Free The Passionate Year by James Hilton Page A

(Laughter.) Certainly it was true of this particular year. It had been a very
happy one, a very successful one, and really, there was not much else to say.
One or two things, however, he would like to mention especially. First, in
the world of Sport. He put Sport first merely because alphabetically it came
before Work. (Laughter.) Millstead had had a very successful football and
hockey season, and only that week at cricket they had defeated Selhurst.
(Cheers)…In the world of scholarship the year had also been successful, no
fewer than thirty-eight Millsteadians having passed the Lower Certificate
Examination of the Oxford and Cambridge Board. (Cheers.) One of the
sixth-form boys, A. V. Cobham, had obtained an exhibition at Magdalen
College, Cambridge. (Cheers.) H. O. Catterwall, who left some years back, had
been appointed Deputy Revenue Commissioner for the district
of—um—Bhungi-Bhoolu. (Cheers.) Two boys, R. Heming and B. Shales,
had obtained distinctions at London University. (Cheers)…Of the Masters,
all he could say was that he could not believe that any Headmaster in the
country was supported by a staff more loyal and efficient. (Cheers.) They had
to welcome one addition—he might say, although he (the addition) had
only been at Millstead a few weeks—a very valued addition—to the
school staff. That was Mr. Speed. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Speed was very young,
and youth, as they all knew, was very enthusiastic. (Cheers and laughter.) In
fact, although Mr. Speed had been at Millstead such a short time, he had
already earned and deserved the name of the School Enthusiast. (Laughter.) He
had had a very kind letter from Mr. Speed’s father, Sir Charles
Speed—(pause)—regretting his inability, owing to a previously
contracted engagement, to be present at the Speech Day celebrations, and he
(the Head) was particularly sorry he could not come because it would have
done him good, he felt sure, to see how universally popular at Millstead was
his enthusiastic son. (Cheers and laughter.) He hoped Millstead would have
the benefit of Mr. Speed’s gifts and personality for many, many years to
come. (Loud cheers)…He must not conclude without some reference to the sad
blow that had struck the school only a week or so before. He alluded to the
lamented passing-away of Sir Huntly Polk, for many years Chairman on the
Governing Board…
    Speed heard no more. He felt himself beginning to burn all over; he put
one hand to his cheek in a vague and instinctive gesture of self-protection.
Of course, behind his embarrassment he was pleased, rapturously pleased; but
at first his predominant emotion was surprise. It had never occurred to him
that the Head would mention him in speech, or that he would invite his father
to the Speech Day ceremonies. Then, as he heard the cheering of the boys at
the mention of his name, emotion swallowed his surprise and everything became
a blur.
    After the ceremony he met the two girls outside the Big Hall. Clare said:
“Poor man—you looked so uncomfortable while everybody was
cheering you! But really, you know, it is nice to be praised, isn’t
it?”
    And Helen, speaking softly so that no one else should hear, whispered: “I
daresay I can get free about nine o’clock to-night. We can go for a walk eh,
Kenneth?—Nine o’clock by the pavilion steps, then.”
    Her voice, muffled and yet eager, trembled like the note of a bell on a
windy day.
    Speed whispered, joyously: “Righto, Helen, I’ll be there.”
    To such a pitch had their relationship developed as a result of
music-lessons and book-lendings and casual encounters. And now they were
living the most exquisite of all moments, when each could guess but could not
be quite certain of the other’s love. Day had followed day, each one more
tremulously beautiful than the one before, each one more exquisitely near to
something whose beauty was too keen and blinding to be studied; each day the
light