Read Online Matricide at St. Martha's by Ruth Dudley Edwards - Free Book Online Page B

and not gender studies because they don’t think they should study men and so on. There’s a bit of a row going on about priorities and they’re shouting each other down.’
    As they rounded the corner and began to proceed down the corridor towards the Council Chamber, the sound dropped and the demonstrators came into view. There looked to be about twenty of them, mostly clad in de rigueur Doc Martens and droopy black hangings and waving banners which included the legends ‘DOWN WITH DWEMS’, ‘SISTER CENTRIC NOT PHALLO CENTRIC’, ‘THE SISTERHOOD OF WIMMIN’, ‘PENETRATION IS RAPE’ and even ‘RELEVANCE NOT RIGOUR’. As they spotted Amiss and the Bursar, somebody started a chant which the others swiftly picked up: ‘Sexism: Out Out Out.’
    ‘Is that directed at me?’
    ‘Yes, but at me too. For some reason I can’t quite grasp they think I’m a bit insensitive.’
    ‘I think what you have is what our American cousins would describe as an attitude problem.’
    ‘Nothing wrong with my attitude,’ said the Bursar. ‘It’s good old Anglo-Saxon. Now come on, let’s charge through all these ninnies.’ Suiting her action to her words she cleared a path for Amiss through the mob.
    Bridget, Sandra, Mary Lou, the Reverend Cyril and Dr Windlesham were already in situ , along with a dim creature who was gazing worshipfully at Bridget. Amiss was tempted to avoid conversation by sitting beside Dr Windlesham, who was intently reading a scholarly journal. Instead, he sat down at the end of the table beside Mary Lou, to whom he introduced himself and rather hesitantly offered his hand. She seemed nervous and equally hesitant, but she put out her hand and shook his.
    ‘Have you been here long?’
    ‘Two days.’
    ‘Oh, just ahead of me. What do you think of it?’
    ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘Nor do I. What’s your field?’
    ‘The interaction of lesbianism and ethno-centrism.’
    ‘You must explain it to me sometime,’ he said politely and addressed himself to the pile of papers in front of him. Before he had begun to get the hang of them, the door opened and on the dot of 9.10 the Mistress swept in, flanked by the Senior Tutor and Primrose Partridge. She had no sooner taken her seat and opened the meeting than the door opened again and Francis Pusey came in. He scurried to his seat.
    ‘I apologize, Mistress, but I’ve gone through an absolutely gruelling experience this morning, and I’m all at sixes and sevens.’ He shot Amiss a venomous look.
    ‘Excuse me,’ said Bridget Holdness. ‘Point of order.’
    ‘I hope it is,’ said the Mistress levelly.
    ‘I can no longer accept the use of the word “Mistress”.’
    Even the imperturbable holder of that title looked shocked.
    ‘Could you elaborate?’
    The Bursar broke in. ‘I suppose she wants us to call you Mstress, Mistress. All that crap again.’ Dame Maud gave her an admonitory look.
    ‘Bursar, please let Dr Holdness speak for herself. She has little difficulty in doing so.’
    ‘I shall ignore the Bursar’s typically offensive and collaborationist remark,’ said Bridget. ‘First, may I remind you that I wish to be addressed as “Ms”, not “Dr”, which is a legitimization of elitism. Second, the word “Mistress” – like “Master” – implicitly acknowledges patriarchal archetypes as well as having unacceptable overtones of a proprietorial sexual relationship. If we insist in clinging to hierarchical systems, which I don’t think we should, you could be called “Head”.’
    ‘ “Head Fellow”?’
    ‘Certainly not “Fellow”,’ said Bridget. ‘That is a masculine word used here to imply spurious inclusiveness.’
    ‘Mistress,’ bellowed the Bursar, ‘are we going to waste yet another morning arguing about whether what we have for tea is a gingerbreadperson?’
    ‘Ladies, ladies, please… ’ intervened the Reverend Cyril. As Bridget’s eyes narrowed and her mouth opened, the Mistress interrupted hastily. ‘Thank