CHAPTER XXII
The Parting of the Ways
Events, most fortunately, turned out as Lorraine and Morland had hoped.Captain Blake received an anonymous parcel containing his lostdispatch-case, and, judging probably that some chance passer-by hadpicked it up and tardily restored it, made no further stir in thematter. So the cloud which had threatened to break in an overwhelmingstorm of ruin blew safely over, and left clear skies behind.
Lorraine returned to The Gables next morning to find the school in awhirl of excitement over the disappearance of Madame Bertier. She hadbeen missing from her lodgings since the very morning when the U-boattook in its cargo of oil from Smugglers' Cove. She had departed no oneknew whither, without even a portmanteau or a handbag, and had leftabsolutely no trace of her destination. The police came and examined herbelongings, but they found nothing treasonable, though a heap of whiteashes in the fire-grate showed that papers must have been burnt. Thefascinating Russian adventuress vanished from the world of Porthkeverneas suddenly and mysteriously as she had appeared there. Her exit made anine-days' wonder in the artistic and literary circles where her cleverpersonality had won her so much favour. Wiseacres shook their heads andremembered suspicious circumstances which had not struck them at thetime as incriminating.
At The Gables, Miss Kingsley hastily reorganized her teaching staff,handing the French classes over to Miss Paget and the music to MissTurner until the end of the term. She felt the blow to be a double one,for not only did it seriously upset the arrangements of the school, butit wounded her in a tender spot. She had been very kind to MadameBertier, and had thought that, in befriending and giving her employment,she was aiding a distressed ally to gain an honourable living. To herupright and patriotic temperament the disillusionment was painful.
There was little of the term left now; in a few weeks the holidayswould be here, and the group of girls who were working together in theSixth Form would be dispersed. Lorraine could hardly realize that herschool days were so nearly ended. She had been happy at The Gables, andshe was sorry to leave. Yet life stretched before her very bright andfair, with such pleasant prospects that she thrilled when she thought ofthe future. Her father had decided that her artistic talent was quitesufficient to justify him in sending her to London to study art, and hadconsulted Margaret Lindsay as to the best master under whom to placeher. Lorraine, in her Saturday mornings' lessons, had dabbled in avariety of arts and crafts, and had tried her 'prentice hand at watercolours, oil painting, illustrating, gesso, metal work, wood engraving,and enamelling. Each, she knew, was a separate career in itself thatwould take many years in which to gain even a mediocre proficiency. Onthe whole her inclination led her to take up sculpture. She had beenmost successful with clay modelling, and several Porthkeverne artistswho had seen some of her work had praised it and advised her to go on.Down at the dear studio by the harbour, where her first artisticinspirations had been received, she talked the matter over with herfriend. Margaret was packing to go away, and the room was strewn withcanvases, water-colour boards, paints, and other impedimenta. Lorraine,sitting on the table, flourishing a mahl-stick, aired her views.
"It's so glorious to take up something that you feel perhaps some dayyou may--if you work hard--be able to make something of. Carina, if Iever get anything into an exhibition, I shall just want to turn headover heels with joy. Art suits me far better than music. If you go infor playing or singing, you have to perform before an audience, and thefeeling that anybody is listening to me simply _withers_ me! You don'tknow what agonies I go through when I'm asked to play my violin beforevisitors--I'm so nervous that my fingers absolutely dither. Now,painting or sculpture you can do when you're quite alone, and when it'sfinished people can look at it, and you needn't even be there to show itoff. Don't you sympathise?"
"Indeed I do. For anybody afflicted with shyness, a studio is certainlypreferable to a platform; and works of art, if they are worth anything,live on. You ought to do well, Lorraine, if you work. You've thesculptor's thumb--broad and thin and turned back. I'm glad you're tostudy under Mr. Davidson; he's an inspiring teacher and verythorough."
"I shall leave the music to Monica," decided Lorraine. "She's a monkeysometimes, but she's a clever little mortal--much cleverer than I am. Isometimes think she'll be the success of the family."
All of the Sixth Form at The Gables were going their several ways.Patsie contemplated work on the land, Vivien meant to devote herself tothe Red Cross, Dorothy was destined for college, Nellie to studykindergarten training. For Claudia the future was still nebulous. UnderRosemary's instruction she had practised her singing with an immenseenthusiasm. Her voice was developing wonderfully. Rosemary listened toit with somewhat the feeling of an artist who has created a mostbeautiful thing. She had taught Claudia to accomplish what she couldnever compass herself. Her own talent, passed on to another, had gainedten talents more. At the end of July, before the College of Music closedits summer session, Rosemary wrote to Signor Arezzo concerning herpupil, and received a reply making an appointment for her to bringClaudia to have her voice tested. This was tremendous news. She went upto Windy Howe with the letter. Mr. Castleton, absorbed in a classicpainting of Beata and Romola as wood nymphs, detached his mind withdifficulty from Greek draperies and focused it upon his eldest daughter.
"I did not know Claudia could sing!" he remarked with surprise.
"Why, my dear, she's always singing about the house, and has a very goodvoice too. It would be splendid if she could make something of it," putin his wife, who in this case proved her step-daughter's firm ally. "Begenerous now, and let the girl run up to town with Miss Forrester. Whoknows what may come of it?"
Mr. Castleton was mixing a subtle shade of grey for the folds beneathRomola's girdle. At the moment he would have consented to anything toget rid of visitors and go on with his painting.
"Let her go if she likes," he agreed.
