Five

LETTERS FROM MEADOWBANK SCHOOL

Letter from Julia Upjohn to her mother:

Dear Mummy,

I’ve settled in now and am liking it very much. There’s a girl who is new thisterm too called Jennifer and she and I rather do things together. We’re bothawfully keen on tennis. She’s rather good. She has a really smashing serve whenit comes off, but it doesn’t usually. She says her racquet’s got warped from beingout in the Persian Gulf. It’s very hot out there. She was in all that Revolution thathappened. I said wasn’t it very exciting, but she said no, they didn’t see anythingat all. They were taken away to the Embassy or something and missed it.

Miss Bulstrode is rather a lamb, but she’s pretty frightening too—or can be.

She goes easy on you when you’re new. Behind her back everyone calls her TheBull or Bully. We’re taught English literature by Miss Rich, who’s terrific. Whenshe gets in a real state her hair comes down. She’s got a queer but rather excitingface and when she reads bits of Shakespeare it all seems different and real. Shewent on at us the other day about Iago, and what he felt—and a lot aboutjealousy and how it ate into you and you suffered until you went quite madwanting to hurt the person you loved. It gave us all the shivers—except Jennifer,because nothing upsets her. Miss Rich teaches us Geography, too. I alwaysthought it was such a dull subject, but it isn’t with Miss Rich. This morning shetold us all about the spice trade and why they had to have spices because ofthings going bad so easily.

I’m starting Art with Miss Laurie. She comes twice a week and takes us up toLondon to see picture galleries as well. We do French with MademoiselleBlanche. She doesn’t keep order very well. Jennifer says French people can’t. Shedoesn’t get cross, though, only bored. She says “Enfin, vous m’ennuiez, mesenfants!” Miss Springer is awful. She does gym and P.T. She’s got ginger hairand smells when she’s hot. Then there’s Miss Chadwick (Chaddy)—she’s beenhere since the school started. She teaches mathematics and is rather fussy, butquite nice. And there’s Miss Vansittart who teaches History and German. She’s asort of Miss Bulstrode with the pep left out.

There are a lot of foreign girls here, two Italians and some Germans, and arather jolly Swede (she’s a Princess or something) and a girl who’s half Turkishand half Persian and who says she would have been married to Prince Ali Yusufwho got killed in that aeroplane crash, but Jennifer says that isn’t true, thatShaista only says so because she was a kind of cousin, and you’re supposed tomarry a cousin. But Jennifer says he wasn’t going to. He liked someone else.

Jennifer knows a lot of things but she won’t usually tell them.

I suppose you’ll be starting on your trip soon. Don’t leave your passportbehind you like you did last time!!! And take your first aid kit in case you have anaccident.

Love from Julia

Letter from Jennifer Sutcliffe to her mother:

Dear Mummy,

It really isn’t bad here. I’m enjoying it more than I expected to do. The weatherhas been very fine. We had to write a composition yesterday on “Can a goodquality be carried to excess?” I couldn’t think of anything to say. Next week itwill be “Contrast the characters of Juliet and Desdemona.” That seems silly too.

Do you think I could have a new tennis racquet? I know you had mine restrunglast Autumn—but it feels all wrong. Perhaps it’s got warped. I’d rather like tolearn Greek. Can I? I love languages. Some of us are going to London to see theballet next week. It’s Swan Lake. The food here is jolly good. Yesterday we hadchicken for lunch, and we had lovely homemade cakes for tea.

I can’t think of anymore news—have you had anymore burglaries?

Your loving daughter,

Jennifer

Letter from Margaret Gore-West, Senior Prefect, to her mother:

Dear Mummy,

There is very little news. I am doing German with Miss Vansittart this term.

There is a rumour that Miss Bulstrode is going to retire and that Miss Vansittartwill succeed her but they’ve been saying that for over a year now, and I’m sure itisn’t true. I asked Miss Chadwick (of course I wouldn’t dare ask Miss Bulstrode!)and she was quite sharp about it. Said certainly not and don’t listen to gossip. Wewent to the ballet on Tuesday. Swan Lake. Too dreamy for words!

Princess Ingrid is rather fun. Very blue eyes, but she wears braces on her teeth.

There are two new German girls. They speak English quite well.

Miss Rich is back and looking quite well. We did miss her last term. The newGames Mistress is called Miss Springer. She’s terribly bossy and nobody likes hermuch. She coaches you in tennis very well, though. One of the new girls, JenniferSutcliffe, is going to be really good, I think. Her backhand’s a bit weak. Her greatfriend is a girl called Julia. We call them the Jays!

