Free The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Page B

seemed despondent on hearing this.
    “Why do you want so much to go on the Classical side, Mary? You aren’t cut out for it. Don’t your parents realise that?”
    “Miss Brodie prefers it.”
    “It has nothing to do with Miss Brodie,” said Miss Mackay, settling her great behind more firmly in her chair. “It is a question of your marks or what you and your parents think. In your case, your marks don’t come up to the standard.”
    When Jenny and Sandy opted for Classical, she said: “Because Miss Brodie prefers it, I suppose. What good will Latin and Greek be to you when you get married or take a job? German would be more useful.”
    But they stuck out for Classical, and when Miss Mackay had accepted their choice she transparently started to win over the girls by praising Miss Brodie. “What we would do without Miss Brodie, I don’t know. There is always a difference about Miss Brodie’s girls, and the last two years I may say a marked difference.”
    Then she began to pump them. Miss Brodie took them to the theatre, the art galleries, for walks, to Miss Brodie’s flat for tea? How kind of Miss Brodie. “Does Miss Brodie pay for all your theatre tickets?”
    “Sometimes,” said Mary.
    “Not for all of us every time,” said Jenny.
    “We go up to the gallery,” Sandy said.
    “Well, it is most kind of Miss Brodie. I hope you are appreciative.”
    “Oh, yes,” they said, united and alert against anything unfavourable to the Brodie idea which the conversation might be leading up to. This was not lost on the headmistress.
    “That’s splendid,” she said. “And do you go to concerts with Miss Brodie? Miss Brodie is very musical, I believe?”
    “Yes,” said Mary, looking at her friends for a lead.
    “We went to the opera with Miss Brodie last term to see La Traviata ” said Jenny.
    “Miss Brodie is musical?” said Miss Mackay again, addressing Sandy and Jenny.
    “We saw Pavlova,” said Sandy.
    “Miss Brodie is musical?” said Miss Mackay.
    “I think Miss Brodie is more interested in art, ma’am,” said Sandy.
    “But music is a form of art.”
    “Pictures and drawings, I mean,” said Sandy.
    “Very enlightening,” said Miss Mackay. “Do you girls take piano lessons?”
    They all said yes.
    “From whom? From Mr. Lowther?”
    They answered variously, for Mr. Lowther’s piano lessons were not part of the curriculum and these three girls had private arrangements for the piano at home. But now, at the mention of Mr. Lowther, even slowminded Mary suspected what Miss Mackay was driving at.
    “I understand Miss Brodie plays the piano for your singing lessons. So what makes you think she prefers art to music, Sandy?”
    “Miss Brodie told us so. Music is an interest to her but art is a passion, Miss Brodie said.”
    “And what are your cultural interests? I’m sure you are too young to have passions.”
    “Stories, ma’am,” Mary said.
    “Does Miss Brodie tell you stories?”
    “Yes,” said Mary.
    “What about?”
    “History,” said Jenny and Sandy together, because it was a question they had foreseen might arise one day and they had prepared the answer with a brainracking care for literal truth.
    Miss Mackay paused and looked at them in the process of moving the cake from the table to the tray; their reply had plainly struck her as being on the ready side.
    She asked no further questions, but made the following noteworthy speech:
    “You are very fortunate in Miss Brodie. I could wish your arithmetic papers had been better. I am always impressed by Miss Brodie’s girls in one way or another. You will have to work hard at ordinary humble subjects for the qualifying examinations. Miss Brodie is giving you an excellent preparation for the Senior school. Culture cannot compensate for lack of hard knowledge. I am happy to see you are devoted to Miss Brodie. Your loyalty is due to the school rather than to any one individual.”
    Not all of this conversation was reported back to Miss