Free The English Tutor by Sara Seale Page A

house at last. ”
    “ Yes, Kilmallin , ” Clancy said meekly, but her eyes, as they met Mark ’ s were not meek at all, and she had no gratitude for his intervention.
    Mark announced that he expected Clancy and Brian in the schoolroom at nine sharp on Monday morning to write their general knowledge papers. The afternoon, he said, could be their own, since he would be unable to set a proper syllabus at once, and on Sunday evening Kevin, in one of his jovial moods, promised to take them all to some hunter trials the following afternoon.
    Clancy was radiant, and even the knowledge that the Englishman would be included in the party could not completely spoil the prospect of a rare outing with her father.
    They were to start directly after an early lunch, leaving Aunt Bea, who did not care for such things, at home.
    Clancy went early to bed for once, pausing to say good night to Brian on the way.
    “ You won ’ t mind coming if you have your precious Lord Protector to sit in the back of the car with, will you? ” she said, thinking that after all Mark might have his uses where Brian was concerned.
    “ No, I like him, and you can sit next to Kilmallin and he won ’ t roar at me, ” Brian agreed sleepily. “ I wonder what questions Mr. Cromwell ’ s given us for our paper tomorrow. ”
    Clancy bent to kiss him.
    “ You can tell me in the afternoon, ” she said jauntily. “ I won ’ t be there. ”
    Brian ’ s eyes flew wide open.
    “ You mean you ’ re going to cut the paper? ”
    “ I mean I ’ m going to cut the paper. Why should I stuff it all the morning w hen Conn ’ s shorthanded? I can do it any time. ”
    Brian drew the sheet up to his chin.
    “ I don ’ t think Mr. Cromwell will like that, ” he observed doubtfully.
    “ Then he ’ ll have to lump it, ” said Clancy. “ I ’ ll do it in the evening when you ’ ve gone to bed. Good night. ”
    Next morning Mark found Brian waiting for him punctually in the schoolroom, and he handed him a sheaf of foolscap, telling him to set it out with pens and blotting-paper, while he arranged his own books and papers at the other end of the table.
    “ Clancy ’ s late, ” he remarked, glancing at his watch. “ I didn ’ t see her at breakfast. Did she oversleep? ”
    “ She ’ s not coming, ” Brian said, and shuffled uncomfortably at the polite chill in Mark ’ s eyes.
    “ Not coming? ”
    “ She says she can do the paper any time. ”
    “ Oh, does she? ” said Mark, and straightened his long back. “ I think not, somehow. Go and find her, Brian, and don ’ t be long. ”
    “ I can ’ t, ” the boy said simply. “ She ’ s gone to Slievaun. She said she ’ d be back in time for the hunter trials. ”
    “ I see. ” Mark sat down. “ Well, here are your questions. Get on with them now, and just answer them as best you can. We ’ ll have a break at eleven. ”
    But at a quarter to eleven, Agnes appeared with a glass of milk and some biscuits which she set down before Brian, and, ignoring Mark, bade the boy stop working at once and drink his milk.
    “ Thank you, Agnes, ” Mark said pleasantly. “ Just leave it there. It isn ’ t eleven o ’ clock yet. ”
    Agnes folded her arms across her chest and looked at him resentfully.
    “ I ’ ll not be leaving it till I see every drop taken, ” she said. “ Come along now, my doty, put down that pen and do as I bid you. ”
    Obediently Brian laid down his pen and reached for the glass. Mark ’ s long arm removed the tray quietly to the other side of the table.
    “ That ’ s all right, Agnes. At eleven o ’ clock I ’ ll see that he takes it. We have a break of twenty minutes then, ” he said, and went on with the rough time-table he was compiling.
    Two bright little spots of colour burned in the old woman ’ s cheeks.
    “ Twenty minutes, is it? ” she exclaimed. “ Let me tell you this. I ’ ll not have you working this poor child till he ’ s fit to drop. Those governesses