers the slip, tanked herself up andmade a beeline for her daughters to assure them of her maternal49 love. The twins had arrived bytrain early today, but no one had expected Lady Veronica.
Mrs. Upjohn was still talking. But Miss Bulstrode was not listening. She was reviewing variouscourses of action, for she recognized that Lady Veronica was fast approaching the truculent50 stage.
But suddenly, an answer to prayer, Miss Chadwick appeared at a brisk trot51, slightly out of breath.
Faithful Chaddy, thought Miss Bulstrode. Always to be relied upon, whether it was a severedartery or an intoxicated52 parent.
“Disgraceful,” said Lady Veronica to her loudly. “Tried to keep me away—didn’t want me tocome down here—I fooled Edith all right. Went to have my rest—got out car—gave silly oldEdith slip … regular old maid … no man would ever look at her twice … Had a row with policeon the way … said I was unfit to drive car … nonshense … Going to tell Miss Bulstrode I’mtaking the girls home—want ’em home, mother love. Wonderful thing, mother love—”
“Splendid, Lady Veronica,” said Miss Chadwick. “We’re so pleased you’ve come. I particularlywant you to see the new Sports Pavilion. You’ll love it.”
Adroitly53 she turned Lady Veronica’s unsteady footsteps in the opposite direction, leading heraway from the house.
“I expect we’ll find your girls there,” she said brightly. “Such a nice Sports Pavilion, newlockers, and a drying room for the swim suits—” their voices trailed away.
Miss Bulstrode watched. Once Lady Veronica tried to break away and return to the house, butMiss Chadwick was a match for her. They disappeared round the corner of the rhododendrons,headed for the distant loneliness of the new Sports Pavilion.
Miss Bulstrode heaved a sigh of relief. Excellent Chaddy. So reliable! Not modern. Not brainy—apart from mathematics—but always a present help in time of trouble.
She turned with a sigh and a sense of guilt54 to Mrs. Upjohn who had been talking happily forsome time….
“ … though, of course,” she was saying, “never real cloak and dagger55 stuff. Not dropping byparachute, or sabotage56, or being a courier. I shouldn’t have been brave enough. It was mostly dullstuff. Office work. And plotting. Plotting things on a map, I mean—not the story telling kind ofplotting. But of course it was exciting sometimes and it was often quite funny, as I just said—allthe secret agents followed each other round and round Geneva, all knowing each other by sight,and often ending up in the same bar. I wasn’t married then, of course. It was all great fun.”
She stopped abruptly57 with an apologetic and friendly smile.
“I’m sorry I’ve been talking so much. Taking up your time. When you’ve got such lots ofpeople to see.”
She held out a hand, said good-bye and departed.
Miss Bulstrode stood frowning for a moment. Some instinct warned her that she had missedsomething that might be important.
She brushed the feeling aside. This was the opening day of summer term, and she had manymore parents to see. Never had her school been more popular, more assured of success.
Meadowbank was at its zenith.
There was nothing to tell her that within a few weeks Meadowbank would be plunged58 into a seaof trouble; that disorder59, confusion and murder would reign6 there, that already certain events hadbeen set in motion….
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1
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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regimentation
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| n.编组团队；系统化，组织化 | |
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reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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7
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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groomed
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| v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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9
morons
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| 傻子( moron的名词复数 )； 痴愚者（指心理年龄在8至12岁的成年人） | |
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juvenile
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| n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的 | |
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delinquents
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| n.（尤指青少年）有过失的人，违法的人( delinquent的名词复数 ) | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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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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foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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reassurance
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| n.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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caustic
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| adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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ballroom
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| n.舞厅 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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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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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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freckled
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| adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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enviously
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| adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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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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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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48
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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49
maternal
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| adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的 | |
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truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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51
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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52
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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adroitly
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| adv.熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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dagger
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| n.匕首，短剑，剑号 | |
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sabotage
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| n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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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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