said, and added mildly: “ You don ’ t want me to have to carry you, I suppose? ”
Without a word she banged the top on the bottle of ink and ran out of the room. Mark followed, smiling at Aunt Bea as he passed her. She did not stop knitting or pass any remark, but he thought he detected an answering t winkle in her rather vacant eyes.
Upstairs, Mark shut the schoolroom door and stood in silence surveying them both. They were standing by the window, and Brian turned, looking at him with new respect. Clancy ’ s back remained presented to the room.
“ I want to have a talk with you about our future work together, ” Mark said, moving over to the fireplace and leaning against the mantel. “ Sit down. I won ’ t keep you long. ”
Brian obeyed, but Clancy still remained standing as if she had not heard.
Mark waited a moment then he said:
“ Sit down, please, Clancy. ”
She turned then, and slumped on to the window-seat beside her brother. Mark began to explain to them in his clipped English voice; hours for study, hours for leisure, hours for homework.
“ We never had set hours with the governesses, ” said Clancy, goaded at last into speech. “ Their time-tables altered according to what was going on. ”
“ Well, I ’ m afraid you ’ ll be expected to stick to timetables while I ’ m in charge, ” he said.
“ Then the sooner you pack up for England, the better it will be for all of us, ” said Clancy rudely.
Brian looked nervous, but Mark only said: “ That ’ s a different story. ”
His manner altered imperceptibly and he looked directly at them.
“ Now listen to me, you two. You seem to have got away with a great deal with your unfortunate governesses, who must all have been exceedingly inefficient, to say the least of it. But you might as well know that schoo lmastering i s my trade. There ’ s not much I don ’ t know about the ways of small boys, and I don ’ t suppose girls are so very different. I do assure you both, I ’ m very well capable of keeping order and seeing that I ’ m obeyed. I don ’ t make many rules, but those I do make, I expect to be kept, and if they ’ re not, there will be consequences, so you ’ ve been warned—yes, Clancy? ”
“ Nothing, ” said Clancy, and shut her mouth firmly.
“ I hope we ’ ll all three work together in reasonable harmony, ” Mark went on. “ You won ’ t find me hard or exacting as long as you behave yourselves, but don ’ t think for a moment that I ’ m like the other governesses. I ’ m not at all susceptible to practical jokes or stories of insanity, so save your ingenuity for your studies. There are two things I will always insist on, one is reasonable discipline, and the other is reasonable politeness. Please remember this, and we will all get on. ”
They sat there side by side on the window-seat, staring at him, their great smoky eyes solemn and unwinking. At that moment it was difficult to see much difference in their ages. They were simply a pair of surprised children who had never listened to the Riot Act before.
Mark smiled at them.
“ That ’ s all, ” he said, and lit a cigarette. “ On Monday, I ’ ll set you a general knowledge paper to find out what you both know, and in the meanwhile, your time ’ s your own. ” There was a silence, then Brian asked:
“ Please, what do we call you? ”
“ Well, ” replied Mark, “ I ’ ve no doubt it will be Oliver or Old Ironsides, which is traditional, you know, but for conventional purposes, you ’ ll address me by my name or ‘ sir ’ , which is usual. ”
“ I ’ ve never, ” exploded Clancy, “ called any man ‘ sir ’ in my life. ”
Mark glanced at her.
“ In your case, of course, it ’ s a little different, ” he said blandly. “ You ’ ll simply call me Mr. Cromwell. ”
She sprang up in one uncontrolled movement.
“ I won ’ t call you by that name! I tell you I won ’ t! ” she cried.
He raised his fair
Without a word she banged the top on the bottle of ink and ran out of the room. Mark followed, smiling at Aunt Bea as he passed her. She did not stop knitting or pass any remark, but he thought he detected an answering t winkle in her rather vacant eyes.
Upstairs, Mark shut the schoolroom door and stood in silence surveying them both. They were standing by the window, and Brian turned, looking at him with new respect. Clancy ’ s back remained presented to the room.
“ I want to have a talk with you about our future work together, ” Mark said, moving over to the fireplace and leaning against the mantel. “ Sit down. I won ’ t keep you long. ”
Brian obeyed, but Clancy still remained standing as if she had not heard.
Mark waited a moment then he said:
“ Sit down, please, Clancy. ”
She turned then, and slumped on to the window-seat beside her brother. Mark began to explain to them in his clipped English voice; hours for study, hours for leisure, hours for homework.
“ We never had set hours with the governesses, ” said Clancy, goaded at last into speech. “ Their time-tables altered according to what was going on. ”
“ Well, I ’ m afraid you ’ ll be expected to stick to timetables while I ’ m in charge, ” he said.
“ Then the sooner you pack up for England, the better it will be for all of us, ” said Clancy rudely.
Brian looked nervous, but Mark only said: “ That ’ s a different story. ”
His manner altered imperceptibly and he looked directly at them.
“ Now listen to me, you two. You seem to have got away with a great deal with your unfortunate governesses, who must all have been exceedingly inefficient, to say the least of it. But you might as well know that schoo lmastering i s my trade. There ’ s not much I don ’ t know about the ways of small boys, and I don ’ t suppose girls are so very different. I do assure you both, I ’ m very well capable of keeping order and seeing that I ’ m obeyed. I don ’ t make many rules, but those I do make, I expect to be kept, and if they ’ re not, there will be consequences, so you ’ ve been warned—yes, Clancy? ”
“ Nothing, ” said Clancy, and shut her mouth firmly.
“ I hope we ’ ll all three work together in reasonable harmony, ” Mark went on. “ You won ’ t find me hard or exacting as long as you behave yourselves, but don ’ t think for a moment that I ’ m like the other governesses. I ’ m not at all susceptible to practical jokes or stories of insanity, so save your ingenuity for your studies. There are two things I will always insist on, one is reasonable discipline, and the other is reasonable politeness. Please remember this, and we will all get on. ”
They sat there side by side on the window-seat, staring at him, their great smoky eyes solemn and unwinking. At that moment it was difficult to see much difference in their ages. They were simply a pair of surprised children who had never listened to the Riot Act before.
Mark smiled at them.
“ That ’ s all, ” he said, and lit a cigarette. “ On Monday, I ’ ll set you a general knowledge paper to find out what you both know, and in the meanwhile, your time ’ s your own. ” There was a silence, then Brian asked:
“ Please, what do we call you? ”
“ Well, ” replied Mark, “ I ’ ve no doubt it will be Oliver or Old Ironsides, which is traditional, you know, but for conventional purposes, you ’ ll address me by my name or ‘ sir ’ , which is usual. ”
“ I ’ ve never, ” exploded Clancy, “ called any man ‘ sir ’ in my life. ”
Mark glanced at her.
“ In your case, of course, it ’ s a little different, ” he said blandly. “ You ’ ll simply call me Mr. Cromwell. ”
She sprang up in one uncontrolled movement.
“ I won ’ t call you by that name! I tell you I won ’ t! ” she cried.
He raised his fair
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