Julian frequently wondered what the result might be if he ever did so
in the presence of Lady Rossiter.
Lady Rossiter, however, was much engaged with the valedictory meetings
at which the members of the nature-class bade nature farewell until the
return of warmer weather, and had no immediate leisure to bestow upon
the growing friendship between Mark and Miss Marchrose.
Julian made his own observations, and was more than ever convinced that
Mark Easter was in no danger from a repetition of the fate which had
overtaken Captain Clarence Isbister. That episode, moreover, remained
to him utterly incomprehensible. He surmised that the clue to it might
be found in that contradiction between the half-mocking, half-defiant
directness of Miss Marchrose's eyes and the curiously unconscious
pathos of her mouth.
At the villa, Iris Easter for the time being remained installed,
reaping an astonishing harvest of press-cuttings, variously indicating
surprise, disgust, and admiration at the startling character of "Why,
Ben!"
Mr. Douglas Garrett remained in Culmouth and interpreted the
press-cuttings to her in his character of "one of we poor literary
hacks."
In the first week of December there took place at the College one of
the General Committee meetings so abhorred of Sir Julian.
"There are a great, great many things," said Edna thoughtfully, "that
I want to speak about at the meeting. I have been so little to the
College lately, but it is not often out of my thoughts."
"Bellew is taking the chair," Sir Julian observed, less irrelevantly
than might have been supposed.
He was aware, and knew that Edna was aware, that no check or limit
would be placed by Alderman Bellew on the College problems that Lady
Rossiter might choose to regard as coming within the scope of her
influence.
He wondered for the hundredth time whether it would not have been
possible to decline the complimentary offer of a position on the
general committee of management which had been made to Lady Rossiter as
wife of the leading director, and which he knew that she cherished the
more from being the only representative of her sex at the meetings.
"By the by," he said suddenly, "the position of Lady Superintendent
carries, _ipso facto_, a place on the General Committee. You will have
another lady to keep you in countenance, Edna."
"What, poor Miss Marchrose?"
"Miss Marchrose," Julian assented, tacitly refusing the epithet.
Lady Rossiter was silent for a moment and then said quietly, "I'm so
glad that I can spare the time to come in to-day. She could never have
faced all those men by herself, poor thing, and they would probably
have disliked it as much as she would, or more. An unmarried woman is
always at a disadvantage."
Julian left undisputed this cardinal article of faith characteristic of
the wedded Englishwoman.
In the hall of the College they found Cooper, who said in a
congratulatory way, "Sir Julian _and_ Lady Rossiter! You've come for
the General Meeting. Let me take your coat, Lady Rossiter, and put it
here--just lay it across the chair-back. We're going to have a good
meeting, I think--no absentees. Will you wait in Mr. Fuller's rooms,
Sir Julian? I'll open the door."
Mr. Fairfax Fuller greeted his chief with an air of relief that turned
into a look of smouldering resentment as Lady Rossiter shook hands
with him, which she always did, as she said, on principle, either
disregarding or not observing the Superintendent's strong tendency to
entrench himself behind a writing-table and thrust both hands into his
pockets.
She did not, however, shake hands with Miss Marchrose, but nodded
to her in a very kindly way and said "Good morning" in a pleasant
undertone.
Old Alderman Bellew was talking in the window to Mark Easter.
"How are things going, Mr. Fuller?" Edna enquired with grave interest.
"Going right enough," muttered Fuller, looking at his watch.
"Oh, I'm glad. You know I care so much. What are you putting before the
committee to-day?"
Fuller turned his back upon her.
"Miss Marchrose, give Lady Rossiter an agenda."
"Yes, yes," Edna cried, barely glancing at it, "but I don't mean just
the headings. For instance, 'Proposed Saturday afternoon classes.' Is
there really any chance of it? You know the whole question is very,
very near my heart, Mr. Fuller."
"It's for discussion to-day," said Mr. Fuller, bending over his
writing-table and intently studying the cover of Pitman's Shorthand
Dictionary.
