Part 5 (1/2)

'Well, didn't we vow to make Fossil a name in history books? Whoever heard of people on the stage in history books?'

'We needn't be actresses always, though,' Petrova said comfortingly. 'I asked Mr Simpson, and he said because you were a thing from the time you were twelve till you grew up it didn't mean you had to be it always.'

'It's difficult to see how to be in a history book, anyway,' Pauline said, in a worried sort of voice. 'It's mostly Kings and Queens who are. People like Princess Elizabeth will be; but not us whatever we did - at least, it will be difficult.'

'There's Joan of Arc' Petrova tried to remember a few more names. 'I know there were a lot, but I didn't get as far as a whole reign, I was only doing ”Tales from History” when we left Cromwell House. Then I did that little bit about Alfred the Great with Garnie; and Doctor Jakes hasn't given me a history lesson yet. But there were lots. I know there were. We'll ask Doctor Jakes to tell us about them.'

Sylvia leant over from the seat behind.

'Look, darlings, here is a s.h.i.+lling. I want you all to have cakes for tea to make up for a very hard-working afternoon.'

CHAPTER V.

The Children's Academy of Dancing THE Fossils became some of the busiest children in London. They got up at half past seven and had breakfast at eight. After breakfast they did exercises with Theo for half an hour. At nine they began lessons. Posy did two hours' reading, writing, and kindergarten work with Sylvia, and Pauline and Petrova did three hours with Doctor Jakes and Doctor Smith. They were very interesting lessons, but terribly hard work; for if Doctor Smith was teaching Pauline, Doctor Jakes taught Petrova, and the other way on, and as both doctors had spent their lives coaching people for terribly stiff examinations - though of course they taught quite easy things to the children - they never got the idea out of their minds that a stiff examination was a thing everybody had to pa.s.s some day. There was a little break of ten minutes in the middle of the morning when milk and biscuits were brought in; but after a day or two they were never eaten or drunk. Both doctors had lovely ideas about the sort of things to have in the middle of lessons - a meal they called a beaver. They took turns to get it ready. Sometimes it was chocolate with cream on it, and sometimes Doctor Jakes' ginger drink, and once it was ice-cream soda; and the things to eat were never the same: queer biscuits, little ones from j.a.pan with delicate flowers painted on them in sugar, cakes from Vienna, and specialities of different kinds from all over England. They had their beavers sitting round the fire in either of the doctors' rooms, and they had discussions which were nothing to do with lessons. At twelve o'clock they went for a walk with Nana or Sylvia. They liked it best when Sylvia took them. She had better ideas about walks; she thought the Park the place to go to, and thought it a good idea to take hoops and things to play with. Nana liked a nice clean walk up as far as the Victoria and Albert and back. On wet days Sylvia thought it a good plan to stay in and make toffee or be read out loud to. Nana thought nicely brought-up children ought to be out of the house between twelve and one, even on a wet day, and she took them to see the dolls' houses in the Victoria and Albert. The children liked the dolls' houses; but there are a lot of wet days in the winter, and they saw them a good deal. Pauline and Petrova had lunch with Sylvia, Posy had hers with Nana. After lunch they all had to take a book on their beds for half an hour. In the afternoons there was another walk, this one always with Nana. It lasted an hour, and as they had usually walked to the Victoria and Albert in the morning, they did not have to go there again, but took turns to choose where they went. Pauline liked walking where there were shops. Petrova liked the Earl's Court Road, because there were three motor showrooms for her to look at. Posy liked to go towards the King's Road, Chelsea, because on the way they pa.s.sed a shop that sold puppies. They all liked Posy's walk; but they did not choose it themselves because they knew she would. If Nana was not so sure that they must save the penny and walk they would have gone to much more exciting places; for you can't get far on your legs when there is only an hour, and that includes getting home again. Tea was in the nursery at a quarter to four, and at half past they went by the Piccadilly railway to Russell Square. They all liked going on the underground; but both Gloucester Road, where they got in, and Russell Square, where they got out, were those mean sort of stations that have lifts instead of moving staircases. Fossils became some of the busiest children in London. They got up at half past seven and had breakfast at eight. After breakfast they did exercises with