13088595 the Luckiest Girl in School

8/12/2019 13088595 the Luckiest Girl in School

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The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Luckiest Girl in the School, by AngelaBrazil, Illustrated by Balliol Salmon

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Title& The Luckiest Girl in the School

Author& Angela Brazil

'elease (ate& )arch *+, --. /eBook 0*1-*+2

Language& 3nglish

4haracter set encoding& IS5%116+%*

777STA'T 58 T93 P'5:34T G;T3t $re$ared by Paul 3reaut, Suzanne Shell, and the Project Gutenberg5nline (istributed Proofreading Team ?htt$&@@"$gd$"net@


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Illustrated by Balliol Salmon

/Illustration& CDT95S3 A'3


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F" EI


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and others say DStay here you are, and kee$ $oultryHDC

CEe canDt lea!e 9ighfieldH Ee ere all born hereHC objected Einonadecisi!ely"

CAnd e tried kee$ing hens some time ago,C said Percy" CThey laid on ana!erage three%Kuarters of an egg a year each, as far as I remember"C

CIDm afraid e didnDt kno ho to manage them,C re$lied )rs" Eoodardfretfully" CPercy, lea!e those $a$ers aloneH I didnDt tell you to turnthem o!er" #ouDre mi>ing them all u$, tiresome boyH (onDt touch themagainH ItDs no use trying to discuss business ith you childrenH I shallrite and consult Aunt 9arriet" Go aay, both of you, noH I ant toha!e a Kuiet half%hour"C

Aunt 9arriet stood to the Eoodard family somehat in the light of a(el$hic oracle" To a$$ly to her as alays the !ery last resource")atters must ha!e reached a crisis, Einona thought, if they ereobliged to a$$eal to Aunt 9arrietDs judgment" She folloed Percy intothe garden ith a sober look on her face"

C#ou donDt think mother ould really lea!e 9ighfieldC she asked herbrother an>iously"

CBunkumHC re$lied that light%hearted youth" CEe alays ha!e more or lessof a fuss hen my school bills come in" ItDll soon fizzle out againH(onDt you fret yourself" Things ill jog on as they alays ha!e joggedon" ThereDll be nothing done, youDll see" 4ome on and bol for me,thatDs a chubby oneHC

CBut this time mother really seemed to be in earnest,C said Einonameditati!ely, as she hel$ed to $ut u$ the stum$s"

)rs" Eoodard had been left a ido three years before this story o$ens"

She as a fair, fragile little oman, still $retty, and $atheticallyhel$less" She had been accustomed to lean u$on her husband, and no, forlack of firmer su$$ort, she leaned u$on Einona" Einona as young to actas $ro$, and though it flattered her sense of im$ortance, it had $ut aro of rinkles on her girlish forehead" At fifteen she seemed mucholder than Percy at si>teen"


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old%orld floers that came u$ year after year& daffodils and !ioletsand sno%flakes, and clum$s of $inks, and orange lilies and 4anterburybells, and tall )ichaelmas daisies, and ribbon grass and royal 5smundafern, the sort of floers that $eo$le used to $ick in days gone by, $uta $a$er frill round, and call a nosegay or a $osy" There as a lan fortennis and cricket, a $ond $lanted ith irises and bulrushes, and a ildcorner here crocuses and coltsfoot and golden aconite came u$ as theyliked in the s$ring time"

Einona lo!ed this garden ith somehat the same attachment that a 8rench$easant bears for the soil u$on hich he has been reared" She rejoicedin e!ery yard of it" To go aay and resign it to others ould betragedy uns$eakable" The fear that Aunt 9arriet might recommend thefamily to lea!e 9ighfield as sufficient to darken her horizonindefinitely" That her mother had ritten to consult the oracle she asell aare, for she had been sent to $ost the letter" She had aninstincti!e a$$rehension that the anser ould $ro!e a turning%$oint inher career"

8or a day or to e!erything ent on as usual" )rs" Eoodard did notagain allude to her difficulties, Percy had con!eniently forgotten them,

and the younger children ere not aare of their e>istence" Einona li!edith a black s$ot dancing before her mental eyes" It as continuallyrising u$ and blotting out the sunshine" 5n the fourth morning a$$eareda letter addressed in an old%fashioned slanting handriting, and bearingthe Seaton $ost mark" )rs" Eoodard read it in silence, and left hertoast unfinished" Aunt 9arrietDs communications generally u$set her forthe day"

C4ome here, Einona,C she said agitatedly, after breakfast" C5h, dear, Iish I kne hat to doH ItDs so !ery une>$ected, but of course it ouldbe a s$lendid thing for you" If only I could consult somebodyH I su$$osegirls noadays ill ha!e to learn to su$$ort themsel!es, and the arill alter e!erything, but IDd alays meant you to sto$ at home and look

after the little ones for me, and itDs !ery%%C

CEhat does Aunt 9arriet say, motherC interru$ted Einona, ith a catchin her throat"

CShe says a great deal, and I dare say sheDs right" 5h, this terriblearH Things ere so different hen I as a girlH #ou might as ell readthe letter for yourself, as it concerns you" I alays think sheDs hardon Percy, $oor ladH I as afraid the children ere too noisy the lasttime she as here, but they ouldnDt kee$ Kuiet" IDm sure I try to do mybest all round, and you kno, Einona, ho I said Aunt 9arriet%%C

But Einona as already de!ouring the letter"

C*- Abbey 4lose,

CSeaton,

CAugust .th"

C)# (3A' 8L5'ITA,%%#ou are Kuite right to consult me in your difficulties, and are elcome to any ad!ice hich I am able to offer you" I am sorry to hear of your financial


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embarrassments, but I am not sur$rised" The $resent increase in the cost of li!ing, and e>tra ta>ation, ill make retrenchments necessary to e!erybody" In the circumstances I should not ad!ise you to lea!e 9ighfield" ?C5h, thank goodnessHC ejaculated Einona" The e>$ense of a remo!al ould $robably cancel hat you ould otherise sa!e" claimed indignantly" C)other, of course you onDte!en dream of it for an instantH IDd JhateJ to go and li!e ith Aunt9arriet" ItDs not to be thought ofHC

CEell, I donDt kno, EinonaHC a!ered )rs" Eoodard" CEe must look at itfrom all sides, and $erha$s Aunt 9arrietDs right, and it really ould befor the best" )iss 9armonDs a $oor teacher, and IDm sure your music, at


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any rate, is not a credit to her" #ou $layed that last $iece shockinglyout of time" #ou kno you said yourself that you ere getting beyond)iss 9armonHC

Ehate!er im$eachments Einona may ha!e brought against her teacher, sheas certainly not $re$ared to admit them no" She rejected the $rojectof the Seaton 9igh School ith the utmost energy and determination,bringing into the fray all that force of character hich her mother

lacked" Poor )rs" Eoodard !acillated feebly%%she as generally sayedby hoe!er as nearest at the moment%%and I !erily belie!e EinonaDsarguments ould ha!e $re!ailed, and the hole scheme ould ha!e beenabandoned, had not )r" :oynson o$$ortunely ha$$ened to turn u$"

)r" :oynson as a solicitor, and the trustee of )rs" EoodardDs$ro$erty" 9e managed most of her business affairs, and some of her$ri!ate ones as ell" She had confidence in his judgment, and she atonce thankfully submitted the Kuestion of EinonaDs future to hisdecision"

CThe !ery thing for herHC he declared" C(o her a orld of good to go toa $ro$er school" SheDs frittering her time aay here" Send her to Seaton

by all means" Ehat are you to do ithout her claimed Percy" C#ou and Aunt 9arriet indouble harnessH It beats me altogetherHC

CItDs atrociousHC groaned Einona" CIDm a !ictim sacrificed for the goodof the family" 5hH hy couldnDt mother ha!e thought of some other ay ofeconomizing I donDt ant to in scholarshi$s and go in for a careerHC

CBuck u$H Perha$s you onDt inH ThereDll be others in for the e>am",you betH #ouDll $robably fail, and come hining home like a hi$$ed$u$$y ith its tail beteen its legsHC

CIndeed I shanDtHC flared Einona indignantly" CID!e a little more s$iritthan that, thank youH And hy should you imagine IDm going to fail Isu$$ose ID!e as much brains as most $eo$leHC

CThatDs rightH ;$set the $e$$er%$otH I as only trying to comfort youHCteased Percy" CIn my o$inion youDll be returned like a bad half$enny,or one of those articles Dof no use to anybody e>ce$t the oner"D Aunt9arriet ill be cheated of her $rey after allHC

CIf Ein goes aay, I shall be the eldest daughter at home,C said Lettyairily, shaking out her short skirts" CIDll sit at the end of the table,and $our out tea if mother has a headache, and unlock the a$$le room,and use the best ink$ot if I like, and ha!e first innings at the $iano"C

C#ou forget about the nursery go!erness,C retorted Einona" CIf I go, she


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comes, and youDll find youD!e e>changed =ing Log for =ing Stork" 5h,!ery ell, just ait and seeH It onDt be as idyllic as you imagine" Ishall be sa!ed the trouble of looking after you, at any rate"C

CEhat IDm trying to ascertain, madam,C said Percy blandly, Cis hetheryour ladyshi$ ishes to take u$ your residence in Seaton or not" Eiththe usual $er!ersity of your se> you $ursue a $ig $olicy" Ehen I !entureto $icture you seated at the board of your !enerable aunt, you $rotest

you are a sacrifice hen, on the other hand, I suggest your return tothe bosom of your family, you re!ile me eKually"C

C#ouDre the most unsym$athetic JbeastJ ID!e e!er metHC declared Einonaaggrie!edly"

Ehen she analyzed her feelings, hoe!er, she as obliged to allo thatthey ere mi>ed" Though the $ros$ect of settling don at Seaton filledher ith dismay, PercyDs gibe at her $robable failure touched her $ride"Einona had alays been counted as the cle!er member of the family" Itould be too ignominious to be sent home labeled unfit" She set herteeth and clenched her fists at the bare notion"

CIDll sho them all hat I can do if I take a thing u$HC she resol!ed"

In the meantime )rs" Eoodard as immersed in the subject of clothing"3!ery $ost brought her bo>es of $atterns, amongst hich she hesitated,lost in choice"

CIf I kne hether youDre really going to stay at Seaton or not, itould make all the difference, Einona,C she fluttered" CItDs no usebuying you these ne things if youDre only to ear them at home, but IDdmake an effort to send you nice to Aunt 9arrietDs" I kno sheDllcriticize e!erything you ha!e on" (ear me, I think IDd better risk itHIt ould be such a nuisance to ha!e to rite for the $atterns all o!eragain, and ho could I get your dresses fitted hen you erenDt here to

be tried on )iss :ones is at liberty no, and can come for a eekDsseing, but sheDll $robably be busy if I ant her later" am$le" #ou neednDtsniggerHC

