“I’m sure they’ve been invaluable. You’ve done big things for him.”
“I’ve taught him to love Beethoven. That’s almost worth having an illness for,” Joy agreed.
There followed a fortnight of eager preparation, and then the two were gone, taken as far as the London docks by Joy, who was thrilled to see their ship.
Jen arrived for the new term three days later, and her lamentations were loud because they had gone before her return.
“You’ll see them again,” Joan assured her. “They have left things here that they didn’t need, and they’ve promised faithfully to come straight to us and tell us all about it, before they make any plans for the future. So you needn’t moan so loudly! We want you to spend this week-end with us, and when the travellers return we’ll beg for you again, so that you can hear all their stories. It’s really better for you to live at school during these winter months, you know. And now, as that’s settled, would you like to hear some news?”
“News? What’s happened? Is anybody else engaged?”
“Not unless you are,” Joan laughed. “But Jandy Mac’s a mother.”
“What? Joan, say it again! What do you mean?”
“Jandy has a daughter, born just before Christmas. We’ve had a long letter, telling us all about the baby.”
“Oh, but how wonderful!” Jen shouted. “The first baby in the family! Oh, Joan, what is she like? Does Jandy tell?”
“She’s like Jandy,” Joan said solemnly. “So very like Jandy that her father says she is a little Jan, and Jandy’s afraid the name will stick to her for life.”
“But she was to be called Joan, for you! And your first little girl is to be called Janice, for Jandy.”
“Never mind my first little girl! The baby’s name is Joan Fraser, but her father never calls her anything but little Jan. Here’s the letter; read all about it for yourself.”
“Well, I am surprised! But I’m pleased,” Jen said graciously. “I hope Jandy’ll have lots more. It’s very nice for her to have a little girl.”
“A little Jan,” Joan corrected her. “Yes, Jandy’s very happy. And I’m a godmother, though when I shall see my godchild I don’t know.”
Jen grinned. “I shall be very polite to you now that you’re a godmother. You can send the little Joan a postcard on her birthday. I wonder if I’ll ever have a godchild?”
“I shouldn’t wonder. You’d make quite a good godmother,” Joan said, laughing.
CHAPTER 34
JAN JOSEF
Jen went flying across the school hall. “Oh, Joan! Have they come back? Have you come to fetch me?”
“Right! We didn’t expect them for another week, but we’ve had an excited telegram from London, saying they have news for us and they’re coming at once.”
“What do you suppose the news is? You don’t think they’ve got married, do you?”
“I hope not,” Joan said fervently. “It would be a great mistake. Selma is only just seventeen. Fetch anything you want; I’m going to take you home right now.”
“Oh, good! I won’t be long. I say, Joan, we’ve been choosing the new Queen. You can give her congrats. It’s Beetle, as I said it would be. We’re all glad.”
Joan went to find Beatrice and give her good wishes. But she had not time to talk, for Jen was back almost at once.
“I left things at the Hall. I needn’t take much. When will they come?”
“Joy’s gone to town to meet them; you and I have to be content with Billy and the little car. Hop in! It’s a question whether they or we will arrive first.”
“They’ve won!” Jen cried, at sight of Joy’s car at the door of the Hall. “Oh, do you think they’ll have told all the news?”
“I think they’ll have waited for us. Angus! How well you look! Is that arm quite strong now? Did you have the massage? And it helped? Good! Selma! Oh, my dear, you’re prettier than ever! Sweden has suited you!”
“What a lovely coat!” Jen shouted, for Selma was dressed in furs, with a little cap to match.
“Aunty gave it to me. She said my winter coat was no’ warm enough for Stockholm. They’ve been so very kind. But it feels like home to come back here,” and Selma’s eyes went happily round the entrance hall.
“You look quite grown-up!” Joan assured her.
“But what’s your exciting news?” Jen demanded. “Come on, tell us! You’ve come home in a hurry; what’s up? You aren’t married, are you? You haven’t got a wedding-ring, Selma. I want to see your other ring, but it can wait; it looks pretty. What’s happened?”
Selma looked at Angus. “You tell!”
