Malory Towers - In The Fifth At Malory Towers Part 3

WHEN'S dear Gwendoline Mary coming back?' asked Alicia, as they all lay out in the sun after their dinner at a quarter to two that day. It was so warm and sunny that it was like summer. All the girls had found warm places out of doors, and the grounds were full of little companies of girls happily sunning themselves.

'Gwen? Oh, she's arriving at tea-time,' said Darrell. 'Dear Gwendoline Mary! Would you think she's what Catherine would call a "pet-lamb"?'

'I could think of much more suitable names than that,' said Belinda, busy drawing Mavis, who had gone to sleep with her mouth open.

'Is Gwendoline nice?' asked Maureen. 'She sounds nice, to me.'

Darrell winked at Alicia.

'Nice? Oh, you'll love her!' she said. 'So sympathetic and ready to listen! So interesting to talk to - and the tales she tells about her family and her dogs and her cats - well, you could listen for hours, Maureen.'

'Is she fond of sports?' asked Maureen, who quite definitely wasn't. 'At Mazeley Towers we didn't do games unless we wanted to. I mean - they weren't compulsory, as they are here - such a mistake, I think.'

'Oh, Gwen hates games,' said Alicia. 'But because she's fat she has to do them as much as possible and walk miles, too.'

'Poor Gwendoline!' said Maureen, sympathizing deeply with the absent fifth-former. 'We shall have a lot in common, I can see. Has she - has she a special friend, do you know? Of course - that's a silly question I know - a girl like that's bound to have a special friend. But I just thought - you know, I'm rather one on my own - it would be so nice to find someone here who wasn't already fixed up with a companion for walks - and talks.'

'Let me see,' said Alicia, blinking up at the sky. 'Has Gwendoline Mary a friend?'

Everyone appeared to think very deeply.

'Well - perhaps not a special friend,' said Irene, with a small snort of laughter. 'Let us say she's a little-friend-of-all-the-world, shall we?'

'Ah - you've just hit the nail on the head,' said Darrell, trying not to giggle. 'I think she'd like Maureen, don't you?'

'She'll love her,' said Belinda, with the utmost conviction 'Wake up, Mavis, and see how beautiful you look when you're asleep.'

'Beast!' said Mavis, taking a look at Belinda's comical sketch of her lying asleep with her mouth open. Maureen took a look as well.

'That's quite a clever drawing,' she said. 'I can draw, too. I was one of the best at Mazeley Manor. I must show you my sketches sometime, Belinda. They're very much the same style as yours.'

Belinda was about to say something short and rude when Irene frowned at her, and then spoke in a sickly-sweet tone to the unsuspecting Maureen.

'I suppose you can sing, too, can't you - and can you compose?'

'Oh, I can sing,' said Maureen, pleased with all this attention. 'Yes, I had special lessons at Mazeley Manor. The singing-master said I had a most unusual voice. And I've composed quite a few songs. Dear, dear - you mustn't make me talk about myself like this!'

She gave her silly little laugh. Everyone else wanted to laugh, too. How could anyone be so idiotic?

'Were there many girls at your last school?' asked Sally, wondering how in the world any school could turn out somebody like Maureen.

'Oh no - it was a very very select school,' said Maureen. 'They picked and chose their girls very very carefully.'

'You'll have to tell Gwen all these things,' said Alicia, earnestly. 'Won't she, girls? Gwen will be so interested. And don't you think it would be nice for dear Gwendoline to have someone like Maureen for a friend? I mean - I feel she's made of, er - finer stuff than we are - and I'm sure Gwendoline Mary would appreciate that.'

Maureen could hardly believe that all these wonderful remarks applied to her. She gazed round half-suspiciously, but the girls all looked at her with straight faces. Irene had to look away. She felt certain one of her terrific snorts was coming.

'Gwen's always lonely when she comes back,' went on Alicia. Then's the time to talk to her, Maureen. We'll tell her about you, and you can make friends.'