The family grinned a$$reciati!ely" They understood Einona"

C(onDt you orryH IDll set the e>am$le hen youDre gone,C Letty assuredher" CIDll be as im$ro!ing as a co$y%book" I ish IDd your chance IDdstand Aunt 9arriet for the sake of going to a big 9igh School" #oungersisters ne!er ha!e any luckH 3ldests just see$ the board" I donDt knohere e come inHC


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C(onDt you fret, young Dun, youDll score later onHC cooed an indulgent!oice from the sofa, here Percy s$raled ith a book and a bag ofalnuts" C'emember that hen youDre still in all the bliss and s$arkleof your teens, EinonaDll be a mature and J$ass eJ $erson of tenty%to"DThat eldest )iss EoodardDs getting on, you knoHD $eo$le ill say, andsomebodyDll re$ly& D#es, $oor thingHDC

CThey onDt hen ID!e got a career,C retorted Einona, $elting Percy ithhis on alnut%shells"

C#ou assured us the other day that you des$ised such !anities"C

CEell, it de$ends" Perha$s IDll be a lady tram conductor, and $unchtickets, or a $ost%oman, or dri!e a Go!ernment !anHC

CIf those are careers for girls, bag me for a stee$le jack,C chir$ed(orrie"

It as $erha$s a good thing for Einona that such a short inter!alela$sed beteen the acce$tance of Aunt 9arrietDs $ro$osal and the date

of the scholarshi$ e>amination" The ten days ere !ery busy ones, forthere seemed much to be done in the ay of $re$aration" )iss :ones, thedressmaker, as installed in the nursery ith the seing%machine, anddemanded freKuent tryings%on, a $rocess Einona hated"

CI shall buy all my clothes ready made hen IDm gron u$HC she declared"

CThey !ery seldom fit, and ha!e to be altered,C returned her mother" C(ostand still, EinonaH And I ho$e youDre learning u$ a fe dates and factsfor this e>amination" #ou ought to be studying e!ery morning" If only)iss 9armon ere home, IDd ha!e asked her to coach you" IDm afraidsheDll be disa$$ointed at your lea!ing, but of course she canDt e>$ectto kee$ you for e!er" I heard a rumor that she means to gi!e u$ her

school altogether, and go and li!e ith her uncle" I ho$e itDs true, andthen I can take the little ones aay ith an easy conscience" I donDtant to treat her badly, $oor thing, but IDm sure teachingDs not her!ocation"C

Einona really made a heroic effort to $re$are herself for the comingordeal" She retired to a secluded $art of the garden and read o!er herlatest school books" The $rocess landed her in the de$ths ofdes$ondency"

CIDll ne!er remember anything%%ne!erHC she mourned to her family" CTotry and get all this into my head at once is like bolting a eekDs mealsat a single goH I kno a date here and there, and ID!e a hazy notion of

8rench and Latin !erbs, and a general im$ression of other subjects, butif they ask me for anything definite, such as the battles of the Ears ofthe 'oses, or a list of the $roducts of India, IDm done forHC

CGo in for Post%Im$ressionism, then,C suggested Percy" CErite from aromantic stand$oint, and donDt condescend to mere facts" Stick in aKuotation or to, and a draing if $ossible, and make your $a$er soundeloKuent and dramatic and $oetical, and all the rest of it" TheyDll markyou lo for accuracy, but $ut you on ten $er cent" for style, you betH Ikno a cha$ ho tries it on at the 4oll", and it alays $ays"C


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CItDs orth thinking about, certainly,C said Einona, shutting her booksith a eary yan"

49APT3' II

An 3ntrance 3>amination

The Seaton 9igh School as a large, handsome brick building e>actlyo$$osite the $ublic $ark" It had only been erected to years ago, soe!erything about it as absolutely ne and u$%to%date" It su$$lied agreat need in the ra$idly groing city, and indeed offered the best andmost go%ahead education to be obtained in the district"

It as the aim of the school to fit girls for !arious $rofessions andcareers there as a classical and a modern side, a de$artment fordomestic economy, and a commercial class for instruction in businessdetails" Art, music, and nature study ere ell catered for, and manual

training as not forgotten" As the school as intended to become in timea center for the county, the Go!ernors had offered to o$en freescholarshi$s to be com$eted for by girls resident in other $arts of'ytonshire, ho$ing by this means to attract $u$ils from the country$laces round about"

5n the morning of Se$tember 1th, $recisely at 1"M6, Einona $resentedherself at the school for the scholarshi$ e>amination" There ere tentyother candidates aaiting the ordeal, in !arious stages of ner!ousnessor sangfroid" Some looked dejected, some confident, and others hid theirfeelings under a mask of stolidity" Einona joined them shyly" They ereall unknon to one another, and so far nobody had $lucked u$ courage to!enture a remark" It is horribly de$ressing to sit on a form staring at

tenty taciturn strangers" Einona bore for ahile ith the stonysilence, then%%rather frightened at the sound of her on !oice%%sheannounced&

CI su$$ose eDre all going in for this same e>am"HC It as a tritecommon$lace, but it broke the ice" 3!erybody looked relie!ed" Theatmos$here seemed to clear"

C#es, eDre all going in%%thatDs right enough,C re$lied a ruddy%hairedgirl in s$ectacles, Cbut there are only to scholarshi$s, so nineteen ofus are bound to fail%%thatDs logic and mathematics and all the rest ofit"C

CEheH A nice cheering $ros$ect" Eish theyDd $ut us out of our misery atonceHC groaned a stout girl ith a long fair $igtail"

CIDm all u$setHC shi!ered another"

CItDs like a game of musical chairs,C suggested a fourth" CEeDre allscrambling for the same thing, and some are bound to be out of it"C

The ruddy%haired girl laughed ner!ously"

CSu$$ose eD!e got to take our s$orting luckHC she murmured"


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CIf nineteen are sure to lose, to are sure to in at any rate,C saidEinona" CThatDs logic and mathematics and all the rest of it, tooHC

C'ight you areH ThatDs a more cheering creedH It doesnDt do to cryD)iserere meD too soonHC chir$ed a jolly%looking dark%eyed girl ith ared hair%ribbon" CDhibiting her charm, hich hung from a chain round her neck" CI ne!eram lucky, so I thought IDd try hat this ould do for me for once" Ikno 3nglish history beautifully don to the end of Nueen Anne, and nofurther, and if they set any Kuestions on the Georges IDll be stum$ed"C

CID!e learnt Africa, but Asia ould floor meHC obser!ed another, lookingu$ from a geogra$hy book, in hich she as making a last des$erateclutch at likely items of knoledge" CI ne!er can remember hich side ofIndia )adras is on I get it ho$elessly mi>ed ith Bombay"C

CI ish to goodness theyDd go ahead and begin,C mourned the oner of thered hair%ribbon" CItDs this aiting that knocks the s$irit out of me"

Patience isnDt my $et !irtue" I call it cruelty to animals to lea!e uson tenter%hooks"C

Almost as if in anser to her $athetic a$$eal the door o$ened, and ateacher a$$eared" In a brisk, business%like manner she marshaled thecandidates into line, and conducted them to the door of thehead%mistressD study, here one by one they ere admitted for a brief$ri!ate inter!ie" EinonaDs turn came about the middle of the ro"

CPass in& as Kuickly as you can, $leaseHC commanded the teacher,motioning her onard"

As Einona entered, she ga!e one hasty com$rehensi!e glance round the

room, taking in a general im$ression of books, busts and $ictures, thenfocussed her attention on the figure that sat at the desk" It as onlyat a later date that she gras$ed any details of )iss Bisho$Ds$ersonality at that first meeting she realized nothing but the $air ofcom$elling blue eyes that dre her forard like a magnet"

C#our nameC

CEinona Eoodard"C

CAgeC

C8ifteen"C

C'esidenceC

C9ighfield, Ashbourne, near Great )arston"C

C9o long ha!e you li!ed in the county of 'ytonshireC

C3!er since I as born"C

)iss Bisho$ hastily ticked off these re$lies on a $age of her ledger,and handed Einona a card"


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CThis ill admit you to the e>amination room" 'emember that instead of$utting your name at the head of your $a$ers, you are to rite thenumber gi!en you on your card" Any candidate riting her on name illbe disKualified" t girlHC

It as all o!er in to minutes" Einona seemed hardly to ha!e entered theroom before she as out again"

C)o!e on, $leaseHC said the teacher, marshaling the little crod roundthe door" CEill those ho ha!e seen )iss Bisho$ kindly go along thecorridor"C

Se!eral girls ho had been standing in a knot made a sudden bolt, and$ushed their fellos forard" Somebody jogged EinonaDs elbo" 9er cardslid from her gras$ and fell on to the ground" As she bent in the crushto $ick it u$, the ruddy%haired girl stoo$ed on a like errand"

C(ro$$ed mine tooH 4lumsy, isnDt itC she laughed" C9o$e eD!e got ouronH Ehat as your numberC

CI hadnDt time to look"C

CEell, IDm sure mine as ele!en, so thatDs all right" I ish you luckHEonDt e just be glad hen itDs o!er, ratherHC

At the further end of the corridor as a door ith a notice $inned on toit" C3>amination for 4ounty Scholarshi$s"C A mistress stood there, andscrutinized each girlDs card as she entered, directing her to a seat inthe room marked ith the corres$onding number" Einona alked rathersolemnly to the desk labeled *-" The great ordeal as at last about tobegin" She ondered hat ould be the end of it" Little thrills ofner!ousness seemed running don her back like dro$s from a shoer%bath"9er hands ere trembling" Eith a great effort she $ulled herself

together"

CItDs no use funkingHC she thought" CIDll make as good a shot as I canat things, and if I fail%%ell, I shall ha!e $lenty of com$anions inmisfortune, at any rateHC

A $ile of foolsca$ $a$er ith red%ruled margins, a clean sheet of hiteblotting $a$er, and a $enholder ith a ne nib lay ready" 3ach of theother tenty !ictims as sur!eying a su$$ly of similar material" 5n theblackboard as chalked the ord CSilence"C

In a dead hush the candidates sat and aited" 3>actly on the stroke ofnine )iss Bisho$ entered and handed a sheaf of $rinted Kuestions to the

teacher in charge, ho distributed them round the room" The subject forthe first hour as arithmetic" Einona read o!er her $a$er sloly" Shefelt ca$able of managing it, all e>ce$t the last to $roblem sums, hichere outside her e>$erience" She kne it ould mainly be a Kuestion ofaccuracy"

CIDll ork them each tice if ID!e only time,C she thought, starting atnumber one"

