‘Wouldn’t people believe you?’ said Honor.
‘I daresay they would not,’ said Mullet, with a little laugh at human incredulity.
‘I don’t think Mother would.’
‘Sometimes I can hardly believe myself in my own early life,’ said Mullet, fastening Honor’s hair with a rapid skill acquired in a later one, and using a sincere note that was justified.
‘There are Daniel and Graham on the stairs,’ said Gavin.
‘Your big brothers have come to see you,’ said Mullet, in a rather severe tone. ‘And you can put things like stories out of your head.’
This was hardly the purpose of the newcomers, who had found their study occupied by Luce and a friend, and hoped to find the nursery free at this hour of its occupants.
‘You are going to bed, I suppose?’ said Daniel.
‘When we do go,’ said Gavin.
‘Well, that is now,’ said Daniel, supplanting him in his chair.
Gavin recovered it; his brother displaced him and he returned; Graham and Honor enacted the same scene; the struggle resulted in screams and mirth, and in the course of it Honor knocked her head and wept with an abandonment proportionate to her excited mood. Hatton arrived with her fingers to her mouth, and Nevill under her arm, and made warning movements towards the floors beneath. Gavin was checked in a disposition to maintain the sport in spite of the consequences to his sister, and Nevill from under Hatton’s arm made a hushing sound and raised his finger with the appropriate gesture.
Hatton became oblivous of her late anxiety, and directed Mullet’s attention to Honor.
‘If you put on a handkerchief soaked in water, there won’t be much of a bruise in the morning.’
‘Then Mother won’t know, will she?’ said Nevill, in a comforting tone.
‘Why do you hold that great child?’ said Honor, seeking to counteract the impression she had given.
‘Hatton carry him,’ said Nevill.
‘Honor will have a pigeon’s egg on her head tomorrow,’ said Daniel.
‘Not pigeon’s egg tomorrow,’ said Nevill, in a troubled tone. ‘A nice handkerchief wet with water.’
‘We will come and rock you to sleep,’ said Graham.
‘Hatton will sit on his little bed,’ said Nevill, in a reassuring manner.
‘Be a pony and trot away to it.’
Nevill agitated his limbs in rebellion against his bondage, and on being set down, trotted round the room and out of it, accepting the opening of the door as necessary and natural.
‘Will Honor have a headache in bed?’ said Gavin to Mullet.
‘If she does, you must come and fetch me.’
‘She can fetch you herself, when she has only knocked her head.’
‘The nights are not cold yet.’
‘I like cold; I like even ice.’
‘He is afraid of the dark,’ said Honor, stooping to gather her belongings. ‘He is almost as afraid as I am. But my head doesn’t hurt any more; I can dispense with this handkerchief.’
‘You can dispense with it,’ said Gavin, with more than one kind of admiration.
‘Open the door for me. Because I am carrying so much,’ said Honor, indicating that she did not require it on other grounds.
The pair departed without taking leave of their brothers, who neither noticed nor offered to remedy the omission. They were succeeded by the schoolroom party, who entered the room without any sign of interest as if the change meant nothing to them. They were marshalled by Luce, with the air of a benevolent despot.
‘Can we be of any use to you?’ said Daniel.
‘Luce said the schoolroom must be aired before supper,’ said Venice.
James went to a chair and resumed his book.
‘Is Miss Mitford proof against chill?’ said Graham.
‘She has gone to her room,’ said Isabel.
‘I have been wondering if Graham ought to be handed back to her,’ said Daniel.
‘Well, she likes her pupils to be of advanced age,’ said Graham.
Venice laughed.
‘Now why is it amusing?’ said Luce, leaning back and locking her hands round her knees. ‘Miss Mitford is older and wiser than Graham. Why should he not learn from her?’
‘She is a woman,’ said Venice.
‘But knowledge is no more valuable, coming from a man.’
‘It is held to be,’ said Isabel. ‘Men are more expensive than women.’
‘Isn’t Mitta expensive?’ said Venice, surprised.
‘She still seems to me in her own way a person born to command,’ said Luce.
‘Few of us can so far fulfil our destiny,’ said Graham.
‘I wonder if anyone is born to obey,’ said Isabel. ‘That may be why people command rather badly, that they have no suitable material to work on.’
‘I wonder if we are a commanding family,’ said Luce.
‘I expect Isabel is right that most families are,’ said Daniel.
Venice came up as if wishing to join the talk, but at a loss for a contribution.
‘So James has learned to read,’ said Graham.
‘You are less forward for your age,’ said Daniel.
‘Mitta forgot to put that book away,’ said Venice.
‘Isn’t James supposed to read it?’ said Luce. ‘Let me see it, James.’
James passed the book to his sister with disarming obedience.
‘An instance of the normal reluctance to obey,’ she said, raising her brows and returning the book.
Miss Mitford opened the door.
‘I have had to come up for you,’ she said.
‘True, Mitta,’ said Daniel.
‘Supper has been brought in.’
‘What is it?’ said Venice, while Isabel turned in milder interest.
‘Something made with eggs,’ said Miss Mitford, on a plaintive note.
‘It seems that Mitta is old enough to dine downstairs,’ said Graham, as the door closed, or he thought it did.
‘The bread of dependence is generally eaten upstairs,’ said Miss Mitford.
‘So your speech could not wait for a moment,’ said Daniel.
‘It is a pity it did not, Graham,’ said Luce.
‘It is not so long since we were Mitta’s pupils,’ said Graham.
‘Does that make it better to see you turning out so awkwardly?’ said his brother.
‘It may have prepared her for it.’
‘And you have been other people’s pupil since.’
‘But no one ever taught me as much as dear old Mitta,’ said Graham, in a tone of quotation.
‘It will soon be recognized that you have not made suitable progress since.’
‘Oh, you and your coming school success!’
‘Now why do people despise that kind of achievement?’ said Luce, again with her hands about her knees. ‘Why belittle any kind of gift?’
‘We certainly never have any other kind,’ said Graham, as if he were speaking to himself. ‘People who have that sort of success never do anything in after life, but neither do the other people. No one does anything in after life. I see that my only chance has been missed.’
‘Be quiet for a moment, boys,’ said Luce, raising her hand. ‘I want to listen to the wheels of the house going round. Yes, Mother is going into the schoolroom to say good night. That means that the dinner gong will soon sound.’
‘And Graham will be indulging his vice,’ said Daniel. ‘Can nothing at all be done?’
Eleanor had entered the room below.
‘Well, my dears, have you had a happy day?’
‘It has been much as usual,’ said Isabel.
‘Well, that is happy, isn’t it? Could you have any more done for you? And you have been out with Father. Surely that prevents the day from being ordinary.’
‘Yes, of course it does.’
‘And has James had a good day at school?’
‘Yes,’ said James. ‘No, I have not been to school.’
‘Then weren’t you to have tea in the nursery and go early to bed?’