CHAPTER XI
"Coriolanus"
It was an old-established custom at the Dower House that at the end ofevery term the girls must make a special effort to distinguishthemselves. They would get up a play, or a concert, or a Shakespearereading, sometimes a show of paintings, carving, and needlework, or awell-rehearsed exhibition of physical exercises and drill. It was quitean informal affair, only intended for themselves and the mistresses,though occasionally Miss Birks invited a few friends to help to swellthe audience. Now April was here, the Easter holidays seemed fastapproaching, and preparations were accordingly made for the usualfunction. As a rule, the girls organized the affair themselves, underthe direction of the Sixth Form, but this term Miss Harding stepped inand assumed the management. She decreed that all the members of theLatin classes should give a Latin play, and selected a version of_Coriolanus_ for their performance. About half the school took Latin,just enough to make up the cast required, so both senior and juniorstudents were set to work to learn speeches and get up orations. Atfirst they were entirely dismayed at the prospect of so arduous anundertaking.
"I hardly thought Miss Harding was serious when she proposed it," saidAnnie Pridwell, who with Deirdre, Dulcie, and Gerda made up the fourrepresentatives of VB.
"Serious enough in all conscience," groaned Dulcie, turning over theleaves of the small volume with an air of special tragedy."Volumnia--Volumnia--yes, here she comes again--Volumnia--oh! why am Ichosen for Volumnia? I'll never get all this stuff into my head!"
"You'll look the character nicely," said Annie consolingly. "You'vereally rather a classic sort of nose, and you'll have a big distaff andspindle, and be spinning as you talk."
"That won't help me to remember my part, unless I can write it on ascrap of paper and hide it among the flax. I declare, it's not fair!Volumnia has far more to say than Tullus Attius or Sicinius. You oughtto have something extra tagged on to your parts."
"We've quite enough, thanks!" declared Deirdre and Annie hastily.
"As for Gerda," continued Dulcie, "she's being let off too easilyaltogether. Her Senator's speech is only eight lines."
"Well, it's my first term at Latin, remember," said Gerda.
"Jessie Macpherson will have to swot like anything to get up 'CaiusMarcus Coriolanus'. I'm glad I'm not picked for the show part, anyhow."
"Jessie won't mind swotting if she has a chance to shine. There'd havebeen trouble if she'd had to play second fiddle."
"No one would be rash enough to suggest that. She's not head of theschool for nothing."
"Look here! Is this play to be part of the Latin lesson or an extra?Shall we be excused our ordinary prep.?"
"Not a line."
"Oh, what a shame! Then it's giving us double lessons. I wish MissHarding had left us to get up a concert by ourselves."
Although the girls might grumble and make rather a fuss over learningtheir parts, they soon committed the little play to memory, and thanksto Miss Harding's efforts rehearsals went briskly. Jessie Macpherson,whose cleverness certainly justified her assumption of generalsuperiority, rose to the occasion nobly, and tripped off her longspeeches as if Latin were her mother tongue, to the envy and admirationof those who still halted and stumbled.
"Jessie had got through her grammar before she came to the Dower House,though," said Irene Jordan, herself a beginner. "It gives her anenormous pull to have started early."
"Boys' schools get up ever such grand Latin plays," remarked RhodaWilkins. "At Orton College, where my brothers go, they did the _Phormio_of Terence. We went to see it, and it was splendid. It took fully twohours. Ours won't take one."
"Well, one expects boys to be better at Latin."
"Some girls' schools run them hard," said Phyllis Rowland. "I know girlswho can beat their brothers."
"Oh, yes, at the big High Schools, where you choose classics or modernlanguages, and stick to one side. At the Dower House we dabble ineverything all round, maths., and science, and accomplishments thrown inas well. Well, it gives you the chance to see which you like best."
The most serious question in connection with the performance was thearrangement of the costumes. Miss Harding and the elder girls pored overillustrated Roman histories and classical dictionaries, trying to getthe exact style of the period.
"It's difficult to reproduce with twentieth-century materials," said themistress. "One feels all the linens ought to be homespun, and woven in aloom like Penelope's; and as for the scenery--well, we shall just haveto do the best we can."
"As long as we avoid anachronisms we shall be all right," said JessieMacpherson. "We shall have to leave something to the imagination of theaudience."
The whole school was requisitioned to help, and large working partieswere held in the dining-room. The girls found it an amusement to hemtogas or construct shields out of cardboard and brown paper, andstitched quite elaborate borders on the robes of Veturia, Volumnia, andValeria. One of the difficulties that presented itself was the questionof footgear. Roman matrons did not wear serviceable school shoes withheels, or elegant French ones either. It would certainly be necessary tocontrive sandals.
"We can't cut our best shoes down for the occasion!" said MarciaRichards.
"I'd leave the school first!" returned Phyllis Rowland.
Hiring "Roman" sandals was too great an expense, and an ambitiousattempt of Jessie Macpherson's to make them out of paper turned out aghastly failure.
In the end Miss Harding cut some from strips of cloth, and this effectproved classical enough to serve the purpose.