An hour is after all only made u$ of si>ty minutes, and these seemed tofly ith incredible ra$idity" The teacher on the $latform had sternly


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re$ro!ed a girl guilty of counting aloud in an agitated his$er,threatening instant e>$ulsion for a re$etition of such an offense, butith this solitary e>ce$tion nobody transgressed the rules" All satKuietly absorbed in their ork, and an occasional rustle of $a$er orscratch of a $en ere the only sounds audible" At $recisely fi!e minutesto ten the deity on the $latform sounded a bell, and ordered $a$ers tobe $ut together" She collected them, handed them to another mistress,then ithout any break $roceeded to deal out the Kuestions for the ne>t

hourDs e>amination" This as in geogra$hy, and here Einona as not onsuch sure ground" Granted that you are acKuainted ith certain rules inarithmetic, it is alays $ossible to ork out $roblems, but it neededmore knoledge than she $ossessed to rite ansers to the riddles thatconfronted her" She had ne!er heard of CThe Iron Gates,C could not $laceAlcona and Altona, as hazy as to the hereabouts of the )ourne)ountains, and utterly unable to dra an accurate ma$ of the BalkanStates" She scored a little on 4anada, for she had learnt


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of failure loomed u$ large" She could only attem$t about half of theKuestions, and e!en in these she as not ready ith dates" Then suddenlyPercyDs ad!ice flashed into her mind" CErite from a romantic stand$oint,and make your $a$er sound $oetical"C It seemed rather a forlorn ho$e,and she feared it ould scarcely satisfy her e>aminers, but in such ades$erate situation anything as orth trying" Einona $ossessed acertain facility in essay riting" Prose com$osition had been herfa!orite lesson at )iss 9armonDs" She collected her its no, and did

the !ery utmost of hich she as ca$able in the matter of style"4hoosing Kuestion cellent o$ening, if she could only continue in the same strain, buthat ought to come ne>t 9er thoughts fle to a $ainting of Lady :aneGrey, hich she had once seen at a loan collection of Tudor $ortraits"Ehy should she not describe it 9er $en fle ra$idly as she rote a

ord%$icture of the seet, $ale face, so round and childish in s$ite ofits earnest e>$ression the smooth yello hair, the gray eyes bentdemurely o!er the book" 9er heroine seemed beginning to li!e"


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The good stars met in your horosco$e, )ade you of s$irit, fire and de"C

Kuoted Einona enthusiastically" Broning alays stirred her blood, andthre her into $oetical channels" She cast about in her mind for anyother a$$ro$riate !erses"

CAh, broken is the golden bol, the s$irit gone for e!er,

Let the bell toll%%a saintly soul floats on the Stygian ri!er" 4ome, let the burial rite be read%%the funeral song be sung, An anthem for the Kueenliest dead that e!er died so young, A dirge for her, the doubly dead, in that she died so young"C

CSo they finished their foul deed, and laid her to rest,C rote Einona,Cthe earthly $art, that is, hich $erishes, for the true $art of herthey could not touch" 8areell, seet innocent soul, of hom the orldas not orthy" To you surely may a$$ly Andre de 4h nierDs tender lines&

CDAu banKuet de la !ie $eine commenc ;n instant seulement mes l !res out $ress La cou$e en mes mains encore $leine"D

ale, little NueenH )ay it be ell ith theeH A!e atKue !aleHC

Einona glanced an>iously at the clock as ith a hard breath she $ausedfor a moment and laid don her $en" 9er theme had taken her so long thatshe had only ten minutes left for the other Kuestions" There as noromantic side to be e>$ressed in these, so she scribbled aayhalf%heartedly" 9er uncertain memory, hich had readily su$$liedKuotations from Broning or 3dgar Allan Poe, struck altogether henasked for such sordid details as the names of the 4abal ministry, orthe history of the Long Parliament" The bell rang, and left her ith her$a$er only half finished" At one oDclock the candidates ere gi!en anhourDs rest, and a hot lunch as ser!ed to them in the dining%hall" At

to they returned to their desks, and the e>amination continued untilhalf%$ast four" Einona found the Kuestions tolerable" She did fairly,but not at all brilliantly" 9er brains ere not accustomed to suchlong%sustained efforts, and as the afternoon ore on, a neuralgicheadache began, and sent shar$ throbs of $ain across her forehead" Itas so irksome to rite $ages of Latin or 8rench !erbs she had tosummon all her courage to make herself do it" The last hour seemed aninterminable $enance"

At half%$ast four, tenty%one rather dis$irited candidates filed fromthe room"

CEell, thank goodness itDs o!erH I ne!er ant to rite another ord in

my life" )y handDs stiff ith cram$HC e>claimed the girl ith the redhair%ribbon to a sym$athetic audience in the $assage"

CIt as afulH I didnDt anser half the Kuestions" )y sastika isnDtorth its salt" I shall gi!e it aayHC mourned the oner of the mascot"

CThey e>$ected us to kno so !ery much e should be absoluteencyclo$aedias if e had all that $at off at our fingersD endsHC sighedthe girl ith the fair $igtail"

C9o did you get onC Einona asked the ruddy%haired girl, ho as i$ing


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her s$ectacles ner!ously"

C5h, I donDt kno" ItDs so hard to tell" I ansered most of theKuestions, but of course I canDt say hether theyDre right or rong"EasnDt the Latin translation just too horrible I yearned for adictionary" And some of the 8rench grammar Kuestions ere absolutecatchesHC

CEe ent on too long,C said Einona" CIt ould ha!e been much better tos$read the e>am, o!er to days"C

C(o you think so IDd rather ha!e Dsudden deathD myself" ItDs such arelief to feel itDs finished" It ould be retched to ha!e to beginagain to%morro" I hardly sle$t a ink last night for thinking about it"IDm going to try and forget it no"C

Einona nodded good%by to her fello candidates, and took her lea!e" 9omany of them ould she see again, she ondered, and hich among all thenumber ould ha!e the luck

C4ertainly not myself,C she thought ruefully" CI kno my $a$ers erenDt

u$ to standard" I belie!e that red%haired girl ill be one" She lookedcle!erHC

Einona had s$ent the $receding night ith Aunt 9arriet, ho offered tokee$ her until the result of the e>amination should be $ublished, butthe $ros$ect of s$ending a eek of sus$ense at Abbey 4lose as soformidable, that she had begged to be alloed to return home, e>cusingherself on the $lea that she ould like to be ith Percy during theremainder of his holidays" It as a !ery subdued Einona ho reached9ighfield ne>t afternoon"

C9ello, TiddleyinksH #ouD!e lost the starch out of youHC Percy greetedher" C(id they say they ouldnDt ha!e you at any $riceC

CThe result onDt be out till the fifteenth, but I e>$ect ID!e failed,Cansered Einona gloomily"

CBuck u$, young DunH Look at yours trulyH I fail nine times out of ten,and do I take it to heartC

Einona laughed in s$ite of herself" PercyDs com$lacency o!er smallachie!ements as $ro!erbial" But she had higher ambitions, and the cloudof de$ression soon settled don again" 9er tem$er, not alays her strong$oint, dis$layed a degree of irritability that dro!e her family to the!erge of mutiny"

C'eally, Einona, I donDt remember you so fractious since you erecutting your teethHC com$lained her much%tried mother"

The days dragged sloly by" Einona had ne!er before realized that eachhour could hold so many minutes" 5n the morning of the *6th she camedon to breakfast ith dark rings round her eyes"

CI shall be glad to be $ut out of my miseryHC she thought, as the$ostmanDs ra$%ta$ sounded at the door"

)amie made a rush for the letter%bo>, and returned bearing a foolsca$


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en!elo$e addressed to&

)ISS EI inches too short for her ne skirts,and that she had outgron her thick boots, but a hurried !isit to Great


18/148

)arston had remedied these deficiencies, and the bo> as $acked toe!erybodyDs satisfaction" There as a uni!ersal feeling in the familythat such an outfit could not fail to meet ith Aunt 9arrietDs a$$ro!al"The first sight of the nightdress case and the brush%and%comb bag mustring admiration from her" They had been bought at a bazaar, and erealtogether su$erior to those in daily use" As for the handkerchief case,Letty had decided that unless one eKually ell embroidered ere$resented to her on her ne>t birthday, she ould be obliged to assert

her indi!iduality by shoing tem$er"

Einona alked into the dressing%room of the 9igh School on Se$tembernd ith a mi>ture of shyness and im$ortance" 5n the hole the latter$redominated" It as a trifle embarrassing to face so many strangers,but it as something to ha!e on a scholarshi$" She ondered ho as theother fortunate candidate"

CI e>$ect it ill be that red%haired girl ith the s$ectacles,C shethought" CI belie!e she ansered e!ery Kuestion, though she as ratherKuiet about it"C

She looked round, but could not see the ruddy locks, nor indeed any of

the com$anions ho had taken the e>amination ith her"

C9unting for some one you knoC asked a girl ho had a$$ro$riated thene>t hook to hers"

C#es, at least IDm not sure hether sheDll be here or not" I belie!e hernameDs )arjorie =aye"C

CtHC draleda third"

They ere friends, and ent off together ithout another glance atEinona" She folloed soberly, ondering hat she ought to do ne>t" Shehad a !ague idea that the inner of a scholarshi$ should $resent herselfat the 9ead )istressD study to recei!e a fe ords of encouragement andcongratulation on her success" At the to$ of the stairs she met the


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mistress ho had $resided o!er the e>amination" The latter greeted herunceremoniously"

CEinona Eoodard, youD!e been $laced in "a", first room to theright, round the corner" #ouDll find the number on the door"C

5ther girls ere hurrying in the same direction" Einona entered ithhat seemed to her Kuite a small crod" 3!erybody a$$eared to kno here

to go, e>ce$t herself" She stood in such e!ident hesitation that one,more good%natured than the rest, remarked&

C#ouDd better seize on any desk you fancy, as Kuick as you can" TheyDregetting taken u$ fast, if you ant a front oneHC

Einona slid into the nearest seat at hand, and a$$ro$riated it by$lacing her note%book, $encil%bo>, ruler, atlas and dictionaries insidethe desk"

The room as filling Kuickly" 3!ery moment fresh arri!als hurried in andtook their $laces" )arjorie =aye as nohere to be seen, but in thesecond ro sat the dark%eyed girl ith the red ribbon in her hair" She

turned round and nodded $leasantly"

CSo sheDs got the other scholarshi$HC thought Einona" CI shouldnDt ha!ee>$ected it" IDd ha!e staked my re$utation on the sandy%haired one"Eell, I su$$ose her ansers erenDt correct, after all" IDm rather gladon the hole itDs this girl she looks jolly"C

