«Really!» said Elizabeth in delight. «Oh, thank you, Rita. I am pleased. Now I don't need to be horrid and rude any more. I can wait till half-term, but I warn you that at the very first Meeting after that I shall ask to go home. I hate being at school.» Elizabeth wondered why everyone roared with laughter when she said that. She looked round in surprise. Even Joan was laughing.
«Well, Elizabeth, that's settled, then», said Rita. «Please be as nice as you know very well how to be until half-term – and then, if you wish, you can certainly go home, if your parents will take you away.»
«I know they will, if I'm unhappy», said Elizabeth. «Thank you, Rita. I promise to be really good now.»
«Very well», said William. «All your punishments are lifted from now on, your bedtime will be as before, at eight o'clock. You can take riding and painting and all your favourite lessons.»
«Good!» said Elizabeth, beaming. She felt very pleased with herself. She had got what she wanted! She could go home at half-term! “I'm glad it's not before then” thought the little girl. “I do want to learn that duet with Richard. And I want to give Joan a present for her birthday. And I want to do some more riding – oh yes, and buy that record too! How everyone will love to hear it when I first put it on.” Elizabeth was very happy. She beamed round at everyone, not listening to anything else that was said at the Meeting.
There was very little else to discuss, anyway, and very soon the gym was empty, and the children ran off to their various tasks or hobbies.
«Well, Elizabeth, I've got you till half-term, anyway!» said Joan, tucking her arm into Elizabeth's. «That's something.»
«Well, make the most of me!» said Elizabeth with a laugh. «For you won't have me afterwards. I jolly well mean to go back home to my pony, and my dog. I mean to show my parents that I just won't be sent away to school!»
A lovely week began for Elizabeth then. After supper that night there was a little dance, and the boys and girls had great fun. When eight o'clock struck Elizabeth and the others of her age went upstairs to bed, leaving the older ones to go on dancing.
The next day she and Joan went down to the village to buy sweets, and the gramophone record that Elizabeth wanted. The music-shop didn't have it, but they said they would send for it to the town over the hill, and get it for Elizabeth. They would send it up to the school for her.
Joan bought some chocolate and a book, Elizabeth bought some toffee, and two packets of lettuce seeds. She hadn't forgotten that she was going to help John Terry with his gardening. Dear me, what a lot of things there were to do! «You can have the first lettuce that grows from these seeds», she promised Joan.
«Well, you'll have to stay till the end of the term then», laughed Joan. «Lettuces don't grow quite so quickly as you think, Elizabeth.»
«Oh», said Elizabeth, disappointed. «Well – you'll have to cut the first lettuce then, after I'm gone. Have a toffee?» It was fun to eat toffees and talk to a friend. It was fun to feel the lettuce seeds rattling in their packets It was lovely to think of going riding that afternoon and having a music lesson after tea. Perhaps Richard would he there, and they would play their duet.
The riding lesson was glorious. Twelve boys and girls were taken out on the hills by the riding master. Elizabeth had been used to her pony and she rode well, enjoying the jog-jog-jog, and sniffing the fresh early summer breezes. This was much better fun than cantering along on her old pony at home. That afternoon the postman brought a parcel for Elizabeth. She undid it – and inside she found a large chocolate cake, sent to her by her Granny! «Oh, I say! Look at this!» cried Elizabeth. «We can all share it at tea-time.»
«My word, Elizabeth, you're rather different from when you first came!» said Nora, stating at the excited girl, as she put her cake into her tin in the playroom. «You wouldn't share a thing then!»
Elizabeth blushed. «Don't remind me of that, Nora», she begged. «I'm ashamed of it now. All I hope is that you won't all say no when I offer you some of this cake!»
Well, nobody did say no! Elizabeth counted the number of people at her table – eleven. She cut the cake into twelve pieces. They were very large. Elizabeth offered the plate round and soon there were only two pieces left.
«Thanks, Elizabeth! Thanks, Elizabeth!» said everyone, taking a piece. They were delighted to have it, because by now everyone's tuck-box was empty, and no more goodies had come yet from their homes, for no one had had a birthday.
«Your Granny must be jolly generous!» said Nora. «This is the finest cake I've ever tasted.»