You won’t forget about taking me out on the 20th, will you? Sports Day is June19th.

Your Loving

Margaret

Letter from Ann Shapland to Dennis Rathbone:

Dear Dennis,

I shan’t get any time off until the third week of term. I should like to dine withyou then very much. It would have to be Saturday or Sunday. I’ll let you know.

I find it rather fun working in a school. But thank God I’m not aschoolmistress! I’d go raving mad.

Yours ever,

Ann

Letter from Miss Johnson to her sister:

Dear Edith,

Everything much the same as usual here. The summer term is always nice. Thegarden is looking beautiful and we’ve got a new gardener to help old Briggs—young and strong! Rather good-looking, too, which is a pity. Girls are so silly.

Miss Bulstrode hasn’t said anything more about retiring, so I hope she’s gotover the idea. Miss Vansittart wouldn’t be at all the same thing. I really don’tbelieve I would stay on.

Give my love to Dick and to the children, and remember me to Oliver and Katewhen you see them.

Elspeth

Letter from Mademoiselle Angèle Blanche to René Dupont, Post Restante, Bordeaux.

Dear René,

All is well here, though I cannot say that I amuse myself. The girls are neitherrespectful nor well-behaved. I think it better, however, not to complain to MissBulstrode. One has to be on one’s guard when dealing with that one!

There is nothing interesting at present to tell you.

Mouche

Letter from Miss Vansittart to a friend:

Dear Gloria,

The summer term has started smoothly. A very satisfactory set of new girls. Theforeigners are settling down well. Our little Princess (the Middle East one, notthe Scandinavian) is inclined to lack application, but I suppose one has to expectthat. She has very charming manners.

The new Games Mistress, Miss Springer, is not a success. The girls dislike herand she is far too high-handed with them. After all, this is not an ordinary school.

We don’t stand or fall by P.T.! She is also very inquisitive, and asks far too manypersonal questions. That sort of thing can be very trying, and is so ill bred.

Mademoiselle Blanche, the new French Mistress, is quite amiable but not up tothe standard of Mademoiselle Depuy.

We had a near escape on the first day of term. Lady Veronica Carlton-Sandways turned up completely intoxicated!! But for Miss Chadwick spotting itand heading her off, we might have had a most unpleasant incident. The twins aresuch nice girls, too.

Miss Bulstrode has not said anything definite yet about the future—but fromher manner, I think her mind is definitely made up. Meadowbank is a really fineachievement, and I shall be proud to carry on its traditions.

Give my love to Marjorie when you see her.

Yours ever,

Eleanor

Letter to Colonel Pikeaway, sent through the usual channels:

Talk about sending a man into danger! I’m the only able-bodied male in anestablishment of, roughly, some hundred and ninety females.

Her Highness arrived in style. Cadillac of squashed strawberry and pastelblue, with Wog Notable in native dress, fashion-plate-from-Paris wife, and junioredition of same (H.R.H.).

Hardly recognized her the next day in her school uniform. There will be nodifficulty in establishing friendly relations with her. She has already seen to that.

Was asking me the names of various flowers in a sweet innocent way, when afemale Gorgon with freckles, red hair, and a voice like a corncrake bore downupon her and removed her from my vicinity. She didn’t want to go. I’d alwaysunderstood these Oriental girls were brought up modestly behind the veil. Thisone must have had a little worldly experience during her schooldays inSwitzerland, I think.

The Gorgon, alias Miss Springer, the Games Mistress, came back to give me araspberry. Garden staff were not to talk to the pupils, etc. My turn to expressinnocent surprise. “Sorry, Miss. The young lady was asking what these heredelphiniums was. Suppose they don’t have them in the parts she comes from.”

The Gorgon was easily pacified, in the end she almost simpered. Less successwith Miss Bulstrode’s secretary. One of these coat and skirt country girls. Frenchmistress is more cooperative. Demure and mousy to look at, but not such a mousereally. Also have made friends with three pleasant gigglers, Christian names,Pamela, Lois and Mary, surnames unknown, but of aristocratic lineage. A sharpold warhorse called Miss Chadwick keeps a wary eye on me, so I’m careful not toblot my copybook.

My boss, old Briggs, is a crusty kind of character whose chief subject ofconversation is what things used to be in the good old days, when he was, Isuspect, the fourth of a staff of five. He grumbles about most things and people,but has a wholesome respect for Miss Bulstrode herself. So have I. She had a fewwords, very pleasant, with me, but I had a horrid feeling she was seeing rightthrough me and knowing all about me.

No sign, so far, of anything sinister—but I live in hope.