At that moment )iss 9untley, the form mistress, entered and took thecall%o!er, and the dayDs ork began" 3ach girl as gi!en a time%tableand a list of the books she ould reKuire, and after that, classsucceeded class until one oDclock, ith a ten minutesD inter!al forlunch at ele!en" The conclusion of the morning left Einona ith a$rofound res$ect for 9igh School methods" After the easy%going routine

of )iss 9armonDs it as like ste$$ing into a ne educational orld" Shesu$$osed she ould be able to kee$ $ace ith it hen she got her books,but the mathematics, at any rate, ere much more ad!anced than hat shehad before attem$ted" As she alked don the corridor, the girl ith thered hair%ribbon o!ertook her, and claimed acKuaintance"

CSo youDre Einona Eoodard And IDm Garnet 3merson" Ee had the luck,after allH IDm sure I ne!er e>$ected to in" It as the greatestsur$rise to me hen the letter arri!ed" #es, fi!e of the othercandidates are at school, but theyD!e been $ut in I"a", andI"b" )arjorie =aye #ou mean that girl in s$ectacles


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afternoon in a eek" Any ho liked might do $re$aration in their onform room, and many a!ailed themsel!es of the $ermission, es$eciallythose ho came from a distance, and stayed for dinner at the school"Ehen Einona first e>amined her time%table she had not considered itsdemands e>cessi!ely formidable, but before she had been a eek at Seatonshe began to realize that she ould ha!e !ery fe s$are moments to callher on" )iss Bisho$ belie!ed in girls being fully occu$ied, and inaddition to the ordinary form ork, e>$ected e!ery one to take $art in

the games, and in the numerous societies and guilds hich had beeninstituted" Einona found that she as reKuired to join the (ebating4lub, and the Patriotic =nitting Guild, hile a (ramatic Society and aLiterary Association ould be $re$ared to o$en their doors to her if she$ro!ed orthy of admission" So far, hoe!er, she considered that she hadenough on her hands" The demands of her ne life ere almosto!erhelming, and she li!ed from day to day in a hirl of freshe>$eriences" It took her some time e!en to gras$ the names of these!enteen other girls in her form" Audrey 'edfern, her left%handneighbor, as friendly, but 5la!e Parry, at the desk in front, ignoredher !ery e>istence" She gathered that Audrey, like herself, as ane%comer, hile 5la!e had attended the school since its foundation butshe did not realize the significance of this in the difference of their

beha!ior to her" The fact as that the three ne girls in the form ereon $robation" The others, ho had come u$ from the Loer School, andere ell !ersed in the traditions of the $lace, ere not illing toadmit them too Kuickly into fa!or" They talked them o!er in $ri!ate"

CAudrey 'edfern seems a decent enough little soul,C said 3stelle9arrison" CThereDs really nothing offensi!e about her, to my mind"Garnet 3merson I rather like" I fancy she could be jolly" IDm going tos$eak to her in a day or to, but not too soon"C

CEhat do you think of Einona EoodardC Kueried Bessie =irk"

C)uch too big an o$inion of herself" Began bragging about her

scholarshi$ first thing" She needs sitting u$on, to my mind"C

CSheDs $rettyHC

C#es, and she knos it, tooHC

CEell, she canDt hel$ knoing it" I call her most striking looking" 9ereyes are lo!ely, though I ne!er can make out hether theyDre dark grayor hazel under those long lashes" 9er hairDs just the color of bronze,and such a lot of itH It beats :oyce


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The to girls s$ent e!ery a!ailable moment together, and soon a>edconfidential on the subject of their home affairs"

CEeDre all named after $recious stones,C said Garnet" CPearl, my eldestsister, is classics mistress at a school :acinthe is studying for ahealth !isitor, 'uby is at a 9orticultural 4ollege, and Beryl issecretary at a Settlement" ArenDt there a lot of us All girls too, and

not a single brother" IDm the baby of the familyH IDd like to go to9olloay, if I can get a scholarshi$, but that remains to be seen")eanhile to years at the 9ighDs not so bad, is it I e>$ect IDm goingto enjoy it" ArenDt youC

C#es%%$erha$s" If the rest of the form ere nicer, I might"C

C5h, theyDll come roundH Ee canDt e>$ect them to take us to their bosomsstraight offH EeDre goods on a$$ro!al"C

CEeD!e as much right here as they ha!eHC grunted Einona"

CBut they ere here first, and of course that alays counts for

something" Ee shall ha!e to sho that eDre orth our salt before e getany footing in the form" The Kuestion is ho best to do it"C

Einona shook her head" It as beyond her com$rehension"

CI had a fe ti$s from :acinthe,C ruminated Garnet" CShe as 4a$tain thelast year she as at school, so she ought to kno" #ou see, eD!e tosteer beteen Scylla and 4harybdis" Ee mustnDt $ush oursel!es forardtoo !iolently, or theyDll call us cheeky, but on the other hand, ifeDre content to take a back seat, e may stay there for the rest of theterm" 4om$renez !ous ItDs a matter of seizing oneDs chance" ID!e anidea floating about in my mind" (o you ha$$en to be anything e>tras$ecial at singing, or reciting, or actingC

CI ha!enDt had much $ractice at acting, but I can $lay the guitar")ummie taught me" She li!ed in S$ain for three years hen she as agirl, and learnt there"C

CThe !ery thingH 9o $erfectly s$lendidH I $lay the mandoline myself,and the to go so ell together" (id you bring your guitar ith youC

Ct eek thereDs to be a big generalmeeting of the hole school to choose a Games 4a$tain" So far the gamesde$artment here is rather in its infancy" ID!e been making enKuiries,and there isnDt such a thing as a form tro$hy" There certainly ought tobe, to s$ur on enthusiasm" IDm going to $luck u$ my courage, tackle oneor to members of the Si>th, and suggest that after the meeting e holda sing%song, and take a collection to $ro!ide a form tro$hy" I donDtbelie!e anybodyDs e!er thought of it"C

C'i$$ingH But hat e>actly is a sing%songC


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C5h, just an informal concert" I thought if you and I $layed themandoline and guitar together, it ould make a good item" I see to ofthe $refects coming along o!er there, I belie!e IDll go and ask them"C

CI admire your courageHC

Garnet returned in a fe minutes, tolerably ell satisfied ith her

mission"

CI belie!e the idea ill catch on,C she announced" C5f course I couldnDte>$ect them to say DyesD immediately" They ere !ery cautious, and saidthey ould $ut it to the form" ID!e son the seed at any rate, and emust ait for de!elo$ments"C

A$$arently GarnetDs $ro$osition $ro!ed acce$table to the Si>th, for the!ery ne>t day a notice as $inned on the board in the hall&

CThere ill be a General )eeting of the School on Tuesday, 5ctober Oth, at M $"m", for the $ur$ose of electing a Games 4a$tain"

CThe meeting ill be folloed by a Sym$osium, hen a collection ill be taken, the $roceeds of hich ill be de!oted to the $urchase of a form tro$hy"

CPerformers kindly submit their names ithout delay to )" 95E3LL, as the $rogram is being made u$"C

Garnet as one of the first to read the notice, and she started off atonce to the Si>th 8orm room" She sought out Einona on her return"

CSo my little schemeDs come offHC she beamed" C#ou bet the Si>th illtake all the credit for e!ol!ing it, but I donDt careH ID!e $ut our

names don for a mandoline and guitar duet, and said eDd be ready tohel$ ith any accom$animents they like" )eg 9oell just jum$ed at that"It seems Patricia )arshall and 4larice on are going to sing a 4hristy)instrel song, and she thought our instruments ould add to the effectno end" I tell you e shall score" (id you rite for your guitarC

C#es, I e>$ect it ill be sent off to%day"C

CThen e must begin and $ractice" ID!e got a to$$ing duet thatDs Kuiteeasy" 4an you come home ith me after school to%morro for half an houror so I kno my cousins ill be glad to see you" Then e might try o!erone or to things, and see ho they go"C

CIt ill be all right if I tell Aunt 9arriet I shall be late,C agreedEinona"

The instrument arri!ed the same e!ening, so she as able to kee$ her$romise to Garnet ne>t day" 8ortunately they had only one class thatafternoon, and ere able to lea!e school at half%$ast three" GarnetDscousins li!ed ithin a short tramcar ride" They ere musical $eo$le, andsym$athized ith her $roject" Garnet led Einona into the draing%room,and began ithout aste of time"

CLet me look at your guitarH 5h, hat a beautyH EhatDs the label inside


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:uan (a 4osta, Se!illeH Then it must be S$anish" I su$$ose theyDre thebest" )y mandolineDs Italian it as made in )ilan" Ee must tune themtogether, mustnDt e 4an you read ell This is the book of duets" Ithought this Barcarolle ould be easy, it has such a lo!ely sing aboutit" 9ereDs the guitar $art"C

49APT3' I

The Sym$osium

By the aid of diligent $racticing in $ri!ate, and se!eral rehearsals atGarnetDs house, the girls at last got their duet to run smoothly" Garnetas frankly $leased"

CThe to instruments go so nicely togetherH A mandolineDs e!er so muchbetter $layed ith a guitar accom$animent than ith the $iano" I say,su$$ose e ere to get an encoreHC

CI donDt su$$ose anything of the sort"C

C(onDt be too modest" ItDs as ell to be $re$ared"C

CIDm not going to $ractice anything more, so I arn you"C

CEell, take something you kno, from your on book" This song" I could$lay the air !ery softly on the mandoline, and eDd both sing it" ThatonDt gi!e you any e>tra trouble"C

CIt isnDt the trouble so much as the state of my fingers" TheyDregetting sore" If I let a blister come, I shanDt be able to $lay at all"C

CThen for goodnessD sake donDt $lay any more to%day, and soak yourfingers in alum hen you get home"C

The general meeting on Tuesday as a !ery im$ortant e!ent, for it markedthe o$ening of the inter session of games and guilds" (uring the firsteek or ten days of the autumn term the girls had enough to do insettling into the ork of their ne forms, but no 5ctober as comee!erybody began to think about hockey, and to consider the ad!isabilityof beginning rehearsals for !arious 4hristmas $erformances"

CI alays hate the end of Se$tember,C $roclaimed Grace 5lli!er" CItDs sofine, and the geraniums are still so fresh in the $ark, that youDre

decei!ed into thinking itDs still summer, yet hen you try to $laytennis, you find the courts horrible, and you cut u$ the grass in halfan hour" IDm glad hen the lea!es all come off, and you kno itDsautumn, and you look u$ your hockey jersey, and think hat s$ort you hadlast inter o!er DThe (ramatic"D IDm fond enough of cricket, but IDdreally rather ha!e inter than summer" 5n the hole, thereDs more goingon"C