Angus was radiant. He looked at Joy. “You’ve heard tell of Jan Josef?”
“You must call him Yan Yosef,” Joy scolded. “Those people in Eastern countries have a funny way of saying ‘Yan’ instead of ‘Jan.’ ”
“Aye, McAlistair said it like that, but I forgot.”
“You’ll need to remember now,” Selma cried.
“I will that. You know about him, Miss Joy?”
“The world-famous Polish violinist? Of course we’ve heard of him. I’d like to hear him play, if he ever comes to London.”
“He’ll no’ likely do that now,” and Angus broke into an eager story. “I had a letter from Terry Van Toll, in Hollywood. Jan—Yan Yosef!—has gone to live there for his wife’s health, and there was a car crash; Josef’s car ran into a wall and went on fire. Terry and Belle were just behind in their car, and Terry rushed to help. He got Josef out, and then went back and pulled the lady out too. He was a little burnt on his hands, but not badly; he was so very quick. Josef thanked him again and again, and got very excited and cried, and said Terry had saved both their lives. And he said—what could he do? Could he play anywhere for Terry? Or could he teach him to play the violin, or any friend of his?” He paused for breath, his eyes glowing.
“And Terry—good chap that he is!—thought of you?” Joy cried, her face lighting up.
“Aye, just that. He told Josef about me, and said he’d write to McAlistair and ask if I was worth it—good enough, you know. And McAlistair said I was well worth it!” he ended triumphantly. “My fortune’s maybe made! If only I can make good and please Josef! It’s the biggest chance anybody could have, to be known as his pupil. Anyone is listened to who has been taught by Josef. It’s the biggest honour and the best introduction a chap could have. If only he’s pleased wi’ me!”
“Oh, Angus! How splendid! Of course you’ll satisfy him!” Joan exclaimed.
“You’ll make good,” Joy said. “McAlistair wouldn’t recommend you unless he was sure. After all, you’ve been his pupil; he knows you won’t let him down. I agree with you; your fortune’s made, if only you work hard and keep your head, and don’t get carried away by the wonderful chance.”
Angus coloured. “I’ll no’ do that. I’ll work with all that’s in me to please Jan Josef.”
“I think it’s simply marvellous,” Jen announced solemnly. “And Terry’s a perfect dear. You’ll be playing in the Albert Hall in no time.”
“No’ as soon as a’ that,” Angus said. “But some day I will. I know I will!”
“We’ll come to hear you,” Joy promised. “McAlistair wants you to go, I suppose?”
“Oh, aye, he says I must go. We came home by Glasgow and we went to see him. He’s sorry to lose me,” Angus said simply. “But he says I must go.”
“And do him credit,” Joan added. “You will, of course. It’s the best possible news, Angus. We’re all very, very glad.”
“There’s just one thing about it I don’t like,” Jen announced.
Selma had gone to Mrs. Shirley and was sitting at her feet, clasping her hand. She looked at Jen and smiled. “I know what it’ll be. How nice of you, Jen!”
Jen looked at Angus. “I suppose you’ll go to Hollywood?”
“Terry’s coming to London. We’ll go back with him.”
“And you’ll take Selma with you?”
“That’s what I don’t like. I want her to stay here.”
“And have an ocean and a continent between her and Angus? How can you be so unkind?” Joan protested.
“Don’t you want her here, Joan?”
“Of course I do. But she won’t stay.”
“People come to stay with us and then they go away,” Jen complained. “There was Rykie, and before that Vinny Miles and dear old Boniface Browning, and of course Jandy Mac. Nobody ever stays with us.”
“We should be overcrowded, if they all stayed,” Joan laughed. “People have to go; they’d never get on in the world if they stayed in this quiet place. But some of them will come back. Angus will play in London and Selma will come with him, and we shall see them both.”
“So you’re going to cross the Atlantic and see America, Viking Daughter!” Joy exclaimed. “I envy you the chance!”
“But don’t get married too soon,” Joan warned her.
Selma laughed and nodded, and looked up at Mrs. Shirley.
