I spoke slowly and loudly, so that all the noses bent over the knitting and the sewing were raised inquisitively.
Everyone was listening avidly; the bigger girls were wondering what the Headmistress could be doing so far away, abandoning the pupils to their own devices.
Mademoiselle Sergent turned a darker crimson still and answered hastily:
‘I had gone to see where it would be possible to put the new assistant.
The school building is nearly finished – they’re drying it out with big fires – and no doubt we shall soon be able to move into it.’
I made a gesture of protest and apology which meant:
‘Oh! It’s not for me to know where you were … you could only be where your duty called you.’
But I felt a savage satisfaction at the thought that I could have replied:
‘No, zealous teacher, you couldn’t care less about the new assistant. It’s the other one, Mademoiselle Lanthenay, who takes up all your thoughts, and you were up in your room with her, kissing her full on the mouth.’
While I was hatching rebellious thoughts, the Redhead regained her self-control. Exceedingly calm now, she addressed the class in a precise voice …
‘Take your exercise-books.
The ones marked: French Composition.
Explain and comment on the following thought:
“Time does not respect what has been done without him.”
You have one hour and a half.’
Oh, anguish and despair!
What ineptitudes have got to be trotted out again now?
I don’t care a button whether time respects what is done without inviting him or not!
Always subjects like that, or worse!
Yes, worse – because it’s almost New Year’s Eve and we shan’t escape the usual little set-piece about New Year gifts: venerable custom of giving and receiving (mem: i before e except after c) same; joy of children, tender emotion of parents; sweets, toys, etc.; – not forgetting the touching note on the little poor children who don’t get any presents and whom we must help on this day so that they have their share of joy!
Horror, horror!
While I inwardly raged, the others were already scribbling their ‘roughs’.
That gawk Anais was waiting for me to begin so that she could model her opening on mine and Marie Belhomme had already filled a page with ineptitudes – sentences that contradicted one another and reflections quite beside the point.
After yawning for quarter of an hour, I made up my mind and wrote straight into my ‘Fair-Copy’ book without doing a rough, much to the indignation of the others.
At four o’clock, as we came out of school, I realized, without regret, that it was my turn to sweep up with Anais.
Naturally this chore revolts me but today I didn’t care. Actually, I would rather do it than not.
As I was going off to fetch the watering-can, I ran at last into Mademoiselle Aimee. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shining.
‘Good afternoon, Mademoiselle.
When’s the wedding?’
‘What!
But … these children always know everything!
But it’s not decided yet … at least, the date isn’t.
It’ll be in the long vacation, probably … Tell me, you don’t think he’s ugly, Monsieur Duplessis?’
‘Ugly – Richelieu ugly?
No, of course not.
He’s much better than the other one, ever so much better!
Do you love him?’
‘But, naturally I do, since I’m taking him for my husband!’
‘As if that were a reason!
Don’t give me silly answers like that – do you think you’re talking to Marie Belhomme?
You don’t love him in the least – you think he’s nice and you want to get married to see what it’s like. And out of vanity, too, to annoy your friends at the Training College who’ll stay old maids. That’s all there is to it!
Don’t play too many tricks on him, that’s the best I can wish him, because he certainly deserves to be loved better than you’ll ever love him.’
It came out slap!
And I promptly turned on my heels and ran off to fetch water to sprinkle the floor.
She stayed there rooted to the spot, abashed.
At last she went off to supervise the sweeping of the junior classroom or to tell her dear Mademoiselle Sergent what I had just said.
Let her go!
I didn’t want to bother any more about those two crazy women, one of whom wasn’t crazy at all.
I was so excited that I sprinkled recklessly; I even sprinkled Anais’s feet and the geography maps, then I swept till my arms ached.
It was a relief to tire myself out like that.