CIDm glad )argaret 9oellDs head of the school,C re$lied 3!elyn'ichards" CSheDs A* at all the guilds, though I donDt think sheDs muchchance of being elected Games 4a$tain"C


24/148

CAll the better" ItDs Kuite enough for )argaret to act head" SheDs goodenough at that, I admit" )akes an ideal $resident" But a girl hoDsliterary isnDt generally s$orty as ell" It stands to reason she canDtdo both $ro$erly"C

C)eg doesnDt ant to be Games 4a$tain itDs not in her line,C!olunteered Beatrice, )argaretDs younger sister" CShe told me to tell

you all to !ote for =irsty Paterson"C

C=irstyDs to$$ingHC

CEhatDs this Sym$osium eDre to ha!e after the meetingC asked Grace"

CEhy, I donDt e>actly kno,C laughed 3!elyn" CI looked Dsym$osiumD u$ inthe dictionary, and it said& Dliterally a drinking together a merryfeast a con!i!ial $arty"D I donDt kno hat eDre going to drink,unless e bring lemon kali and $ass it round, like they used to do thelo!ing cu$ in the )iddle AgesHC

CI su$$ose itDll be just a kind of concert" But ho about the

collection Ehat are e su$$osed to gi!eC

CAnything you like, from a $enny u$ards,C re$lied Beatrice" C)egcalculated that to hundred and si> $ennies ould be se!enteen andto$ence, and some girls ill $robably gi!e more, so she thinks eDresure of a so!ereign, and that ought to buy a decent tro$hy, something tobegin u$on, at any rate" 5ne must make a start"C

C'ight you areH A $enny onDt break the banks of e!en the 8irst 8ormbabes, and millionaires can gi!e their half%crons, if theyDre sodis$osedHC

Punctually at M $"m" on the folloing Tuesday, the hole school

assembled in the gymnasium" citement and curiosity" It asaltogether outside her e>$erience" She had ne!er in her life attendedsuch a function" Garnet, hose elder sisters had been at large schools,had sketched an outline of hat as likely to take $lace, but e!enGarnetDs information as second%hand" Though she had no been e>actly afortnight at Seaton, Einona still felt more or less of a ne%comer" Shehad hardly s$oken to any one outside her on form, and kne the names ofcom$arati!ely fe of her to hundred and fi!e schoolfellos" EithoutGarnet she ould ha!e been Kuite at a loss ho to steer her course inthis great ocean of school life she thankfully acce$ted her friend as

$ilot, and for the $resent as content to follo her lead" The to girls$resented themsel!es in the gymnasium in good time, and took their seatsamong the other members of "a" The front bench as occu$ied bya ro of ten%year%olds ho had come u$ this term from the Pre$aratory,and ho sat sKueezing each othersD arms, highly im$ressed ith theim$ortance of their remo!e" Behind them 8orm II", a giggling cre rathermore Jau faitJ ith the ays of the school, effer!esced occasionallyinto e>cited sKueals, and ere instantly su$$ressed by a $refect" TheThird and 8ourth, hich com$rised the bulk of the girls from tel!e tofifteen, occu$ied the middle of the hall, a li!ely, self%confident andrather obstre$erous set, all at that akard age hich is an>ious to


25/148

claim $ri!ileges, but not $articularly ready to submit to the authorizedcode" 3!ery one of them as talking at the e>treme $itch of her !oice,and the noise as considerable" Patricia )arshall and 4larice onlooked at each other and froned ominously, but as the hands of the bigclock $ointed almost to three, they judged it better not to interfere,and the din continued"

At the stroke of the hour, )argaret 9oell strode on to the $latform"

She as a tall, fine%looking girl of se!enteen, ith bright hazel eyes,regular features, and a thick bron $lait that fell belo her aist" 9erready $oers of s$eech, clear ringing !oice, brisk decisi!e tone, and acertain $ersonal magnetism shoed her to be that Jrara a!isJ, a bornleader" It as fortunate indeed for the school that its headshi$ thisyear should ha!e fallen to )argaret" The need for a firm but judicioushand on the reins as great" (uring the to $re!ious years of theschoolDs e>istence the self%go!ernment had been in a state of e!olution"8or the first year, hen e!erybody as ne together, com$arati!elylittle could be done" The school must find itself before it began toform its $ri!ate code of las" In the second year ill%luck had raised tothe $ost of honor I!y 4hatterton, a cle!er but most untactful girl,hose Kuick tem$er had brought her into constant collision ith her

$refects" )any ere the sKualls hich had se$t o!er the school, of soserious a nature sometimes as almost to reck se!eral of the guilds" Theyounger girls, folloing the e>am$le of their elders, had Kuarreledhotly, and indulged in an incredible amount of $etty s$ite, andaltogether the current tone had been anything but desirable" )issBisho$, ho had seen, to her sorro, this donard trend, had elcomedthe ad!ent of )argaret, belie!ing her to ha!e the ability to co$e ithdifficult situations, and at the same time to ha!e the grit andself%control not to allo her head to be turned by her ele!ation tooffice"

C#ou ill ha!e a great res$onsibility& I am gi!ing you unusual $oer,and I trust that you ill make the highest use of it,C she had said to

the girl, during a certain Kuiet ten minutesD talk in her study, and)argaret had held herself !ery straight, and had ansered& CIDll do myle!el best, )iss Bisho$HC

All eyes ere no fi>ed on the head girl as she stood in the center ofthe $latform, ringing the bell for silence" The clamor subsided as if bymagic, and in the midst of a dead hush she began her s$eech"

CGirlsH EeD!e been back no for a hole fortnight%%time for most of usto shake don into our $laces, isnDt it The school yearDs fairlystarted, and eD!e met together this afternoon to talk about a number ofthings that are of !ery great im$ortance to us all" #ou all kno that aschool%%to be orth anything%%has to sides" ThereDs the inside $art,

ith classes and $re$" and e>ams"%%hatDs generally called theDcurriculumD%%thatDs managed by the mistresses" And thereDs the outside$art, the games and s$orts and concerts and guilds%%thatDs run by thegirls themsel!es"


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the Kuestion" 3!erybody must buck u$ all round" Those ho arenDt $layingthemsel!es can sho their interest by attending the matches" It makesthe greatest difference to an ele!en to kno that their on side isatching their $lay, and ready to cheer them on" ThereDs nothing soforlorn and de$ressing as to see hole ros of the enemyDs school hatson the s$ectatorsD benches, and only half%a%dozen of oneDs on%%yetthatDs hat ha$$ened hen e $layed 9arbury last s$ring"


27/148

ha!e handed in the same name%%that of =irsty Paterson" I therefore $ut=irsty u$ for election" ItDs only fair that I should first go o!er herKualifications for the office" She as our best center forard last yearat hockey, and our best boler at cricket" SheDs a thoroughly steady andreliable $layer herself, and%%this is most im$ortant%%sheDs able totrain others" #ou kno from e>$erience that sheDs fair and just, andsheDs tremendously keen" I feel sure that in her hands the games ould$ros$er, and eDd soon sho some im$ro!ement" Eill all those in fa!or of

electing =irsty kindly stand u$C

There as such a general rising among the girls that most $residentsould ha!e considered the matter settled" )argaret, hoe!er, liked to dothings strictly in order"

CThanks I Eill you $lease sit don again"


28/148

9ester as one of the best music $u$ils in the school" She had a goodcris$ touch and considerable e>ecution, and led off the concert ith as$rightly tarantella" A !iolin solo folloed, by Sibyl Lee, a member of"b", ho as rather ner!ous, but acKuitted herself fairly ellon the hole"

CI thought IDd break don,C she confided to her friends" CThe sight of

all those eyes staring at me Kuite $ut me off" I donDt onder blindmusicians are generally successes, they canDt see the audience" Eell,ne!er mind, ID!e done my bit, at any rateHC

The ne>t on the list as a song from Annie 9ardy" She had chosen C=ee$the 9ome 8ires Burning,C and rendered it ith great effect, the holeroom joining ith enthusiasm in the chorus" It took so ell that thereere shouts of C3ncoreHC and Annie came back smiling to gi!e C=hakiBoys,C hich roused her audience to an e!en higher $itch of $atrioticfer!or" A recitation, C5ur 9ockey )atch,C by Agnes 9eath, as felt to be$articularly a$$ro$riate to the occasion" It as a !ery good Cschool$iece,C humorous as ell as e>citing, and Agnes had enough dramaticability to do justice to it" 9er on form in $articular stam$ed lustily"

The $refects motioned her forard again, but she shook her head" Thecla$$ing redoubled" Agnes, escorted to the front by )argaret, boed andannounced&

C8earfully sorry not to oblige, but this is absolutely the only thing Ikno, and itDs too long to say all o!er againHC

There as a general laugh, and the audience settled itself to enjoy thene>t item on the $rogram" )argaret as signaling to Einona and Garnet,and the $air sli$$ed from their $laces, and made their ay to the$latform"

CIDm all u$setH I ho$e I shanDt break donHC his$ered Einona"

C


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A sudden re!ulsion of feeling se$t o!er Einona" All the school$atriotism aroused ithin her by )argaretDs s$eech surged u$ to meet thecrisis" She as no longer an isolated atom, a girl fresh from home, andon trial before the critical eyes of her ne form, but a unit in thegreat life of the school, bound to $lay her $art for the good of thehole, and s$ecially $ledged not to fail Garnet in this emergency" Selffaded in the larger !ision" The color flooded back into her face" She

made a des$erate effort, and struck the o$ening chords"

As her friend had reminded her, a duet as Kuite a different matter froma solo" (irectly the mandoline $art began, her confidence returned" Shetried to think that she as only $laying an accom$animent for Garnet"The $iece as not difficult, it as in (, Kuite the easiest key for theguitar, ith !ery fe accidentals or high $ositions" She took courage,and struck her strings cris$ly, so that the tone rang out ell" 9erinstrument as a good one, !ery true and mello, and her mother hadtaught her the liKuid S$anish touch hich shoed it to its bestad!antage" Garnet also as doing her best" 9er $lectrum !ibrated e!enlyand ra$idly, and the metallic tang, her gra!est fault, as not nearlyso e!ident as usual" The audience, unfamiliar ith these $articular

instruments, as not hy$ercritical, and so long as the $layers ke$t elltogether, and sounded no discords, their skill as judged to bee>cellent" The Barcarolle had an attracti!e sing about it, and aromantic suggestion of gondolas and la$$ing ater and moonlightserenades" As the last notes of the air on the mandoline died aay,Einona se$t her thumb o!er the strings of her guitar in a tremendousfinal chord" It had Kuite a magnificent and $rofessional effect" Thereas no mistake about the a$$lause it as sim$ly clamorous"

