CHAPTER XX
A Musical Scholarship
The Spring Term at St. Cyprian's was a stormy one in several respects.The weather during the end of January and beginning of February wasatrocious, and resulted for Miss Cartwright in a touch of pneumonia,which laid her aside for a while from her work. The College without itsPrincipal was like a sheepfold without a shepherd; and though theteachers did their best, everybody felt the lack of the strong guidinghand that was accustomed to hold the reins. No sooner was MissCartwright back at her post than several girls developed mumps, and astrict period of quarantine followed for any companions who had been intheir vicinity--an unexpected holiday which their parents deplored, andthey themselves scarcely appreciated, as they were barred from allsocial intercourse until the due number of days had expired. Owing tothis misfortune, and to a scare of measles at Newington Green, allAlliance matches and functions were postponed till the various schoolscould show clean bills of health, and even the making of charitygarments was for the time prohibited.
The girls missed the Alliance meetings dreadfully. They had scarcelyrealized until now what an intense interest the League supplied, andhow extremely flat the term felt without the pleasant competition of theother schools. They were constantly wondering how Templeton's hockey wasprogressing; if the new photographic club at Marston Grove had held itsfirst exhibition; whether the Anglo-German had really taken up paintingon satin; and how the High School Nature Study Union prospered.
"I believe we were fearfully narrow before, only we didn't know it,"said Bess Harrison. "When the Alliance was first suggested, I'm sure weall thought it would be just an easy walk-over for St. Cyprian's ineverything."
"We jolly soon found out our mistake!" murmured Kitty Fletcher, who wasstill smarting over a hockey match in which Newington Green hadtriumphed. "The Coll. has to look after herself, or take a back seat."
"Somehow it seems uncommonly tame without the others to spur us on,"admitted Maudie Stearne.
"Isn't there anything we could do just to liven ourselves up till allthese microbes have taken their departure, and we're once more labelled'safe to meet'? Something, if possible, that the other schools won'thave thought of, so that we can surprise them after Easter?"
"Well, of course if you're prepared to go in for prize-fighting orfortune-telling, or the making of artificial wax flowers, you might findan untrodden path, but I think most things have been pretty wellexploited already."
"It must be lovely to go out as a missionary to the Cannibal Islands!"sighed Sheila Moore. "Just think of finding people who've never heard,say, of the Tango, and being able to show them how!"
"They'd soon tango you into their biggest fish kettle, you goose, anddance their original war steps while digesting you! A nice appetizinglittle morsel you'd be, I expect! Just like tender roast pork!"
"Pig yourself!" retorted Sheila.
"All the same, to go back to my original plaint," urged Bess, "we'repretty well kept within the bounds of our own Coll. this term, so whynot do something on our own--something unique?"
"And I return to my original reply, that there isn't a solitary art orhandicraft left unappropriated by the other schools," grunted Maudie.
"If we can't do something unique, let's do something commonplace,"suggested Eve Mitchell.
"Why shouldn't we sew?" propounded Mildred.
"My sweet innocent, you forget that the garments we fashioned mightconvey the microbes of mumps to the slums! All such charitableenterprises are for the moment off."
"I'm afraid I wasn't thinking of charity. I've got an idea--yes, I havereally! The school ought to own a banner. I thought at the Arts Showthat it looked so ugly just to have a large card with 'St. Cyprian'sCollege' hung up over our exhibits. It ought to be beautifully worked onsilk or satin. Suppose we lead the way and make one? I expect the otherschools would follow suit."
Mildred's idea appealed strongly to the girls. They considered that abanner would be a great acquisition to their College properties, andwith Miss Cartwright's permission they determined to make one. Such alarge and important piece of work naturally required much discussion andplanning out. Designs were submitted by members of the Art class, and aselect committee appointed to consider them. In the end they decidedupon a white satin ground with an applique border of some conventionalfloral pattern. At the centre was to be a coat of arms with fourquarterings, the British lion, the crowned unicorn that was the crest ofthe city of Kirkton, a group of iris, which they chose as the schoolflower, on the ground that signifying the rainbow it was emblematic ofmany virtues merged together, and in the last corner a lyre, showingtheir special bent towards the study of music. At the top "St. Cyprian'sCollege" would appear in large letters, and at the bottom their motto:"Nulli Secundus". The border and the quarterings were to be workedseparately in colours on pale-green satin, and appliqued on after thelettering had been finished.
The border was so designed that it could be made in portions of aboutfour inches square, each to be committed to different hands, and thequarterings also were to be done apart. By this division of labour morethan thirty girls were able to help, and it was felt that the bannerwould be a united effort. By general vote Freda Kingston was given thelettering, and a small band of workers was chosen to stitch the variouspieces together when finished.