"Oh, yes, but then there's so much that doesn't always come up at
the big meetings. _Le dessous des cartes._ In fact," Edna tactfully
amended, "the other side of the cards."
"Pocket Shorthand Dictionary, Centenary Edition," was Fuller's
explosive reply, as he traced the words on the book before him with a
square, tobacco-stained forefinger.
Julian was vividly reminded of the highly unsuccessful tea-party given
in her office by Miss Marchrose. He refrained from glancing at her,
feeling intimately convinced that the same thought was in her mind at
the moment.
"Shall we make a move, Fuller? It's just time."
Fairfax Fuller, with extreme and obvious thankfulness, hastily rose to
comply with the suggestion.
Lady Rossiter's traditional seat was at the right-hand side of the
chairman. She placed herself there and glanced round. Miss Marchrose
entered just behind Sir Julian. She looked not at all shy, but merely
rather doubtful.
Edna half-rose, with benevolent shielding in every line of her
admirably-hung coat and skirt, but Mark Easter was before her.
"Here, Miss Marchrose, if you will," he said quietly, and making way
for her at the table as he spoke. She gave him a quick glance of
acknowledgment and took the place that he indicated, between young
Cooper and himself at the end of the long table furthest from the
chair. Julian was seated at the bottom of the table, facing the
Alderman.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen," said the chairman, "I'm happy to tell
you that our Commercial and Technical College is doing well, doing
very well. I know how much you all have this enterprise at heart,
and, indeed, I may say that to the youth of this country, it is an
enterprise which cannot--which can, rather, or--er--I should say
can_not_ be of anything but inestimable advantage."
The Alderman's opening gambit was new to nobody. Cooper put his pencil
behind his ear until such time as the minutes of the conference should
claim it from inaction, and only began to fidget when old Bellew made
allusion to the increased attendance in the evening classes for French,
"so ably presided over by Mr. Cooper."
"The financial statement submitted to the directors by our good friend
Mr. Fuller there, is a highly satisfactory one, and the recent audit
was conducted to the complete--er--satisfac--to the complete--that
is--to the--er--general----"
The Alderman paused again, struggled, was defeated, and ended
defiantly, "To the general satisfaction."
"I will ask Mr. Fuller to read to the meeting those figures which will
best serve to put the position clearly before the meeting."
Fairfax Fuller, standing at attention, his voice impassive, and his
face full of triumph, recited a rapid litany, in which the words "two
thousand eight hundred and eleven" predominated.
"Bravo," murmured Mark Easter, thus encouraging the members of the
meeting to a general rustle of applause at this indication that
something, evidently numbering two thousand eight hundred and eleven
parts, had been gained, or saved, or judiciously made use of, for their
benefit.
"That, if I may say so, gentlemen," Mr. Fuller impressively remarked,
"is a very remarkable result. When I came here as Supervisor, three
years ago, matters were not in this state. Far from it. Mr. Mark Easter
here can tell you that, so can Sir Julian Rossiter. The College, if
I may say so, has pulled itself together since then. I don't wish to
claim any credit for myself." ("Liar!" mentally ejaculated Julian.)
"But the figures at the end of each year have shown a very marked
improvement. I hope next year we may do better still. I may say, that I
hope so confidently."
Fuller sat down again, pulling up the legs of his trousers at the
knees, and sufficiently intent upon the operation to miss the smile of
congratulation that Lady Rossiter was holding in waiting for him.
The old chairman, breathing heavily, leant across the table and
addressed Sir Julian Rossiter.
"Now, Sir Julian, you're a younger man than I am, and I'm going to ask
you to raise the one or two points we have here on the agenda. I think
we want the opinion of the meeting on one or two matters, eh?"
Julian spoke rapidly, and as concisely as possible. Cooper's pencil
flew across the pages of his note-book.