"That will be the best we can manage," she said.
"I'm thankful I haven't to do a dance in mine. It would be a queer sortof shuffle!" confided Dulcie to her chum.
In honour of the very special effort which was being made, Miss Birksdecided to send a number of invitations and ask quite a considerablegathering to an afternoon performance.
"It's going to be really a swell thing for once," said Deirdre. "I hearMiss Birks is getting new curtains--those old ones are quite wornout--and the joiner is to come and fix a rod. And there's to be teaafter the entertainment. Such heaps of people are coming!"
"Who?" asked Gerda.
"Oh, Major and Mrs. Hargreaves and their little boys, and Canon Hall andMiss Hall, and Dr. and Mrs. Dawes, and all the four Miss Hirsts, and theRector of Kergoff, and Mr. Lawson, and of course Mrs. Trevellyan."
"And Ronnie?"
"Rather! We wouldn't leave Ronnie out of it! Miss Herbert is to cometoo, if she hasn't gone home for the holidays."
"You've never seen Mrs. Trevellyan yet, Gerda?" put in Dulcie.
"Only in church."
"Well, but I mean to speak to. You didn't go to Ronnie's birthday party,and the day she came here you were as shy as a baby, and scooted out ofthe way."
"I can't help being shy," returned Gerda, blushing up to the very tipsof her ears.
"Why, there you are, turning as red as a boiled lobster! Miss Birks saysshyness is mostly morbid self-consciousness, and isn't anything to beproud of. Why don't you try to get out of it? It looks right-down sillyto colour up like that over simply nothing at all. I'd be ashamed ofit!" said Dulcie, who could be severe on other people's faults, thoughshe demanded charity for her own.
"Gerda's copying eighteenth-century heroines!" mocked Deirdre. "Theyalways tried to outvie the rose. Didn't Herrick write a sonnet to hisJulia's blushes? And I'm sure I remember reading somewhere:
'O, sweet and fair, Beyond compare, Are Daphne's cheeks. And Daphne's blushing cheeks, I swear!'
Go it, Gerda! Can you possibly get a little redder if you try? If yououtvie the rose, there's still the peony left!"
Gerda took her room-mates' teasing, as she took everything else at theDower House, with little or no remonstrance. It would have pleased thegirls much better if they could have raised a spark out of her. Herqueer, self-contained reserve was not at all to their taste, and theyawarded the palm of popularity to Betty Scott, wh
ose high spirits,perpetual jokes, and amusing tongue made her the public entertainer ofthe Form.
"I wish Betty were acting," sighed Dulcie. "She's always the life andsoul of a play. It was very stupid of her mother not to want her tolearn Latin."
"I'm afraid Gerda'll be a perfect stick as Ancus Vinitius," whisperedDeirdre.
"An absolute dummy," agreed her chum.
But they underestimated Gerda's talents. Her part was a small one, yetshe rendered it excellently. She walked, acted, and spoke with a calmdignity well in keeping with the character she represented. Everybodyagreed that she made a most reverend and stately senator.
"I ought to look old, though," she maintained. "It's absurd for us allto look so youthful."
"Powder your hair," suggested Irene.
"Not enough. I think I can do better than that."
Rather to the girls' amusement, Gerda seemed more than ordinarilyanxious about her costume.
"She couldn't make more fuss if she was taking Coriolanus himself!"laughed Dulcie. "The Senator might be the chief part."
Gerda had notions of her own, which she proceeded to carry out. She wentto Jessie Macpherson and borrowed the white wig, and with the help ofsome more sheep's wool contrived a beard to match. On the afternoon ofthe performance she not only donned these, but blackened her eyebrowsand painted her face with a series of wrinkles and crows'-feet.
"Why, it's splendid!" exclaimed the girls. "You look seventy at the veryleast. Just the sort of venerable old city father you're meant for."
"You'd hardly know me, would you?" enquired Gerda casually.
"Nobody would know you. I don't believe even Miss Birks will recognizeyou. It's the best make-up of anybody's. Jessie'll be proud to see herwig used after all. She'll almost wish she'd worn it herself."
The performers found the dressing nearly the greatest part of the fun.They arranged Volumnia's classical garments and ornaments, adjusted hergold fillet; draped the folds of Veturia's flowing robe, and persuadedBrutus to abandon spectacles for the occasion.
"You forget we're supposed to be in _circum_ 490 B.C.," remarked JessieMacpherson.
"I shall be blind without them!" objected Brutus.
"Never mind! You must catch hold of Sicinius's toga if you get intodifficulties."
"The Chinese used spectacles ages ago. Couldn't a pair of them have gotimported into Rome?"
"Certainly not. Those goggles of yours would spoil the whole classicalspirit of the play, and I shan't allow them."
"Well, I suppose I'll worry through somehow; but if I upset the rostrumdon't blame me!"
"You've just got to go through your part without upsetting anything,spectacles or no spectacles, or you'll have to settle with meafterwards!" observed Jessie grimly.