Elizabeth was proud and pleased. She took the plate to Miss Ranger and offered her one of the two pieces that remained on it. Miss Ranger took it and nodded.
«Thank you, Elizabeth», she said. Then Elizabeth helped herself to the last piece and settled down happily to eat it. This was better than keeping everything to herself! It was lovely to share. She looked round at all the contented faces, and liked to see the girls and boys eating her cake.
“Miss Scott would be surprised at me”, thought Elizabeth suddenly. “She wouldn't know me! What a horrid girl I must have seemed to her.” After tea Elizabeth got her music and raced off to Mr. Lewis. Richard was there too, a big, serious boy with long clever fingers. He meant to be a musician when he grew up. He looked at Elizabeth and didn't smile.
“I suppose he doesn't think girls can play at all” thought Elizabeth. She was right. Richard was disgusted to find that he was expected to play a duet with a girl – and Elizabeth too, that Bold bad one! What would she know of music?
They began. Elizabeth had practised so hard that she knew her part wonderfully well. She took the lower part, the bass, and Richard had the more difficult part, the treble, where the higher notes were. «I shall count the first few bars», said Mr. Lewis.
«Now – one two three four, one two three four, one two three four...
He soon stopped, for the two children found their own time, and the duet went with a swing. Mr. Lewis let them play it all the way through and then he smiled.
«Very good», he said. «You have a feeling for each other's playing. Now, Richard, wasn't I right when I said I had found someone you need not be afraid of playing with?» But Richard was as obstinate in his way as Elizabeth was in hers. He looked at the little girl's flushed face and did not answer. Elizabeth was disappointed.
Mr. Lewis laughed. «Thank you, Richard», he said. «You may go – but come back in half an hour's time, and I will give you your lesson then. I am going to give Elizabeth hers now. Can you two manage to practise together sometimes?»
«I suppose so», said Richard ungraciously.
«Well, don't if you don't want to!» said Elizabeth, flaring up. «I play my part just as well as you play yours. You made two mistakes.»
«And you made three!» said Richard.
«Now this won't do», said Mr. Lewis, patting Richard on the back. «You can choose which you would rather do, Richard – play the duet with Harry or with Elizabeth. I can find someone else for her, you know – but she's the best, after you.»
«Well – I'll have Elizabeth», said Richard. «Harry plays the piano as if his fingers were a bunch of bananas.» Elizabeth went off into a peal of laughter. It tickled her to think of a bunch of bananas playing the piano.
Richard laughed too. «I'll practise with Elizabeth, sir», he said to Mr. Lewis. «She's really jolly good.»
Elizabeth glowed with pride, because Richard was one of the bigger boys. She settled down to her music lesson happily. Mr. Lewis made her play over the duet with him, and pointed out places where she went wrong. Elizabeth used to get cross when Miss Scott pointed out her mistakes. But with Mr. Lewis it was different. She thought he was very clever indeed, and she could listen all day long to his playing! «I've ordered that gramophone record, Mr. Lewis», she said. «The shop is getting it for me.»
«I'll come and hear it when it arrives», promised Mr. Lewis. «Now let's get on with tackling the sea-piece on our piano, Elizabet
h. You want to learn it, don't you – but it won't be easy. Perhaps you could play it for me at the school concert at the end of the term, if you're good enough.»
«Oh, I'd love to», said Elizabeth, pleased, and then she stopped and looked disappointed. «Oh, but I can't, I forgot. I shall be going home at half-term.»
«Really?» said Mr. Lewis, who knew all about it. «Still being the Bold Bad Girl? Dear, dear, what a pity!»
«Isn't there a concert at half-term?» asked Elizabeth, her voice trembling.
«Afraid not», said Mr. Lewis. «Come along – get on with your scales now. Don't worry about not being able to play that sea-piece. I can easily get someone else to learn it for me.»
«Let me learn it, anyhow», said Elizabeth. «Even if I can't play it for you at a concert, I can still learn it for myself, because I love it.»
«Good», said Mr. Lewis. «All right. I'll play it for you now, and you must listen hard.»
So Elizabeth listened and was happy. She was happy all the day, and she couldn't help being surprised at herself. “It is a nuisance!” thought funny Elizabeth. “I really can't go about being happy like this – whatever shall I say to the Meeting at half-term?”