"The question has been raised of keeping the College open on Saturday
afternoons. There is plenty of evidence that, if we did so, we should
get quite a number of town pupils. The early closing of the shops
would bring us various shop employees, who are only too anxious to
give an hour or two of their spare time to learning. That, I believe,
applies especially to the shorthand and typewriting classes. The other
subjects, of course, have always been in less demand. The number of
students is easily covered by the evening classes on Tuesday and
Fridays for such subjects as accountancy, for instance, or French. The
question is, therefore, whether it would not be worth while to arrange
for a later closing on Saturdays, so as to hold a weekly class for
beginners in shorthand and typing."
Sir Julian paused and Fairfax Fuller said eagerly:
"I could engage for our having five pupils, straight off the reel, sir.
I actually hold that number of applications."
"Excellent," said the Alderman, from the head of the table.
"Ah!" breathed Lady Rossiter. "One would be so glad and proud, I feel
that too, very strongly--to help lay the foundation of knowledge--of
that efficiency which is to build up the forces of our Empire. After
all, it is the class we are trying to reach that is the very backbone
of the country."
The irrelevant diatribes to which Lady Rossiter was almost invariably
moved by a General Committee meeting contributed in no small measure to
her husband's distaste for them.
He looked straight in front of him and addressed the chairman.
"The whole question, of course, hinges on the staff available. Miss
Marchrose and Mr. Fuller are of opinion that it could be arranged, but
before approaching any of the teachers, it was thought desirable to get
the committee's opinion."
"The question being," ponderously repeated the old Alderman, looking
round the table, "the question being, whether or not the College is to
open on Saturday afternoons for a special shorthand and typing course."
"I have here a scheme," began Fuller eagerly, but Lady Rossiter's clear
voice interrupted him.
"Mr. Chairman, I am only a woman, amongst all you men, but I want you
to let me speak."
Edna leant forward in her favourite attitude, her arms folded upon the
table, her furs flung back.
"Delighted, Lady Rossiter, delighted to hear your views," growled the
Alderman.
Julian, looking down his nose, saw Fuller thrust his bull-neck forward
and jab viciously at the blotting-paper in front of him with a blunt
pencil.
Mark Easter was pulling at his moustache, leaning well back in his
chair, and Miss Marchrose was gazing at Lady Rossiter. Her dark brows
were drawn together in a slight frown, that might have indicated
puzzledom or disapproval alike.
"It seems to me," said Edna, in the time-honoured opening phrase of
the amateur, "it seems to me, that we perhaps none of us quite realise
what it would mean to ask any of the staff to give up that precious
Saturday. I always feel that it must mean so much to them. We, who can
wander out into God's beautiful sunshine at will, can hardly grasp
what it must be like to be imprisoned between four walls all the week,
without free time, without access to the fresh air, the movement of the
world outside. Oh," cried Edna, in a very impassioned manner indeed, "I
think if one only puts oneself into the place of those girl and women
prisoners, toiling for their bread and butter all the week, it will
become impossible to take away the poor little Saturday half-holiday
which is all they have! There is no one, I can confidently say, who has
our great national cause more at heart than I have, who would do more
to bring the light of education into the drab lives of those poor shop
creatures, but it seems to me that, as members of the committee, we
must give our first thought, our first consideration, to our own--our
very own workers. I, personally, have always felt the staff at the
College to be my very own."
Julian dared not glance at the representatives of Lady Rossiter's very
own, so vividly did his imagination set before him the infuriated
lowering of Fuller's dark brow, and the probable line of satire round
Miss Marchrose's curving lips.
He had frequently before heard Lady Rossiter moved to a very similar
eloquence, but neither custom nor a resolute avoidance of any eye in
the room could prevent him from wincing inwardly while her voice rang
out.
"It almost seems to me that we forget sometimes--oh, I'm not speaking
personally, Heaven knows, I'm weak enough myself--but sometimes I think
we forget that it's flesh and blood like our own that we're dealing
with. These men and women who work for a living are human beings like
ourselves!"
An electric silence followed the announcement.
Edna's head was moved slightly backwards, in the manner of one who has
flung down the gauntlet fearlessly. Her eyes travelled slowly round the
table.