The English Tutor (10 page)

“
Oh, Clancy will never be like Clodagh,
”
said Brian, with brotherly scorn.
“
She never has any nice clothes and she isn
’
t half as pretty.
”

Clancy did not come home for lunch, and Mark spent a leisurely afternoon unpacking and disposing his belongings in the tower room, attended at frequent intervals by Brian, who seemed to have taken a liking to his tutor. Away from his father he was not at all shy, and chattered away to Mark, asking innumerable questions and volunteering much random information about the household and the numerous governesses.

“
There were lots of them,
”
Brian said vaguely,
“
but they never stayed long. Most of them couldn
’
t stick Agnes.
”

“
And what,
”
asked Mark mildly,
“
are you planning for me?
”

Brian sat on the bed and tried the springs with a speculative bounce.

“
Oh, we never planned anything for the governesses,
”
he replied cheerfully.
“
They just went. Kilmallin doesn
’
t like women.
”

“
So I
’
m frequently told.
”
Mark opened and shut a drawer.
“
Well, for your information, you won
’
t find me so easy to get rid of as the governesses.
”

Brian, finding the springs responsive, bounced with more abandon.

“
Oh,
I
don
’
t want to get rid of you,
”
he said.
“
I think you
’
ll be much better than the governesses. It
’
s Clancy who
’
s the trouble. She
’
s taken a mislike to you because you
’
re English.
”

“
H
’
m
...
I think I can deal satisfactorily with Clancy
’
s politics. Don
’
t make a complete shambles of my bed, my dear child. I
’
m hoping for a good night
’
s sleep.
”

Mark walked to the window and stood looking out across the loch. A boat was putting out from the far shore, and he watched it lazily, recognizing in a little while Clancy
’
s scarlet sweater.

“
When your sister comes in,
”
he remarked,
“
tell her I want to talk to you both in the schoolroom after tea.
”

After tea, Mark found Brian dutifully awaiting him in the schoolroom, but there was no sign of Clancy.

“
She
’
s not coming,
”
the boy said in answer to his inquiry.
“
She was here writing to Clodagh, but when I gave her your message she said she
’
d finish her letter in the library and leave us undisturbed.
”

“
Very thoughtful of her,
”
Mark remarked, and left the room.

Aunt Bea looked up from her knitting as he entered the library, but Clancy, sitting at a table in the window, only hunched her shoulders higher and went on writing.

“
Brian gave you my message, I think,
”
Mark said pleasantly.

“
M
’
m,
”
grunted Clancy, without looking up.

“
Very well, then. Come along.
”

“
I
’
m busy,
”
she replied.

“
Your letter can wait for half an hour,
”
he said, with expressionless courtesy.
“
I won
’
t keep you long.
”

She gave him an appraising glance over her shoulder, then continued writing.

“
I
’
ll come when I
’
ve finished,
”
she said.

He took the pen gently from her fingers and closed the blotter.

“
I think you
’
ll come when I tell you to,
”
he said quietly.

She made a grab at the pen which he removed out of reach, then sat staring up at him, her elbows on the table and her chin propped in her clenched hands.

“
Would you like to know what I
’
ve just written to my cousin, Clodagh, about you?
”
she demanded furiously.

His heavy-lidded eyes merely looked lazy.

“
Not in the least,
”
he replied.
“
Come along.
”

“
I
’
ll come when I
’
m ready,
”
she retorted childishly.

He sighed.

“
On the contrary, you
’
ll come when I
’
m ready,
”
he 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 eyebrows.

“
It
’
s the only one I
’
ve got,
”
he told her with humour.
“
I
’
m afraid you
’
ll have to bring yourself to use it unless you revert to the time-honoured
‘
Hi—you!
’
which is both confusing and scarcely respectful.
”

She stood there, tugging savagely at a strand of her hair.
“
You
’
ve no right to laugh,
”
she said, with an anger which almost amounted to tearfulness, and he remembered that she had told him that she only cried with rage.

“
It
’
s better for me to laugh than to treat you like the very rude little girl that you are,
”
he said, and saw the tears start to her eyes.

“
First of all,
”
she cried with a slight choke,
“
I dislike you for your nationality which I suppose you couldn
’
t help, but now I dislike you for yourself, and you
can
help
that
!”

He looked down at her in silence for a moment, then said, shaking his head:

“
You
’
re really very childish, aren
’
t you; Clancy? No wonder your father didn
’
t think you too old for a tutor.
”

Her eyes fell before his, and she edged to the door.
“
May I go and finish my letter now, please—
sir
?”
she said.

His face was grave, but there was a faint gleam in his eyes.

“
Certainly,
”
he replied, and she went out of the room, banging the door behind her.

“
Cripes!
”
said Brian with awe,
“
I
’
ve never known her like that before—not even with the governesses. She must hate you badly, Mr. Cromwell.
”

Mark ruffled the boy
’
s dark head.

“
Oh, no, she doesn
’
t, Brian,
”
he said lazily.
“
She just hasn
’
t met someone who
’
s her match before.
”

At dinner Clancy seemed to be on her best behaviour although she was apt to glower at Mark when he spoke to her, and addressed him with pointed exaggeration as
‘
sir
’
whenever the opportunity arose, until Brian was reduced to giggles and Kevin said with exasperation:

“
Your respect does your tutor credit at such an early stage, Clancy, but is it necessary to call him
‘
sir
’
with every breath? Brian, stop that girlish sniggering at once. I hope, Mr. Cromwell, these two ruffians have shown you round and made you feel at home. It was a pity I had to be away to Duneen again today.
”

“
I did,
”
said Brian anxiously.
“
I took Mr. Cromwell round the outside, and talked to him nearly all the afternoon, didn
’
t I, Mr. Cromwell?
”

“
And where, pray, were you?
”
demanded Kevin, rounding on Clancy at once.