What I do always keep in mind is his overriding wish that the school should turn out not simply self-absorbed, technically stunning exhibitionists, but real music-makers in the truest sense of the term.'
'I know—' suddenly her eyes were shining with sympathy and eagerness — 'I know exactly what he meant.'
'Yes, you do, don't you? Because that's your speciality too.'
'How do you know?' She was rather taken aback.
'I've been making quite a lot of inquiries about you,' he told her coolly.
'You have? From whom?'
'First from Mrs. Bush, who may not know much about music but is a very shrewd judge of her staff as people. Then from the head at your last school—'
'Miss Evesham !'
'Yes, Miss Evesham . And finally the very remarkable headmaster of your first school.'
'Oh, he really did know about music-making!' she said quickly.
'Yes, so I realized. But each one of the three, though different in outlook and temperament, had exactly the same thing to say about you in one respect.'
'And what was that?' She was surprised and intrigued.
'That they had never come across anyone with your remarkable capacity for arousing interest and enthusiasm. Or, as Miss Evesham rather picturesquely put it, for opening windows on fresh and exciting horizons.'
'She said that?' Felicity was genuinely touched, for she had not known that Miss Evesham rated her so highly. 'How very nice of her. But, Mr. Tarkman, why have you been going round collecting opinions about me? And incidentally, what was it you wanted to discuss with me before the others arrived?' She glanced at her watch.
He noted the gesture with a smile and said, 'I can save time by giving the same answer to both those questions. I want to persuade you to join the staff of Tarkmans as a visiting lecturer on music appreciation — or whatever term you choose to apply to your special gift for opening windows on fresh musical horizons.'
'Me? You want me to teach at Tarkmans? But—' genuine humility came over her — 'I'm not at all sure I'm that standard.'
'If you weren't I shouldn't be asking you,' he assured her drily. 'Think it over, Miss Grainger. I hear our first guests arriving. And let me know your decision at the end of the evening.'
CHAPTER THREE
Dazed as she was by Stephen Tarkman's unexpected offer, Felicity found some difficulty in pulling herself together sufficiently to appear calm and sociable when the first visitors were ushered in. But as one of them proved to be Julia Morton, she called on all her powers of self-control, smiled sweetly and contrived to say all the right things.
With Mrs. Morton came Professor Blackthorn who was, Felicity remembered, the other person Stephen Tarkman had originally proposed to bring with him to the ill-fated school concert. Apparently the professor — a pleasant, middle-aged man with shrewd dark eyes behind horn-rimmed spectacles — remembered this too, because he immediately said,
'I was sorry not to come to your end-of-term concert a few weeks ago, but I had to go north to adjudicate at a county competition that night. How did things go?'
She was taken aback to find that apparently Janet had not rated so much as a word of discussion between the two men and she asked quickly, 'Didn't Mr. Tarkman tell you?'
'I haven't had a chance to talk to him since,' the professor explained.
'Oh — well,' Felicity admitted, 'I'm afraid my protégée had a fit of nerves and did herself less than justice, but—'
'It often happens,' he interrupted consolingly. 'She may get another opportunity. How old is she?'
'Eleven. She is Mrs. Morton's niece,' Felicity added in a lower tone, and she glanced across the room to where Stephen Tarkman was displaying to his other guests what appeared to be a recent addition to his collection of water-colours.
'Really?' Professor Blackthorn seemed interested. 'Was it she who first drew Tarkman's attention to the girl?'
'On the contrary,' replied Felicity drily. 'In my view, Mrs. Morton seriously
'I know—' suddenly her eyes were shining with sympathy and eagerness — 'I know exactly what he meant.'
'Yes, you do, don't you? Because that's your speciality too.'
'How do you know?' She was rather taken aback.
'I've been making quite a lot of inquiries about you,' he told her coolly.
'You have? From whom?'
'First from Mrs. Bush, who may not know much about music but is a very shrewd judge of her staff as people. Then from the head at your last school—'
'Miss Evesham !'
'Yes, Miss Evesham . And finally the very remarkable headmaster of your first school.'
'Oh, he really did know about music-making!' she said quickly.
'Yes, so I realized. But each one of the three, though different in outlook and temperament, had exactly the same thing to say about you in one respect.'
'And what was that?' She was surprised and intrigued.
'That they had never come across anyone with your remarkable capacity for arousing interest and enthusiasm. Or, as Miss Evesham rather picturesquely put it, for opening windows on fresh and exciting horizons.'
'She said that?' Felicity was genuinely touched, for she had not known that Miss Evesham rated her so highly. 'How very nice of her. But, Mr. Tarkman, why have you been going round collecting opinions about me? And incidentally, what was it you wanted to discuss with me before the others arrived?' She glanced at her watch.
He noted the gesture with a smile and said, 'I can save time by giving the same answer to both those questions. I want to persuade you to join the staff of Tarkmans as a visiting lecturer on music appreciation — or whatever term you choose to apply to your special gift for opening windows on fresh musical horizons.'
'Me? You want me to teach at Tarkmans? But—' genuine humility came over her — 'I'm not at all sure I'm that standard.'
'If you weren't I shouldn't be asking you,' he assured her drily. 'Think it over, Miss Grainger. I hear our first guests arriving. And let me know your decision at the end of the evening.'
CHAPTER THREE
Dazed as she was by Stephen Tarkman's unexpected offer, Felicity found some difficulty in pulling herself together sufficiently to appear calm and sociable when the first visitors were ushered in. But as one of them proved to be Julia Morton, she called on all her powers of self-control, smiled sweetly and contrived to say all the right things.
With Mrs. Morton came Professor Blackthorn who was, Felicity remembered, the other person Stephen Tarkman had originally proposed to bring with him to the ill-fated school concert. Apparently the professor — a pleasant, middle-aged man with shrewd dark eyes behind horn-rimmed spectacles — remembered this too, because he immediately said,
'I was sorry not to come to your end-of-term concert a few weeks ago, but I had to go north to adjudicate at a county competition that night. How did things go?'
She was taken aback to find that apparently Janet had not rated so much as a word of discussion between the two men and she asked quickly, 'Didn't Mr. Tarkman tell you?'
'I haven't had a chance to talk to him since,' the professor explained.
'Oh — well,' Felicity admitted, 'I'm afraid my protégée had a fit of nerves and did herself less than justice, but—'
'It often happens,' he interrupted consolingly. 'She may get another opportunity. How old is she?'
'Eleven. She is Mrs. Morton's niece,' Felicity added in a lower tone, and she glanced across the room to where Stephen Tarkman was displaying to his other guests what appeared to be a recent addition to his collection of water-colours.
'Really?' Professor Blackthorn seemed interested. 'Was it she who first drew Tarkman's attention to the girl?'
'On the contrary,' replied Felicity drily. 'In my view, Mrs. Morton seriously
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