小说园

第75部分（第5页）

〃Whats　the　matter？〃　he　roared。

Ursula　felt　as　if　something　were　going　to　break　in　her。

〃Ive　thrashed　him；〃　she　said；　her　breast　heaving；　forcing

out　the　words　on　the　last　breath。　The　headmaster　stood　choked

with　rage；　helpless。　She　looked　at　the　writhing；　howling　figure

on　the　floor。

〃Get　up；〃　she　said。　The　thing　writhed　away　from　her。　She　took

a　step　forward。　She　had　realized　the　presence　of　the　headmaster

for　one　second；　and　then　she　was　oblivious　of　it　again。

〃Get　up；〃　she　said。　And　with　a　little　dart　the　boy　was　on　his

feet。　His　yelling　dropped　to　a　mad　blubber。　He　had　been　in　a

frenzy。

〃Go　and　stand　by　the　radiator；〃　she　said。

As　if　mechanically；　blubbering；　he　went。

The　headmaster　stood　robbed　of　movement　or　speech。　His　face

was　yellow；　his　hands　twitched　convulsively。　But　Ursula　stood

stiff　not　far　from　him。　Nothing　could　touch　her　now：　she　was

beyond　Mr。　Harby。　She　was　as　if　violated　to　death。

The　headmaster　muttered　something；　turned；　and　went　down　the

room；　whence；　from　the　far　end；　he　was　heard　roaring　in　a　mad

rage　at　his　own　class。

The　boy　blubbered　wildly　by　the　radiator。　Ursula　looked　at

the　class。　There　were　fifty　pale；　still　faces　watching　her；　a

hundred　round　eyes　fixed　on　her　in　an　attentive；　expressionless

stare。

〃Give　out　the　history　readers；〃　she　said　to　the　monitors。

There　was　dead　silence。　As　she　stood　there；　she　could　hear

again　the　ticking　of　the　clock；　and　the　chock　of　piles　of　books

taken　out　of　the　low　cupboard。　Then　came　the　faint　flap　of　books

on　the　desks。　The　children　passed　in　silence；　their　hands

working　in　unison。　They　were　no　longer　a　pack；　but　each　one

separated　into　a　silent；　closed　thing。

〃Take　page　125；　and　read　that　chapter；〃　said　Ursula。

There　was　a　click　of　many　books　opened。　The　children　found

the　page；　and　bent　their　heads　obediently　to　read。　And　they

read；　mechanically。