Show 4 FT EBONY 0 0 ON Y RS ilyanna anna mcclure mccau re i P W N U cal E jauet was b beginning eg inning to breathe more freely she removed her hat and her soft burnished brown hair released made a kind of aureole nebout her face her eyes with excitement cit ement and fatigue were at once bright and dark and more deeply blue than arthur had ever known it womans comans eyes even mrs denver looked at her with a kind of maternal admiration and arthur felt anticipatory jealousy of hamlet they saw him pass the three front windows walking slowly his bis cloak blowing in the wind then ho be entered a young man with old lyes eyes a very sensitive slightly repressed mouth and a rather aled 1 almost apprehensive expression 1 I am wilton payne the new I 1 teacher of psychology he be said simply limply arthur shook hands with him dimand and introduced him to janet and mrs denver upon janet his eyes rested with friendly quiet admiration and you I 1 believe miss mercer are to bring Cras crashaw baw and chaucer burns and shelley to this indent ancient acad academy emyr 1 I hope soil so 1 in all my life I 1 never knew a place so silent client mrs denver announced in a hushed voice as if she were afraid of some come one creeping up behind her where are the scholars icho lars wilton payne and arthur exchanged A glances and as it if reading lach ach others thoughts looked nervously away the former arose from his seat and stared out of one of the windows 1 I wonder if houses possess mental and emotional states mating those of a long line of occupants cu tu this place seems absolutely vibrant to me as if peo people pie ere hurrying through the corridors dor 9 and yet I 1 seen a soul tince I 1 arrived an hour ago A rather obtuse looking country woman entered with a tea tray and put it down on oil the marble topped y table which occupied the center of lh the room low how good it looks mrs den iet said ald frankly 6 this nis mountain sir makes mo me hungry aris AM wis to wait for mr has hill 1 I think we ought to mra den wr ald the servitor turned at the door on hearing these words dont wait for him I 1 dont look for him until you see him the quartette laughed a little nervously and drew up their chairs mrs denver deaver at janeas request poured the tea and they all drank it with the slight constraint of peo pie only just beginning to know each other 1 I love the region payne re remarked 1 I think homesickness drew me to this spot how intensely quiet it Is intensely quiet I 1 wonder where the scholars are of course they may all be in the class rooms arthur ventured or else out at hare bare and hounds or in the gymnasium mrs denver was carefully putting some isome dropped crumbs on the edge of the tray 1 I want to get right into work see where the linen closets are and the mending room and know what servants will be directly under my supervision theres so much detail in a house as big as this and I 1 am eager to know the rules and requirements quire ments 1 I am going into the hall for a minute arthur said bald rising to look again at those old portraits ile he returned in a little ittle while with an air of relief relict well I 1 glanced through a glass door and discovered a handful of scholars bending over their desks but of all absorbed students and in cuch fading light too I 1 not one stirred or looked up while I 1 was standing there then I 1 examined those great maps mapa in the rear hall they aro are dated back in the fifties queer to keep obsolete maps in a modern acad academy emyl I 1 the desks were very clumsy looking too an ancient type I 1 should think parents would make a row about such archaic furnishings I 1 hope the school books are more modern than the maps queer that one hears no bells belli said mrs denver id feel sort of at home if I 1 heard a bell it what they did hear was wa a long low laugh like the tha laughter of ft a very sophisticated crafty but not very friendly person it was repeated after a moments interval then seemed to the die away on the staircase twilight wax waa setting in bu hot but no ito out cairme to light the hamoi at last haskell hashell appeared d SM smiling fling bending down his handsome sensitive face to smell his gardenia the four rose with alacrity and he led them down the hall past the glass door the newcomers glanced through it there are some real students student sl 1 janet remarked how intensely absorbed they seem haskell at the head of the little procession turned sharply around glanced through the door and for an instant his face became deathly wh white 1 te but he recovered himself almost at once ah the lights should be on there this way my pedagogues gues I 1 ask your admiration of the curve of this staircase la Is it not beautiful he went on before them with a light almost jaunty step mrs denver sniffed the air suspiciously thinking she smelled must this place needs a thorough overhauling she thought how glad ill be to get started to settle down to know just what I 1 have to do this Is your room haskell said to janet throwing open a door with the number 90 on it and yours ii 15 just next addressing mrs denver you tou will find matches on the table unfortunately we have to use lamps here the bathroom la Is just opposite now wilton fleming the two men followed him down the corridor disappeared around a corner janet put a hand on mrs den vers arm 1 I am glad to be next door to you its all so strange you yon feel strange here too very strange he must be rather stern or those young people sit so still they seemed almost like dead people janet remarked let us light the lamp well feel better when weve been introduced to the other teachers and know our duties are there other teachers their blank faces confronted each other it would be a very small faculty three people janet ventured in a weak voice my dear you look pale sit down a minute ileta keep quite quit e still and listen maybe those children who