Morcove’s Character Analyses
By Sylvia Reed
Althea is one of those Morcove girls who feature in one story only, although having been at Morcove for some time. She has no parents, and is the ward of her Aunt – the charming, genteel Miss Dillon (Aunt Kath), who is described by Phillips as a middle aged lady of the timorous spinster type, and who lives in a tiny flatlet in North London.
Aunt Kath has come down in the world financially, however she doesn’t let these circumstances affect her. She just dotes on Althea and lets her have allowances that she can ill afford - often at the detriment to her own needs. Althea is genuinely extremely fond of Aunt Kath, but she is ashamed of her appearance and privately calls her a frump. She has also led Aunt Kath right up the garden path as to her achievements at Morcove. (Toward the end of the story though, the tables are turned in a fascinating way!) Althea’s best friends are the affluent pleasure loving Lena Grayson, Clarice Berkeley and Daphne Merrow – who are wasting their time at Morcove. Phillips calls them the Bright Young Things. Clarice especially likes the limelight. They call her Althy, and when she is with them, she is reckless with money. Althea’s one dread is that Aunt Kath may come down to Morcove and that one of these ‘friends’ will see her. Althea loves the good life, and frequently entertains her friends, regaling them with pieces that she has ‘written’. When Miss Somerfield announces the proposed Fifty Years of Morcove to celebrate the school’s half century, Althea applies for the position and Miss Somerfield gives her the job due to her literary talents. However, Miss Somerfield doesn’t know the real Althea – as the girls know her, from the Sixth down. Due to Betty and Polly’s success with the Fourth’s regular Morcove Magazine, Miss Somerfield tasks them with aiding Althea to produce the celebratory book. Ethel Courtway, without really saying it, lets Betty and Polly know they are up for some very hard work with Althea, and that she cannot interfere in any way - SO 662 ”Loaned” to the Sixth: “But Althea Dillon – she simply lives for her writing, is that it?” Betty inferred. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” smiled Ethel Courtway. “Plenty of things Althea cares about, as much as her – ahem! literary gifts, if you ask me. But it’s not for me to discuss a senior with two juniors. Even though the two juniors are – two of the best!”. Althea has no time for people whom she thinks are ‘beneath her’ and especially people who are younger than herself, and so she gives Betty and Polly – who naturally want to get started right away a very hard time. They are dismayed to find Althea hosting a tea for Lena Grayson and Clarice Berkeley, and they are rebuffed. Polly is especially angry as she has no time at all for Lena and Clarice. Although Betty dislikes those girls – including Ivy, she is more tolerant of them and the situation. (But the tolerance doesn’t last long!) Polly and Betty decide to get to work on their copy and invite the Fourth for their contributions. They are continually frustrated by Althea in not being available to them, or by her giving them the brush off, and it isn’t long before many of the girls start to become restless due to her attitude. Althea rejects Tess Trelawney’s initial sketch for the book, although Betty and Polly think it very suitable. Betty talks Tess into doing more artwork, and Tess agrees on the condition that she go through Betty and Polly, and not deal with Althea directly. Meanwhile, Althea’s Aunt Kath - who spends each Winter at an economical boarding house in Cornwall and is on her way there, breaks her journey to make a surprise visit to Morcove. Betty and Polly are the first to come upon Aunt Kath who is waiting for Althea in her study. Betty goes to look for Althea, who treats her with her usual condescending attitude, but when she sees Aunt Kath her disposition magically alters. Betty – after meeting and liking Althea’s Aunt Kath, is uneasy when she hears about the money for the typewriter – when there is already one available. She is ready to cross swords with Althea, being incensed with her attitude and unwillingness to commit to the project after so much work has been done by herself, Polly and scores of other girls. So she and Polly go to Althea’s study. An argument ensues and Althea throws their dummy copy in the bin. Just then, Miss Somerfield arrives at Althea’s study, enquiring after progress. Althea is tongue tied, and Miss Somerfield notices the copy in the bin and retrieves it. After some discussion which angers her, she, relieves Althea of the job and delegates the editorship role to Ethel Courtway – SO 662 ”Loaned” to the Sixth:
“A rather painful discovery, Ethel,” the headmistress addressed Morcove’s head girl. “Althea Dillon will be no use as editress of the ‘Fifty Years.’ She may be ‘literary’; as an editress she seems to have a genius for not getting anything done, and not letting others do anything if she can help it. I am not often sarcastic; but really! Will you look at that, Ethel?” handing her the specimen souvenir. “Just a glance through, please!”