'Thank you very much,' said Maureen, basking in what she thought was universal appreciation of herself. 'I really hardly think the girls at Mazeley Manor could be nicer than you!'

Irene snorted loudly and somehow turned it into a cough and a sneeze.

Maureen looked a little suspicious again, but at that moment Mam'zelle Dupont descended on them, smiling. She sat down on the gra.s.s, first looking for ants, earwigs and beetles. She was terrified of them. She beamed round amicably. The girls smiled back. They liked the plump, hot-tempered, humorous French mistress. She was not like Mam'zelle Rougier, bad-tempered all the time - if she got into a temper, she blew up, certainly - but it didn't last long.

'Ah - you are all basketing in the sun,' she said, much to the surprise of everyone.

'Oh - you mean basking, don't you, Mam'zelle?' said Darrell, with a squeal of laughter.

'Yes, yes - this lovely sun!' said Mam'zelle, and she wriggled her plump shoulders in enjoyment. In a moment or two, however, she would feel afraid of getting a freckle and would retire into the shade!

'And you, ma pet.i.te Maureen - you are settling down here nicely, are you not?' asked Mam'zelle, kindly, seeing Maureen next to her. 'Of course, you will be missing your old school - what name is it, now - ah, yes - your Measley Manor, is it not?'

A shout of laughter deafened her.

'Oh, Mam'zelle - you're priceless!' almost wept Belinda. 'You always. .h.i.t the nail on the head!'

'The nail? What nail?' asked Mam'zelle, looking all round as if she expected to see a nail suspended in the air somewhere. 'I have hit nothing. Do not tease me now. It is too hot!'

She turned to Maureen again. 'They interrupt their kind old Mam'zelle,' she said, smiling down at the fluffy-haired Maureen. 'I was asking you about your lovely Measley Manor.'

This time it was too much. Maureen's look of offended disgust with Mam'zelle and with the laughing girls made them roll on the gra.s.s in an agony of mirth. Mam'zelle was astonished. What had she said that was so funny?

'All I ask is about this lovely . . .' she began again, in bewilderment. n.o.body stopped laughing. Maureen got up and walked off in a huff. How hateful to laugh at such a horrid name for her old school - and did Mam'zelle really mean to call it that? Was she poking fun at her, too? Maureen seriously began to doubt if all the nice things said to her were meant.

'Oh dear,' said Darrell, sitting up and wiping the tears from her eyes. 'You're a pet, Mam'zelle! Girls, in future, we refer to Measley Manor as soon as Maureen trots out her horrible soppy school again. We'll soon cure her of that.'

'I wish Gwen would hurry up and come,' said Sally. 'I'm longing to see those two together. Maureen's so like Gwen in her ways - it'll be like Gwen looking into a mirror and seeing herself, when she knows Maureen!'

'Now, now - play no treeks on Maureen,' said Mam'zelle. She meant tricks, of course. 'Poof! It is hot. I shall grow a freckle on my nose. I feel it! I must sit in the shade. Poof!' 'We're going to have a nice term, Mam'zelle,' said Darrell. 'Games, plenty of them - and we fifth-formers are doing the Christmas entertainment! We shan't have much time for French, I'm afraid.'

'Mechante fille!' said Mam'zelle at once, fanning violently and making herself much hotter. 'Bad girl, Darrell. You will have plenty of time for French. And no treeks. No treeks this term. There will be NO TIME for treeks.'

'Why don't you play a treek, Mam'zelle?' asked Alicia, lazily. 'We give you full permission to work as hard as you like at playing a treek on us.'

'Oh yes - as many tricks as you like!' said Sally, joyfully.

'But we'll see through them all,' said Mavis.

'Ah - if I played you a treek it would be superbe!' said Mam'zelle, p.r.o.nouncing it the French way, 'Superbe! Magnifique! Merveilleuse! Such a treek you would never have seen before.'

'We dare you to, Mam'zelle,' said Alicia at once.

