Поющие в терновнике

           Asyetthetownpossessednogarage,horselesscarriagesbeinglimitedtoaveryfew,buttherewasablacksmith’sbarnneartheMasonichall,withastablebehinditandagasolinepumpstandingstifflynexttothehorsetrough.Theonlyedificeintheentiresettlementwhichreallycaughttheeyewasapeculiarbright-blueshop,veryun-British;everyotherbuildingwaspaintedasoberbrown.ThepublicschoolandtheChurchofEnglandstoodsidebyside,justoppositetheSacredHeartChurchandparishschool.

           AstheClearyshurriedpastthegeneralstoretheCatholicbellsounded,followedbytheheaviertollingofthebigbellonapostinfrontofthepublicschool.Bobbrokeintoatrot,andtheyenteredthegravelyardassomefiftychildrenwereliningupinfrontofadiminutivenunwieldingawillowysticktallerthanshewas.

           TheSacredHeartconventwastwo-storied,butbecauseitstoodwellbackfromtheroadbehindafence,thefactwasnoteasilyapparent.ThethreenunsoftheOrderoftheSistersofMercywhostaffeditlivedupstairswithafourthnun,whoactedashousekeeperandwasneverseen;downstairswerethethreebigroomsinwhichschoolwastaught.Awide,shadyverandaranallthewayaroundtherectangularbuilding,whereonrainydaysthechildrenwereallowedtositdecorouslyduringtheirplayandlunchbreaks,andwhereonsunnydaysnochildwaspermittedtosetfoot.