So the appointment was accepted; and one day in the next week ananxious little Rosemary, living in a whirl of hopes, piloted a nervous,blushing, but quite too lovely Claudia into the solemn precincts of theCollege of Music. Signor Arezzo had in his time trained hundreds ofmusical students. Most of them possessed moderate talents, some wereclever, and an elect few passed on to the concert platform. It was onlyonce or twice in his teaching career that he had discovered a voiceworthy of grand opera. His experienced eye measured Claudia withsatisfaction. Her beautiful throat was certainly that of a singer. Onthe operatic stage that face and figure would be worth a fortune. He didnot commit himself, however, but, asking her to come nearer to thepiano, played a few chords and began to test her voice. At first Claudiawas nervous, but after she had sung some exercises the feeling passed,and she poured out her notes as naturally as she had done in the orchardat home. The professor made her try various scales, arpeggios, studies,and a song.
"Thank you," he said at last. "That will do. I can safely promise you ascholarship at the College next September. If you're ready to work Ithink we may make something of you. Now, will you go into the ante-roomand wait while I speak to Miss Forrester? I want to have a word withher."
When Claudia, with shining eyes, had gone out of the room, Signor Arezzoturned to Rosemary and shook her warmly by the hand.
"I congratulate you!" he said. "Unless I'm much mistaken you'vediscovered an operatic star. The girl has a most marvellous voice.She'll be a credit to the College some day! And she has every elementfor a successful _prima donna_--graceful movement, enthusiasm anddramatic fire. You say you have only been training her since last May?Why, it's marvellous! You must be a born teacher. I couldn't have donemore with her in the time myself. If you would care to help me with someof my pupils, you could take a good deal of work off my hands. I havenever found anyone before who so absolutely realised my methods. Ishould be very glad to give you charge of the beginners under mysupervision."
It was Rosemary's turn now to be surprised.
"Oh, if I only might!" she gasped.
&nbs
p; Two very delighted and happy girls returned to Porthkeverne next day;Claudia with the sure prospect of a scholarship, and Rosemary almostdazed at the offer of so splendid a post as assistant to Signor Arezzo.
"Isn't it wonderful, Muvvie?" she confided. "Just when I was wailingthat my life was spoilt, I've found my true career. I see now that Ishould never have been a success on a platform, and I'm glad SignorArezzo had the honesty to tell me so. But teaching is quite different. Ican feel how things ought to be, and I can make other people do them.It's like working on their instruments instead of mine. Think of goingback to the dear old College, and actually having an established placethere! I do hope I shall really be as useful to the Professor as heseems to expect! With Lorraine studying sculpture, and Claudia andmyself at the College, what a gorgeous time we shall all have at thehostel together!"
The final day of the term at The Gables had arrived, and the girls, intheir best dresses, were ready to assemble in the gymnasium for thespeech-giving which always celebrated the close of the school year. Themonitresses met in the Sixth Form room for the last time. They tooktheir parting differently, according to temperament. Audrey wassentimental, Nellie a trifle tearful. Each was ready to expatiate on herplans for the future.
"In three weeks I hope to be on the land, and driving a milk-cart with apiebald pony," said Patsie cheerfully.
"But why a piebald pony?" asked Dorothy, in a puzzled tone.
"Why? Because people are so superstitious about them, and it would besuch sport to come careering down the street and see folks suddenlybending to touch their shoes, and know they were all having wishes. I'dfeel like a fairy godmother, or Father Christmas. I've got my landcostume, and it's no end! I wanted to turn up in it to-day to show youall, only Mother wouldn't let me."
"Violet's sewing very hard, making clothes for me to take to London,"vouchsafed Claudia. "She's been a perfect trump lately! Beata and Romolaare to start school here in September. They're fearfully excited."
"And little Monica will be in the Fourth Form," said Lorraine. "I wonderwho will be monitresses in our place, and whom Miss Kingsley will choosefor head girl?"
"Whoever your successor may be, she won't make a better head girl thanyou, Lorraine," said Patsie heartily. "We haven't said much, but we'veappreciated you all the year. You've been a sport!"
"I? Why? I've done nothing for the school, I'm afraid--not nearly asmuch as I wanted to do."
"We didn't want a paragon," returned Patsie. "You've been yourself, andthat was quite good enough. On the whole it's been a ripping year."
There is very little more to tell. How Rosemary and Lorraine and Claudiaprospered at their work in London; how Margaret Lindsay took a studio intown for the winter, and joined them at their hostel; how Morland wentto the front, did a splendid unselfish deed, and won the D.C.M., are allbeyond the limits of a school story, and in the borderland of the biggerworld of grown-up life. But, when Lorraine in days to come looks backupon the old fun at Porthkeverne, I think she will emphatically decidethat whatever happiness or success she may win afterwards, she neverspent a jollier, livelier, more light-hearted, and altogethersatisfactory time than the year she was Head Girl at The Gables.
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN _By Blackie & Son, Limited, Glasgow_
Transcriber's Note:
Variations in hyphenation have been retained as they appear in the original publication.
Spelling and punctuation have also been retained, except as follows:
The oe ligature has been changed to oe in the name Phoebe and Felix-foemina.
Page 55
golden-haired little Casletons _changed to_ golden-haired little Castletons
Page 115
rather a 'cute idea _changed to_ rather a cute idea
Page 174
at Miss Kingsley's instance _changed to_ at Miss Kingsley's insistence
Page 207
Westminister Abbey _changed to_ Westminster Abbey
Page 228
could't get Johnnie to _changed to_ couldn't get Johnnie to
Page 244
"You shan't!" I'll see _changed to_ "You shan't! I'll see
Page 254
had been named "Smugglers' Cove" It _changed to_ had been named "Smugglers' Cove". It
Page 283
teacher and very thorough. _changed to_ teacher and very thorough."
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