The English Tutor (11 page)

“
At Slievaun,
”
she replied briefly.

Her father frowned and reached irritably for the whisky decanter.

“
Then you had no business to be. Didn
’
t I tell you to show some civility to your tutor and he new to the country?
”

Clancy said nothing, and Mark watched her curiously across the table, but made no attempts to intervene.

“
You will make amends for your discourtesy tomorrow,
”
Kevin said.

Clancy looked across at Mark a little defiantly.

“
Conn
’
s asked me to lunch,
”
she said.
“
The black mare is due to foal any day.
”

Kevin brought his fist down on the table with a crash that jarred the glasses.

“
You
’
ll do as you
’
re told for once!
”
he shouted, and turned to Mark.
“
I hope, Cromwell, you
’
ll take this girl in hand right away. There
’
s too much of this trapesing over to Slievaun and hanging round Conn Driscoll
’
s neck till he must be sick of the sight of her. I
’
ll not have it.
”

Mark said presently:

“
I told the children that until we start work on Monday, their time is their own, Mr. O
’
Shane. There
’
s no need for Clancy to keep me company if she doesn
’
t wish to. After tomorrow, of course, things will have to be different.
”

For a moment Kevin looked as if he might argue, and Mark reflected that in some respects father and daughter were very alike, then he nodded and returned with zest to his food.

“
You hear that, Clancy?
”
he laughed, his ill-humour vanishing.
“
Perhaps we
’
ll have some peace in this house at last.
”

“
Yes,
Kilmallin
,
”
Clancy said meekly, but her eyes, as they met Mark
’
s were not meek at all, and she had no gratitude for his intervention.

Mark announced that he expected Clancy and Brian in the schoolroom at nine sharp on Monday morning to write their general knowledge papers. The afternoon, he said, could be their own, since he would be unable to set a proper syllabus at once, and on Sunday evening Kevin, in one of his jovial moods, promised to take them all to some hunter trials the following afternoon.

Clancy was radiant, and even the knowledge that the Englishman would be included in the party could not completely spoil the prospect of a rare outing with her father.

They were to start directly after an early lunch, leaving Aunt Bea, who did not care for such things, at home.

Clancy went early to bed for once, pausing to say good night to Brian on the way.

“
You won
’
t mind coming if you have your precious Lord Protector to sit in the back of the car with, will you?
”
she said, thinking that after all Mark might have his uses where Brian was concerned.

“
No, I like him, and you can sit next to Kilmallin and he won
’
t roar at me,
”
Brian agreed sleepily.
“
I wonder what questions Mr. Cromwell
’
s given us for our paper tomorrow.
”

Clancy bent to kiss him.

“
You can tell me in the afternoon,
”
she said jauntily.
“
I won
’
t be there.
”

Brian
’
s eyes flew wide open.

“
You mean you
’
re going to cut the paper?
”

“
I mean I
’
m going to cut the paper. Why should I stuff it all the morning
w
hen Conn
’
s shorthanded? I can do it any time.
”

Brian drew the sheet up to his chin.

“
I don
’
t
think
Mr. Cromwell will like that,
”
he observed doubtfully.

“
Then he
’
ll have to lump it,
”
said Clancy.
“
I
’
ll do it in the evening when you
’
ve gone to bed. Good night.
”

Next morning Mark found Brian waiting for him punctually in the schoolroom, and he handed him a sheaf of foolscap, telling him to set it out with pens and blotting-paper, while he arranged his own books and papers at the other end of the table.

“
Clancy
’
s late,
”
he remarked, glancing at his watch.
“
I didn
’
t see her at breakfast. Did she oversleep?
”

“
She
’
s not coming,
”
Brian said, and shuffled uncomfortably at the polite chill in Mark
’
s eyes.

“
Not coming?
”

“
She says she can do the paper any time.
”

“
Oh, does she?
”
said Mark, and straightened his long back.
“
I
think
not, somehow. Go and find her, Brian, and don
’
t be long.
”

“
I
can
’
t,
”
the boy said simply.
“
She
’
s gone to Slievaun. She said she
’
d be back in time for the hunter trials.
”

“
I see.
”
Mark sat down.
“
Well, here are your questions. Get on with them now, and just answer them as best you can. We
’
ll have a break at eleven.
”

But at a quarter to eleven, Agnes appeared with a glass of milk and some biscuits which she set down before Brian, and, ignoring Mark, bade the boy stop working at once and drink his milk.

“
Thank you, Agnes,
”
Mark said pleasantly.
“
Just leave it there. It isn
’
t eleven o
’
clock yet.
”

Agnes folded her arms across her chest and looked at
him
resentfully.

