Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The Pattensons

Horatio Pattenson took the post of Head of Antilles High School because he gave up teaching to take up administration.Horatio Pattenson, a staunch scholar of Latin, regretted that the language of Virgil and Cicero had not received the attention it received in France in England, although English education left him with a higher Position. The French could indeed claim Latin citizenship, which British posterity would not have even dreamed of.In France Latin may forever resist the invasion of modern education. Mr. Pattenson's books are no longer taught, but deep down in his heart he remains loyal to those ancient Roman masters he admires.When he remembered the many aphorisms of Virgil, Ovid, and Cicero, he applied his meticulous and methodical accounting skills to the financial management of the Antillean high school.

Because he has the speciality of careful calculation, is familiar with the mysteries of borrowing and lending, and is proficient in the minutiae of accounting, he gives people the impression of a model general affairs. He had won prizes in ancient languages, and now won prizes in bookkeeping or in making a school budget. It is likely that, after Mr. Arder's ascension, Mr. Horatio Pattenson will take charge of the leadership of Antilles Secondary School, as the school is thriving and will not be in a position particularly well placed to take over this important position in the future. fading in human hands.

Mr. Horatio Pattenson was just a few months past forty.He is a man of learning and a lover of sports. He has a very good body, no matter how hard he struggles, his stomach is very good, his heart is fine, and his trachea is croaking. This is a cautious and introverted person who always maintains a calm mind and always knows not to be dragged down by himself.He can be eloquent and practical, he won't offend anyone, and he is extremely generous. In a word that won't make him angry, he "knows how to control himself." Mr. Horatio Pattenson was of medium height, with narrow chest and sloping shoulders, awkward gait, and unattractive posture.The naturally exaggerated demeanor is inseparable from a slightly artificial tone.Although the expression is serious, it is not wrong to smile when you have the opportunity.He has a pair of light blue eyes, lacking sharpness due to myopia, and had to wear a pair of deep myopia glasses on the tip of his protruding nose.In short, he walked with his heels too close together, dragged down by his long legs.He sat awkwardly, and there was a fear that he would slip off the chair.Whether he is comfortable in bed or not, only he knows.

There is also Mrs. Pattenson, in her thirties and seventeens, a very intelligent woman who has no extravagant expectations and does not like to wear heavy makeup.Her husband does not think her insignificant.When she helps him with his bills, he appreciates her errands.Besides, don't think that the general manager of Antilles Middle School is a person who deals with numbers, so he doesn't care much about clothes.If you think so, you are wrong!His white tie was the best knotted, his high patent leather boots the most polished toe, his shirt the most starched, his black trousers impeccable, his priestly vest buttoned the most, his A fat knee-length dress was the most neatly buttoned.

The Pattensons occupy a comfortable house at Antilles High School.One side of the window faces the playground, and the other side faces the old garden. There are towering old trees and well-maintained lawns in the garden, which is a fresh and pleasant scene.Their home is on the second floor with six rooms. Mr. Horatio Pattenson was to return to the house after seeing the Headmaster.He is not in a hurry, he wants to consider his thoughts more maturely.It's only been a few minutes since his thought occurred, and he might want to procrastinate. However, he has always seen things accurately and observed things clearly. When he weighs an issue, it is the same as balancing the income and expenditure in his account. He will quickly make up his mind.But this time, it's better not - to be honest - to take the risk lightly.

So, before returning to the house, Mr. Horatio Pattenson paced the playground.At this time, there was no one on the playground, his neck was stiffened like a lightning rod, his body was straight like a wooden stake, he stopped and walked, his hands were sometimes behind his back, sometimes on his chest, and his eyes were aimlessly at the Antilles Middle School. Far beyond the walls. Later, before going to discuss with Mrs. Pattenson, he couldn't help but want to go to the office to settle the account of the day before yesterday.After checking the bill, he was completely relieved, and he could go back and discuss with his wife the pros and cons he got from talking with the principal.

