Part 7 (2/2)

Connie went, scared. If it had been Ruth with her, in trouble, she would have stayed and stuck up for her - but Bridget was different. She always stood up for herself. She faced Moira now.

'That's a nice thing to tell anyone about your sister, Moira,' she said. 'Was.h.i.+ng your dirty linen in public! Telling somebody I'm not fit to make friends with.'

'I didn't say that,' said Moira. 'Why can't you behave yourself, Bridget? I'm ashamed of you. I'm always hearing things about you.'

'Well, so am I about you?' said Bridget. 'Who is the most domineering person in the fifth? You! Who is the most unpopular head-girl they've ever had? You! Who didn't go up with the old fifth form because n.o.body could put up with her? You!'

'Oh!' cried Moira, whiter still with rage. 'You're unbearable. I shall report you to Miss Williams, yes, and Connie too. And I shall report you every single time I find you doing something you shouldn't. I know how you sneak out of your dormy at night to talk to the third-formers. I know how you get out of the jobs you ought to do. I hear things too!'

'Sneak,' said Bridget, It was a very ugly sight, the two sisters standing there, shouting at one another. Moira was trembling now and so was Bridget. Moira had to keep her hands well down to her side, she so badly wanted to strike her sister. Bridget kept well out of the way. She always came off worst in a struggle.

There was a pause. 'You'll be sorry if you do report me about this afternoon,' said Bridget at last. 'Very sorry. I warn you. Go and report Maureen! She'll expect it of the domineering Moira! But just remember - I've teamed you - you'll be sorry if you report me.'

'Well, I shall,' said Moira. 'It's my duty to. Fourth-formers aren't allowed in these practice-rooms, you know that.'

She turned and left the room, still trembling. She went to find Miss Williams, the fourth-form mistress. If she didn't report those two straightaway, whilst she was furious, she might not do it when her anger had died down.

Miss Williams was rather cool about the affair. She wrote down the two fourth-form names Moira gave her, and nodded. 'Right. I'll speak to them.'

That was all. Moira wished she hadn't said anything. She felt uncomfortable now about Bridget's threats. How could Bridget make her sorry? Bridget was so very fierce sometimes, and did such unaccountable things - like the time when she had broken every single one of Moira's dolls, years ago, because Moira had thrown one of Bridget's toys out of the window.

Yes, Moira felt decidedly uncomfortable as she walked back to the common-room. Bridget would certainly get back at her if she could!

14 THE PLOT IS SUCCESSFUL.

MAUREEN had been rather scared at Moira's sudden arrival in the practice-room. She had heard the angry voices in the next room too, when Moira had left her, and had been even more scared. It didn't take much to scare Maureen! She slipped hurriedly out of the room and went off to the cla.s.sroom to put the finis.h.i.+ng touches to her designs. She was to show them to the others that evening.

She saw Gwen's sour face as she walked into the common-room with her sheaf of designs, and sheets and sheets of music and verses. Oh, Maureen had been very busy! If Mam'zelle and Miss James had known how hard she had been at work they would have been most surprised. Neither of them had any idea that Maureen had it in her to work at all.

'What they taught at Mazeley Manor I really do not know,' Miss James said to the other teachers each time she corrected Maureen's work.

'Self-admiration - self-esteem - self-pity,' murmured Miss Williams, who taught one lesson in the fifth form, and had had quite enough of Maureen.

'But not self-control,' said Miss James. 'What a school! It's a good thing it's shut down.'

Everyone was in the common-room waiting for Maureen, though neither Gwen nor Catherine knew the little plot that was being hatched by the rest. Maureen beamed round. 'Now you're going to see something,' she said, gaily, and laughed her silly little laugh. 'It was always said at Mazeley Manor that I was a good all-rounder - don't think I'm boasting, will you - but honestly, though I say it myself, I can do most things!'

Maureen was surprised to hear some of the girls laughing quite hilariously.

'You're such a joker, Maureen,' said Alicia, appreciatively. 'Always being really humorous.'

This was a new idea to Maureen. n.o.body had ever called her humorous before. She at once went up in her own estimation.

'Now,' she said, 'I'll show you the designs first. This is for Cinderella's ball costume - I've gone back to the sixteenth century for it, as you see.'

Shrieks of laughter came from everyone. 'Priceless!' said Darrell, pretending to wipe her eyes. 'How can you think of it, Maureen?'

'A perfect scream,' said Mavis, holding up the crude drawing, with its poor colouring. 'What a joke! I didn't know you'd such a sense of humour, Maureen.'

Maureen was puzzled. She hadn't meant the drawing to be funny at all. She had thought it was beautiful. She hurried on to the next one - but the girls forestalled her and picked up the sheets, showing them round to one another with squeals of laughter.

'Look at this one! I never saw anything so funny in my life!'

'Good enough for Punch! I say - look at the baron's face! And what is he wearing?'

'This one's priceless. Gosh, Maureen really is a humorist, isn't she?'

Then Irene picked up the sheets of music. 'Hallo! Here are the tunes she has written! I bet they'll be priceless, too. I'll play them over.'

She went to the common-room piano, and with a very droll expression on her face she played the tunes, making them sound even sillier than they were.

Everyone crowded round the piano, laughing. 'Isn't Maureen a scream! She can do funny drawings and write ridiculous tunes too!'

Maureen began to feel frightened. Were the girls really in earnest about all this? They seemed to be. Surely - surely - they couldn't really think that all her lovely work was so bad that it was funny? They must be thinking it was funny on purpose - perhaps they thought she meant it to be!

She turned to find Gwen. Gwen would understand. Gwen was her friend, she had told Gwen everything - how good she was at drawing, music and singing, how hard she had worked at all this, how pleased she was with the results.

Gwen was looking at her and it wasn't a nice look. It was a triumphant look that said, 'Ah - pride comes before a fall, my girl - and what a fall!' It was a look that said, 'I'm glad about all this. Serves you right.'

Maureen was shocked. Gwen laughed loudly, and joined in with the others, 'Frightfully funny! Priceless, Maureen! Who would have thought you could be so funny?'

'Now sing,' said Mavis, and thrust one of the songs into her hand. 'Let's hear you. You've such a wonderful voice, haven't you, so well-trained. I'm sure it must be a great joy to you. Sing!'

Maureen did not dare to refuse. She gazed at the music with blurred eyes and sang. Her loud voice rose, even more off the note than usual. It shook with disappointment as the girls began to clap and cheer and laugh again.

'Ha ha! Listen to that! Can't she have a comic part in the play, Darrell, and sing it? She'd bring the house down. Did you ever hear such a voice?'

Maureen stopped singing. Tears fell down her cheek. She gave one desperate look at Gwen, a look begging for a word of praise - but none came.

She turned to go out of the room. Catherine ran after her. 'Maureen! Don't take it like that. The girls don't mean anything!'

'Oh yes we do,' said Darrell, under her breath. 'We've been cruel to be kind. Catherine would say a thing like that.'

'Don't touch me!' cried Maureen. 'Saint Catherine - coming all over pious and goody-goody after you've laughed at me with the rest! Ho - SAINT!'

Catherine shrank back as if she had been slapped in the face. n.o.body smiled, except Gwen. Mary-Lou looked upset. She couldn't bear scenes of any sort. Bill looked on stolidly. She got up.

'Well, I'm going riding,' she said. 'There's half an hour of daylight left. Coming, Clarissa?'

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