“
I
’
ll not be leaving it till I see every drop taken,
”
she said.
“
Come along now, my doty, put down that pen and do as I bid you.
”

Obediently Brian laid down his pen and reached for the glass. Mark
’
s long arm removed the tray quietly to the other side of the table.

“
That
’
s all right, Agnes. At eleven o
’
clock I
’
ll see that he takes it. We have a break of twenty minutes then,
”
he said, and went on with the rough time-table he was compiling.

Two bright little spots of colour burned in the old woman
’
s cheeks.

“
Twenty minutes, is it?
”
she exclaimed.
“
Let me tell you this. I
’
ll not have you working this poor child till he
’
s fit to drop. Those governesses knew their place. They would not be dreaming of interfering in my department.
”

Mark looked up and his lazy eyes were cold.

“
But you, I
’
m afraid, are interfering in mine,
”
he said quite quietly.
“
Would you be good enough to leave us now? I cannot have interruptions during working hours.
”

“
I
’
ll see the master about this,
”
cried Agnes, outraged and nonplussed. She had ruled the governesses too long to recognize defeat now.
“
I
’
ll have Kilmallin himself tell you who
’
s in charge up here.
”

He regarded her calmly.

“
In the schoolroom, Agnes, you
’
ll find I
’
m in charge,
”
he said.
“
Now will you kindly let the boy get on with his work. He shall have his milk at eleven o
’
clock.
”

He nodded a quiet dismissal and went on with his writing. For a moment Agnes hesitated, then she whirled around and stumped out of the room.

“
Cripes!
”
said Brian.
“
You certainly know how to handle women, Mr. Cromwell.
”

Mark smiled faintly.

“
Get on with your paper,
”
he said.

Brian sighed.

“
I
’
m all in a muddle now. Isn
’
t it time for my milk?
”

“
Another five minutes. Do the best you can and take your time. There
’
s no hurry.
”

The morning wore away. Brian sighed and chewed his pen and made several blots on the foolscap, but by half
-
past twelve he had finished, and Mark told him he could go out into the garden until lunch-time.

At two o
’
clock they were ready to start for the hunter trials, and Kevin had just brought the car round to the door when Clancy came tearing round the side of the house shouting to them to wait.

“
I won
’
t be a minute, Kilmallin,
”
she cried.
“
I
’
ve only got to change my shoes.
”

She started to run into the house, but Mark stopped her.
“
I
’
m afraid Clancy won
’
t be going, Mr. O
’
Shane,
”
he said.

She tried to pull her wrist out of his firm grasp.
“
What do you mean?
”
she demanded.
“
Of course I
’
m
going.”

“
Clancy was supposed to write her paper this morning, but she decided to be absent,
”
Mark explained.
“
So I
’
m afraid she
’
ll have to stay behind and do it this afternoon. Brian
’
s done his.
”

Kevin laughed.

“
Playing hooky, was she? That
’
s how she used to treat
her governesses.
”

“
Really?
”
said Mark.
“
Well, it
’
s not how she
’
s going to treat me. I
’
m sorry, Clancy, but it
’
s your own fault.
”

She gazed at him incredulously.

“
But what does it matter? I can do it any time. I
’
ll do it this evening.
”

He shook his head at her.
‘

“
No, Clancy, you
’
ll do it in my time,
”
he said gently,
“
and that
’
s now. Go along up to the schoolroom.
”

“
Kilmallin!
”
she cried,
“
he can
’
t do this to me! You can
’
t let him do this to me!
”

Kevin was enjoying the whole thing.

“
Ah, sure, it
’
s nothing to do with me,
”
he said.
“
I only know I want to be off, or we
’
ll be late. Get in, Brian.
”

“
You can
’
t make me!
”
said Clancy, still trying to pull away from Mark.
“
You can leave me behind, but you can
’
t make me write any silly paper.
”

“
Oh, yes, I can,
”
he replied, in his expressionless voice.
“
You see, I
’
m staying behind too to see that you do it. I
’
m sorry, Mr. O
’
Shane, if we
’
ve spoilt your afternoon, but I
’
m afraid it can
’
t be helped.
”

“
Ah, well, never mind,
”
said Kevin, opening the door beside him for Brian.
“
I
’
m sorry you
’
ll not be with us, but
have my son, haven
’
t I, Brian, and that
’
s what matters.
”

Clancy shivered and the bitter tears stung her eyes. To be cheated of this glorious afternoon; to watch Brian, who did not want to go, climb into the seat beside his father; to hear the pride in Kilmallin
’
s voice as he said
‘
my son
’
, and watch them drive away together.