So soon after poor Harry’s death he hardly liked to say much about how happy that consciousness would make him; but he sent off the letter with a beating heart, and waited anxiously for the head master’s answer.
‘Maria,’ said Dr. Greatrex to his wife next morning, turning over the pile of letters at the breakfast table, ‘who do you think has applied for the third mastership? Very lucky, really, isn’t it?’
‘Considering that there are some thirty millions of people in England, I believe, Dr. Greatrex,’ said his wife with dignity, ‘that some seventy of those have answered your advertisement, and that you haven’t yet given me an opportunity even of guessing which it is of them all, I’m sure I can’t say so far whether it’s lucky or otherwise.’
‘You’re pleased to be satirical, my dear,’ the doctor answered blandly; he was in too good a humour to pursue the opening further. ‘But no matter. Well, I’ll tell you, then; it’s young Le Breton.’
‘Not Lady Le Breton’s son!’ cried Mrs. Greatrex, forgetting her dignity in her surprise. ‘Well, that certainly is very lucky. Now, if we could only get her to come down and stay with us for a week sometimes, after he’s been here a little while, what a splendid advertisement it would be for the place, to be sure, Joseph!’
‘Capital!’ the head master said, eyeing the letter complacently as he sipped his coffee. ‘A perfect jewel of a master, I should say, from every possible point of view. Just the sort of person to attract parents and pupils. “Allow me to introduce you to our third master, Mr. Le Breton; I hope Lady Le Breton was quite well when you heard from her last, Le Breton?” and all that sort of thing. Depend upon it, Maria, there’s nothing in the world that makes a middle-class parent—and our parents are unfortunately all middle-class—prick up his ears like the faintest suspicion or echo of a title. “Very good school,” he goes back and says to his wife immediately; “we’ll send Tommy there; they have a master who’s an honourable or something of the sort; sure to give the boys a thoroughly high gentlemanly tone.” It’s snobbery, I admit, sheer snobbery: but between ourselves, Maria, most people are snobs, and we have to live, professionally, by accommodating ourselves to their foolish prejudices.’
‘At the same time, doctor,’ said his wife severely, ‘I don’t think we ought to allow it too freely, at least with the door open.’
‘You’re quite right, my dear,’ the head master answered submissively, rising at the same time to shut the door. ‘But what makes this particular application all the better is that young Le Breton would come here straight from the Earl of Exmoor’s where he has been acting as tutor to the son and heir, Viscount Lynmouth. That’s really admirable, now, isn’t it? Just consider the advantages of the situation. A doubtful parent comes to inspect the arrangements; sniffs at the dormitories, takes the gauge of the studies, snorts over the playground, condescends to approve of the fives courts. Then, after doing the usual Christian principles business and working in the high moral tone a little, we invite him to lunch, and young Le Breton to meet him. You remark casually in the most unconscious and natural fashion—I admit, my dear, that you do these little things much better than I do—“Oh, talking of cricket, Mr. Le Breton, your old pupil, Lord Lynmouth, made a splendid score the other day at the Eton and Harrow.” Fixes the wavering parent like a shot. “Third master something or other in the peerage, and has been tutor to a son of Lord Exmoor’s. Place to send your boys to if you want to make perfect gentlemen of them.” I think we’d better close at once with this young man’s offer, Maria. He’s got a very decent degree, too; a first in Mods and Greats; really very decent.’
‘But will he take a house-mastership do you think, doctor?’ asked the careful lady.
‘No, he won’t; he’s married or soon going to be. We must let him off the house duty.’