CStand u$ and boHC his$ered )argaret, nudging the unaccustomed$erformers" CThatDs rightH Bo againH ItDs most clearly an encore" 9a!eyou brought anything else ith you Good bizH (onDt aste any more time,then" EeDre rather late"C

The song that Einona had chosen as a bright little Irish ditty, ith acatchy tune and li!ely accom$animent" Garnet $layed the air softly onthe mandoline, and the to girls sang in unison, kee$ing strictlytogether, and $ronouncing !ery $lainly, so that the $oint of the amusingords should not be lost" The audience shrieked ith laughter, and ouldha!e demanded a further encore, had not )argaret $ointed to the clock,and shaken her head firmly" There ere other items on the $rogram andtime as going all too fast"

Another !iolin solo, a recitation and a 9ighland fling folloed thenthe concert ound u$ ith a 4hristy )instrel song from se!eral membersof the Si>th" This last as the trium$h of the afternoon" Patricia

$rided herself on her $re$arations" She had $laced a nes$a$er insidethe grand $iano o!er the strings, and hen the hammers struck against itthe effect of the accom$animent as e>actly that of a banjo" She hadborroed to sets of castanets, a $air of cymbals, and a triangle, andith these loud%sounding instruments she and her com$anions em$hasizedthe chorus" Garnet and Einona hel$ed ith mandoline and guitar, so thegeneral result as Kuite orchestral" (uring the $erformance of thischef%dDoeu!re some of the $refects ent round ith collecting bags,hich ere $assed along the benches"

C4ome, my dark%eyed honey,


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And hel$ to s$end my money,C

chanted the minstrels lustily, and the audience smiled at thea$$ro$riateness of the ords"

It as felt that the Sym$osium had been an enormous success" The girlsere Kuite loath to lea!e, and dis$ersed sloly from the gymnasium" )anyeyes ere turned on Einona and Garnet as they carried their instruments

don from the $latform" CEho are theyC e!ery one as asking, for so fartheir names ere not knon outside their on form" CThe to 4ountyScholarshi$ holders,C somebody re$lied, and the information as $assedon"

t morning, )argaret $roudly $osted u$ the result of the collection,hich amounted to *MJs"J Jd"J%%a !ery substantial sum in theestimation of the school"

CIt ought to be sufficient to buy a cu$HC she trium$hed" C)iss Bisho$has $romised to send for some catalogues, so that e can look u$ the$rices" Ee shall start the season ell, at any rate" =irstyDs almostready to stand on her headH I ne!er sa any one so elatedHC

C3>ce$t yourselfHC smiled Patricia"

C4ela !a sans dire, camaradeHC

Garnet and Einona, alking don the 9igh Street together after the$erformance, also com$ared notes"

CIt as fineH I do admire )argaret" )ustnDt it be s$lendid to be head ofthe schoolC sighed Garnet en!iously"

C(o you think so #es, I su$$ose it is, but if I had my choice, IDd adozen times o!er rather be Games 4a$tain,C ansered Einona"

49APT3'

Aunt 9arriet

It is high time no that e $aused to consider a !ery im$ortant $ersonindeed in this story, namely )iss 9arriet Beach, but for hosein!itation Einona ould ne!er ha!e attended Seaton 9igh School at all"Aunt 9arriet as hat is generally knon as Ca character,C that is to

say, she as $ossessed of a strong $ersonality, and as decidedlyeccentric" Though her age !erged on si>ty she $reser!ed the energy ofher thirties, and $rided herself u$on her $hysical fitness" She astall, ith a high color, keen bron eyes, a large nose, a determinedmouth, and iron gray hair" In her youth she must ha!e been handsome, ande!en no her erect figure and dark, ell%marked eyebros ga!e her acertain air of distinction" She as a most thoroughly ca$able oman,reliable, and strongly $hilanthro$ic& not in a sentimental ay, hoe!ershe disa$$ro!ed of indiscriminate almsgi!ing, and ould ha!e consideredit a crime to besto a $enny on a beggar ithout making a $ro$erin!estigation of his case" She as a toer of strength to most of the


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charitable institutions in the city, a terror to the $rofessional$au$er, but a real friend to the deser!ing" 9er time as much occu$iedith committees, secretarial duties, district !isiting, orkhouseins$ection and other $ublic interests" She as a$t indeed to ha!e morethan her share of ci!ic business her re$utation for absolutereliability caused $eo$le to get into the habit of saying C5h, go to)iss BeachHC on e!ery occasion, and as she in!ariably $ro!ed the illinghorse, she justified the $ro!erb and recei!ed the ork in increased

$ro$ortions"

Like most $eo$le, Aunt 9arriet had her faults" She as a$t to be atrifle o!erbearing and domineering, she lacked $atience ith othersDeaknesses, and as too doctrinaire in her !ies" She tried !ery hard to$ush the orld along, but she forgot sometimes that Cthe mills of Godgrind sloly,C and that it is only after much aiting and many days thatthe bread cast u$on the aters returns to us" She $rided herself on hercandor and lack of Chumbug"C ;nfortunately, $eo$le ho Cs$eak theirmindsC generally treat their hearers to a sam$le of their orst insteadof their best, and their e>cessi!e truthfulness scarcely meets ith thegratitude they consider it deser!es" )iss BeachDs many estimableKualities, hoe!er, o!erbalanced her crudities, her friends shrugged

their shoulders and told each other it as Cher ay,C Cher heart as allright"C Though she might gi!e offense, $eo$le forgot it, and came to heragain ne>t time they anted anything done, and the uni!ersal !erdict asthat she as Ctrying at times,C but on the hole one of the most usefulcitizens hich Seaton $ossessed"

If there as one $erson more than another ho ore out )iss BeachDs$atience it as her niece and goddaughter, )rs" Eoodard" She had asincere affection for her, but their to $ersonalities ere atabsolutely o$$osite $oles" She admitted that 8lorita as amiable,ell%meaning, and thoroughly affectionate, but for the rest sheconsidered her eak, foolishly hel$less, liable to e>tra!agance, a $oorhousekee$er, and a $erfect jelly%fish in her methods of bringing u$ her

family" In !ain did Aunt 9arriet, on successi!e !isits, $reach firmness,order, consistency and other maternal !irtues her niece ould braceherself u$ to a tem$orary effort, but ould rela> again directly herguest had de$arted, and the children%%little roguesH%%disco!ered at aremarkably early age that they could do $retty much as they liked" TheEoodards alays dreaded the ad!ent of Aunt 9arriet, her disa$$ro!al oftheir general conduct as so manifest" By dint of urging from theirmother they made e>tra attem$ts at good beha!ior before the august!isitor, but they ere subject to aful rela$ses" )rs" Eoodard, on herside, considered she had her trials, for her aunt had a habit ofarri!ing suddenly, gi!ing only a fe hoursD notice by telegram, and shecould not forbear the sus$icion that her re!ered god$arent ished tosur$rise her housekee$ing and catch her un$re$ared" 5n one occasion,

indeed, hen the family came don%%rather late%%for breakfast, Aunt9arriet as disco!ered sitting on the rustic seat outside thedining%room indo" She e>$lained that she had taken the 6 a"m"orkmenDs train and had come to s$end a long day ith them, but notishing to disturb the house at too early an hour she had remained inthe garden enjoying the !ie until somebody arri!ed donstairs" Ins$ite of her rather angular attitude, )iss Beach as a !ery kind andgenerous friend to her idoed niece, and she as the one $erson in theorld to hom )rs" Eoodard naturally thought of turning in time oftrouble" Aunt 9arrietDs ad!ice might not alays be $alatable, but it ascombined ith such $ractical hel$ that there seemed no alternati!e but


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to follo it"

)iss Beach, though not a rich oman, as $ossessed of !ery comfortable$ri!ate means" She li!ed in an old%fashioned house just o$$osite theAbbey, and her indos looked out on a !ie of toers and cloisters andtall lime trees, ith a foreground of monuments" To some $eo$le thearray of tombstones ould ha!e $ro!ed a dismal $ros$ect, but shedeclared it ne!er distressed her in the least" She $rided herself

greatly on the fact that she had been born in the house here herfather, grandfather and great%grandfather had also come into the orldand s$ent their li!es" 3>ce$t for an occasional e>$edition to 9ighfield,she rarely left home" All her interests ere in Seaton, and she becamemiserable directly if she ere aay from her nati!e city"

The little Eoodards had ne!er regarded it as much of a treat to go andstay at *-, Abbey 4lose" The restraint hich the !isit necessitatedKuite neutralized the afternoon at the cinema ith hich their auntin!ariably entertained them" The fine old 4hi$$endale furniture had tobe treated ith a res$ect not meted out to the chairs and tables athome, boots must be scru$ulously i$ed on the door%mat, bedrooms lefttidy, and books and ornaments ere to be held altogether sacred from the

ra!ages of $rying young fingers"

Einona had taken u$ her residence there ith somehat the feeling of ano!ice entering a nunnery" She as not Kuite sure ho she and Aunt9arriet ere going to get on" To her great relief, hoe!er, thingsturned out better than she e>$ected" )iss Beach recei!ed her ithunusual com$lacency, and the to settled don Kuite harmoniouslytogether" The fact as that Einona, a !isitor ith nothing to do, andEinona a busy 9igh School girl, ere utterly different $ersons" It isone thing to ander round somebody elseDs house and feel bored, andKuite another to hang u$ your hat, realize you are $art and $arcel ofthe establishment, and occu$y yourself ith your on business" 5nce shehad fallen into the sing of ork at school Einona began to a$$reciate

the orderliness of her auntDs arrangements" It had ne!er seemed tomatter at home if the breakfast ere late and she arri!ed at )iss9armonDs hen the clock had struck nine, but at CThe 9ighC it as anaffair of !ital im$ortance to be in her seat before call%o!er, and shedaily blessed the $unctuality of Aunt 9arrietDs cook" It as also agreat boon to be able to $re$are her lessons in Kuiet" 9er family hadne!er realized the necessity of silence during study hours, and she hadbeen used to learn 8rench !ocabularies or translate her Latin e>ercisesto a distracting accom$animent of 3rnieDs trum$et, (orrieDs and )amieDsKuarrels, GodfreyDs mouth organ, and LettyDs strumming u$on the $iano"

CIt ould ha!e been utterly im$ossible to do my $re$" at homeHC shethought sometimes" CIDd no idea hat ork as like before I came to

Seaton D9ighDH It ould do those youngsters good to ha!e a drillingH Iish they could ha!e been in the Pre$aratory" tremely busy ith her on multifarious occu$ationsthat she had not time to see !ery much of her great%niece" She madee!ery arrangement for her comfort, hoe!er, and caused the $iano to bemo!ed into the dining%room for the con!enience of her $racticing" Shehad alays had a tender s$ot for Einona, hom she regarded as the oneho$eful character in a family of noodles" She talked to her at meal


