(3/20) Storm in the Village Read Free Page B

but I have to take a cheque to Mawne for the Church Maintenance Fund. I'll ask them then.'
    'Good!' said his wife, preparing to close the window. The vicar forestalled her.
    'My dear!' he called. The window opened again. 'What do you think of the car?'
    'Smeary!' said his wife, closing the window firmly.
    'She's right, you know,' sighed the vicar sadly to the cat which came up to rub against his clerical-grey legs. 'It definitely is smeary!'
    With some relief he turned his back on the car, and went into the house to fetch his biretta. He would visit the Mawnes straight away. An afternoon call would be much more satisfying than cleaning the car.

    The smoke from Mr Willet's most successful bonfire began to blow into my classroom during history lesson, and I went to the window to close it.
    I could see Mr Willet, his shirt-sleeves rolled up, forking dead vegetation into the smoking mouth of the incinerator. He turned, as he heard the window shut, and raised his hands in apology and concern.
    I shook my head and smiled, waving my own hands, hoping that he would accept my grimaces and gestures as the verbal equivalent of Don't worry! It doesn't matter!'
    It appeared that he did, for after a minute or two of further dumb show, he saluted and returned to his fork; while I gave a final wave and returned to my class.
    The slip-shod spelling in the older children's history essays had roused me to an unaccustomed warmth and I had been in the midst of haranguing them when I had broken off to close the window. I returned to the fray with renewed vigour.
    'Listen to this Patrick, "There were four Go-urges. Go-urge the Frist, Go-urge the Scond, Go-urge the Thrid, and Go-urge the Froth." And to make matters worse, I had put "George" on the blackboard for you, and spent ten minutes explaining that it came from a Greek word "Geo" meaning earth.'
    Patrick smiled sheepishly, fluttering alluring dark lashes. I refused to be softened.
    'Who remembers some of the words we put on the blackboard, beginning with "Geo"?'
    There was a stunned silence. The clock ticked ponderously and outside we could hear the crackling of Mr Willet's bonfire. Someone yawned.
    'Well?' I said, with menace.
    'Geography,' said one inspired child.
    'Geology,' said another.
    Silence fell again. I made another attempt to rouse them.
    'Oh, come now! There were several more words!'
    Joseph Coggs, lately arrived in my room, broke the silence.
    'Je-oshaphat!' he said smugly.
    I drew in a large breath, but before I could explode, his neighbour turned to him.
    'That's Scripture, Joe!' he explained kindly.
    I let out my breath gently and changed the subject. No point in bursting a blood-vessel, I told myself.

    Mrs. Annett had asked me to tea that afternoon.
    'And stay the evening, please!' she had implored on the telephone. 'George will be going into Caxley for orchestra practice, and I shall be alone. You can help me bath Malcolm,' she added, as a further inducement.
    The thought of bathing my godson, now at the crawling stage, could not be resisted, so I had promised to be at Beech Green schoolhouse as soon after four as my own duties would allow.
    It began to rain heavily later in the afternoon. I saw Mr Wilier, his bonfire now dying slowly, scurry for shelter into the church. By the time the clock stood at a quarter to four, the rain was drumming mercilessly against the windows, and swishing, in silver shivers, across the stony playground.
    We buttoned up the children's coats, turned up their collars, tied scarves over heads, sorted Wellington boots on to the right feet, and gloves on to the right fingers, before sending them out to face the weather. One little family of four, somewhat inadequately clad, had the privilege of borrowing the old golfing umbrella from the map cupboard. So massive is this shabby monster that all four scuttled along together, quite comfortably, in its shelter.
    'I'll give you a lift,' I said to Miss Jackson. 'I'm going to Beech Green for tea, and