The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark [26]
to the Brodie idea which the conversation might be leading up to. This was not lost on the headmistress. "That's splendid," she said. "And do you go to concerts with Miss Brodie? Miss Brodie is very musical, I believe?" "Yes," said Mary, looking at her friends for a lead. "We went to the opera with Miss Brodie last term to see La Traviata" said Jenny. "Miss Brodie is musical?" said Miss Mackay again, addressing Sandy and Jenny. "We saw Pavlova," said Sandy. "Miss Brodie is musical?" said Miss Mackay. "I think Miss Brodie is more interested in art, ma'am," said Sandy. "But music is a form of art." "Pictures and drawings, I mean," said Sandy. "Very enlightening," said Miss Mackay. "Do you girls take piano lessons?" They all said yes. "From whom? From Mr. Lowther?" They answered variously, for Mr. Lowther's piano lessons were not part of the curriculum and these three girls had private arrangements for the piano at home. But now, at the mention of Mr. Lowther, even slow-minded Mary suspected what Miss Mackay was driving at. "I understand Miss Brodie plays the piano for your singing lessons. So what makes you think she prefers art to music, Sandy?" "Miss Brodie told us so. Music is an interest to her but art is a passion, Miss Brodie said." "And what are your cultural interests? I'm sure you are too young to have passions." "Stories, ma'am," Mary said. "Does Miss Brodie tell you stories?" "Yes," said Mary. "What about?" "History," said Jenny and Sandy together, because it was a question they had foreseen might arise one day and they had prepared the answer with a brainracking care for literal truth. Miss Mackay paused and looked at them in the process of moving the cake from the table to the tray; their reply had plainly struck her as being on the ready side. She asked no further questions, but made the following noteworthy speech: "You are very fortunate in Miss Brodie. I could wish your arithmetic papers had been better. I am always impressed by Miss Brodie's girls' in one way or another. You will have to work hard at ordinary humble subjects for the qualifying examinations. Miss Brodie is giving you an excellent preparation for the Senior school. Culture cannot compensate for lack of hard knowledge. I am happy tor see you are devoted to Miss Brodie. Your loyalty is due to the school rather than to any one individual." Not all of this conversation was reported back to Miss Brodie. "We told Miss Mackay how much you liked art," said Sandy, however. "I do indeed," said Miss Brodie, "but 'like' is hardly the word; pictorial art is my passion." "That's what I said," said Sandy. Miss Brodie looked at her as if to say, as in fact she had said twice before, "One day, Sandy, you will go too far for my liking." "Compared to music," said Sandy, blinking up at her with her little pig-like eyes. Towards the end of the Easter holidays, to crown the sex-laden year, Jenny, out walking alone, was accosted by a man joyfully exposing himself beside the Water of Leith. He said, "Come and look at this." "At what?" said Jenny, moving closer, thinking to herself he had picked up a fallen nestling from the ground or had discovered a strange plant. Having perceived the truth, she escaped unharmed and unpursued though breathless, and was presently surrounded by solicitous, horrified relations and was coaxed to sip tea well sugared against the shock. Later in the day, since the incident had been reported to the police, came a wonderful policewoman to question Jenny. These events contained enough exciting possibilities to set the rest of the Easter holidays spinning like a top and to last out the whole of the summer term. The first effect on Sandy was an adverse one, for she had been on the point of obtaining permission to go for walks alone in just such isolated spots as that in which Jenny's encounter had taken place. Sandy was now still forbidden lone walks, but this was a mere by-effect of the affair. The rest brought nothing but good. The subject fell under two headings: first, the man himself and the nature of what he had exposed to view, and secondly