"If any health inspectors think it likely to hold germs, we can have itdisinfected," laughed Bess. "It's going to be absolutely gorgeous, andit's arousing such an amount of school patriotism in my breast that I'mprepared to brave any dangers and defend it to the last drop of myblood."
"I don't know whether I admire the ramping lion or the charging unicornmore. Ivy has given Mr. Leo such a beautifully savage and furious eye!"said Maudie.
"Apollo's lyre with its golden strings for me!" proclaimed Mildred."Nina has made them so splendidly straight and taut, I'm sure they're intune."
Naturally the construction of the banner was an affair of many weeks;but when it was at last completed it was really a very handsome object,and quite a work of art. It was placed on view in the lecture hall, andvisited by crowds of admiring girls, after which it was put safely awayin folds of tissue-paper, to be kept for some great occasion when itcould do honour to St. Cyprian's.
"It will be a nice little surprise for the other schools when we trot itout at the next Alliance function!" exulted Bess.
"They'll be absolutely green with envy!" affirmed Ivy. "I prophesythey'll all try to go one better."
"Let them try, then! We shall have had first start, and they can't getover that, anyway."
"I expect it will end in all the schools joining in an Alliance banner."
"Then there'd be six quarterings, and that's not heraldic!"
"No, no, there'd be eight, because the British lion and the Kirktonunicorn would still have to come in, and each school could have itsemblem or its flower."
"Right you are, my youthful Solomon!"
Like all other terms, the spring session came at last to an end. Thesufferers from mumps and measles had returned to their respectiveschools duly armed with doctors' certificates, quarantine was over, andafter the interval of the Easter holidays the Alliance was able to meetagain, and pursue its various avocations with renewed vigour. It hadbeen a great source of regret to Kitty Fletcher, as head of the Gamesdepartment, that St. Cyprian's had had no opportunity of wiping thestain off its reputation in regard to hockey. By next season she wouldhave left the College, and could no longer "lead her hosts to battle asof yore". She impressed upon Edna Carson, who would succeed her inoffice, the mission of supremacy in the hockey field, urging her tospare no efforts to make the team realize its responsibilities. Meantimeshe turned her attention to cricket, determined to do the best for St.Cyprian's in the one term which remained to her.
As she had prophesied, Rhoda Somerville was a great source of strength,and promised to rival Joan Richards in batting. Under Kitty's carefultuition she improved immensely, and the captain began to regard her newpupil w
ith much complacency. Edna Carson, of "hat-trick" fame, DaisyHolt, nicknamed "the Lobster", and Peggie Potter were well up to theirlast year's form, so there seemed reasonable hope that the College wouldwin its due share of matches. At tennis, too, it was not behindhand.Lottie and Carrie Lowman had come to the fore, and proved the bestchampions that St. Cyprian's had yet had. Lottie had a more than usuallygood opportunity for practice this summer. She had been unwell in thespring, and the doctor had advised that she should not attempt to go infor the matriculation, as had been intended, recommending as muchoutdoor exercise as possible. She gleefully took him at his word, and,curtailing her hours of home preparation, played singles with her sisterCarrie till both reached a pitch of excellence that caused Kitty to purrwith delight. As Games delegate Kitty did not approve of any girl tryingto sit on two stools. She had sternly discouraged Daisy Holt and PeggiePotter from, as she said, "wasting valuable time at the courts"; but asthe reproach had been thrown at her that she encouraged cricket to thedetriment of tennis, she was thankful that two such champions had arisento give their whole-hearted attention to the latter without drawing fromthe team of the former.
Mildred formed one of the rank and file at games; she had not the skillto excel, nor could she spare the hours required for practice. Herviolin required all her present energies; Professor Hoffmann wasinexorable in his demands, and kept her rigidly up to the mark. Hermusic time-sheet was now a very different affair from the irregularregister she had shown when this story began, and was indeed the best inthe school, not excepting that of Elizabeth Chalmers, who had alwaysbeen held up as a model for slack workers to emulate.
Laura Kirby was concentrating all her powers on studying for a Girtonscholarship under Miss Cartwright's special coaching, so, beyond alittle tennis for exercise, she was too busy to think of maintaining thephysical reputation of the College, though there was a feeling amongthe girls that she would probably establish an intellectual record, andcover the school with glory.
"I never saw anyone swot like you, Laura," said Lottie Lowman at one ofthe monitresses' meetings. "You're going ahead like a house on fire, andif you're not established in your own diggings at Girton by nextOctober, I shall say the examiners cheated."
