‘Ah, that was June,’ said Miss Tallant, her brow clearing. ‘She was reading the part of the hero, in the play that we are learning. She gave a most extraordinary performance, flinging herself around all over the place and over-acting like nobody’s business! It’s quite obvious that she considers herself a very talented actress, but I am afraid that she is nothing of the kind! Why, even her friends were laughing at her! June didn’t seem to notice, though, and just kept on going. She didn’t strike me as terribly bright, I must say!’
Miss Potts looked up sharply from the work she was marking, and said drily, ‘I am afraid that you have been taken in. June is very bright indeed, but unfortunately she chooses to use her good brains to amuse the others, rather than on her work. Watch out for her, Miss Tallant, for now that June has succeeded in duping you once, she will certainly try to do so again.’
‘Ah yes, she is a bad girl, that June,’ said Mam’zelle Rougier, shaking her head. ‘A very bad girl. When I think of the tricks that she has played on poor, foolish Mam’zelle Dupont! Of course, I am not so easy to fool, and June knows that she would be punished most harshly if she tried any of her tricks on me! But you, Miss Tallant, you are young, and not so experienced in the ways of girls as Miss Potts and myself. Be on your guard, for if June thinks that you are weak, she will certainly take advantage of you, and try to make you look stupid—just as she does with Mam’zelle Dupont!’
The new mistress turned scarlet with humiliation. So, that wretched June had duped her! Well, she would very soon come to regret it! As for Mam’zelle Rougier—how dare she couple her, Miss Tallant, with the weak and silly Mam’zelle Dupont?
‘I can assure you that June won’t find it so easy to take me in again,’ said the mistress rather stiffly. ‘Nor will any of the others. I fully intend to nip such silliness in the bud.’
Fortunately, the fourth formers were quite unaware of Miss Tallant’s plans as they gathered in the common-room on Saturday to discuss their contribution to the Christmas concert. Once again, Susan was in charge of the meeting, and she sat at the table in the common-room, with a small pile of scripts in front of her.
The fourth formers from the other towers were there too, as it was to be a joint effort, and the common-room seemed very crowded indeed, with girls perched on top of cabinets and on the arms of chairs. Susan began, ‘There are several good plays here, but this is the one that I think would be the best, for it is very short and gives us plenty of scope to add a few touches of our own. Felicity has read it as well, and she agrees with me. The play is called The Christmas Tree Fairy, and I’d like to read it out to you all now, and see what you think.’
And, in her low, clear voice, Susan began to read the play. The story was quite a simple one, about a fairy doll who has been abandoned in a dusty attic, along with lots of other old toys, and is rescued by a lonely little girl.
‘I like it,’ said Pam decidedly, as Susan finished her reading. ‘It really captures the spirit of Christmas somehow.’
‘And I love it when the toys come to life, when there’s no one around!’ squeaked Bonnie excitedly.
‘We won’t have to worry about shifting scenery either,’ said Felicity. ‘For the whole thing takes place in the attic.’
‘Yes, but it’s far too short,’ complained Mary from South Tower. ‘It certainly won’t fill half an hour.’
‘It will by the time we’ve finished with it,’ said Susan. ‘We can add a few jokes, and perhaps a song and dance routine. I think it’ll be super.’
‘Good idea,’ said Mary. ‘But who is going to write the song?’
‘How about you, Mary?’ suggested Felicity. ‘You’re excellent at music.’
‘Good idea!’ said Susan. ‘That’s settled, Mary. You are our official songwriter.’
‘Oh, my word!’ cried Mary, a comical expression of dismay on her face. ‘What have I let myself in for?’
The others laughed, and Mary’s friend Doreen clapped her on the shoulder, crying, ‘Don’t make a song and dance about it, old girl! I’ll help you out.’
‘June and Freddie, I have a job for you two as well,’ said Susan.
‘Us?’ chorused the two girls, looking very surprised. ‘What do you want us to do, Susan?’
‘I want you to take the script away and add a few jokes here and there,’ said Susan. ‘It’s quite a sentimental play, and I think it needs a touch of humour. And who better than the two form jokers to add one!’
Everyone cheered at this, and June and Freddie grinned, both of them absolutely delighted with the task they had been given.
