doubtful.
'Well, you must work out your own salvation,' replied Winnie briskly. 'And now you will want to get along to Cirencester. We'll see you about five, I suppose? No doubt you will want to get Timothy home again for his bedtime.'
'Oh, he doesn't have a set time for going to bed. He just has a nap when he feels like it.'
He set off to his car, followed by Winnie. Across the green she could see Timothy on a swing, with the gallant Jenny pushing him lustily.
At least he was happy at the moment, thought Winnie, waving goodbye to Richard, and noticing that Ella was emerging from her gate.
As it happened, it was half-past eight when Richard returned, and by that time Timothy had eaten an apple, a banana sandwich, and had had two short naps on the hearth-rug.
He was in excellent spirits when he drove off with Richard, and looked fit for several hours of activity.
But Winnie and Jenny went to bed early, with an aspirin apiece.
Harold Shoosmith kept his word and spoke to Ben Curdle about driving lessons for Miss Watson.
That young man considered the suggestion for some minutes.
'Don't make up your mind now,' Harold urged him. 'Just let me know when you've talked it over with Molly. You may not feel like letting a learner-driver loose on your Fiesta.'
Ben smiled. 'I don't need to think it over,' he said at last. 'I think Miss Watson would be pretty steady, and she's driven before.'
'But donkey's years ago!'
'Never quite leaves you, you know. And I'd be glad to help.'
'Shall I let her know, or will you?' 'You have a word with her. She can come over to see me and the car any evening. I take it she's got a licence?'
'Yes, she was wise enough to keep it up. I'll tell her, Ben, and I'm sure she will be most grateful.'
The two men parted, and Harold returned to his gardening pondering on the remarkable fortitude of Ben Curdle. He himself would rather face a mad bull than give a woman driving lessons.
Still, he told himself, Dorothy Watson should prove less horrifying than Dotty Harmer at the wheel.
'By the way,' said Dorothy to Agnes that evening, 'I found out a little more about that advertisement.'
'Which one, dear?'
'About the posts, of course,' said Dorothy.
'The posts?'
'In the Times Educational Supplement, ' said Dorothy impatiently, 'with no house.'
Agnes seemed to make sense of this garbled explanation and nodded.
'I understand that the present policy is to get rid of the school house when a new appointment is made.'
'But surely,' said Agnes, 'the new head teacher might want it.'
'Not according to the office. Their attitude is that nine out of ten heads want to live well away from the school, and as almost all of them now have cars they can live where they like.'
'Yes, I can see that,' agreed Agnes, 'but it was so nice to live close to the school. And after all, that was why the house was built - to go with the job.'
'Those days have gone, my dear, and you must admit that this house wants a lot doing to it. The education authority can make a nice little sum in selling off these old school houses for others to renovate. It seems to make sense.'
'So when will it be on the market? I don't like the idea of having to get out.'
'I gather that nothing will happen until later in the year. There is no need for us to hurry our plans, they told me.'
At that moment, Harold entered with the message from Ben.
'Well, well!' said Dorothy, her face alight with excitement. 'What marvellous news!'
She glanced at the clock.
'I think I may slip over now, Agnes, to see Ben and make arrangements. So very kind of you, Harold. Won't you sit down and have a drink with Agnes?'
Harold excused himself, and he and the would-be driver left Agnes alone, in a state of some agitation.
Their home to be sold! Driving lessons! Really, thought poor little Miss Fogerty, life sometimes seemed to go too fast for comfort!
6. What Shall We Give Them?
THE news of Agnes and Dorothy's retirement created a great deal of activity among
'Well, you must work out your own salvation,' replied Winnie briskly. 'And now you will want to get along to Cirencester. We'll see you about five, I suppose? No doubt you will want to get Timothy home again for his bedtime.'
'Oh, he doesn't have a set time for going to bed. He just has a nap when he feels like it.'
He set off to his car, followed by Winnie. Across the green she could see Timothy on a swing, with the gallant Jenny pushing him lustily.
At least he was happy at the moment, thought Winnie, waving goodbye to Richard, and noticing that Ella was emerging from her gate.
As it happened, it was half-past eight when Richard returned, and by that time Timothy had eaten an apple, a banana sandwich, and had had two short naps on the hearth-rug.
He was in excellent spirits when he drove off with Richard, and looked fit for several hours of activity.
But Winnie and Jenny went to bed early, with an aspirin apiece.
Harold Shoosmith kept his word and spoke to Ben Curdle about driving lessons for Miss Watson.
That young man considered the suggestion for some minutes.
'Don't make up your mind now,' Harold urged him. 'Just let me know when you've talked it over with Molly. You may not feel like letting a learner-driver loose on your Fiesta.'
Ben smiled. 'I don't need to think it over,' he said at last. 'I think Miss Watson would be pretty steady, and she's driven before.'
'But donkey's years ago!'
'Never quite leaves you, you know. And I'd be glad to help.'
'Shall I let her know, or will you?' 'You have a word with her. She can come over to see me and the car any evening. I take it she's got a licence?'
'Yes, she was wise enough to keep it up. I'll tell her, Ben, and I'm sure she will be most grateful.'
The two men parted, and Harold returned to his gardening pondering on the remarkable fortitude of Ben Curdle. He himself would rather face a mad bull than give a woman driving lessons.
Still, he told himself, Dorothy Watson should prove less horrifying than Dotty Harmer at the wheel.
'By the way,' said Dorothy to Agnes that evening, 'I found out a little more about that advertisement.'
'Which one, dear?'
'About the posts, of course,' said Dorothy.
'The posts?'
'In the Times Educational Supplement, ' said Dorothy impatiently, 'with no house.'
Agnes seemed to make sense of this garbled explanation and nodded.
'I understand that the present policy is to get rid of the school house when a new appointment is made.'
'But surely,' said Agnes, 'the new head teacher might want it.'
'Not according to the office. Their attitude is that nine out of ten heads want to live well away from the school, and as almost all of them now have cars they can live where they like.'
'Yes, I can see that,' agreed Agnes, 'but it was so nice to live close to the school. And after all, that was why the house was built - to go with the job.'
'Those days have gone, my dear, and you must admit that this house wants a lot doing to it. The education authority can make a nice little sum in selling off these old school houses for others to renovate. It seems to make sense.'
'So when will it be on the market? I don't like the idea of having to get out.'
'I gather that nothing will happen until later in the year. There is no need for us to hurry our plans, they told me.'
At that moment, Harold entered with the message from Ben.
'Well, well!' said Dorothy, her face alight with excitement. 'What marvellous news!'
She glanced at the clock.
'I think I may slip over now, Agnes, to see Ben and make arrangements. So very kind of you, Harold. Won't you sit down and have a drink with Agnes?'
Harold excused himself, and he and the would-be driver left Agnes alone, in a state of some agitation.
Their home to be sold! Driving lessons! Really, thought poor little Miss Fogerty, life sometimes seemed to go too fast for comfort!
6. What Shall We Give Them?
THE news of Agnes and Dorothy's retirement created a great deal of activity among
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