“Terry will take you to Belle and they will look after you. I hope you will be very happy, my dear. I am sure you will,” Mrs. Shirley said.
“Oh, we will be happy!” Selma said joyfully. “But we’ll never forget you folks here.”
“Don’t forget the Abbey,” Jen said.
A shadow fell on Angus’s face. “I’ll no’ forget the Abbey,” he assured them sombrely.
“Oh, don’t be an ass!” Joy cried.
“There are some things about the Abbey we want to forget,” Joan said gently.
“Rather!” Jen put in. “But there are lots of jolly things to remember.”
Angus looked at Joan. “I’ll no’ forget. But there’s one thing, Miss Joan. Yon money you gave for my training with McAlistair, when you sold the ruby; it’s no’ been used, not much of it. I suppose the lawyer’s got it? Will he no’ give it back to you now?”
“That’s really very nice of you, Angus!” Joan exclaimed. “But you’ll need it. You can’t go penniless to Terry and Hollywood.”
“Oh, keep it!” Joy decided. “You’ll both need outfits, and Terry mustn’t pay everything for you. Will Josef take anything for teaching you?”
“Terry says he’ll no’ take a penny, Miss Joy.”
“I didn’t really think he would. After all, his life and his wife’s must be worth something to him, and he feels he owes them to Terry. All the same, you’d better have the money. It will give you a good start in the new country.”
“Our gift to help in your new life. I feel the same,” Joan said heartily. “So don’t say any more about it. We’ll write to the lawyer and arrange it. We gave the money for you; we can’t take it back or give it to anybody else.”
“You could use it for some other chap who’s wanting training,” Angus suggested doubtfully.
“We don’t know any other chap,” Joy told him. “If one comes along, we’ll sell another ruby.”
“You’ll stay with us till Terry comes, of course.” Joan swept the subject of money aside. “We want to hear all about your trip. Do you speak any Swedish, Selma?”
“Only two-three words,” Selma smiled. “We brought a lot of bonny wee things for you; figures and bowls and jugs, all carved in wood and in the loveliest colours, mostly scarlet! They love bright colours in Sweden. We thought you might like to put them in that cabinet; you know?”
“Instead of Jehane’s jewels! What a jolly idea!” Jen cried.
“I’d like you to have one or two, to take to your home.” Selma glanced at her. “And if Aileen Carter could have something, as a keepsake from me, I’d like that, for she was so good to me at school.”
“How very kind!” Joan exclaimed. “Jen shall choose her own and Aileen’s.”
“Oh, angel!” Jen cried. “Selma, I mean! I’ll love to have a keepsake from Sweden, and so will Aileen!”
“We’ll put the rest together in the cabinet and call them the Swedish collection,” Joan went on, “and we’ll think of you when we show them proudly to friends. The President has curios from Ceylon; we’ll show her ours from Sweden! It will link that cabinet with you in a very happy way. Then you really liked Sweden?”
“Oh, aye, and we saw a lot. Everybody spoke beautiful English—much better than mine! They laughed at the way we said things.”
“That’s your accent. I think it’s pretty,” Jen said. “Don’t go and lose it in Hollywood and come back talking all American!”
“I’m thinking we’ll no’ do that.”
“No, I don’t believe Selma will lose her accent, though it may tone down a little,” Joan said. “It’s born in her; I think people will always know she is a Scot. And why not? She’s proud of it.”
“I am that!” the Scot assured them.
“Selma told me what you said about changing my name, Miss Joy,” Angus said abruptly.
“It was rather cheek, perhaps,” Joy acknowledged. “But I can’t quite see—‘Soloist, Angus Reekie’—on a programme. It seems hardly good enough.”
“Maybe it’s no’. Would it be better if I took Selma’s name? She’d like that. Would Angus Andersson sound all right?”
“Oh, I like that!” Joan exclaimed.
“Jolly good!” Jen cried.
“Much better,” Joy agreed. “But don’t spell it as Selma does, for that would make people think you are Swedish, and as soon as you open your mouth everybody will know you aren’t. Be a Scottish Anderson, Angus!”
“Angus Anderson. Aye, that would do.”