Theo for half an hour. At nine they began lessons. Posy did two hours' reading, writing, and kindergarten work with Sylvia, and Pauline and Petrova did three hours with Doctor Jakes and Doctor Smith. They were very interesting lessons, but terribly hard work; for if Doctor Smith was teaching Pauline, Doctor Jakes taught Petrova, and the other way on, and as both doctors had spent their lives coaching people for terribly stiff examinations - though of course they taught quite easy things to the children - they never got the idea out of their minds that a stiff examination was a thing everybody had to pa.s.s some day. There was a little break of ten minutes in the middle of the morning when milk and biscuits were brought in; but after a day or two they were never eaten or drunk. Both doctors had lovely ideas about the sort of things to have in the middle of lessons - a meal they called a beaver. They took turns to get it ready. Sometimes it was chocolate with cream on it, and sometimes Doctor Jakes' ginger drink, and once it was ice-cream soda; and the things to eat were never the same: queer biscuits, little ones from j.a.pan with delicate flowers painted on them in sugar, cakes from Vienna, and specialities of different kinds from all over England. They had their beavers sitting round the fire in either of the doctors' rooms, and they had discussions which were nothing to do with lessons. At twelve o'clock they went for a walk with Nana or Sylvia. They liked it best when Sylvia took them. She had better ideas about walks; she thought the Park the place to go to, and thought it a good idea to take hoops and things to play with. Nana liked a nice clean walk up as far as the Victoria and Albert and back. On wet days Sylvia thought it a good plan to stay in and make toffee or be read out loud to. Nana thought nicely brought-up children ought to be out of the house between twelve and one, even on a wet day, and she took them to see the dolls' houses in the Victoria and Albert. The children liked the dolls' houses; but there are a lot of wet days in the winter, and they saw them a good deal. Pauline and Petrova had lunch with Sylvia, Posy had hers with Nana. After lunch they all had to take a book on their beds for half an hour. In the afternoons there was another walk, this one always with Nana. It lasted an hour, and as they had usually walked to the Victoria and Albert in the morning, they did not have to go there again, but took turns to choose where they went. Pauline liked walking where there were shops. Petrova liked the Earl's Court Road, because there were three motor showrooms for her to look at. Posy liked to go towards the King's Road, Chelsea, because on the way they pa.s.sed a shop that sold puppies. They all liked Posy's walk; but they did not choose it themselves because they knew she would. If Nana was not so sure that they must save the penny and walk they would have gone to much more exciting places; for you can't get far on your legs when there is only an hour, and that includes getting home again. Tea was in the nursery at a quarter to four, and at half past they went by the Piccadilly railway to Russell Square. They all liked going on the underground; but both Gloucester Road, where they got in, and Russell Square, where they got out, were those mean sort of stations that have lifts instead of moving staircases.

'Going to dancing cla.s.s,' Petrova said almost every day, 'wouldn't be so bad staircase.'

As soon as they got to the Academy they went down to the changing-room. There they shared a locker in which lived their rompers and practice-frocks and shoes. Their rompers were royal blue with C.A. for Children's Academy embroidered on the pockets. They wore their rompers for the first half-hour, and with them white socks and black patent-leather ankle-strapped shoes. In these clothes they did exercises and a little dancing which was known as 'character', also twice a week they worked at tap dancing. At the end of half an hour they hung towels round their necks (for they were supposed to get so hot they would need a wipe down) and went back to the changing-room and put on their white tarlatan practice-frock. These were like overalls with no join down the back; the bodice had hooks and the frills of the skirt wrapped over and clipped. With this they wore white socks and white kid slippers. The work they did in these dresses they found dull, and it made their legs ache. They did not realize that the half-hour spent holding on to a bar and doing what they thought stupid exercises was very early training for ballet. Ballet to them meant wearing blocked shoes like the little pair that had come with Posy or such as the more advanced cla.s.ses Wore at school. Sometimes Madame Fidolia came in to watch their cla.s.s, and directly she arrived they all let go of the practice-bar and curtsied to the floor saying 'Madame'.