Miss Somerfield assigns an unused study at the end of the Sixth Form corridor as the headquarters for the project. Evelyn Flinders illustrates this room with a lovely heraldic window.
Althea although now panic stricken, is reluctant to come clean and return the money to Aunt Kath. She casts around to find ways to sabotage the project, and allows herself to be taken advantage of by her ‘friends’, therefore digging an even deeper hole for herself. Ethel immediately sets to work on the project, with Betty, Polly and Tess working madly, and there is major progress - she also finds the time to have special working teas in her study, inviting the majority of the Coterie along as well. Betty continues to be worried about Althea’s Aunt, and wonders if Althea returns the money given to her for the typewriter. By now, Althea’s conscience is starting to come between her wanting to have a good time with her ‘friends’ and wanting to sabotage the project. She wants to return the money but doesn’t have the strength, especially when Lena swans into her Study with promises of good times in Barncombe. SO 663 Althea Dillon’s Dilemma:
“I do hope, dear, that the eight pounds enabled you to get just the right sort of typewriter. It has meant some pinching and scraping, dear, but you know I don’t mind that, as it is for your happiness and advancement.”
So she finds a way to achieve her aim and sabotages certain parts of the project ready for the printers proofing. These proofs mention girls who have made good at Morcove. Naturally, her name isn’t there, and this will set Aunt Kath wondering why Althea’s talents aren’t mentioned. Meanwhile, Ethel tries to encourage Althea to write an article for the project, which she does after much protest. Polly recognises it as a piece lifted from an old book, although Althea has given it another name. She tells Betty about it and then they go to Ethel, who decides the best plan of action is to keep quiet about it. The article is returned to Althea, who rants and raves about injustice, until she is quietly told the truth about it. Polly starts to worry that parts of the article haven’t appeared in the proofs, and so Ethel sends her and Betty into Barncombe to check with the Barncombe Herald, who are printing the publication. Whilst at The Creamery, they run into Althea’s Aunt Kath who has been summoned to London by her Lawyer, and she decides to make a quick visit to Morcove to see Althea before going onto London to see how she is and how the Fifty Years of Morcove is going. She asks them how Althea is, and that she is staying in Barncombe overnight in order to stand Althea treat; how the project is going along, and if the typewriter is proving an asset. This alarms Betty and Polly, who then visit the Barncombe Herald to find out about the missing proofs. They don't have them of course, and they duly report to Ethel. Althea overhears the conversation and is wary because she learns that the missing proofs are going to be re-worked by Helen. SO 663 Althea Dillon’s Dilemma:
“Oh we’ll manage!” was Betty’s old slogan. “You won’t!” said Althea to herself fiercely. “I’m going to watch that!”
She then highly emotionally throws caution to the winds and decides to go on an illicit visit to the Barncombe Creamery followed by the Cinema. Lena, Daphne Merrow and Clarice Berkeley accompany her and Althea fritters away more of the money given to her by Aunt Kath. (Miss Somerfield has been hoodwinked by the girls, who have led her to believe they are on an approved Mission outing.) Lena encourages this reckless action all the way – however makes certain remarks about Althea’s sudden affluence which hurts her deeply. And so she blows caution to the wind, deciding that their next reckless escapade will be at the Headland Hotel if the others work it. (Miss Somerfield is hoodwinked again.) Whilst on their illicit Barncombe outing, and having progressed to the Cinema from The Creamery – where their behaviour is atrocious, Althea is shocked to see Aunt Kath walking in the High Street after leaving the Cinema. She panics and flees. Quite distraught that she still may be found out, Althea goes on to destroy the re-written manuscripts, however her conscience is starting to bite and she feels no real relief.
