小说园

第76部分（第5页）

very　neat　and　nicely　dressed　in　his　sailor　blouse。　He　glanced　at

Ursula　with　a　half…smile：　cunning；　subdued；　ready　to　do　as　she

told　him。　There　was　something　about　him　that　made　her　shiver。

She　loathed　the　idea　of　having　laid　hands　on　him。　His　elder

brother　was　standing　outside　the　gate　at　playtime；　a　youth　of

about　fifteen；　tall　and　thin　and　pale。　He　raised　his　hat；　almost

like　a　gentleman。　But　there　was　something　subdued；　insidious

about　him　too。

〃Who　is　it？〃　said　Ursula。

〃Its　the　big　Williams；〃　said　Violet　Harby　roughly。

〃She　was　here　yesterday；　wasnt　she？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Its　no　good　her　ing……her　characters　not　good

enough　for　her　to　make　any　trouble。〃

Ursula　shrank　from　the　brutality　and　the　scandal。　But　it　had

some　vague；　horrid　fascination。　How　sordid　everything　seemed！

She　felt　sorry　for　the　queer　woman　with　the　lingering　walk；　and

those　queer；　insidious　boys。　The　Williams　in　her　class　was　wrong

somewhere。　How　nasty　it　was　altogether。

So　the　battle　went　on　till　her　heart　was　sick。　She　had

several　more　boys　to　subjugate　before　she　could　establish

herself。　And　Mr。　Harby　hated　her　almost　as　if　she　were　a　man。

She　knew　now　that　nothing　but　a　thrashing　would　settle　some　of

the　big　louts　who　wanted　to　play　cat　and　mouse　with　her。　Mr。

Harby　would　not　give　them　the　thrashing　if　he　could　help　it。　For

he　hated　the　teacher；　the　stuck…up；　insolent　high…school　miss

with　her　independence。

〃Now；　Wright；　what　have　you　done　this　time？〃　he　would　say

genially　to　the　boy　who　was　sent　to　him　from　Standard　Five　for

punishment。　And　he　left　the　lad　standing；　lounging；　wasting　his

time。

So　that　Ursula　would　appeal　no　more　to　the　headmaster；　but；

when　she　was　driven　wild；　she　seized　her　cane；　and　slashed　the

boy　who　was　insolent　to　her；　over　head　and　ears　and　hands。　And

at　length　they　were　afraid　of　her；　she　had　them　in　order。

But　she　had　paid　a　great　price　out　of　her　own　soul；　to　do