'Me, I am not daring,' said Mam'zelle. I think of a treek perhaps, yes - but I could not do it. Helas! I have not your dare.'

The bell rang for afternoon school. Everyone got up. Alicia hauled Mam'zelle to her feet so strongly that she almost fell over again. 'You have too much dare,' she told Alicia, crossly. 'Always you have too much dare, Alicia!'

7 GWENDOLINE ARRIVES.

GWENDOLINE came back just before tea, by car. The news flew round. 'Dear Gwendoline Mary's back! Come and see the fond farewells!'

Gwen's farewells were a standing joke at Malory Towers. There were always tears and fond embracings, and injunctions to write soon, that went on for ages between her and her mother and her old governess, Miss Winter, who lived with them.

Faces lined the windows overlooking the drive. Gwendoline got out of the car. Her mother and Miss Winter got out, too. Her father, who was driving, made no move. He had got very tired of Gwendoline in the holidays.

'Out come the hankies!' said Alicia, and out came Gwen's and her mother's and Miss Winter's. And dear me, out came the hankies of all the wicked watchers at the windows above!

'Now we pat our eyes!' went on Alicia, and sure enough the eye-patting went on down below - and above too, as everyone sniffed and wiped their eyes.

Irene, of course, gave the show away with one of her explosions. The four below looked up in surprise and saw the watching girls, all with hankies to their eyes.

Mr. Lacy roared. He held on to the wheel and laughed loudly. 'They're putting up as good a show for you, Gwen, as you're putting up for them!' he cried. The girls at the window disappeared as soon as they saw that they had been seen. They felt a little uncomfortable. Mrs. Lacy might complain of their bad manners now! It would be just like her.

'Mother, get back into the car,' said Gwendoline exasperated. She hadn't known she was being watched at all. She did so love these little farewell scenes - and now this one was spoilt! Her mother and Miss Winter were almost hustled back, without another tear or hug.

'I don't like that behaviour, Gwendoline,' said Mrs. Lacy, offended at the conduct of the girls. 'I've a good mind to write to Miss Grayling.'

'Oh no, Mother!' said Gwendoline, in alarm. She never liked being brought to Miss Grayling's notice at all. Miss Grayling had said some very horrid things to her at times!

'It's all right, Gwen. I shan't let her,' said her father, dryly. 'For goodness' sake, say good-bye now, and go in. And mind - if I hear any nonsense about you this term you'll have me to reckon with, not your mother. You were bad and foolish last term, and you suffered for it. You will suffer for it again, if I hear bad reports of you. On the other hand, no one will be more pleased than I shall to have a good report of you. And I've no doubt I shall.'

'Yes, Daddy,' said Gwendoline, meekly.

'How unkind you are just as we're leaving Gwen,' said Mrs. Lacy, dabbing her eyes again. 'Good-bye, darling. I shall miss you so!'

Gwendoline took a desperate look up at the windows. Gracious, was Mother going to begin all over again?

'Good-bye,' she said, curtly, and shut the car door. Immediately her father put in the clutch and the car moved off. Without even turning to wave Gwen marched up the steps with her lacrosse stick and night-case. Her trunk had been sent on in advance.

Maureen had not seen the fond farewells. She did not see Gwen till tea-time. Gwen took her case up to the dormy and was thankful to find it empty. She looked at herself in the gla.s.s. She wasn't fat any more - well, not very, she decided. All those hateful walks had taken away her weight. And now she had to face a term with heaps of games and walks - but thank goodness, no swimming!

The tea-bell went. Gwen quickly brushed her fluffy golden hair, so like Maureen's, washed her hands, pulled her tie straight, and went downstairs.

She walked into the dining-room with the last few girls. She caught sight of her form at the fifth-form table. They waved to her.

'Hallo! Here's dear Gwendoline Mary again!'

'Had good hols?'

'You went to France, didn't you? Lucky thing.'

'You're a day late - you've missed a lot already!'