‘I’m going to produce the play, with Felicity as my assistant,’ said Susan. ‘And, of course we will—’
But Susan got no further, for Sylvia called out, ‘Susan! If you need anyone else to help produce the play, I am only too keen to help. As you know, I’ve done this kind of thing before, and you know what they say about many hands making light work.’
‘Yes, and I know what they say about too many cooks spoiling the broth,’ muttered Susan under her breath to Felicity.
But Felicity was rather touched by the earnest, eager-to-please expression on Sylvia’s round, rosy face and she said in a low voice, ‘It seems a shame to discourage her when she’s so willing. And, who knows, she might prove very useful indeed. Perhaps we should give Sylvia a chance to show what she can do.’
Susan didn’t look entirely convinced, but she said, ‘Perhaps you’re right. But if she becomes too bossy I simply won’t stand for it!’ Then she raised her voice and said, ‘Thank you, Sylvia. A third producer might come in very handy. Now, everyone, I’m going to ask if we can use the big hall for our next meeting, for it really is dreadfully cramped in here. Then we will cast the parts, and decide who is going to help backstage and so on. Any questions?’
There were no questions, but, after the girls from the other three towers had left, there was a good deal of excited chatter. Nora was hoping that she would be considered for the role of the fairy, and said to Pam, ‘I do hope that Susan will let me try out for it.’
‘Of course she will,’ said the loyal Pam, at once. ‘You’re a marvellous actress, and you can dance beautifully. In fact, I can’t think of anyone who could play the fairy as well as you could.’
But someone else was quite certain that she was destined to play the role of the fairy—and that someone was Bonnie. ‘I have a fairy costume at home that I wore to a fancy-dress party once,’ she told Amy, breathlessly. ‘I must ask Mother to send it to me.’
‘You would certainly make a lovely fairy,’ said Amy, looking the pretty, dainty girl over with approval. ‘I don’t think any other girl in the form would fit the role as perfectly as you.’
Bonnie beamed with pleasure and said, ‘Will you be trying out for any of the parts, Amy?’
‘No, I don’t want to push myself forward,’ answered Amy rather piously. ‘Let the others have a chance.’
The truth was that Amy wasn’t particularly good at drama, dancing or singing, and she was well aware that she didn’t stand a chance of getting one of the lead parts. And as she wasn’t going to be centre stage, the girl would have preferred not to be involved in the project at all. But this was a vain hope, for Susan wanted everyone to play a part in the success of the form’s play, however small.
‘Though I can’t imagine what we are going to find for Olive to do,’ she said to Felicity, as the fourth formers got ready for bed that evening. ‘The only talent she seems to have is for rubbing people up the wrong way!’
Felicity laughed and said, ‘Well, if all she’s going to do is stir things up and cause ill feeling, perhaps it would be best just to leave her out altogether.’
But Susan wouldn’t hear of this, and she said stubbornly, ‘No, Olive is a member of our form, whether she likes it or not. And she is jolly well going to take part in our play!’
‘I wonder why she is so bad-tempered and angry all the time?’ said Felicity, with a frown. ‘I do hope that sh
e settles down and cheers up a bit, for the sight of her miserable, scowling face puts a damper on everything!’
But, as Pam remarked a few days later, Olive only seemed happy if someone else was getting into trouble.
‘She’s so spiteful and mean-spirited,’ said Pam, with distaste, as the fourth formers got changed after lacrosse practice. ‘Did you see the smirk on her face when Miss Maxwell ticked Amy off for not trying hard enough?’
‘And she nearly laughed herself sick when June got Mam’zelle Dupont to use that trick pencil in French this morning,’ said Nora.
‘Well, we all laughed at that,’ pointed out Julie. ‘That was the whole idea, after all!’
‘Yes, but Olive wasn’t laughing at the joke,’ said Nora. ‘She was gloating over the tremendous scolding that June got from Mam’zelle afterwards.’
‘Good!’ said Bonnie, with satisfaction. Then, as the others turned to look at her in surprise, she went on, ‘Because June will have it in for Olive, and will get her own back on her. And I, for one, am looking forward to it!’
