03.5 Visitors for the Chalet School by Elinor Brent-Dyer Page B
Authors: Elinor Brent-Dyer
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Lauterbach.
And, as they walked, Patricia found, to her own surprise, that she was telling Jo how she had set her heart on the medical career and how everything seemed hopeless because of her mother’s determination to turn her into a social butterfly.
There was some indefinable quality about Jo Bettany that would, all her life, draw others to confide their troubles in her. In spite of the difference in their ages Patricia felt a bond of sympathy with the younger girl as she tried to explain her strong call towards becoming a doctor.
“But it’s a wonderful thing to give your life to healing sick people,” protested Joey, who had learned, from observing her brother-in-law and his colleagues at the sanatorium, something of the dedication a good doctor brings to his work. “Why on earth should your mother be so awfully against it?
Patricia did not make the sharp retort that would have leapt from her and London. Instead she said, after a moment’s pause: “I suppose it’s really very difficult for her, Joey. She and my father separated. He’s been living out in America for ages now, running some huge company. That’s how he got his title, by the way,
‘services to commerce’, I think they call it, but of course my mother loves it! And I’m sure it’s partly being left on her own like this that makes Mother such a stickler for all the social nonsense. I think she feels people are criticizing her all the time. And you see, Jo,” Patricia stopped for a moment and looked earnestly at her young companion, “in a way I really am all she has left. She just can’t – and won’t – understand that I’m not interested in her sort of things … being presented at Court, endless parties and so on. And she can’t see how any girl who isn’t obliged to work for a living can want to have a career. I suppose it’s something completely outside her world.”
“Well, anyway, you mustn’t dream of giving up hope now,” Joey said stoutly as they moved on again, rather more rapidly. “If you’ve got enough grit to keep going, I’m sure you can get there in the end.”
They had almost reached the little Gasthaus . There were cheerful sounds issuing forth, which proclaimed that the other girls were inside.
Jo paused for a moment at the door. “You must meet my sister and her husband,” she said with a purposeful air. “He’s a doctor, you know, and he’s head of the sanatorium on the Sonnalpe that you can just see from Briesau. I’ll tell you about that later, you’ll probably be interested; but we must go in and get our Kaffee or we shan’t get any.”
So saying, she pushed open the door and went inside, followed by Patricia.
CHAPTER 7
A Visit From Madame
Joey Bettany was never one to leave the daisies flowering over her feet. Three days after the expedition up the Tiern valley, Madge Bettany arrived at the Chalet School in time for Mittagessen ; and she gathered from Joey’s gesticulations across the dining-room that her sister had something important to communicate.
After lunch, Madge called Joey to her and remarked that there was really no need for such extraordinary antics. However she did promise to set aside half an hour after Kaffee und Kuchen for private talk, so Joey was well contented.
The Fifth form’s lesson that afternoon was science. Had it been a subject that came easily to her, Jo might have been able to let her thoughts wonder to the coming interview with her sister. But, after answering a question about magnetic currents with somewhat unscientific vagueness, she caught Miss Wilson’s eye fixed on her with such a chilly gleam that she hastily pulled herself together.
Punctually at a quarter to five Joey arrived at Madame’s study, as it was still called. Characteristically, she plunged straight into an account of her conversation with Patricia.
Madge listened with obvious interest. When Jo finished her tale, and had inveighed vehemently against any mother who would deliberately
And, as they walked, Patricia found, to her own surprise, that she was telling Jo how she had set her heart on the medical career and how everything seemed hopeless because of her mother’s determination to turn her into a social butterfly.
There was some indefinable quality about Jo Bettany that would, all her life, draw others to confide their troubles in her. In spite of the difference in their ages Patricia felt a bond of sympathy with the younger girl as she tried to explain her strong call towards becoming a doctor.
“But it’s a wonderful thing to give your life to healing sick people,” protested Joey, who had learned, from observing her brother-in-law and his colleagues at the sanatorium, something of the dedication a good doctor brings to his work. “Why on earth should your mother be so awfully against it?
Patricia did not make the sharp retort that would have leapt from her and London. Instead she said, after a moment’s pause: “I suppose it’s really very difficult for her, Joey. She and my father separated. He’s been living out in America for ages now, running some huge company. That’s how he got his title, by the way,
‘services to commerce’, I think they call it, but of course my mother loves it! And I’m sure it’s partly being left on her own like this that makes Mother such a stickler for all the social nonsense. I think she feels people are criticizing her all the time. And you see, Jo,” Patricia stopped for a moment and looked earnestly at her young companion, “in a way I really am all she has left. She just can’t – and won’t – understand that I’m not interested in her sort of things … being presented at Court, endless parties and so on. And she can’t see how any girl who isn’t obliged to work for a living can want to have a career. I suppose it’s something completely outside her world.”
“Well, anyway, you mustn’t dream of giving up hope now,” Joey said stoutly as they moved on again, rather more rapidly. “If you’ve got enough grit to keep going, I’m sure you can get there in the end.”
They had almost reached the little Gasthaus . There were cheerful sounds issuing forth, which proclaimed that the other girls were inside.
Jo paused for a moment at the door. “You must meet my sister and her husband,” she said with a purposeful air. “He’s a doctor, you know, and he’s head of the sanatorium on the Sonnalpe that you can just see from Briesau. I’ll tell you about that later, you’ll probably be interested; but we must go in and get our Kaffee or we shan’t get any.”
So saying, she pushed open the door and went inside, followed by Patricia.
CHAPTER 7
A Visit From Madame
Joey Bettany was never one to leave the daisies flowering over her feet. Three days after the expedition up the Tiern valley, Madge Bettany arrived at the Chalet School in time for Mittagessen ; and she gathered from Joey’s gesticulations across the dining-room that her sister had something important to communicate.
After lunch, Madge called Joey to her and remarked that there was really no need for such extraordinary antics. However she did promise to set aside half an hour after Kaffee und Kuchen for private talk, so Joey was well contented.
The Fifth form’s lesson that afternoon was science. Had it been a subject that came easily to her, Jo might have been able to let her thoughts wonder to the coming interview with her sister. But, after answering a question about magnetic currents with somewhat unscientific vagueness, she caught Miss Wilson’s eye fixed on her with such a chilly gleam that she hastily pulled herself together.
Punctually at a quarter to five Joey arrived at Madame’s study, as it was still called. Characteristically, she plunged straight into an account of her conversation with Patricia.
Madge listened with obvious interest. When Jo finished her tale, and had inveighed vehemently against any mother who would deliberately
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