'Said good-bye to your people?'

Gwendoline felt pleased to be back. Of course, it was nice to be at home with her mother and Miss Winter and be waited on hand and foot, and be fussed over - but it was fun at school. She made up her mind to be sensible and join in everything this term. So she smiled round very amiably.

'Hallo, everyone! It's nice to be back. You'll have to tell me all the news. I only got back from France yesterday.'

'Ah - la belle France!' put in Mam'zelle. 'We must have some chest-to-chest talks about la belle France.'

Gwen looked surprised. 'Oh - you mean heart-to-heart talks, Mam'zelle. Yes, that would be lovely.'

'Gwendoline, there's a new girl,' said Alicia, in a suspiciously smooth voice. 'Let me introduce her - you'll like her. This is Maureen. And this is - Gwendoline Mary. A bit alike to look at, aren't they, Mam'zelle?'

'C'est vrai!' agreed Mam'zelle. 'Yes, it is true. Both so golden - and with big blue eyes. Ah yes, it is a true English beauty, that!'

This gratified both Gwen and Maureen immensely, and made them look with great interest at each other. They shook hands and smiled.

'I've kept a place for you,' said Maureen, shyly, making her eyes big as she looked at Gwen. Gwen sat down and looked to see what there was for tea. She was hungry after her long car-ride.

'Have some of my honey,' said Maureen, eagerly. 'We keep bees, you know - and we always have such a lot of honey. We have hens, too. So we have plenty of eggs. I brought some back with me. I hope you'll share them with me.'

Gwendoline rather liked all this. Dear me, she must have made quite an impression on the new girl, although she had only just arrived!

'The others have been telling me all about you,' gushed Maureen. 'How popular you seem to be!'

This didn't ring quite true, somehow, to Gwendoline. She hadn't known she was as popular as all that. In fact, though she didn't admit it frankly to herself, she knew quite well she was probably the least popular of all the girls in the form!

Maureen chattered away merrily, and Gwen listened, not so much because she wanted to, as because she was so busy tucking in. At this rate, thought the amused Alicia, Gwendoline would put on more fat than games and gym and walks would take off!

'You'll be pleased to hear we haven't got to work quite so hard this term, Gwen,' she told her. 'More time for games and gym. You'll like that.'

Gwendoline gave Alicia one of her Looks, as she called them. Alas, they never impressed Alicia. It wasn't safe to argue with Alicia, or contradict, or try to say something cutting. Alicia was always ten times as quick at answering back and a hundred times as cutting as anyone else.

'We'll have the committee meeting at half-past five,' announced Moira. 'That seems to be the best time. You'll be coming, Gwendoline, won't you - have you heard about the Christmas Entertainment Committee yet?'

Gwendoline hadn't, so she was duly enlightened. She was pleased. She saw herself at once in one of the chief parts of whatever play or pantomime was chosen. She would loosen her sheet of golden hair - what a pity it wasn't curly. She would look lovely, she knew she would!

Exactly the same thoughts were going through Maureen's mind. She too would like one of the chief parts - and she too would play it with her golden hair loose. She felt she would like to confide her thoughts to Gwendoline.

'When I was at Mazeley Manor,' she began. Belinda interrupted at once.

'Oh yes - have you told Gwen about Measley Manor?'

Maureen frowned. 'You know it's Mazeley,' she said, with dignity. 'Mam'zelle just didn't know how to p.r.o.nounce it, that's all, when she said it.'

Mam'zelle caught her name mentioned. She turned, with her wide smile. 'Ah - you want to talk about Measley Manor again, your dear old school, n'est ce pas? You have not yet told Gwendoline about Measley Manor?'

Maureen saw the girls grinning and gave it up. She went on talking to Gwen, who was astonished at all this by-play which she didn't, of course, understand.

'At my old school we did a pantomime,' said Maureen. 'It was the "Sleeping Beauty". I had to have my hair loose, of course. You have to have someone with golden hair for those parts, don't you?'