They got home at half past six, and Posy went straight to bed. Sylvia read to the other two for twenty minutes, and then Petrova had to go up, and at seven, Pauline. The lights were out by half past and there was no more talking.

On Sat.u.r.day mornings they worked from ten to one at the Academy. As well as special exercise cla.s.ses and the ordinary dancing cla.s.ses, there was singing, and one hour's acting cla.s.s. For these they wore the Academy overalls. They were of black sateen made from a Russian design, with high collars, and double-breasted, b.u.t.toning with large black b.u.t.tons down the left side; round the waist they had wide black leather belts. With these they wore their white sandals.

Petrova, who hated clothes, found the everlasting changing an awful bore. Sat.u.r.days were the worst.

'Oh, I do hate Sat.u.r.days,' she said to Nana. 'I get up in my jersey and skirt, and as soon as I get to the Academy I change everything, even put a vest on instead of my combinations, and wear those rompers; and then my practice-dress and then the overall; and then back into my combinations and my skirt and jersey. I wish I was a savage who wore nothing.'

'That's no way to talk,' Nana told her severely. 'Many a poor little child would be glad of the nice clothes you wear; and as for changing out of your combies, I'm glad you do; you wear holes in them fast enough without all that dancing in them.'

From the very beginning Madame took an interest in Posy. Each cla.s.s that she came to watch she made her do some step alone. Posy had her shoes taken off one day and her instep looked at; Madame was so delighted at the shape and flexibility of her feet that she called the rest of the cla.s.s to look at them. The rest of the cla.s.s admired them while Madame was there, but secretly none of them could see anything about them different from their own. Pauline and Petrova thought it very bad for Posy to be made so conspicuous, and to teach her not to get c.o.c.ky they called her 'Posy-Pretty-Toes' all the way home. Posy hated it, and at last burst into tears. Nana was very cross.

'That's right, you two, tease poor little Posy; she can't help Madame saying she has nice feet. It's jealous, that's what you are. Any more of your nonsense and you'll go to bed half an hour early.'

'Why should we be jealous?' asked Petrova. 'Who cares what feet look like? They are just useful things.'

Pauline giggled.

'Have you pretty feet, Nana?' She looked down at Nana's square-toed black shoes which she always wore.

'I have what G.o.d gave me,' Nana said reverently, 'and they're all I need, never having thoughts to dance in a ballet.'

The thought of Nana, who was very fat, dancing in a ballet made them all laugh so much that they forgot to call Posy 'Pretty-Toes' again, and they were still laughing when they got home.

It was at the acting cla.s.ses that Pauline shone. The acting in their first term was entirely in mime. They acted whole fairy stories without saying a word. Whether she was a princess, or a peasant, or an old man, Pauline managed to make them real without any dressing up, but just in the way she moved.

At singing cla.s.ses none of them shone. They could keep in tune, but that was all - they were in no way distinguished.

Just before Christmas the school broke up for a month. All the senior girls were working in pantomimes, and for some time all those who were not old enough for licences had felt very unimportant. The children's cla.s.ses were moved from one room to another to make room for rehearsals, and the notice-board was covered with rehearsal calls. 'All concerned in the Rose Ballet, in room three at 4.30.' 'The children appearing in ”Red Riding Hood”, 5.30, room seven.' 'The princ.i.p.als for the Jewel Ballet 4 o'clock, room one.' And, as well, calls for the children stars. 'Poppy: 10.30 with Madame Fidolia.' 'Winifred: 12 o'clock with Madame Fidolia.'