Chapter 15: Two Tricks – and a Quarrel
The week slipped by quickly. Elizabeth practised her pieces, and loved her music-lessons. She and Richard practised their duet together, and had such fun that they asked Mr. Lewis for an even harder piece.
«I'm glad you chose me to play with you instead of Harry», said Elizabeth to Richard. «I do love the way you play, Richard. You are as good as Mr. Lewis»
«No, I'm not», said Richard. «But some day I shall be far, far better, Elizabeth. Some day you will come to London to hear me play at a great big concert! And some day you will hear the music I make up, played all over the world!» It didn't seem like boasting when Richard spoke like this. Elizabeth didn't mock at him or laugh at him. She believed him, and although he was sometimes very moody and bad-tempered she grew to like him very much.
“I always hated boys before” thought Elizabeth, surprised at herself. “I do seem to be changing. I'd better be careful, or I will be different when I leave here, just as Miss Scott said!” So, to show that she really did still hate boys she played a trick on Harry. She knew that he would have to go to the music – room to fetch some music he had left behind. Elizabeth took a sponge, filled it so full of water that it dripped, and then, climbing on a chair, she balanced the wet sponge on the top of the door.
She arranged the sponge so that anyone who opened the door would move the sponge, which would at once drop down on to the surprised person's head! Then Elizabeth hid in a cupboard in the passage outside, and waited for Harry. He soon came along, rushing to fetch his forgotten music before the bell rang. He pushed open the door – and down fell the sponge on top of his head, squelch, squash!
«Oooh!» said Harry, in the greatest astonishment. «Whatever is it?» He soon found out! He took the sponge off his neck and threw it down on the floor in a rage. «Now I've got to go and change my coat!» he said. «Who did that?» Nobody answered, of course. But as Harry knew quite well that people who set traps for others usually like to hide somewhere near to see what happens, he guessed that the joker was in the passage cupboard! He stole up to the cupboard, and flung the door open. Inside was Elizabeth, trying her best not to laugh loudly. Her handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth and tears of laughter were trickling down her cheeks.
«Oh, it's you, is it?» said Harry, hauling her out. «It's the Bold Bad Girl! Well, I'll just stuff this wet sponge down your neck, see!» But he didn't have time to, because the bell rang and he had to run. «I'll pay you out for that!» he yelled. But Elizabeth only laughed mockingly.
«I hate boys!» she shouted. «They're silly! Ha ha! I tricked you properly. Harry!» But Harry soon paid Elizabeth back for her trick. He waited until the painting class, and then, when Elizabeth was quite lost in her work, bending over her painting, he stole up behind her. In his hand was a large sheet of paper.
He neatly pinned it to Elizabeth's back. The little girl felt something and shook herself – but the paper was safely on, and she didn't know it. She went on with her painting.
Harry went back to his place, giggling. The class was nearly over, and if Miss Chester, the art mistress, did not notice what he had done, there was a good chance of Elizabeth going about with the paper on her back.
Everyone saw the paper and giggled. On it was printed in big letters: “I'M THE BOLD BAD GIRL! BEWARE! I BARK! I BITE! I HATE EVERYBODY!” Joan was not in that painting class or she would have told Elizabeth what Harry had done. All the others thought it was very funny, especially as Elizabeth was known as the Bold Bad Girl.
The bell rang. Everyone cleared up their things. Miss Chester began to prepare for the next class, and did not notice Elizabeth's paper. The children went out of the art-room, and went to their own classrooms.
Once in her classroom all the others there saw the paper; they nudged one another and giggled. Joan was holding the door for Miss Ranger to come in, and did not see what everyone was laughing at.
Soon Elizabeth noticed that the class was giggling at her, and she grew red. «What are you all laughing at?» she demanded angrily. «Is my hair untidy? Have I a smudge on my nose?»
«No, Elizabeth», answered everyone in a chorus.
Then Miss Ranger came in, and the class settled down to work. They worked hard until Break, when the school had fifteen minutes play out-of-doors, and could have biscuits and milk if they wished.