All in all, it didn't take long.He left his office on the first floor and went up to the second floor as students were descending from their classrooms. In the blink of an eye, the students formed gangs and scattered all over the place, including the gang of nine who had won the exam.It seemed they had actually boarded the Spirit, miles off the coast of Ireland!It is not difficult to imagine that they talked somewhat triumphantly. Although the problem of traveling to the Antilles has been solved, they still feel that there is still one problem that remains unsolved: will someone accompany them from departure to arrival? ...

In short, they seemed to understand that they would not be allowed to cross the Atlantic alone... Did Mrs. Karen Seymour appoint someone to accompany them, or did she entrust the matter to Mr. Ard? ...However, it seems that the principal is not easy to get out at this time... From now on, who will take care of this mess?Could it be that Mr. Ade has already found someone? ... Some people may think that this person must be Mr. Pattenson.Yes, the Chief is very quiet, doesn't like to go out, has never left the house, will he agree to change his habits and not be with Mrs. Pattenson for a few weeks? ... Will he agree to take charge of it? ...which seems unlikely.

Of course, if Mr. Horatio Pattenson was somewhat surprised when the headmaster told the foregoing, it is not difficult to understand why Mrs. Pattenson was equally surprised when he let her know. .Perhaps no one thought that two people who were so closely united—so chemically bonded—could be separated, even for a few weeks.However, Mrs. Pattenson's participation in this tour is not acceptable. Mr. Pattenson was walking home while thinking about all these aspects.It should be added, however, that when Mr. Pattenson stepped on the threshold of the drawing-room, where Mrs. Pattenson was waiting, he was determined, quite determined.

Mrs. Pattenson knew that her husband had been summoned by the principal. As soon as he entered, she asked: "Hey, Mr. Pattenson, what's the matter?" "A novelty, Mrs. Pattenson, a very novelty..." "I think it was decided that Mr. Ade would accompany the winner of the examination to the Antilles..." "In any event, he cannot leave school at this time of term." "Then he's looking for someone?..." "right……" "Who is he looking for?..." "it's me." "You... Horatio?..." "it's me."