Pauline, Petrova, and Posy would gaze in great awe at these names.

'Winifred,' one of them would say -'that's the girl who wears a fur coat. Poppy is going to be ”Alice in Wonderland”. She's the one with the long hair.'

They would peep through the gla.s.s on the doors of the rooms where the rehearsals were taking place, and stare at the children who were already twelve and old enough to earn money.

'Not this Christmas, but the one after I shall be one of those children,' Pauline said enviously.

'Do you want to be?' Petrova asked in surprise. 'I'm very glad I'm not twelve, except because of Garnie wanting money to look after us.'

Pauline watched the figures through the gla.s.s, the rows of white practice-dresses, and the rows of pink canvas ballet shoes.

'I don't want to be them, exactly,'she explained, 'but I want to be me old enough not to dance, but to act. I'd like that.'

Posy could not see through the gla.s.s without standing on her toes. Suddenly watching the ballet rehearsal she got up on to her points. She was only wearing her sandals, but she did not seem worried by the position. Pauline nudged Petrova.

'Look at Posy.'

Petrova looked. Then both of them tried to stand up on their toes, but they could not - it hurt. Posy was not looking at them; but she lolled against the door balanced on her points as easily as if they were her flat feet. Petrova said at last: 'Could you walk on your toes like that, Posy?'

Posy looked down at her feet as if surprised at the way they were behaving. Then she walked down the pa.s.sage. She was perfectly easy on her points, as though it was ordinary to walk on them. Pauline and Petrova did not show her how impressed they were, as they thought it would be bad for her. But on the way home Pauline said: 'You know, Petrova, I do think Posy really has got rather nice little feet.'

Petrova nodded.

'I shouldn't wonder if she danced terribly well.'

At the end of the term Sylvia was told that the children would work differently in future. Pauline was to move into a more advanced cla.s.s for everything, and to come to an extra cla.s.s for acting in French on Wednesdays and Fridays. Posy was to give up all acting and singing, and to take fencing in stead, and all her cla.s.ses in future were to be given by Madame herself. Posy was too small to be impressed at the plans for her future; but not only Pauline and Petrova were impressed for her, but the whole Academy. She was the only child since the school had started that Madame had picked out from the baby cla.s.s to come entirely under her supervision.

'Do you know,' Pauline told Nana, 'these afternoons since the school heard about Posy quite big girls come to watch our cla.s.s. The ones who are old enough to have a licence.'

'I daresay. Let's hope it won't turn her head. You've done very well too, Pauline. One of the mothers of a child in your cla.s.s I was talking to told me her little girl had been in that same cla.s.s three terms.'

'That's what I'll be, I expect,' Petrova said gloomily.

Nana was consoling.

'I wouldn't fret, dear; we can't all have the same gifts.'

Petrova was very depressed, though. She did not want to be a good dancer; but since she had to dance at all it was annoying to see someone younger than herself doing so much better; and then Pauline moving up was a blow, as it left her alone in her cla.s.s. Pauline had often helped her with steps at home so that she did not get on too badly; but with Pauline gone she was suspicious that she might be the dunce of the cla.s.s.

It was Christmas when the term ended. The children at once settled down to making paper rings, which, when they were finished, Mr Simpson hung all over the house. On Christmas Eve Mrs Simpson and Sylvia put holly over the pictures, and mistletoe on to the lamp in the hall. The two doctors had secrets going on in their rooms that they would not tell anyone, and n.o.body could go in. Cook and Clara were busy in the kitchen all day long, and told the children they were not to come down. Only Theo was not there. She was away up in Manchester putting final touches to the dances of a group of children from the Academy who were appearing in the pantomime.

Pauline and Petrova were with Sylvia while Posy was going to bed.

'There is a lovely feeling about Christmas Eve,' Pauline said. 'My inside almost hurts being excited; I can't sit still for wis.h.i.+ng it was tomorrow.'