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Authors: Susan Barrie
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happenings were not yet sufficiently crystallized for her to be aware—deep down within herself—what her feelings were, now that she was no longer Carol Inglis, and a schoolgirl at Selbourne Abbey. Some people grow up overnight, but Carol was not of that order, and she had experienced no tremendous emotional upheaval to aid in her development. New clothes, new surroundings, a new outlook—a newly acquired status—these things alone could not effect any radical alteration in the essential Carol, and Timothy Carrington was sufficiently aware of that fact to be aware at the same time that the immediate future must not be expected to reveal any extraordinary changes.
Time—and time alone—would provide her with the opportunity to throw off her youthful chrysalis, and the effect of all sorts of new experiences would sooner or later reveal changes. But there could be no hurrying the matter.
In the meantime he watched her, and by the time she sat up and blinked her eyes and flushed with sudden horrified guilt at the realization that she had fallen asleep after all, the train was nearing its journey’s end and the brightness of the summer afternoon was becoming dimmed a little by its meeting with early evening.
“But why didn’t you wake me?” Carol demanded, shocked to discover that she had slept so long.
“You certainly do go long way towards sleeping the clock round once you start,” Timothy commented, regarding her concern with an amused look in his own eyes. “I remember you did it once before, on the way up from Selbourne. And on that occasion as well as today you had suffered a little from overexcitement, so we will find it in our heart to forgive you.” He waved a hand to indicate the change of scenery that had occurred while she slept. “What do you think of that?” he asked.
Carol, about to drag forth her powder-compact and inspect herself in the mirror—a habit she had lately formed, and which she did with none of the sophisticated nonchalance of your true young woman of the world, but rather as if she was horribly ashamed of the action—slipped it back in her bag again and looked. And a little gasp of pure delight escaped her.
The hills were rising all round them—or so it seemed to her—and steep and altogether enchanting valleys fell away on all sides. The valleys were filled with a pearly-grey mist, like the grey of wood smoke, and patches of water caught her eyes, gleaming very still amongst clumps of far-away trees. The hilltops soared right into the clouds, which sailed like balls of cotton-wool across the evening blue, and there was a rosy, flushed look in the air, as if the sun was not very far away from its setting.
Carrington pointed out a heron, winging its flight unerringly across a sky of tranquil turquoise, and Carol watched it with completely charmed eyes.
“So free,” she murmured, ‘‘so absolutely free!...”
“And you,” he said oddly, watching her very closely, “are no longer free. Is that what you were thinking?”
“Of course not.” Instantly she was covered in confusion, and he took pity on the high color which rose up in her cheeks and suggested that, if she really wanted to do whatever it was women did to their faces when they considered them in need of repair, she should disappear to the cloakroom at the end of the corridor and do it in comfortable privacy.
“We’ve got about half an hour,” he said, “before we reach Albrington, and so you needn’t rush. But personally I think you look very nice as you are, even if your nose is a little bit shiny. And that sleep has obviously done you good. You look more fitted to face up to the future.”
Carol’ s heart sank suddenly, like a plummet.
To come face to face with his sister for the first time, he meant! And she had heard so much about Meg in the past few days that she was secretly seriously alarmed at the idea of meeting her.
Meg, the perfect housekeeper, Meg who had looked after her brother for
Time—and time alone—would provide her with the opportunity to throw off her youthful chrysalis, and the effect of all sorts of new experiences would sooner or later reveal changes. But there could be no hurrying the matter.
In the meantime he watched her, and by the time she sat up and blinked her eyes and flushed with sudden horrified guilt at the realization that she had fallen asleep after all, the train was nearing its journey’s end and the brightness of the summer afternoon was becoming dimmed a little by its meeting with early evening.
“But why didn’t you wake me?” Carol demanded, shocked to discover that she had slept so long.
“You certainly do go long way towards sleeping the clock round once you start,” Timothy commented, regarding her concern with an amused look in his own eyes. “I remember you did it once before, on the way up from Selbourne. And on that occasion as well as today you had suffered a little from overexcitement, so we will find it in our heart to forgive you.” He waved a hand to indicate the change of scenery that had occurred while she slept. “What do you think of that?” he asked.
Carol, about to drag forth her powder-compact and inspect herself in the mirror—a habit she had lately formed, and which she did with none of the sophisticated nonchalance of your true young woman of the world, but rather as if she was horribly ashamed of the action—slipped it back in her bag again and looked. And a little gasp of pure delight escaped her.
The hills were rising all round them—or so it seemed to her—and steep and altogether enchanting valleys fell away on all sides. The valleys were filled with a pearly-grey mist, like the grey of wood smoke, and patches of water caught her eyes, gleaming very still amongst clumps of far-away trees. The hilltops soared right into the clouds, which sailed like balls of cotton-wool across the evening blue, and there was a rosy, flushed look in the air, as if the sun was not very far away from its setting.
Carrington pointed out a heron, winging its flight unerringly across a sky of tranquil turquoise, and Carol watched it with completely charmed eyes.
“So free,” she murmured, ‘‘so absolutely free!...”
“And you,” he said oddly, watching her very closely, “are no longer free. Is that what you were thinking?”
“Of course not.” Instantly she was covered in confusion, and he took pity on the high color which rose up in her cheeks and suggested that, if she really wanted to do whatever it was women did to their faces when they considered them in need of repair, she should disappear to the cloakroom at the end of the corridor and do it in comfortable privacy.
“We’ve got about half an hour,” he said, “before we reach Albrington, and so you needn’t rush. But personally I think you look very nice as you are, even if your nose is a little bit shiny. And that sleep has obviously done you good. You look more fitted to face up to the future.”
Carol’ s heart sank suddenly, like a plummet.
To come face to face with his sister for the first time, he meant! And she had heard so much about Meg in the past few days that she was secretly seriously alarmed at the idea of meeting her.
Meg, the perfect housekeeper, Meg who had looked after her brother for
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