§ 1
CATHERINE won an open scholarship to the Upton Rising High School for Girls. She did not win it because of any particular brilliance or erudition in her examination papers; she won it, as a matter of fact, because Mr. McGill, one of the Governors, happened to remark to Miss Forsdyke, the headmistress: “I hear Weston’s got his daughter in for a scholarship.”
Miss Forsdyke said, “Weston?—Weston?—Let me see—I believe I’ve heard the name somewhere ... Er ... who is he?”
“One of the men at the Downsland Road School.... Not a bad sort.... I bet old Clotters’ll be mad if Weston’s girl gets anything. Clotters’ boy missed last year....”
Now Clotters was the headmaster of the Downsland Road Council School. Mr. Weston did not like Mr. Clotters.... Mr. McGill did not like Mr. Clotters.... And even Miss Forsdyke did not like Mr. Clotters....
Thus it happened that Catherine obtained a scholarship to the Upton Rising High School for Girls.
In her English paper she was asked to analyse: “There is a tide in the affairs of men....” She began:
“There”—subject; “is” predicate; “a tide” object—according to a well-established form of procedure which sometimes enabled her to get her analysis right without in the least understanding what she was about.
And in her Scripture paper she was asked: What is a phylactery? She answered: a kind of musical instrument.
Catherine was rather surprised to get a scholarship.