The Small Back Room
From Blushes 20 ‘Schafer… she’s the toughest one in the whole school. Even though she may not look it.’ ‘I take your word for it, Head…’ ‘She’s given endless trouble. Some of it rather subtle. Also, she certainly does not like academic work. Cheeky and rebellious when confronted with her faults.’ The Head shook his grizzled locks. ‘In the end, the Committee decided there was only one thing for it. The Small Back Room.’ Schafer nodded and smiled faintly. And briefly. ‘Age?’ he enquired. ‘That’s the problem. Why we had to act. She’s coming up to 18 now. Soon we’d have no more control.’ ‘Quite so, Head,’ nodded Schafer. ‘And you have all the necessary agreements. And dispensations?’ ‘Oh naturally. We wouldn’t proceed without them. In confidence, I should tell you that this course of action has been urged upon us. It is positively approved .’ The Head nodded with something like satisfaction. ‘Sometimes they truly unde...