"That remains to be seen," replied Laura rather wearily. "I'm not theonly one who's swotting, you may depend upon it, and some people'sbrains may be more curly than mine. Oh, but I should like to go toGirton! I'd a cousin there, and she used to make me just wild with heraccounts. She said it was the time of her life. I shan't be content tillI've taken my tripos."
"What will you do then?"
"I don't know. I'm ambitious. I'd like to be principal of a college someday, or else go in for scientific research work. Don't laugh!"
"We're not laughing. Why shouldn't you realize your ambition? We'll seeyou come out top yet!"
"I don't hanker after college," said Lottie, "but I just love tennisabove everything, and I'd like to be county champion. I'm afraid I'venot much chance--Carrie's really better than I am--but that's my dream.What's yours, Freda?"
"Oh, to be a great artist, of course; either to paint animals, like RosaBonheur, or to go in for book illustration, and make a special line formyself, like Kate Greenaway. I'm to study at the School of Art as soonas I leave St. Cyprian's. It will be blissful to do nothing but paintall day."
"If I can only scrape through the Froebel exams. I'm going to be aKindergarten teacher and Games mistress both together. There are goodopenings for anyone who can combine the two, and it would just suit me.I'd like to get a post at a big High School where there are hundreds andhundreds of girls, then wouldn't I just train them at cricket andhockey, and pick my teams carefully--rather!" said Kitty.
"How about the Kindergarten part of the business?"
"Oh, that would be all right! I'm fond of kiddies, and should be quiteat home amongst them."
"It's a very sad thing, but I've no ambitions," acknowledged Bess; "andI don't believe Maudie has either, except to turn her hair up. Confessnow, Maudie, that's the summit of your dreams."
"Well, I don't want to go to Girton at any rate," laughed Maudie, "or tostudy at the School of Art, or teach Kindergarten. I guess we all knowMildred's vocation."
"Rather! If she doesn't study music it will be a criminal offenceagainst the College. We look to her to be the star of St. Cyprian's, andhave her name painted in special gold letters on the board in thelecture hall. Do you hear, Mildred? You've got to distinguish yourself,or perish in the attempt!"
"Don't expect too much from me, please. Perhaps I shall go off, anddisappoint you horribly. Lots of people have assured me that youthfulprodigies generally turn into nonentities when they're older."
"The sour-hearted brutes!"
"Well, it isn't encouraging, certainly, to be told so. But I don't carea button! I shall just go on working for the sake of the music. I lovethat, quite independently of success or failure."
One day when Mildred went for her violin lesson she found Herr Hoffmannin quite a state of excitement. He had a piece of news to communicate,and he was evidently brimming over with it. He began to tell it to herimmediately she came into the room. He had learned only the eveningbefore that Mr. Steiniger, the German gentleman who for many years hadbeen president both of the Freiburg Concerts and the College of Music,and was now Mayor of Kirkton, wished to celebrate his year of mayoraltyby encouraging musical talent in the city. He therefore offered ascholarship, tenable for three years in the Berlin Conservatoire, to thebest student on any instrument. The conditions were simple. Thecandidate must be under twenty-one years of age, and must have residedin Kirkton for a period of not less than seven years. Either sex wasequally eligible, and no preference would be given to those who hadstudied at any special school of music. The examination was to be heldat the beginning of July, and the decision of the judges was to befinal.
"It is as if it had been made for you! Yes, made for you!" urged theProfessor. "Hitherto the musical scholarships in the city have only beenobtainable through the Freiburg College, but this is open to all! Youare under the age, you have resided more than seven years in Kirkton--Iask, then, what hinders?"
"My own incompetence," protested Mildred. "All the clever students inthe city will be going in for it. Why, it would never be given to a girlof hardly seventeen. The thing's impossible!"
"Age is no matter!" grunted Herr Hoffmann. "I do not often praise you,but you can play what many who are older dare not attempt. You shall tryit? Yes? I go myself to see your good aunt, and persuade her. Have I notalways said that you should study in Berlin? Kalovski is now teaching atthe Conservatoire. Himmel! It is the opportunity of a lifetime! He isthe one master to whom I would send you."
Herr Hoffmann lost no time in visiting Dr. and Mrs. Graham, and advisingthem to allow their niece to go in for the scholarship. After thinkingthe matter over for a few days they agreed. There seemed no objection toher trying, and if she failed no harm would be done. An hour's extrapractice daily the Professor required, but that could be arranged withMiss Cartwright, who was willing to let Mildred's music take the firstplace in her education, and who, they knew, would encourage her to enteras a candidate. Mildred herself was almost appalled at the prospect, butit was settled for her by her elders, so she was obliged to fall in withtheir plans. After all, the Professor's enthusiasm was infectious, andthough she might not share his sanguine hopes, she was at least willingto try her best.
