On the Night of the Seventh Moon

“Not for your amusement.”

“I’ll decide where and when I’m going to be amused.”

“Not here, master.”

“Who’s to stop me? You?”

“No. She will though. She’s not for you.”

“Who said I was interested?”

“You were always interested in a fresh face-both of you. Don’t I know you? Old Nana likes you to enjoy yourselves, but not Miss Trant, Master F’re dy. She’s in my care. So you give your thoughts to that little innkeeper’s daughter I’ve been hearing about.”

“Trust you to hear everything.”

She gave a high-pitched giggle.

He said: “Don’t you dare try to dictate to me, you mischievous old woman.”

They went inside the Randhausburg and I heard no more. I was indignant that I should be discussed in this way. I had already a notion of the count’s intentions which were, after all, only the same as he would have towards any woman-but what astonished me was the familiar manner in which Frau Graben addressed him and the inference that the decision to bring me out here to teach the boys English had come from her.

When the Count had left I went to the Randhausburg and knocked at Frau Graben’s door. The air of excitement lingered about her; she looked as though she had just come from a highly diverting entertainment, the memory of which remained with her.

“Come in, my dear,” she said.

She was seated on her rocking-chair nibbling a piece of spiced cake.

Sit down. Would you like some tea? “

It was as though she were placating me. Tea! The English could always be pacified with it I “No, thank you.”

“I know. A glass of wine. I had some sent to me from the Moselle valley. It’s good stuff.”

“No refreshment, thank you. I really wanted to talk to you seriously.”

“Oh, you’re too serious. Miss Trant ” A woman on her own has to be.

“

“You’re not on your own. You`’ve got that nice aunt of yours and the bookshop people and what about the reverend gentleman.”

She looked slyly knowledgeable. I was beginning to think that she knew more about me than I had imagined. But of course she had stayed in Oxford; while she was there she would have fallen into conversation with the shop people, and people at her hotel, anyone who might know something about me. But how could she? She spoke very little English.

I said: “How did you know ?”

“One picks up these things. You must have told me during some of our little chats.”

I said: “Did you decide that it would be a good idea for me to come over and teach the children? I mean, was it entirely your idea? “

There’d been talk. And when I was in England I thought you were just the one. ” She leaned towards me, nibbling.

“I took a fancy to you. I didn’`t want to lose you. I wanted you to be here. After all, we got on famously didn’`t we from the moment we met.”

Those powerful men whose nurse she had been must clearly be fond of her, otherwise they would not allow her such power. I remembered the manner in which she had spoken to the haughty Count; and now it seemed she had the power to bring an English teacher into his household without consulting him.

There was evidently a softer side to the Count’s nature since he was so affectionate towards his old nurse.

“So you are allowed to add to the household if you wish?”

T was a mother to them. There’s not always the time or inclination in people like them to look after their children. Those that are nurses to them are like their mothers. We’re a sentimental race, you know.

Those who have been mothers to us mean a great deal to us. “

I was surprised. I had always known that I owed my presence here to Frau Graben but I did not think it was so completely so as it evidently was.

“Don’t you worry,” she said to me.

“I’m going to look after you.”

The words were comforting; but there was that glint in her eyes-something of the amusement and speculation which I had seen there when she was watching the spiders.

The Count lost no time in coming to Klocksburg. We were in the turret-room where I had made a habit of taking the children . not for the written exercises I gave them, but for our conversations. I would make them tell me about the ducal palace and then I would translate it into English. As they were greatly interested in the palace and everything that went on there, this meant that I had their full attention.

He came in and the children all rose to their feet-the boys bowing, Liesel dropping a pretty curtsey. He waved a hand indicating that he preferred them to be seated.

“Please continue. Miss Trant,” he said.

“I want to see how the lesson progresses.”

I was determined not to let him see how his presence disturbed me if I could help it.

“Now,” I said, ‘there is the Watching Tower. Fritz, will you please say that in English? “

He stammered a little but I was not displeased with the result.

Then I asked Dagobert in English to point out the barracks and tell me who lived there. He was particularly interested in the soldiers, so I felt safe there.

I asked Liesel to show me the big bell and tell me when it was rung.

They stammered through and I continued with the lesson, but I can hardly say that the children were at their best. Dagobert was soon trying to show off; Fritz grew nervous and Liesel was a little silly.

The Count sat smiling superciliously. I could see that he was not impressed by the performance.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he said, ‘if you want to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria when she deigns to pay us another visit. “

Dagobert said: “Is she coming again, sir?”

“Oh come, come. She was with us a few years ago. You must not expect too much from such mighty folk. I have no doubt that Miss Trant has told you that her country is the greatest in the world and we are just a poor little state in comparison.”

Dagobert stared open-mouthed at me and Fritz stammered: “M Miss T Trant didn’`t tell us that. She, she likes our country.”

I was touched. It was an effort to protect me.

I said sharply: “I have not come to teach politics, Hen-Count. I have come to teach English.”

“With the natural assumption that the whole world recognizes without any prompting from its subjects the superiority of Britain.”

“You pay us a great compliment,” I said.

“I believe it was said you did the same to us when you allowed your queen to take a husband from one of our houses.”

“It linked our countries,” I said.

“And so great benefits were conferred.”

“Perhaps on both sides.”

“You are determined to be gracious.”

“It makes social life so much more comfortable.”

“Even when one does not say exactly what one means?”

“I try to say what I mean.”

“And only prevaricate for expediency. I believe that is a good old English custom.”

“It’s frequently considered to be a diplomatic one, I believe.”

I looked at my watch.

“Pastor Kratz will be waiting for you,” I said to the children. They were surprised. I realized then that until the Count dismissed them we were supposed to remain where we were and Pastor Kratz could wait all morning if necessary.

I rose. To my surprise, so did the count.

“You speak German better than you teach English,” he said.

“It is unwise to judge on such slight evidence,” I retorted.

“My German could be better and I believe that in a few weeks your children will have quite a smattering of English.”

I took Liesel by the hand and led her to the door. The Count followed, so the boys came on behind.

We reached the schoolroom where Pastor Kratz was waiting. I went in to have a word with him and the Count sent the children in after me.