The next morning later, Althea receives a letter from Aunt Kath and is unnerved to read that Aunt Kath had to go urgently to London to see her Lawyer, and that she stayed in Barncombe for the night in cheap lodgings so that she may see Althea. Due to the discomfort she decided not to prolong her stay. But…. she thought she saw her in Barncombe - although Aunt Kath is quick to reassure that it couldn’t POSSIBLY have been Althea. The tone of the letter unsettles Althea and wonders if she could still be found out, and so she doesn’t read the rest of the letter. She almost rebuffs her ‘friends’ who tell her that the planned spree to the Headland Hotel is to be that night. At the same time, the loss of the second re-write is discovered, which horrifies Polly, Betty and Ethel. Deadline time is close and Ethel is worried, although Helen offers to re-write for a third time. Ethel chances to pass Althea in the corridor - who brazenly ignores her, but casts her eyes down in such a guilty way which sets Ethel wondering. The girls are given time off from class to work on the project, and Naomer is glad to find she has been temporarily employed as printer’s devil – she proves a really useful worker – being the errand girl between Morcove and the printers in Barncombe. They are continually interrupted though, due to excessive noise coming from Althea’s study. She is in there with her ‘friends’ discussing the forthcoming evening at the Headland, and how Miss Somerfield ‘fell’ for Lena’s trumped up story of her parents coming to stay at the Headland and that they want her to come for dinner. Althea is by now delighted and her conscience suddenly silent because she has read the rest of Aunt Kath’s letter, where she hears that Aunt Kath is now rich because some dud gold mine shares have suddenly boomed. She is ecstatic because her Aunt promises to ‘really look after her financially’. Althea and her cronies dress exquisitely for the outing to the Headland Hotel, and they sweep past Betty and Polly, ignoring them. (Unknown to Althea, whilst they are en-route to the Headland Hotel, Aunt Kath books into the Hotel for a few days.) Once at the Headland, their despicable behaviour is similar to that they displayed at The Creamery, although worse. It is quickly nipped in the bud when Althea is horrified to see Aunt Kath making her way to the dining room, and once again she panics.
SO 664 More Daring Than Ever:
“Althy darling, are you ill? Girls, look at Althy –“
“Oh, shut up!” Althea snapped at Lena, who was genuinely concerned. “Look here, I – you – Dash! I must get out of here!” was the wild whisper.
“What!”
“Must!” panted Althea, her forehead starting a crimson flush whilst her cheeks remained as pallid as ever. “Someone who knows me!”
“What? Where? Who?”
The agitation had instantly spread to Lena, Clarice and Daphne.
“Don’t look, you idiot,” hissed Althea. “It’s Aunt Kath. Here, can I – change places with you Lena? I’d have my back to her then. But, no”, Althea feebly groaned; “she’d notice!”
And so the agitated girls, fed by Althea’s panic, eventually flee after paying an expensive bill for food of which they have eaten nothing.
The next day, Ethel advises Althea that Miss Somerfield has had a letter from Aunt Kath, and that she is coming over to Morcove. Althea is still in panic mode, although her ‘friends’ are not, and Lena tells her of the latest ‘razzle’ they are planning. Althea rebuffs Lena, who lets Clarice and Daphne know of her mood. They decide to break with her, as she is too moody. That afternoon, Aunt Kath visits Althea, who has pulled herself together enough to try and deceive her Aunt – which she does, including taking her on a tour of the temporarily vacant editorial den and being evasive about the whereabouts of the new typewriter. However…..Aunt Kath leaves her umbrella behind, and when she goes to collect it, she is amazed to see Ethel, Polly and Betty in the den instead of Althea. Polly inadvertantly blurts out the truth, and hates herself for it. Aunt Kath, although shocked and horrified beyond belief, instantly reassures Polly not to feel bad, and so she asks Ethel questions. Ethel quickly plays down her involvement, saying Betty and Polly have done the lion’s share of the work. Aunt Kath is composed, but asks about the typewriter. She is given the answer she doesn’t want to hear by Ethel, goes on to thank the trio and say that they are a credit to Morcove. After she leaves, Polly almost breaks down, and then they hear Aunt Kath come face to face with Althea. Aunt Kath is so distraught that she is on the verge of hysterical laughter – an extremely dangerous state to be in. She tells Althea that she never wants to see her again.
About an hour later though, Aunt Kath phones the school – Betty answers it and Aunt Kath wants to speak to Ethel – who isn’t there at present, however Betty is able to answer Aunt Kath’s questions. She then gives Betty a message to pass onto Althea, requesting her to go to the Headland Hotel at once. Althea is extremely uneasy, and thinks that perhaps she should run away, however she doesn’t and runs into her ‘friends’ on the way out. They give her a hard time, suggesting that she is out on a razzle by herself. Althea goes on to the Headland, and is taken to Aunt Kath who is having her tea and insists that Althea has tea with her – which she does. She is then reduced to a quivering wreck by a new stern, uncompromising, frightening Aunt Kath. SO 665 Althea’s Last Chance:
“As you deceived me over the souvenir business, Althea, so it must be through the souvenir that you right yourself in my eyes! You quite understand?”
“But I – What can I do!”