Mr. Pattenson recovered easily from the consternation caused by his wife's blow to the head.The wife is a thoughtful woman who is good at discussing the facts without making any accusations. She really deserves to be Mr. Pattenson's wife. After talking with his wife for a few words, Mr. Pattenson went to the window and knocked on the window glass with four fingers of his left hand. Mrs. Pattenson hurried over and stood beside him and asked: "You agreed?..." "I agree." "I mean you're doing the right thing." "I think so too, Mrs. Pattenson. Since our principal thinks highly of me, it's hard for me to refuse." "You can't say no, Mr. Pattenson. I only regret one thing..." "What's up?……" "Tourism is not land tourism, but sea tourism, so you have to cross the ocean..." "It's gotta be, Mrs. Pattenson. Then again, two or three weeks on water won't scare me...a good boat for us...at this time of year, seven, eight, nine, three months, the sea is against Human beings are gentle, and the voyage will be smooth...Secondly, there is also a subsidy for the captain of the expedition tour... To put it bluntly, it is the guide, the title bestowed on me..." "A stipend?..." Mrs. Pattenson was very sensitive to material benefits, and asked several times. "Yes," replied Mr. Pattenson. "The amount of the stipend is equal to the stipend for each travel fund student..." "Seven hundred pounds? . . . " "Seven hundred pounds." "It's worth the money earned." Mr. Horatio Pattenson concurred with that opinion. "Then when are you going to leave?..." Mrs. Pattenson asked, without any objection. "June 30th. In five days we must arrive at Cork Harbor, where we will embark on the liner Spirit. . . so hurry up. From today we begin our preparations . . . " "Never mind, I've got it all covered, Horatio," said Mrs. Pattenson. "You can't forget anything..." "Do not worry!" "Get some light clothes, because we're invited to visit the tropics, where it's hot and the sun is burning..." "Thin clothes will prepare." "But if it's black, because wearing fancy tourist clothes doesn't fit my identity or my character..." "Trust me, Mr. Pattenson, I will never forget Weijiaer's anti-seasickness prescription and the recommended dosage..." "Ah! What a seasickness!" said Mr. Pattenson contemptuously. "It doesn't matter if you don't get dizzy, it's better to be cautious." Mrs. Pattenson said, "That's all, it's just a two-and-a-half-month trip..." "Two and a half months, ten to eleven weeks, Mrs. Patten... During these short ten weeks, some unexpected things may really happen!... As a sage said, if you don't know when to leave, just leave I don't know when I'll be back..." "The key is to come back." Mrs. Pattenson pointed out sharply, "Don't scare me, Huo Leishen... On this sea trip, I endured two months of loneliness without complaint... I know travel is risky... ...I have reason to believe that you have always been cautious and can turn bad luck into good luck...but don't give me the bad impression that the tour may be postponed..." "I think that's what I should explain," retorted Mr. Pattenson, not letting his behavior go beyond what was allowed. "These explanations are not intended to create confusion in your mind, Mrs. Pattenson. . . When my return date is postponed, don't worry about it, let alone worry about it..." "Yes, Mr. Pattenson, but this is two and a half months away, I hope it will not exceed this period..." "I hope so," Mr. Pattenson replied. "What kind of tourism is that anyway? ... a hike to a wonderful place, a hike through the West Indies ... when we return to Europe in only half a month's time ..." "No, Horatio," said the good lady, who was more stubborn than usual. For whatever reason, Mr. Pattenson was getting stubborn too—he had hardly been like that before—would it do him any good to upset Mrs. Pattenson? ... To be sure, he still and strongly insists that any travel is dangerous, especially travel across oceans.When Mrs. Pattenson refused to accept these dangers, he spoke plausibly and danced: "I don't ask you to see the danger, I only ask you to foresee the danger. Since it's just in case, I have to take some necessary measures..." "What is necessary, Horatio? . . . " "First, Mrs. Pattenson, I intend to make my will..." "Your will..." "Yes... in compliance with legal procedures..." "You mean to make me feel bad! . . . " cried Mrs. Pattenson, beginning to think of the trip in dire terms. "Don't do it, Mrs. Pattenson, don't you! . . . I just want to be prudent and sensible. I'm one of those people who think it's necessary to make the last preparations before boarding a train, especially when venturing out on the open ocean .” He is such a person, he might withhold the provisions of the will?Maybe think more? ...Anyway, it was meant to highly move Mrs. Pattenson, to think of her husband as he was dealing with the ever-difficult problem of succession, aware of the perils of crossing the Atlantic: shipwreck, grounding, shipwreck, drifting to some island at will Cannibals at the mercy of... Mr. Pattenson felt that he might have gone too far, so he took out his extra tactful words to reassure Mrs. Pattenson. After all, this is his half, or the so-called marriage of this duplex living relationship.He had finally shown her that being too cautious never had harmful or regrettable consequences, and that, just in case, it wasn't saying goodbye to the joys of life... "This is a golden word," he went on, "that Ovid made Orpheus say, when Orpheus once more lost his