Free Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie Page B

liked to be a schoolmistress?” she asked, with some curiosity.
    “I'm afraid I should hate it,” said Ann frankly.
    “Why?”
    “I'd find it terribly dull. Oh, I am sorry.”
    She stopped in dismay,
    “Teaching isn't in the least dull,” said Miss Bulstrode with spirit. “It can be the most exciting thing in the world. I shall miss it terribly when I retire.”
    “But surely -” Ann stared at her, “Are you thinking of retiring?”
    “It's decided - yes. Oh, I shan't go for another year - or even two years.”
    “But - why?”
    “Because I've given my best to the school - and had the best from it, I don't want the second best.”
    “The school will carry on?”
    “Oh yes. I have a good successor.”
    “Miss Vansittart, I suppose?”
    “So you fix on her automatically?” Miss Bulstrode looked at her sharply. “That's interesting -”
    “I'm afraid I hadn't really thought about it. I've just overheard the staff talking. I should think she'll carry on very well - exactly in your tradition. And she's very striking looking, handsome and with quite a presence. I imagine that's important, isn't it?”
    “Yes, it is. Yes, I'm sure Eleanor Vansittart is the right person.”
    “She'll carry on where you leave off,” said Ann gathering up her things.
    “But do I want that?” thought Miss Bulstrode to herself as Ann went out. “Carry on where I leave off? That's just what Eleanor will do! No new experiments, nothing revolutionary. That wasn't the way I made Meadowbank what it is. I took chances. I upset lots of people. I bullied and cajoled, and refused to follow the pattern of other schools. Isn't that what I want to follow on here now? Someone to pour new life into the school. Some dynamic personality... like - yes - Eileen Rich.”
    But Eileen wasn't old enough, hadn't enough experience. She was stimulating though, she could teach. She had ideas. She would never be dull. Nonsense, she must get that word out of her mind. Eleanor Vansittart was not dull...
    She looked up as Miss Chadwick came in.
    “Oh, Chaddy,” she said. “I am pleased to see you!”
    Miss Chadwick looked a little surprised.
    “Why? Is anything the matter?”
    “I'm the matter. I don't know my own mind.”
    “That's very unlike you, Honoria.”
    “Yes, isn't it? How's the term going, Chaddy?”
    “Quite all right, I think.” Miss Chadwick sounded a little unsure.
    Miss Bulstrode pounced.
    “Now then. Don't hedge. What's wrong?”
    “Nothing. Really, Honoria, nothing at all. It's just...” Miss Chadwick wrinkled up her forehead and looked rather like a perplexed Boxer dog. “Oh, a feeling. But really it's nothing that I can put my finger on. The new girls seem a pleasant lot. I don't care for Mademoiselle Blanche very much. But then I didn't like Genevieve Depuy, either. Sly.”
    Miss Bulstrode did not pay very much attention to this criticism. Chaddy always accused the French mistresses of being sly.
    “She's not a good teacher,” said Miss Bulstrode. “Surprising really. Her testimonials were so good.”
    “The French never can teach. No discipline,” said Miss Chadwick. “And really Miss Springer is a little too much of a good thing! Leaps about so. Springer by nature as well as by name...”
    “She's good at her job.”
    “Oh, yes, first class.”
    “New staff is always upsetting,” said Miss Bulstrode.
    “Yes,” agreed Miss Chadwick eagerly. “I'm sure it's nothing more than that. By the way, that new gardener is quite young. So unusual nowadays. No gardeners seem to be young. A pity he's so good-looking. We shall have to keep a sharp eye open.”
    The two ladies nodded their heads in agreement. They knew, none better, the havoc caused by a good-looking young man to the hearts of adolescent girls.

Cat Among the Pigeons

Chapter 7
    STRAWS IN THE WIND
    “Not too bad, boy,” said old Briggs grudgingly, “not too bad.”
    He was expressing approval of his new assistant's performance in digging a strip of ground.