“That is not for me to say. I can think of heaps of ways in which, even though the time is so short, you can redeem yourself in my eyes – and in the and in the eyes of the school, too, remember! But I am not going to offer any hints. I am going to leave you to find your own way. There has been enough of wasted sympathy, of trust abused, of love that would have been better bestowed elsewhere.”
Aunt Kath requests Althea to wait whilst she writes a quick note for Ethel and Ivy, Daphne and Lena appear at the Headland. They twit her and cause a small rumpus. Once back at Morcove – after going back via the zig zag steps and a ferociously rough sea, Althea thinks the easiest way out for her is to crib, once again, from an obscure book of poems – which she found in the library. Whilst copying, Lena and Co walk into Althea’s study and denounce her, telling her that they introduced themselves to Aunt Kath, and things were said, and that there had been complaints about their abominable behaviour the night previously at the Headland. The friendship is off, and Althea is left alone. She wars with herself, whether to continue her latest deception. SO 665 Althea’s Last Chance: With one of the best impulses that had ever yet come to her, she suddenly pushed paper and pen away from her, saying fiercely to herself:
“I won’t – I won’t!”
But in the end – she did.
Althea submits the works to Ethel - who is so impressed with the work – never thinking it isn’t genuine - although Polly has reservations, that she commissions Tess to do an illustration to accompany the poem. Ethel tells Betty and Polly she receives a letter from Althea’s Aunt Kath, saying that she has told Althea that she will be done with her unless she finds something to Althea’s credit in the Fifty Years of Morcove. Word gets out that Althea has written a sensational piece of poetry, and soon, apart from some gossip from The Bright Young Things, she is seen in a slightly different light. That night, she sleeps well for the first time in ages, although a storm hits the Morcove coast. Next morning, Ethel comes to Althea and tells her that the poem has gone in for publication, and shows her the illustration Tess is working on to accompany it. Althea is grateful, breathes a sigh of relief and thinks she is FINALLY safe. BUT, as Ethel leaves Althea’s study, Ellen the Parlourmaid brings a small parcel to Althea from Aunt Kath. Althea opens the parcel - it is a book of poems – most of which have a moral to them, some of which Aunt Kath has marked with a cross. Althea is full of contempt at Aunt Kath for her choice of gift and her moralistic tone and once again calls her a frump. She leafs through the book and one of the marked poems ‘leaps out of the book ‘at her. It is the very one she has cribbed. SO 665 Althea’s Last Chance: She felt as if an electric shock of tremendous voltage had gone through her – crash! Half-stunned, she stared at the now familiar lines as they danced before her dilating eyes.
She stumbles through the day, and comes across Ethel, who is only too glad to tell her that the poem with accompanying illustration has gone to the printers. Naomer is extremely happy to take this latest offering to the printers, as she can go to The Creamery yet again, and even happier that Ethel has provided the necessaries to buy in provisions for a special tea! Late that day, Althea goes down the zigzag to the beach – pondering on what she has done and what the future will hold for her - in black dismay. Her dismay complements the stormy weather which is still holding. Suddenly, near Morcove’s stone jetty, she is shocked to see a tragic figure floundering in the water. Many emotions go through her, but in the end she ‘hears’ Aunt Kath saying that this is her last chance, so she runs to the jetty and flings herself into the stormy water. SO 665 Althea’s Last Chance: And now Althea was at the outer end of the jetty, where that strong swimmer, if there had been one available, might have chanced his or her own life by a plunge to the rescue.
Could she – could she do that?
“I can’t – I can’t!” she cried out wretchedly. “Oh, I can’t!”
But in the end – she did.
And so she is brought back to Morcove, a heroine, and put into the Sanatorium. She asks for Ethel, who goes to see her - nothing is known of the conversation between the two. Shortly afterwards, Ethel comes to the ‘den’ and quickly relates contacts the printers, retracting Althea’s poem and says that a last moment article will be on its’ way. Betty and Polly are appalled at this retraction until Ethel in not so many words, explains. She then goes on to ask Polly to quickly write an account of Althea’s heroism – in saving the daughter of the skipper of a foreign vessel. Polly does the job and she and Betty ride into Barncombe to deliver the final copy for the printers. Polly is unsure though, that Althea isn’t out of the woods yet as regards her Aunt Kath. Betty to Polly:
”No dear,” said her best of chums simply. “Althea has saved herself.”
And Polly, now that she had time to think things over, saw that Betty had said aright.