were straining their eyes will be rushing out soon janet sat down nervously tolling telling herself she was very foolish but she kept silent her eyes on tho the bit of black braiding on mrs den danvers vers gown she thought of wilton payne and was glad arthur fleming had a man to companion him as she had a woman they sat eat very still stall outside the wind moaned in the pine trees and there was a splash of rain against the window within the house profound silence reigned A heavy knock on the door made them both start but it was only the man with their baggage he entered and departed silently really I 1 dont want to unpack my trunks janet remarked 1 I wonder if there Is hot water in the bathroom she found the bathroom as antiquated as the rest of the house with a built in copper tub a basin highly orn with nith albred dowers and gold scroll work with F big c clumsy taps but there was hot water curiosity was retting getting the better of fatigue and fear she went to the head of the staircase As she stood there a hand was laid on her shoulder she started violently turned and saw haskells bright restless eyes fixed upon lier her dont go down bliss mercer he commanded the quiet of the house oppresses me 1 I fear you are overexcited over excited over tired go back to your room and rest only too glad to get away from film she returned to her bedroom at the door stood mrs denver who by way of dressing for dinner had bad assumed a neat lace collar have you heard anything 9 yet betl not a thing I 1 was starting to 0 0 downstairs when mr haskell met me and really commanded m me e to go back to my room ive only unpacked a few things 1 I feel so strange here ive not even heard a bell and you always bear bells in schools 1 I suppose he will be sending for us soon unless ll mrs danvers Den vers eyes were fixed on hers with apprehension unless what she whispered unless he be want those very quiet students to be disturbed poor children childre nl 1 I 1 wonder if mr paynes and mr flemings rooms are near us somehow id feel safer if they were in call cail why we act as if this it big house full of people listen the wind Is rising again there must be heavy draughts see the lamp flick flicker erl 1 another knock on the door this time it was the stolid maidservant dinners ready she announced janet put out her lamp instead of turning toward the stairs the young woman led them down the corridor ahead of them they saw an n oblong of light cutting the dark hall ball from an open door arthur and wilton payne were standing tandl ng just inside this door looking with an air of bewilderment at it a table set let for four which occupied the center of what seemed to be an upstairs sitting bitting room sit down and ill bring the aup soup the servant said ald they looked at each other then silently took their places when arthur was sure cure that the waitress wal tresa was out of hearing he be leaned lacross the table and spoke to janet mr payne and I 1 seen one scholar yet barring those in the classroom clas Broom their dinner was excellent plain food but well cooked at the salad course haskell suddenly appeared in the doorway everything right he be asked cheerfully 1 I believe that a good table in a school Is more than halt half the education where Is the general dining room mrs denver inquired boldly downstairs in the west wing your pupils are certainly well trained arthur remarked are you always so intensely quiet here haskell twisted a seal ring on hla his finger mr payne what are the psychological bases of fear danger mystery the unknown the untried precisely pr what wh t are the danl of fear intense silence or wild raucous mucous sound oh ob I 1 am jesting of course but I 1 do pr prefer efer deep silence to shrill noises miss mercer will you have french or russian arti s ian dressing on your salad 1 may wo we see the establishment after dinner sir well really id much prefer your pupils should think of you as far off olympians Olymp ians at ease on parnassus slopes payne remarked witha a lifting of his eyebrows haskell had drawn up a chair next to janeas Ja nets she 1001 looked I 1 lovely 0 vely arthur thought in his heart he had already constituted himself her protector and he resented with all the ardor of a fiery nature the cold creeping courtesy of this strange schoolmaster guarding so jealously the almost inhuman discipline of his establishment miss bliss mercer your pupils will love you lin haskell was saying in his soft purring voice 1 I think it Is so much more important that they should love the subjects I 1 teach she ans answered erea crisply shrinking back bach from fro in his too close proximity they will love lore both he rose fixed them with a queer intense glare of a glance 1 I recommend you all to go to your rooms the work will begin in earnest tomor row they heard his footsteps echoing down an apparently endless corridor mrs denver folded up her napkin and taking a pin from her dress planed pinned it carefully payne was staring at the tablecloth janeas fair face seemed like a gleam of summer in the soft light of the candles candle Is and her eyes wistful half fearful drew arthurs heart to that shadowy region where love begins he stepped to the door they keep this place very dark come in out of that corridor mr fleming payne commanded command edl and lets talk arthur turned back the two women were sitting in a listening attitude 1 I thought I 1 heard a voice mrs denver said so did L I 1 janet echoed 1 I want to make a pact payne announced one have to teach psychology to know when a situation rings strange stranger stran gei let ua hold together here whatever happens they looked in each ethert faces facea solemnly janet reached out her left hand and arthur took too k it they made a ring far off a bell struck there at last ive heard beard a abell bell mrs denver sighed 1 I dont think I 1 could have slept tonight if I 1 heard just one bell |