33/148

times about a !ariety of subjects, some of them ithin her intelligence,but others com$letely%%so far%%abo!e her head" She e!en tried to draher out u$on school matters" This, hoe!er, as a dead failure" Einona,most unfortunately, could not o!ercome her ae for her aunt, and refusedto e>$and" To all the Kuestions about her 8orm, her com$anions,teachers, lessons or ne e>$eriences, she re$lied in monosyllables" Itas a sad $ity, for )iss Beach had really ho$ed to in the girlDsconfidence and $ro!e a tem$orary mother to her, but finding her ad!ances

re$ulsed she also shrank back into her shell, and the intimacy hichmight ha!e e>isted beteen them as $ost$oned to future years" #oungfolks often fail to realize hat an interest their doings may ha!e togron%u$ $eo$le, and ho their bright fresh outlook on life may come asa tonic to older and earier minds" It ne!er struck Einona to try toamuse or entertain her aunt" At her $resent crude stage of de!elo$mentshe as inca$able of a$$reciating the subtle $athos that clings roundelderly li!es, and their istful longing to be included in thee>$eriences of the rising generation" Shyness and lack of $erce$tionheld her silent, and the em$ty corner in Aunt 9arrietDs heart entunfilled"

Saturday and Sunday ere the only days u$on hich Einona had time to

feel homesick" 9er mother had at first suggested her returning to9ighfield for the eek ends, but )iss Beach had strongly !etoed the$roject on the justifiable ground that e!en the earliest train fromAshbourne on )onday mornings did not reach Seaton till +"M-, so thatEinona ould lose the first hourDs lesson of her school eek" She mightha!e added that she considered such freKuent home !isits ould $ro!ehighly unsettling and interfere greatly ith her ork, but for once sherefrained from stating her frank o$inion, $robably deeming the otherargument sufficient, and illing to s$are )rs" EoodardDs feelings"

Letters from 9ighfield shoed little change in the usual conduct offamily affairs" The children ere still attending )iss 9armonDs school,though they ere to lea!e at 4hristmas"

CEe are late nearly e!ery day no you are not here to make 3rniestart,C rote )amie, almost as if it ere an achie!ement to be $roud of"C9e locked the $iano and thre the key in the garden, and e could noneof us $ractice for three days" EasnDt it lo!ely Letty $ours out tea ifmother isnDt in, and yesterday she broke the tea$ot"C

The chief items of nes, hoe!er, concerned Percy" That young gentleman,ith hat Aunt 9arriet considered his usual $er!ersity, had s$rained hisankle on the !ery day before he ought to ha!e returned to school" 9e hadbeen ordered to lie u$ on the sofa, but Einona gathered that thedoctorDs directions had not been !ery strictly carried out" She stronglysus$ected that the $atient did not ish to reco!er too Kuickly" Ehether

or not that had been the case, Percy as no con!alescent, and as toset off for school on the folloing 8riday" Longorth 4ollege as not agreat distance, and as Percy ould ha!e to $ass through Seaton on hisay, Aunt 9arriet in!ited him to break his journey there and s$end thenight at her house" She had a $oor o$inion of the boyDs ca$acity, butha!ing undertaken a half share in his education she felt an increasedsense of res$onsibility toards him, and ished to find an o$$ortunityof a ord ith him in $ri!ate"

Einona hailed her brotherDs ad!ent ith immense joy" 3!en so flying a!isit as better than nothing" Letters ere an inadeKuate means of


34/148

e>$ression, and she as longing to $our out all her ne e>$eriences" Sheanted to tell Percy about the Sym$osium, and her friendshi$ for Garnet,and the chemistry class, and the gymnasium $ractice, and to sho himher hockey jersey hich had just arri!ed" She had so long been thereci$ient of all his school nes that it ould be delightful to turn thetables and gi!e him a chronicle of her on doings at the Seaton C9igh,Chich in her o$inion Kuite ri!aled Longorth 4ollege"

To the young $eo$leDs scarcely su$$ressed satisfaction, )iss Beach entout after tea to attend an im$ortant meeting, lea!ing her ne$he andniece to s$end the e!ening alone together" They had ne!er e>$ected suchluck" As it as 8riday Einona had no lessons to $re$are for the ne>tday, and could feel free for a delightful chat" She flung herself intoAunt 9arrietDs s$ecial big easy chair by the fireside, and loungedlu>uriously, hile Percy, boy%like, $roled about the room"

CEell, IDm glad youDre jogging along all right,C he remarked hen hissisterDs long account came to a $ause" CThough $lease donDt for a momentcom$are your blessed old 9igh School to Longorth, for theyDre not inthe same runningH Aunt 9arriet hasnDt Kuite eaten you u$ yet, I seeC

CSheDs not such a Gorgon as I e>$ected" In fact sheDs been ratherdecent"C

CThe dragonDs sheathed her talons Eell, thatDs good biz" #ou ent offas tragic as I$higenia, heroically declaring yourself the familysacrifice"C

C(id IC Einona had almost forgotten her original attitude of martyr"Three eeks had made a !ast difference to her feelings"

CIf you can $eg it out in comfort ith the dragon so much to the good"ShouldnDt care to li!e here myself though" ItDs a dull hole"


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C)r" :oynson said%%C

C5h, for goodness sake shut u$H A boy of si>teen isnDt going to bebear%led by an old fogey like :oynson" 9e has the mater far too muchunder his finger and thumb for my taste" If you ant to be chums ithme, donDt $reachHC

Einona as silent" 9er brotherDs infatuation for the icarDs sca$egraceard as the affair of a year ago" She had ho$ed he had forgotten it"9is esca$ades at the time, in com$any ith his hero, had caused hismother to seek the ad!ice and guidance of her trustee"

CSome one as telling me the other day that old oak furniture is orth atremendous lot of money no,C continued Percy, his eye ro!ing round theroom ith an air almost of future $ro$rietorshi$" CIf thatDs so thesethings of Aunt 9arrietDs are a little gold mine" There as an account ofa sale in the nes$a$er, ith a $icture of a cu$board that fetched tohundred $ounds" It as first cousin to thatHC nodding at a s$lendidlycar!ed old $iece hich faced him"

)iss BeachDs household goods ere inherited from her great%grandfather,and included some fine s$ecimens of oak, as ell as rare 4hi$$endale"Einona as too young to be a connoisseur of antiKuities, but she had thecuriosity to rise from her chair and join Percy in his ins$ection of thearticle in Kuestion"

CI tell you theyDre as alike as to $easHC he declared" CSame sha$e,same sort of car!ing, same knobs at the endH The reason hy I rememberthe thing is that the buyer found a secret draer in it after heDd gotit home, ith some old rubbish inside, and there as a lasuit as to hooned these" 9e claimed heDd bought the lot ith the cu$board, but thejudge made him turn them u$ to the family of the original oner" Thatas hy there as a $icture of the cu$board in the nes$a$er" It $ut an

arro shoing the $lace of the secret draer" I onder if thereDs onehere, too IDm going to ha!e a tryH By :o!e, there isHC

A !igorous $ull had dislodged a draer in a !ery une>$ected situation"Einona ould certainly ne!er ha!e thought of its e>istence, nor ouldPercy, if the nes$a$er had not gi!en aay the secret" 9e looked eagerlyinside"

Cce$t this$iece of $a$er"C

CPerha$s Aunt 9arriet has ne!er found it out,C !entured Einona"

Percy did not anser immediately" 9e as reading the riting on the$a$er"

C#ou bet she hasHC he cried at last, flushing angrily" CI ne!er thoughtsheDd much o$inion of me, but I call this the limitH ItDs going here itdeser!esHC and acting on a sudden im$ulse he flung the cause of offenseinto the fire"

8or a moment Einona did not realize hat he had done" By the time shereached the hearth the $a$er as already half consumed" She made asnatch at it ith the tongs, but a flame s$rang u$ and forestalled her"


36/148

She had just time to read the ords Clast Eill and Testament of me9ar%%C before the hole sank into ashes" She turned to her brother itha hite, scared face"

CPercyH #ouD!e ne!er burnt Aunt 9arrietDs illC

Ashamed already of his im$etuous act the boy ne!ertheless tried to bluffthe matter off"

CIt as an abominable shameH Ehen IDm named Beach after her tooH IouldnDt ha!e belie!ed it if I hadnDt read it myselfHC he blustered"

C'ead hatC

CI shanDt tell youH Look here, Ein, you must $romise on your honor thatyouDll ne!er breathe a ord about this"C

CPerha$s Aunt 9arriet ought to kno"C

CShe mustnDt kno& JmustnDtJ, I tell youH I say, Ein, IDm not at allsure that hat ID!e just done isnDt a chargeable offense%%I belie!e they

call it a felony" #ou ouldnDt like to see me $ut into $rison, ouldyou Then hold your tongue about itH Gi!e me your ordH 4an you kee$ asecretC

CI $romiseHC gas$ed Einona ?Percy as sKueezing her little finger nailin orthodo> fashion and the agony as acute" CI $romise faithfully"C

She as in a terrible Kuandary" 9er natural straightforardness urgedher to make a clean breast of the hole affair" 9ad she been the actualtransgressor she ould certainly ha!e done so and faced theconseKuences" But this as PercyDs secret, not her on" 9e as nofa!orite ith his aunt, and so outrageous an act ould $rejudice himfatally in her eyes" The hint about $rison frightened Einona" She kne

nothing of la, but she thought it highly $robable that burning a illas a $unishable crime" Su$$ose Aunt 9arrietDs rigid conscience obligedher to communicate ith the $olice and deli!er Percy into the hands ofjustice" Such a horrible $ossibility must be a!oided at all costs" Thesound of a latch%key in the door made her start" In a $anic she rushedto the old cu$board and $ushed back the secret draer into its $lace"Ehen )iss Beach entered the dining%room her ne$he and niece eresitting reading by the fireside" Their choice of literature might$erha$s ha!e astonished her, for Percy as $oring o!er Sir 5li!erLodgeDs C)an and the ;ni!erse,C hile EinonaDs nose as buried in9erbert S$encerDs CSociology,C but if indeed she noticed it, she $erha$sset it don to a laudable desire to im$ro!e their minds, and $laced thematter to their credit" Percy took his de$arture ne>t morning, and

Einona sa him off at the railay station"

C'emember, youD!e to kee$ that business dark,C he reminded her" CAunt9arriet must ne!er find out" SheDs been jaing me no end aboutres$onsibility, and looking after the kids and su$$orting the mater andall that" 'ubbed it in hard, I can tell youH Great :ugginsH (o I looklike the mainstay of a familyC