The test piece for the examination was the "Valse Triste" by Sibelius,and she set to work at once to wrestle with it. It was a compositionthat it would tax the powers of a first-rate concert player to renderadequately, so she had no light task before her. Herr Hoffmann, in hisanxiety for her to excel, alternately cajoled and raved, so that herlessons were a series of sunshine and storm. By this time, however, sheknew her master's idiosyncrasies, and neither his impatience nor hisbursts of temper could put her out. She had discovered what a kind hearthe held under his rough manner, and was well aware that he spent anamount
of time and trouble over her which was altogether above andbeyond what could be expected by even the most exacting of pupils. Soshe worked away, trying to do justice to his tuition, but viewing italmost as a piece of presumption on her part to attempt the examination.
The weeks passed along quickly--too rapidly for the amount Mildredwished to do in them--and the beginning of July drew near. Thecandidates were to be examined in one of the smaller rooms at the TownHall, the judges being Monsieur Diegeryck, a well-known Belgianviolinist, Monsieur Stenovitch, a Russian pianist, and Mr. Steinigerhimself.
"I shall fail, Tantie--I know I shall!" declared Mildred. "It'sridiculous my going in at all! I only do it to please you and theProfessor. You wouldn't be satisfied if I didn't try. I only hope thejudges won't crush me too utterly, and tell me it's wasting their timeto listen to me. No, I'm not even nervous, because I feel the chance istoo remote. If I'd greater expectations I should mind far more; as itis, I shall just play my piece in the best fashion I can, and accept anysnubbing that's offered me afterwards. I've got to the point where Isimply don't care."
"Then by all means let us leave it at that," said Mrs. Graham, who,after previous experiences of Mildred's apprehensions, had no wish torouse fresh fears.
On the 4th of July, therefore, Mildred, fortified by the Professor'svery latest instructions and directions, presented herself and herStradivarius at the Town Hall at the time which had been appointed forher. She had to wait a few minutes while a piano student finishedplaying, but her turn came next, and she was very soon ushered into theexamination room. She looked round eagerly. A Bechstein grand pianostood open, after the last candidate's ordeal, and Signor Marziani, oneof the teachers at the Freiburg College, who was to play theaccompaniments to the stringed instruments, was in the act of closingthe top. Mildred had been very anxious to know who was to accompany her,and was rejoiced to find that it would be Signor Marziani, for she knewfrom Herr Hoffmann's accounts that he had a sympathetic touch, and wasfar more skilful at his task than Mr. Joynson, who shared the duty withhim at most musical examinations in Kirkton. She glanced hurriedly ather three judges. Mr. Steiniger she had seen before--a pleasant,brown-bearded little man with kindly blue eyes; but the two others werestrangers. Monsieur Diegeryck was a typical Belgian--big and fair andstout, with a bland smile that seemed to seek to reassure her; MonsieurStenovitch, on the contrary, was thin and dark, with long hair and bushyeyebrows, under which a pair of keen eyes surveyed her with an almostcynical expression of criticism. All three had pencils and paper, andappeared to have been comparing notes on their reports of theperformance of the last candidate. They composed themselves to listen,and Signor Marziani struck a few preliminary chords on the piano.
"Now for it!" thought Mildred. "Well! They can't do more than pluck me,and I'm quite prepared for it."
For perhaps the first time in her life she did not feel nervous beforean audience of strangers. She played exactly as if she were having alesson from the Professor, or practising in her bedroom at MeredithTerrace. She was surprised at her own confidence, and went through theValse Triste so easily that it was over almost before she realized whatshe was doing. The judges looked at one another, but made no remarks.Each scribbled rapidly for a moment, then they told her that she mightgo, and bowed her politely from the room.
"How did you get on?" asked a student who was waiting outside.
"I haven't the least idea. They said nothing, but I expect I've failed.I can't flatter myself they looked encouraging. I'm only thankful theydidn't squash me quite flat."
It would be a day or two before the result of the examination was madeknown, and Mildred waited, not exactly in suspense, for she was so sureof failure, but with the feeling that she would be glad to get the badnews over and done with. She minded the Professor's disappointment morethan her own, for he had been the keener on the event.
On the Tuesday following, as she was sitting at drawing in the studio,she received a summons to the Principal's study, and, entering, foundMiss Cartwright and Herr Hoffmann in animated conversation.
"Mildred, my dear child, we have to congratulate you!" began theheadmistress smilingly.
"Did I not tell you, Freundchen, it was the chance of a lifetime?"beamed the Professor. "Hein! You shall see the letter for yourself."
"I--I--surely--is it true?" gasped Mildred, as she read the short butbusinesslike communication. "I can't believe it. Oh, have I really andtruly and actually won the scholarship?"