小说园

第71部分（第4页）

class；　yet　they　belonged　to　Mr。　Harby；　and　they　did　not　belong

to　her。　Like　some　invincible　source　of　the　mechanism　he　kept　all

power　to　himself。　And　the　class　owned　his　power。　And　in　school

it　was　power；　and　power　alone　that　mattered。

Soon　Ursula　came　to　dread　him；　and　at　the　bottom　of　her　dread

was　a　seed　of　hate；　for　she　despised　him；　yet　he　was　master　of

her。　Then　she　began　to　get　on。　All　the　other　teachers　hated　him；

and　fanned　their　hatred　among　themselves。　For　he　was　master　of

them　and　the　children；　he　stood　like　a　wheel　to　make　absolute

his　authority　over　the　herd。　That　seemed　to　be　his　one　reason　in

life；　to　hold　blind　authority　over　the　school。　His　teachers　were

his　subjects　as　much　as　the　scholars。　Only；　because　they　had

some　authority；　his　instinct　was　to　detest　them。

Ursula　could　not　make　herself　a　favourite　with　him。　From　the

first　moment　she　set　hard　against　him。　She　set　against　Violet

Harby　also。　Mr。　Harby　was；　however；　too　much　for　her；　he　was

something　she　could　not　e　to　grips　with；　something　too　strong

for　her。　She　tried　to　approach　him　as　a　young；　bright　girl

usually　approaches　a　man；　expecting　a　little　chivalrous

courtesy。　But　the　fact　that　she　was　a　girl；　a　woman；　was　ignored

or　used　as　a　matter　for　contempt　against　her。　She　did　not　know

what　she　was；　nor　what　she　must　be。　She　wanted　to　remain　her　own

responsive；　personal　self。

So　she　taught　on。　She　made　friends　with　the　Standard　Three

teacher；　Maggie　Schofield。　Miss　Schofield　was　about　twenty　years

old；　a　subdued　girl　who　held　aloof　from　the　other　teachers。　She

was　rather　beautiful；　meditative；　and　seemed　to　live　in　another；

lovelier　world。

Ursula　took　her　dinner　to　school；　and　during　the　second　week

ate　it　in　Miss　Schofields　room。　Standard　Three　classroom　stood

by　itself　and　had　windows　on　two　sides；　looking　on　to　the

playground。　It　was　a　passionate　relief　to　find　such　a　retreat　in

the　jarring　school。　For　there　were　pots　of　chrysanthemums　and

coloured　leaves；　and　a　big　jar　of　berries：　there　were　pretty

little　pictures　on　the　wall；　photogravure　reproductions　from