Harry looked to see if the paper was still on Elizabeth's back. It was! He ran round to all his friends, pointing it out. All the boys kept behind Elizabeth, reading the paper and giggling.
«She's the Bold Bad Girl», they whispered. «Look at the notice!» Every time that poor Elizabeth turned round she found somebody behind her, giggling. She grew so furious that she called out she would slap anyone who giggled behind her again.
Joan came out at that moment, and Elizabeth called to her. «Joan! What's the matter with everyone today? They keep going behind my back and giggling. I hate it!» Joan knew more of the ways of children than Elizabeth did. She guessed at once that someone had pinned a notice to Elizabeth's back.
«Turn round», she said. Elizabeth turned round, and Joan saw the notice: “I'M THE BOLD BAD GIRL! BEWARE! I BARK! I BITE! I HATE EVERYBODY!” Joan couldn't help giggling herself. «Oh, Elizabeth!» she said. «Do look what you've been going round with all morning! It's too funny! No wonder everyone laughed.» She unpinned the paper and showed it to Elizabeth.
The little girl, who was not used to being teased, went red with rage. She tore the paper into half and faced the laughing children. «Who pinned that on me?» she asked.
«I didn't, Bold Bad Girl!» shouted someone. Everybody laughed. Elizabeth stamped her foot.
«Look out!» cried John. «She barks! She bites! She'll show her teeth next!»
«I suppose the person who pinned that on me doesn't dare to own up!» shouted Elizabeth.
«Oh yes, I dare!» grinned Harry, nearby. «I pinned it on you, my dear girl – in return for the wet sponge!»
«Don't call me your dear girl!» cried Elizabeth in a rage. «You're a hateful boy, and a cheat, cheat, cheat! How dare you pin a notice on me like that! Take that!» The furious little girl slapped Harry hard in the face. The boy stepped back in surprise.
«Stop that», commanded Nora, coming up at that minute. «Elizabeth! That sort of behaviour won't do. Apologise to Harry. He's too much of a gentleman to slap you back, as you deserve.»
«I won't apologise», cried Elizabeth. «Nora, I want you to report Harry at the next Meeting – and if you don't I shall!»
«Come with me», said Nora to Elizabeth. She saw that Elizabeth was really upset, and needed to be quietened. «You can tell me about it in the playroom. There's nobody there.» Holding the torn bits of paper in her hand Elizabeth followed Nora, trembling with anger. Nora made he
r sit down and tell her what had happened.
Elizabeth pieced the bits of paper together and Nora read what Harry had written. She stopped herself smiling, but she really thought it was very funny.
«And why did Harry play this trick on you?» asked Nora.
«Just because I played a trick on him!» said Elizabeth. «I put a wet sponge on the music-room door and it fell down on his head!»
«And why shouldn't Harry play a trick on you, then, if you play tricks on him?» asked Nora. «You know, you wet his coat, and he was late for his class because he had to change it. If you weren't quite so silly, Elizabeth, you would see that the joke he played on you was quite as funny as the one you played on him. After all, you know that we call you the Bold Bad Girl!»
«You're not to», said Elizabeth.
«Well, we certainly shall if you go on behaving so fiercely», said Nora.
«Will you report Harry at the Meeting?» said Elizabeth.
«Certainly not», said Nora. «We don't report jokes!»
«Then I shall report him!» said Elizabeth.
«Elizabeth, that would be telling tales, not reporting», said Nora firmly. «You mustn't do that. Don't spoil this good week of yours by being silly. And, you know, I really should report you!»
«Why?» asked Elizabeth defiantly.
«Because I heard you call Harry a cheat, and you slapped him hard», said Nora. «It is very mean to call him a cheat when you know he isn't now. We try to help one another at Whyteleafe, and it was hateful of you to remind Harry and everyone else of something he's ashamed of.»
Elizabeth went red. «Yes», she said. «That was hateful of me. I wish I hadn't. And I wish I hadn't slapped Harry now. I knew he wouldn't slap me back. Oh, Nora – I really have tried to behave decently, and now I've spoilt it all!»
«No, you haven't», said Nora, getting up, pleased that Elizabeth's temper had gone. «Little things like this can always be put right. Harry is a good-tempered boy. Go and say you're sorry and he won't think any more about it.»