entered, I felt the fire screen would do well enough. It had to be placed at a ludicrous angle, jutting into the debouchment of the stairs, in order to cover the bannister, but there was nothing else for it.
All my scheming and worrying were in vain. He entered by the side door, as he happened to catch a view of me watering my plants in the conservatory on his way to the stable. He was about ten minutes early, which accounted for my not being waiting in the hall, to distract his attention.
“How very charming,” he said, casting a quick glance over my miniature jungle. “This little conservatory is the only change that has been made to the cottage since its being built in 1600. It was added by a plant-loving ancestor in 1750. She was crippled, which accounts for its being attached to the house rather than freestanding, in the normal way. You have probably noticed there is a wider-than-usual doorway, to allow her Bath chair to be pushed in.”
“I have often wondered what accounts for the generosity of that doorway,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief that he had entered this way. My relief soon turned to apprehension. Unless I could hold him here for the entire visit, he would have a completely unhampered view of the stairs when we passed through to the sitting room. My camouflage was arranged to impede the view from the front door only.
“It is actually balmy in here,” he went on. “Such a pleasant change.”
“Why do we not sit down and have our discussion here?” I invited at once. “Those rattan chairs by the window squeak abominably when first occupied, but are comfortable.” Without waiting for his answer, I took the three steps that put me at the chairs, and occupied one of them.
“How are the children today?” I asked.
“Gwen is suffering from an overindulgence in Chinese cake; Ralph is fine. Too many sweets are not good for them.”
“I agree. It was only for their first visit they were so indulged. We do not habitually dine on cakes and tarts. I want to discuss with you again this business of guardianship of the children. I thought...”
With a weary sigh, he raised a hand to stop me, much as Mr. Everett does, except that his hand was more carefully manicured. “Let us get this settled once for all. The children will make their home with me. You live only two miles away. You may see them any time you wish, either here or at the Manor, with the exception, of course, of those hours when they are at classes. You will have all the advantage of their company, without the inconvenience and expense of having them at the cottage to live.”
"They will be at classes for the better part of the day—Gwen, at least, and Ralph the same in a few years. They can hardly come down to us for an evening visit. That curtails their company rather severely.”
“Surely you do not plan to deprive them of an education?” he asked, with a startled stare. "They would be at classes either here or at home. What is the difference?”
“The difference is that I planned to teach them myself.”
“You have mastered Latin and Greek, have you?” he asked ironically. “Higher mathematics, history, French... An amazing accomplishment, when one considers your sister was as ignorant as a swan.”
“Hettie was no more ignorant than any other lady of her class. Gwendolyn will not be a student of Latin and Greek, unless you plan to turn her into a blue philosopher, some sort of intellectual freak,” I answered hotly.
“I do not consider accomplishments freakish, in either a lady or a gentleman. I have a theory that ladies can profit from higher learning quite as well as men. Their education is sadly neglected. A smattering of literature, a daub of poorly-pronounced French, water colors, and stitchery. That is poor preparation for life.”
“Nearly as poor as Latin and Greek, for a lady who will live out her life in England.”
“You know my views in this matter—the larger matter of where they will live. I
All my scheming and worrying were in vain. He entered by the side door, as he happened to catch a view of me watering my plants in the conservatory on his way to the stable. He was about ten minutes early, which accounted for my not being waiting in the hall, to distract his attention.
“How very charming,” he said, casting a quick glance over my miniature jungle. “This little conservatory is the only change that has been made to the cottage since its being built in 1600. It was added by a plant-loving ancestor in 1750. She was crippled, which accounts for its being attached to the house rather than freestanding, in the normal way. You have probably noticed there is a wider-than-usual doorway, to allow her Bath chair to be pushed in.”
“I have often wondered what accounts for the generosity of that doorway,” I replied, breathing a sigh of relief that he had entered this way. My relief soon turned to apprehension. Unless I could hold him here for the entire visit, he would have a completely unhampered view of the stairs when we passed through to the sitting room. My camouflage was arranged to impede the view from the front door only.
“It is actually balmy in here,” he went on. “Such a pleasant change.”
“Why do we not sit down and have our discussion here?” I invited at once. “Those rattan chairs by the window squeak abominably when first occupied, but are comfortable.” Without waiting for his answer, I took the three steps that put me at the chairs, and occupied one of them.
“How are the children today?” I asked.
“Gwen is suffering from an overindulgence in Chinese cake; Ralph is fine. Too many sweets are not good for them.”
“I agree. It was only for their first visit they were so indulged. We do not habitually dine on cakes and tarts. I want to discuss with you again this business of guardianship of the children. I thought...”
With a weary sigh, he raised a hand to stop me, much as Mr. Everett does, except that his hand was more carefully manicured. “Let us get this settled once for all. The children will make their home with me. You live only two miles away. You may see them any time you wish, either here or at the Manor, with the exception, of course, of those hours when they are at classes. You will have all the advantage of their company, without the inconvenience and expense of having them at the cottage to live.”
"They will be at classes for the better part of the day—Gwen, at least, and Ralph the same in a few years. They can hardly come down to us for an evening visit. That curtails their company rather severely.”
“Surely you do not plan to deprive them of an education?” he asked, with a startled stare. "They would be at classes either here or at home. What is the difference?”
“The difference is that I planned to teach them myself.”
“You have mastered Latin and Greek, have you?” he asked ironically. “Higher mathematics, history, French... An amazing accomplishment, when one considers your sister was as ignorant as a swan.”
“Hettie was no more ignorant than any other lady of her class. Gwendolyn will not be a student of Latin and Greek, unless you plan to turn her into a blue philosopher, some sort of intellectual freak,” I answered hotly.
“I do not consider accomplishments freakish, in either a lady or a gentleman. I have a theory that ladies can profit from higher learning quite as well as men. Their education is sadly neglected. A smattering of literature, a daub of poorly-pronounced French, water colors, and stitchery. That is poor preparation for life.”
“Nearly as poor as Latin and Greek, for a lady who will live out her life in England.”
“You know my views in this matter—the larger matter of where they will live. I
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