Part 3 (1/2)
Coralie laughed.
”Oh! that's Githa Hamilton. She's not exactly celebrated for her sweet temper.”
”So I should imagine. What was she doing out of bounds before seven o'clock?”
”She's not a boarder. She lives with an uncle and aunt, and comes to school on her bicycle. She's the only day-girl we have. I'd hate to be a day-girl--you're out of everything.”
”I shouldn't think such an extraordinary little toadstool would be in anything, even if she were a boarder,” commented Gwethyn, who had not forgiven the savage a.s.sault of the collie, and the contemptuous ”You're more frightened than hurt!” of its mistress.
”You're about right there. Githa's no particular favourite, even in her own form.”
”If I'd straight lank hair like that, I'd friz it every night,” declared Gwethyn emphatically. ”She's the plainest girl in the school! That's my opinion of her!”
CHAPTER III
Shaking Down
If Katrine and Gwethyn had taken a dislike to the ”Toadstool”, as they nicknamed Githa Hamilton, that elfish damsel seemed ready to return the sentiment with interest. She divined their weak points with horrible intuition, and her sharp little tongue was always armed with caustic remarks. She would stand watching them like a malign imp when they played tennis, sneering if they made bad strokes, and rejoicing over their opponents' scores with ostentatious triumph. At Katrine's airs of dignity she scoffed openly, and she would call in question Gwethyn's really quite harmless little exaggerations with ruthless punctiliousness.
The new-comers tried to preserve an airy calm, and treat this offensive junior as beneath their notice; but she was a determined enemy, returning constantly to the a.s.sault, and the skirmishes continued.
A complete contrast to Githa's spirit of opposition was the behaviour of Laura Browne. As Coralie had predicted, she took up the new girls hotly.
She walked with them or sat next to them on every possible occasion, asked for their autographs, obtained snapshots of them with her Brownie camera, and gushed over their home photos and private possessions.
”It's so nice to have someone at the school with whom I really feel I can become friends,” she a.s.sured Gwethyn. ”The moment I saw you both, I fell in love with you. I believe strongly in first impressions--don't you? Something seems to tell me there's to be a link between our lives.
How romantic to have a brother at the front! I think his portrait in uniform is simply perfect. I shall ask you to lend it to me sometimes, when you can spare it. It does one good to look at a hero like that. I wish my brothers were old enough to join. They're at the mischievous age at present. I envy you your luck.”
And Laura sighed dramatically. Katrine, mindful of Coralie's hint, received these advances with caution, but Gwethyn, who was not a very discriminating little person, felt rather flattered. After all, it is highly pleasant to be openly admired, your friends.h.i.+p courted, your wishes consulted, and your opinions treated with deference. In the first flush of her enthusiasm she readily drew a sketch in Laura's alb.u.m, embroidered a handkerchief for her, and proffered peppermint creams as long as the box lasted. She submitted peaceably to lend penknife, scissors, pencils, or any other unconsidered trifles, and when she was obliged to ask for them back, her new friend was so ready with apologies for their non-return that she felt almost ashamed of having mentioned the matter.
Between Githa's evident dislike and Laura's fawning sycophancy was a wide gap. These two had openly declared themselves ”for” or ”against”; the solid block of the school stood aloof. During their first week, at least, the new girls must be on approval before they settled into the places which they would eventually occupy. Their sayings and doings were closely noted, but public opinion reserved itself. The monitresses were kind, but slightly cool. They did not altogether like Katrine's att.i.tude. She had given them to understand that she had come to Aireyholme as an art student, and not as a pupil, and they resented the a.s.sumption of superiority implied.
”We're all art students here,” Diana Bennett had replied stiffly.
”But you're not taking special private lessons from Miss Aubrey?” asked Katrine, feeling that she scored by this point.
”Viola and Dorrie and I are going in for the matric., so we haven't much time for painting. It's a jolly grind getting up all our subjects, I can tell you!”
In the privacy of their own study, the three monitresses discussed the matter at some length.
”I rather like them both,” said Dorrie. ”Katrine's quite an interesting sort of girl, only she has at present far too high an idea of her own importance.”
”She's inclined to be a little patronizing,” commented Viola. ”Of course that won't do. I'm Captain here, and she'll have quite to realize that.
We can't let a girl come into the school at seventeen and begin to boss the whole show.”
”Rather not! There ought to be a rule to admit no one over fifteen.”
”Thirteen would be better.”
”Well, at any rate when they're juniors, and have time to get used to Aireyholme ways. I've been here six years, and if anyone knows the school traditions, I ought to. No, Miss Katrine Marsden mustn't be allowed to give herself airs. That I've quite made up my mind about.”