As Bonnie flounced off with Amy, Susan gave a sigh and said, ‘I do so hate all this spite and bad feeling that seems to be brewing.’
‘Horrible, isn’t it?’ agreed Felicity. ‘Though I must say, Olive has rather brought it on herself. Petty spite is one of the hardest faults to forgive, and it always stirs up more spite in return.’
‘Yes, you’re quite right,’ said Susan. ‘And I think that Bonnie was right, too, when she said that June will try to get her own back on Olive. I say, where is June?’
‘She and Freddie got changed in a trice, and dashed off somewhere,’ said Lucy. ‘I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they’re plotting revenge on Olive right this very minute.’
‘You know, Susan, as head of the form, I really think that it’s your duty to speak to Olive about her behaviour,’ said Sylvia, an earnest expression on her face.
Susan was rather taken aback, and not at all pleased at this unwanted piece of advice from the new girl. Felicity, too, felt annoyed, and she said, ‘Really, Sylvia, I don’t think that it’s your place—’
But Sylvia didn’t even realise that Felicity was speaking, and went on, in her rather loud voice, ‘We had a girl just like Olive at my old school. Of course, as head-girl, I had to reprimand her pretty severely. It did the trick, though, if I do say so myself.’ She smiled at Susan and said sympathetically, ‘There is such a lot to learn when one first becomes head-girl, isn’t there? Especially if one has never held a position of responsibility before. But I am always on hand to give help and advice, Susan.’
And, leaving the fourth formers staring after her, open-mouthed, Sylvia put on her coat and went out of the changing room.
Felicity made an explosive little sound of irritation as the door closed behind the new girl, while Susan scoffed, ‘As if I would ask Sylvia for advice about anything! If I needed anyone to help me, I would ask you, Felicity, or Pam. You have both had a turn as head-girl, and I’ll bet you both made a better job of it than Say-So Sylvia!’
A shout of laughter went up at this, and Nora cried, ‘What a marvellous nickname—Say-So Sylvia!’
‘I suppose it is rather a good nickname,’ said Susan, with a pleased grin, and the others chorused, ‘IF YOU DO SAY SO YOURSELF!’
June and Freddie, meanwhile, were indeed plotting revenge on Olive. They were up in the dormitory, looking through June’s box of tricks, the pair of them chuckling as they recalled jokes that they had played in the past.
‘Do you remember the time that Mam’zelle used that soap, which made her face look as if it was streaked with dirt?’ laughed Freddie. ‘I say! I don’t suppose you have any more of it, do you June? That would be a super trick to play on Olive.’
‘No, I lent it to my brother, Peter, in the holidays,’ answered June, before lapsing into a thoughtful silence. Olive’s unpleasant habit of gloating over those who got into trouble rankled with her. Perhaps the girl would think twice about doing it again if she was on the receiving end of a scold from one of the mistresses!
June said as much to Freddie, who agreed heartily. ‘It would certainly serve her right,’ she said. ‘I say, can’t we think of something to do in Miss Tallant’s class tomorrow? There must be a way that we can get her to lose her temper with Olive.’
June clicked her fingers suddenly. ‘I think that there is,’ she said, grinning. ‘Have you noticed how frightened Olive is of the mice in the biology room?’
‘I know that she always sits as far away from their cage as possible,’ said Freddie. ‘And she jumps every time one of them moves. What have you got in mind, June?’
‘Well,’ said June, her eyes glinting wickedly. ‘Just suppose that one of those mice found its way into Olive’s desk. My word, wouldn’t she squeal!’
‘June!’ gasped Freddie. ‘It would be a marvellous trick to play, but dare we?’
June, who was bold enough for anything, said at once, ‘Of course we dare. Miss Tallant’s lesson is right after break, so we can slip along to the biology room at break-time, get one of the mice out and put it into Olive’s desk.’
‘Poor little mouse,’ giggled Freddie. ‘Fancy having to face the wrath of Olive! I say, June, he will be able to breathe inside the desk, won’t he?’
‘Of course,’ answered June. ‘He won’t be in there for long, and I shall return him to his cage as soon as I can.’
‘Shall we tell the others?’ asked Freddie.
