Sister of the Housemaster Read Online Free PDF

her work for Sylvia, was added a certain amount of work for him?
    “ I ’ m so sorry that my visit should make more work for you, ” he said. “ Would it be better if I put up in the town for a day or two? ”
    Ingrid was ashamed of her inhospitality. She s aid at once:
    “ Good gracious no. Sylvia is delighted to have you here, and I really have very little to do. You will make practically no difference. ”
    She rose from her place at the table.
    “ Don ’ t run away, ” he said. “ Stay and get acquainted. ”
    “ Please excuse me — I have to cook Sylvia ’ s breakfast. ”
    He gave up. She did not want to talk. She did not want, apparently, to become acquainted with him. He poured himself some more coffee, watching her as she went about her work, thinking she must be very much younger than Arnold, and wondering what made her so unapproachable.
    Later in the day, he saw her in the town. In a slim - fitting coat and an attractive little hat, she was standing before a bookshop talking to one of the masters of the school, a tall and extremely broad young man whom he had met the previous evening. As he walked towards them, he studied her. Nobody could call her unapproachable now. She was laughing and talking, her head tilted up to look at the young man, her eyes dancing, her hand sketching rapid movements to accompany what she was saying. She looked very much alive and very attractive, and Patrick remembered now that the two had stayed together most of the time at Sylvia ’ s little gathering. Perhaps so much of her time and thoughts and attention centred on this young man that she was completely indifferent to all others.
    Laurence saw him coming, and turned smiling to greet him. Patrick joined them, and they blocked the narrow pavement for a few minutes as they talked.
    “ I’ m afraid we are causing an obstruction, ” said Laurence at last. “ If you are going back to the school, we can all walk together. ”
    “ You two go on, ” said Ingrid. “ I have to get the scones. ”
    “ We ’ ll all get the scones, ” said Laurence comfortably, so the three of them called at the shop, and then walked back in the cold winter afternoon to the Cathedral, and through the cloisters to the school. They attracted a good deal of attention, the attractive girl walking with the two handsome, upstanding men. Many backward glances were sent after them as they walked swiftly, and many of the young girls hurrying about their business would have changed places with Ingrid then.
    She insisted that he should come and have some tea in Sylvia ’ s house, and since Patrick seconded the invitation, Laurence was prevailed upon. They entered the imposing hall, avoided a charge of young boys headed for the tuck shop, and went into Sylvia ’ s living-room, to find that Sylvia had a visitor with her.
    “ See who is here, Patrick, ” called Sylvia, and Ingrid could see that the good mood of the evening before was still with her. It was obvious that the arrival of this guest gave her almost as much pleasure as Patrick ’ s arrival had done. The newcomer was a young woman of about twenty-six, tal l , willowy, with chestnut hair. At this moment, s he was pleased and smiling, and greeted Patrick warmly. Some of her graciousness was left over for Laurence, but it was a little perfunctory by the time it reached Ingrid.
    “ I was so sorry not to be here yesterday, ” she said to Patrick. “ I was week-ending in Hampshire and came back this morning. I would have been so cross if I had missed you. ”
    Ingrid went into the kitchen to make the tea and butter the scones. The brief introduction had told her that this was Pamela Orindean, but she knew no more about her. She thought that Sylvia did not seem to lack visitors, or friends.
    She went back to pour out tea for everybody. Laurence appointed himself her assistant, and Arnold came in a few minutes later, pleased to find his wife enjoying herself in such a pleasant tea party. He