As Einona atched his boyish face laughing at her from the indo of themo!ing train she decided that he certainly did not" She sighed as sheturned to lea!e the station" Life seemed suddenly to ha!e assumed ne


37/148

$er$le>ities" PercyDs act eighed hea!ily on her mind" It seemed such abase return for all Aunt 9arriet as doing on their behalf" She longedto thank her for her kindness and say ho much she a$$reciated going tothe 9igh School, but she could not find the ords" Theknoledge of thesecret raised an e>tra barrier beteen herself and her aunt" So she satat lunch time e!en shyer and more s$eechless than usual, and let theball of con!ersation $ersistently dro$"

C8retting for her brother, I su$$ose,C thought )iss Beach" CShe can talkfast enough ith friends of her on age" Eell, I su$$ose an old bodylike myself mustnDt e>$ect to be com$any for a girl of fifteenHC

She as too $roud to let the hurt feeling sho itself on her face,hoe!er, and $ro$$ing u$ the nes$a$er beside her $late, she $lungedinto the latest accounts from the 8ront"

49APT3' I

A 4risis

Einona had been more than a month, nearly fi!e eeks indeed, at theSeaton 9igh School" In the first fe days of her introduction to"a" she had told herself that the difficulty of the orkconsisted largely in its neness, and that as soon as she greaccustomed to it she ould sail along as simmingly as Garnet 3merson,or 5la!e Parry, or 9ilda Langley, or Agatha :ames" )ost unfortunatelyshe found her theory acted in the o$$osite direction" 4loseracKuaintance ith her 8orm subjects $ro!ed their e>treme toughness" Sheas not nearly u$ to the standard of the rest of the girls" 9er Latingrammar as shaky, her 8rench only a trifle better, she had merely a

nodding acKuaintance ith geometry, and had not before studiedchemistry" 9er teacher seemed to e>$ect her to understand many things ofhich she had hitherto ne!er heard, and as a$$arently astounded at herignorance" Einona $uzzled o!er her te>t%books during many hours of$re$aration, but she made little headay" The royal road to learning,hich she had fondly ho$ed to tread, as $ro!ing itself a stony andtisting $ath"

CJ#ouJ seem to get on all rightC she said istfully to Garnet one day"

CEhy, yes" 5f course one has to ork,C admitted her friend" C)iss9untley kee$s one u$ to the mark" But one must e>$ect that in"a" They donDt $ut scholarshi$ holders in the Pre$aratory"C

CI as all at sea in math" this morning"C

C#ou ere rather a duffer, certainly" The $roblems erenDt as difficultas the ones they ga!e us in the entrance e>am" If those didnDt flooryou, hy couldnDt you ork theseC

CBut they did floor me" I barely managed half the $a$er" I reckoned IDdfailed in it"C

Garnet looked sur$rised"


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CThen your other subjects must ha!e been e>tremely good to make u$ forit" I as told that e should $robably stand or fall by maths" #ou ereri$$ing in e!erything else, I su$$ose Scored no endC

Einona did not anser the Kuestion" She as conscious that none of her$a$ers could ha!e merited such an eulogium" She en!ied GarnetDs gras$ ofthe form ork" Try as she ould, her on e>ercises and translations ere

$oor affairs, and her ill%trained memory found it difficult to marshalthe enormous number of facts that ere daily forced u$on it" )iss9untley at first as $atient, but as the eeks ore on, and Einona stillalloed in a Kuagmire of amazing mistakes, she gre sarcastic" The girlinced under some of her cutting remarks" A$$arently the mistressimagined her failure to be due to laziness and inattention, and soonerthan confess that she could not understand the ork, Einona as silent"She ne!er mentioned the long hours she s$ent $oring o!er her books inAunt 9arrietDs dining%room" After all, it as better to be thought idlethan stu$id" But it as humiliating to feel that she as counted amongthe slackers of the 8orm, hile Garnet as already inning laurels" Thecontrast beteen the to scholarshi$ holders could not fail to benoticed"

)iss 9untley ?$ri!ately knon to the 8orm as CBuntyC as a cle!er, butrather remorseless teacher" She had been on the staff since the o$eningof the school to years before, and she as determined at all costs tomaintain the high standard inaugurated at its foundation" She asherself the $roduct of 9igh School education, and kne to the lastscru$le ho much to reKuire from girls in "a" To those hoa$$eared to be really trying their best she as ready to gi!eintelligent hel$, but she had no mercy for slackers" She as $ossessedof a certain amount of dry humor, greatly a$$reciated by the form JenblocJ, though each Kuaked $ri!ately lest, through some unlucky sli$, shemight find herself the object of the smart but ithering satires"(es$ite her strictness, CBuntyC as $o$ular" She as an admirable tennis

$layer, and a formidable cham$ion in a match C)istresses J!"J Girls"C9er strong $ersonality fascinated Einona, ho ould ha!e done much togain her a$$ro!al" So far, hoe!er, she as entirely on )iss 9untleyDsblack list"

)atters came to a crisis o!er a difficult bit of ergil" Latin as,ne>t to mathematics, the most $ainfully obbling of EinonaDs shakysubjects" She had $uzzled in !ain o!er this $articular $iece oftranslation" The ords, indeed, she had found in the dictionary, but shecould not tist them into sense"

C5ld ergilDs utterly stum$ed me to%dayHC she mourned to Garnet, as theymet in the dressing%room before nine oDclock" CIf Bunty $uts me to

construe anyhere on $age *, IDm a gone coon" IDm feeling in a bluefunk, I can tell you"C

CPoor old bluebottleH (onDt rinkle u$ your forehead like that%%youDremaking $ermanent linesH ItDs a bad trick, and just s$oils you"C

CI canDt hel$ it hen IDm orriedHC

CThen donDt orry"C

C5h, itDs easy enough for you you donDt ha!e to recei!e the !ials of


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BuntyDs scorn"C

Einona ho$ed against ho$e that the difficult $age might fall to somebodyelseDs turn" )iss 9untley took no $articular order, but selected girlsat random to construe the lesson" In a 8orm of tenty it as $ossiblenot to be chosen at all" Einona ke$t !ery Kuiet, so as not to attractthe mistressD attention" )arjorie =em$ and 5la!e Parry had alreadytranslated half of the fatal $age, ith tolerable credit" )iss 9untleyDs

eye as andering in the direction of Irene )ills" Einona dared tobreathe" Then, alasH alasH Some unlucky star caused the mistress to lookback toards the middle of the room" In a s$asm of ner!ousness, Einonajerked her elbo, and aay ent her $encil%bo>, clattering on to thefloor, and dis$ersing its collection of $ens, $encils, nibs and othertreasures beneath the neighboring desks" There as a dead silence, andthe cul$rit as instantly the center of attention"

CA clumsy thing to doH Lea!e those things here they areH #ou can $ickthem u$ after the lesson,C obser!ed )iss 9untley grimly" CGo on no iththe translation"C

EinonaDs hot face had been hidden under Audrey 'edfernDs desk" She rose

reluctantly" 9er confusion made the hard $assage seem tice asdifficult" 3!en the ords hich she had carefully looked u$ in thedictionary and learned by heart esca$ed her fickle memory" She stumbledand floundered ho$elessly, getting redder and redder ith shame" )iss9untley $reser!ed an ominous silence, and did not attem$t to hel$ herout"

CThat ill doHC she said, at the end of about eight lines" CAfter such acom$lete e>hibition of incom$etence e onDt inflict any more of yourbungling u$on the form" Ee must see if e can find a ay of shar$eningyour its" #our brain seems to ha!e been lying fallo since you came toschoolH #ou ill re$ort yourself to )iss Bisho$ at four oDclock thisafternoon"C

The rest of the morning $assed like a bad dream to Einona" It as a raree!ent for a teacher to send a girl to the head mistress" The $ros$ect ofthe coming inter!ie made her cold ith a$$rehension" She a!oided Garnetat one oDclock, and hurried out of the dressing%room ithout s$eakingto any one" She had a ild $roject of $leading a headache, and beggingAunt 9arriet to let her sto$ at home for the rest of the day" But thento%morroDs e>$lanations ould be infinitely orse"


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ty minutes asbringing her nearer to her dreaded inter!ie" At four oDclock, ith ahorrible sinking feeling in her heart, and a trembling sensation in herknees, she knocked at the door of the head%mistressDs study, and entered

in res$onse to the C4ome inHC hich folloed" )iss Bisho$ looked u$ fromsome $a$ers, motioned her to a chair, and ent on riting for se!eralminutes" To Einona it seemed orse than aiting at the dentistDs" Thesus$ense as ghastly"

At last the Princi$al $aused, laid don her $en, and blotted her $ages"

C4ome here, Einona Eoodard,C she said Kuietly" CI ish to ha!e astraight talk ith you"C

)iss Bisho$Ds eyes ere her most striking feature" They ere large andclear, but the $u$ils ere unusually small, a$$earing mere black s$ecksin the midst of a ide circle of blue" This $eculiarity ga!e her a

$articularly intense and $enetrating e>$ression" Einona, standing atattention beside the desk, dro$$ed her on eyes before the steady,searching gaze"

C)iss 9untleyDs re$ort of your ork is not at all satisfactory,C began)iss Bisho$" CI ha!e been atching your $rogress since you joined theschool, and I cannot think you are trying your best" At first, hen youere totally ne to your 8orm, I sus$ended judgment, but you ha!e beenhere nearly half a term no%%Kuite long enough to accustom yourself toour methods" I confess I am greatly disa$$ointed" I had ho$ed for betterthings from the holder of a 4ounty Scholarshi$"C

Einona remained silent" She could think of nothing to say in

self%defense"

CIt must be sheer lack of grit and effort,C continued )iss Bisho$" CIcannot understand ho a girl ho did so remarkably ell in the entrancee>amination can rest content ith such a lo record" 9o long do youtake o!er your $re$arationC

C;ntil my aunt sends me to bed,C re$lied Einona, in a !ery subdued!oice" CI s$end the hole e!ening at my lessons"C

)iss Bisho$ looked $uzzled"


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CThen the ork must be too difficult for you" If that is the case, Imust remo!e you to "b"C

"b" as notorious in the school as a refuge for incom$etence"It as mainly com$osed of girls of si>teen and se!enteen ho could notreach the standard of the Si>th, and ho ent by the nickname of ColsCor Cstu$ids"C The $ros$ect of being relegated to such an intellectual

backater s$read $al$able dismay o!er EinonaDs face" )iss Bisho$ smiledrather grimly"

CEe canDt in honors ithout $aying the $riceH #ou must kno thatalready by e>$erience" I conclude tha

13088595 the Luckiest Girl in School

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