By half-past three all the invited guests had arrived and taken theirplaces in the dining-hall, where a temporary platform had been put up.From behind the curtains the performers could take surreptitious peepsand watch the arrival of the audience. Dulcie, with her eye at a tinyopening, reported progress to the others.
"There's the Vicar! There's Mrs. Hargreaves with all the boys! There'sCanon Hall! Oh, here's Mrs. Trevellyan, and Miss Herbert and Ronniebehind her!"
"Where are they sitting?" asked Gerda.
"Right in the middle of the front row. Do you want to peep?"
"Thanks--just for a second. Tell me, is my beard all right? Miss Birks,or--anyone else--wouldn't know me?"
"Not from Adam! What a fuss you make about your costume!" said Dulcieimpatiently. "Nobody'll notice it all that much. There are ten othersacting as well as yourself."
"I'm glad you snubbed her," said Deirdre, as Gerda having taken her peepbetween the curtains, retired to the back of the stage.
"She really needs it sometimes. It isn't good for people to let them getswollen head."
"Are you all ready?" asked Miss Harding anxiously. "Then ring the bell,Marcia. Now, Rhoda, don't forget your cue, 'Satis verborum,' andremember to speak up. And, Doris, do put the right accent on 'Dulce etdecorum est pro patria mori'. I shall be so ashamed if you get itwrong."
The audience clapped vigorously as the curtains parted and disclosed anatrium with Veturia and Volumnia seated spinning and chatting as Romanmatrons may very possibly have chatted in the year 490 B.C. The scenewas really pretty, and became impressive when Caius Marcius arrived withhis proud news. Jessie Macpherson had an excellent idea of acting, and,as her features were classical, she made an ideal personation of thefuture Coriolanus, putting just the right amount of aristocratichaughtiness into her demeanour and calm command into her tone of voice.Miss Harding had been nervous about many points, but as the play wenton, and scene succeeded scene, she breathed more freely. Every girl wason her mettle to do her best, and things that had dragged even at thedress rehearsal now went briskly. Nobody needed prompting, and nobodyforgot her cue; all spoke up audibly, and even the lictor, who had beenthe most difficult to train, did not turn his back on the audience.Though many of the guests certainly could not understand the dialogue,the plot of the play was so palpable that all could easily follow thestory from its interesting opening to the end. Coriolanus died nobly,and fell to the ground with a really heroic disregard of possiblebruises; and Veturia commanded the sympathy of the entire room as sheshared his fate. The performers received quite an ovation as they stoodin a line making their bows.
"Really, Miss Birks, your girls are too clever for anything," remarkedCanon Hall. "Their Latin was most excellent."
"The soft pronunciation makes it sound just like Italian," said Mrs.Trevellyan. "They deserve many congratulations."
"Yes, they caught the classical spirit of the thing so well," agreed Mr.Poynter, the vicar.
"Considering that many of them are beginners, I think it is fairly wellto their credit, and certainly to Miss Harding's," said Miss Birks."This is the first Latin play they have attempted. Another time theywill do better."
The next part of the function was tea in the drawing-room, to whichguests and pupils were alike invited.
"Be quick and change your costumes!" commanded Coriolanus behind thescenes. "Here! somebody please unfasten me at the back! Where are myshoes gone to?"
"Why need we change?" interposed Gerda quickly. "It will take so long,tea'll be over before we're ready. Why can't we go in as we are?"
"Oh, yes, let us keep on our costumes!" agreed Dulcie, who liked being aRoman lady. "Miss Harding, mayn't we have tea in character?"
"Why, I dare say it will amuse the visitors. Yes, run in as you are ifyou wish. Gerda, wouldn't you like to take off that beard and wash yourface? Come here and I'll help you."
"No, thanks! I'd rather keep it on, really."
"I don't know how you'll negotiate any tea!"
"I don't mind."
The eleven performers made quite a sensation as they filed into thedrawing-room. All the children among the guests wanted to examine theirgarments and handle their mock daggers. Ronnie in particular persistedin calling his aunt's attention to every detail.
"I like Jessie and Rhoda and Hilda the best," he declared frankly. "Ididn't know Marcia at first. And who do you think that old man is? It'sGerda--Gerda Thorwaldson! Gerda, do let Auntie look at you! Yes, youmust come! I'll drag you! Here she is, Auntie!"
"How do you do, my dear? Your make-up seems excellent," said Mrs.Trevellyan kindly, smiling as the senator blushed furiously under hispainted wrinkles. "Ronnie, you mustn't be naughty! Don't hold her if shewants to go. What a little tyrant you are!"
"Gerda is such a very shy girl," said Miss Birks, as Ronnie loosed hishold and Ancus Vinitius made his escape. "I always have the greatestdifficulty in persuading her to speak to strangers. It amounts to afault."
"A pardonable failing at her age," returned Mrs. Trevellyan. "She'lloutgrow it presently, no doubt. At any rate, it's pleasanter than toogreat self-assurance, which is generally the reproach cast at youngpeople of the period. It's quite refreshing nowadays to meet a girl whois shy."
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