dear wife, Eurydice." No!Mrs. Pattenson didn't want to lose Mr. Pattenson, not even the first time.But the careful Pattenson wanted to solve all the problems.He would not give up the idea of ​​making a will.On the same day, he was going to go to the notary, and still legally drafted the notarial certificate so that no ambiguous explanation would be caused when the notarial certificate needs to be unsealed. After that, it is easy for everyone to think that Mr. Pattenson has taken various possible measures. If the god of fate wants the Spirit to die in the vast sea, people will never collect information about the crew and passengers. This was of course not what Mr. Pattenson meant, for he added: "Besides, there may be another measure that is more..." "What measures, Horatio? . . . " asked Mrs. Pattenson impatiently. Mr. Pattenson thought that it should not be too clear at present, so he prevaricated: "No... there is nothing to do... Let's talk about it later!..." He didn't want to say more, it can be considered that he didn't want to scare Mrs. Pattenson anymore.He might have failed to convince Mrs. Pattenson, despite his quotation of another Latin adage, which he hardly ever said to her. Finally, to end the conversation, he concluded by saying: "Now, let's pack my trunk and my hatbox." It took five days for the actual departure, but what had already been done was not repeated. All in all, what is related to Mr. Pattenson is also related to the nine exam winners, and the next thing is to make travel preparations. Besides, if the voyage date of the Ingenuity was fixed on June 30, there would be five days left, and the twenty-four hours from London to Cork would have to be subtracted. In fact, Pattenson and his party first took the train to Bristol, then changed to a ship between England and Ireland, got off at Severn, crossed the Bristol Canal, then passed the St. Stone disembarked.Queenstown is located at the mouth of Cockle Bay, the turquoise south-west coast of Ireland.It takes one day to travel from England to Ireland by boat, but in Mr. Pattenson's mind, one day of marine knowledge is enough. As for the parents of the students enjoying the travel fund who were asked for opinions, they quickly responded by telegram or letter.For Roger Hindsdale, it was done on the same day, because his father lived in London, and it was he who went out to tell the family about Mrs. Karen Seymour's vision. Replies from the parents of the remaining students arrived one after another from Manchester, Paris, Nantes, Copenhagen, Rotterdam, and Gothenburg. Huber Perkins' parents sent a telegram from Antigua. Parents highly praised this suggestion and gave their sincere thanks to Mrs. Karen Seymour of Barbados. Mrs. Pattenson is busy preparing her husband for the trip while Mr. Pattenson is closing the ledger for Leeds Secondary School.You can be sure that he will not leave an invoice pending, an unsettled account. Then, he would request the person in charge to stop his general duties on June 28 of that year. At the same time, he did not neglect his personal affairs in the slightest.Of course, he ended his obsession, as he wished.He probably made it clear to Mrs. Pattenson during their first conversation as a couple. In this regard, the relevant personnel remain absolutely silent.Will everyone know what happened in the future? ...Yes, if Mr. Pattenson returns safely from the New World. One thing is for certain, the Pattensons visited a lawyer several times, and even a powerful judge.The reason why the teaching and staff of Antilles Middle School fully saw this matter was that every time Pattenson and his wife came home, he looked more serious and cautious, and his virtuous wife's eyes were sometimes red as if she had just Tears welled up, sometimes with the air of a great man who had succeeded in making a strong resolution. Even though they took different forms with this and that lawyer, the grief seems to be well documented in the current situation. Here comes the twenty-eighth of June.Depart at night.At nine o'clock, the leader and his team took the train to Bristol. In the morning, Mr. Julian Arder and Mr. Pattenson met for the last time. At the same time, Mr. Julian Ade told Mr. Pattenson to keep the account during the trip meticulously.The exhortation is false, he is to let Mr. Pattenson feel the importance of his mission, how much he believes that he can get the close cooperation of the students who enjoy the travel grant from the Antilles Middle School. At 8:30 in the evening, everyone said goodbye to each other on the playground.Roger Hinsdale, John Howard, Huber Perkins, Louis Clodiron, Tony Reynolds, Niels Alber, Axel Wickburn, Albertus Levine, Magnu Anders, and the principal, teachers, and classmates who sent them off enviously bid farewell. Mr Horatio Pattenson said goodbye to Mrs Pattenson and took a picture of her with him.He said goodbye with excited words, and the consciousness of a man who has practical experience and is prepared to prevent all kinds of unexpected situations. Then, he turned to the nine students receiving travel grants and saw that they were getting on the carriage that would take them to the train station. He recited a line of Horace's poem in rhythm: Tomorrow's waterway is boundless. Now, they're off.A few hours later the train took them to Bristol.Tomorrow, they will cross the St. George's Canal, which Mr. Pattenson described as a narrow waterway... Have a good trip, winners of the Antillean Baccalaureate!