“Ask Jan Josef what he thinks,” Joy advised. “I believe he’ll agree, and you’ll go before the public as Angus Anderson.”
“And Selma will change from being Miss Andersson to Mrs. Anderson,” Jen grinned at Selma.
“I will so!” Selma said happily.
CHAPTER 35
THANKS TO TERRY
Joan and Joy went to school for the crowning of Queen Beatrice, looking radiant. “News for you, Jenny-Wren! When Queen Bee is safely enthroned you shall hear all about it.”
“We always call her Queen Beetle. Oh, Joan, tell me! What has happened?”
“Later. Oh, there’s the striped robe! I don’t think I like it very much.”
“What you’d call gaudy,” Joy agreed, comfortably conscious of her own simple green train and Joan’s rich but plain violet.
“The stripes are to make Beetle look tall, because she’s such a dumpy little thing. But she’s a jolly nice little dump! We all like her, and she’ll be a lovely Queen.”
“She needn’t have had scarlet and yellow and green,” Joan said. “I could choose soft-coloured stripes that would look quite pretty. They clash horribly with Nesta’s purple and silver, and yet Beatrice will always be next to her in the procession. Well, well! We shall have to put up with it, I suppose.”
“Call her Beetle, Joan! Everybody does. She says her stripes are to brighten up the procession.”
“They certainly do it. And I will not call her Queen Beetle.”
“They match her striped tulips,” Jen pointed out. “She has a lovely bunch of red and yellow tulips. Joan, what are you going to tell me?”
Joan shook her head and turned to greet the new Queen. “Well, Queen Bee! You’re a spot of colour, aren’t you?”
“The procession needs some bright colours,” and Beetle complacently stroked her vivid train. “You people have been so sober lately; plain blue and violet and green. Nesta’s silver shows up better, with its honesty-purple. But everybody will pass over the rest of you and look at me.”
“I shouldn’t wonder,” Joan agreed. “You certainly cheer up the landscape. Who is your maid?”
“Young Barbara. She’s a jolly kid; she’ll be Queen some day.”
“The first Queen’s little sister? Oh, that’s nice. What a good idea! Yes, I hope she’ll be Queen in time.”
Not till the crowning ceremonies were over could Jen induce Joan to speak. But at las
t, as the Club danced around the maypole, Joan bent to her maid, sitting patiently at her feet.
“Jen! Want to hear the news?”
“Oh, Joan, please! I’m aching to know! Is it news from Angus?”
“From Selma. He’s working hard; I expect she’ll have to do the letter-writing. She writes a very good letter, as we found when she wrote from Sweden. She sent it by air; she knew we’d want to hear about Jan Josef.”
“Yes? Oh, Joan, will he take Angus as a pupil?”
“He will. He says Angus shows real promise, and he believes he can make a great performer of him. He says Angus is a musician and only needs the right training.”
“Oh, cheers! Couldn’t be better! Isn’t Selma pleased?”
“She’s very happy, and she says Angus is happier than she has ever known him.”
“I’m sure he is! Terry Van Toll will be pleased too, for it’s all thanks to him, isn’t it? They aren’t married yet?”
“Oh, no! Belle is being very motherly and taking care of Selma properly, and she insists on no wedding until Selma is nineteen.”
“That’s a long engagement! Belle was only nineteen when she got married herself, and she can’t have been engaged for more than a week or two,” Jen urged.
“It’s much better they should wait; Selma quite agrees. Angus will have to work very hard.”
“What about Rykie? Is she there?”
“Oh yes! She’s working hard too; at school, and at special classes to prepare for her stage career. Belle seems to be dealing with her very sensibly.”
“Then it’s all jolly good news! I’m glad Jan Josef likes Angus. And I’m as certain as I can be about anything that one day Angus will be a famous violinist and will play at big concerts in London.”
“I’m sure of it too,” Joan agreed. “And Selma will come with him, so we shall see them both again.”
“Oh, yes! If they come to this country they’re sure to stay at the Abbey,” Jen said happily. “You’ll send for me when they come, won’t you?”
Selma at the Abbey Page 18