‘Yes, let’s,’ said June. ‘But we had better do it when Sylvia is not about. I don’t think that they went in much for jokes and tricks at her old school, for, in spite of her jolly, hearty attitude, she doesn’t have much of a sense of humour. And we certainly don’t want her warning Olive of what’s in store for her!’
Freddie nodded and said, ‘You’re absolutely right about Sylvia. I told her one of my best jokes the other day, and when I had finished she simply looked puzzled. It was quite obvious that she didn’t understand it at all. A waste of a perfectly good joke, I thought!’
‘Well, when Sylvia has been in the fourth form for a while, perhaps her sense of humour will come to the fore,’ said June.
‘I don’t see how it can fail to,’ said Freddie. ‘Not once Sylvia realises what fun it is to play tricks and share jokes. That’s one of the good things about laughter—it’s infectious!’
‘Well, one person certainly won’t be laughing tomorrow,’ said June, with a touch of malice. ‘And that will be dear Olive!’
6
A very successful trick
The fourth formers were in a great state of excitement as they went into Miss Tallant’s class the next morning. Everyone but Sylvia—and Olive herself, of course—knew about the trick, and Olive looked puzzled as a few sly glances came her way.
All the mice in the biology room were quite tame, and the one that June had picked up didn’t seem to mind being handled at all. He liked it in Olive’s desk as well, for there was plenty of room to run around, and lots of interesting things for him to sniff at. ‘Quiet, everyone!’ hissed Felicity, who was standing by the door. ‘Miss Tallant is coming.’
The girls stood up politely as the mistress swept into the room. As usual, she was wearing one of the fussy, frilly blouses that she was so fond of, and a pair of earrings with enormous pink stones in them hung from her ears.
Bonnie, playing up to Miss Tallant for all she was worth, said admiringly, ‘Oh, what a lovely blouse, Miss Tallant! You do look so pretty.’
‘Why, thank you, Bonnie,’ said the mistress, preening a little, while the fourth formers grinned at one another. ‘Good morning, girls. Sit down, and we will continue with the play that we began reading the other day. Get your books out, please.’
The fourth formers watched with bated breath as Olive lifted the lid of her desk. But the little white mouse was hiding behind her pencil case, and the girl closed the lid again, without even realising that he was there.
‘Never mind,’ wh
ispered June to Freddie, Felicity and Susan. ‘Olive will have to open her desk again later to put the book away. She’s certain to spot the mouse then.’
But the mouse had ideas of his own, and had no intention of waiting until the end of the lesson to make his appearance!
After about ten minutes, he grew rather bored with his new surroundings, and, feeling lonely, decided that he would like to go back to his friends. But how was he to get out? The mouse scuttled into a corner, the sound he made startling Olive very much indeed. What on earth could it be, she wondered? It seemed to be coming from underneath her ink-well. Cautiously, Olive removed the ink-well from its hole in the lid of the desk and the mouse, seeing daylight, stuck his head up through the hole.
Olive’s expression of terror was quite comical. For a second she could only sit there, frozen in horror, then she let out a blood-curdling scream, jumping up so hastily that she knocked her chair over.
Miss Tallant, who had been listening intently as Lucy read out part of the play, jumped violently and cried, ‘Olive! How dare you disturb the class in this way? Whatever is the matter with you?’
Her eyes wide with horror and her hand trembling, Olive pointed at her desk and stammered, ‘A m-mouse! In my d-desk!’
The little mouse had been quite as frightened of Olive as she had been of him, particularly when she screamed so loudly, and he had swiftly retreated back through the hole, into the safety of the desk. He moved so quickly that even Sylvia, who sat next to Olive and turned her head sharply as the girl screamed, hadn’t spotted him.
As for Miss Tallant, she didn’t quite know what to think. On the one hand, she sincerely hoped that there wasn’t a mouse in the desk, for she didn’t like them any better than Olive did. But if, on the other hand, there was no mouse, that would mean that Olive was playing a trick, for no other purpose than to disrupt the class.
June, seeing the uncertainty on the mistress’s face, was quick to take advantage of it.
‘I’ll take a look, if you like, Miss Tallant,’ she offered, standing up. ‘I’m not afraid of mice, and if there is one in Olive’s desk I shall be able to remove it.’