CHAPTER XXI
The Blinded Soldiers' Fund
The examinations were drawing most horribly and imminently near, andthe Fifth Form, feeling themselves for the most part ill prepared forthe ordeal, were shivering in anticipation. Armed with textbooks, theymade desperate efforts to pull up arrears, and stock their brains withan assortment of necessary facts. Ardiune crammed dates at everyavailable moment, Morvyth studied the map of Europe, Valentine devotedherself to Virgil, and Magsie wept over French verbs, while the resttried to fill up any educational gaps and holes where they knew theywere lacking. The image of the Rev. T. W. Beasley, M.A. loomed largeon the horizon, and his advent was hardly regarded with pleasure.
"I know I'll be scared to death!" moaned Aveline. "If there are anyviva voces I shall break down altogether. I know I shall! Directly helooks at me and asks a question, every single idea will go bang out ofmy head!"
"It doesn't matter how well you know things if you're nervous!" agreedKatherine.
"I hate the written exams!" groaned Raymonde. "They're so long, andone gets so inky, and one's hand grows so stiff. I never can expressmyself well on paper. Gibbie says I've no gift for composition."
"There aren't any J pens left in the cupboard," volunteered Maudie."And Ma'm'selle says it's not worth while sending for more just at theend of the term, and we must use Waverleys for the exam. There's awhole boxful of those."
"Oh, what a shame! I can't write with a Waverley!" protested Raymondein much indignation. "It'll spoil my whole exam. I call that tyranny!Look here! I'm not going to be done! I shall send for a fountain penwith a broad nib. I saw one advertised in a magazine."
"The Bumble won't let you."
"I shan't ask her!"
"Then how'll you get it?"
"Oh, trust me! I'll manage it somehow. I'm not generally easilycircumvented when I set my mind upon anything. I've a plan already."
"Have you? What is it?"
"Ah, that would be telling!" laughed Raymonde. "Perhaps my pen willcome floating in through the window!"
"You mad creature! I don't believe you'll really get it!"
"Wait and see!"
The Fifth Form possessed a little upstairs room at the Grange whichthey called their sanctum. It held a piano, and was mainly used forpractising, but the girls sometimes studied there out of preparationhours. Its principal article of furniture was a large, old-fashionedbureau, which Miss Beasley had bought among other things when shetook over the house. She had given every girl in the Form one of itsdrawers, together with a key, so that each could have a place in whichto keep any special treasures locked up.
As Raymonde sat in the sanctum that afternoon alone, trying to applyher mind to memorizing certain axioms of Euclid, Veronica camebustling in.
"You here, Ray? Miss Beasley wants some change to pay the laundry.You've got the money you collected at your coon concert last night;can you let her have thirty shillings in silver, and she'll give younotes instead?"
"Certainly," replied Raymonde, rising at once and unlocking her drawerin the bureau. "Here you are--four half-crowns make ten shillings,eight shillings is eighteen, and twenty-four sixpences make thirtyshillings altogether. I'd just as soon have notes."
"Right-o!" said Veronica. "I'll bring them up to you later on, or sendsomebody with them. I hope our entertainment will do as well as yours.By the by, a queer thing happened just this minute. I saw the ghostgirl again!"
"Where?" asked Raymonde excitedly.
"Peeping round the corner of the winding staircase; but she vanishedinstantly. I went up a few steps, but couldn't see her. The wire doorwas open, and I very nearly ran up to the attic to investigate, but Iknew Miss Beasley was waiting for the change. I must rush and give itto her now, or there'll be squalls. Ta-ta!"
Raymonde did not either lock up her drawer or resume her Euclid. Shestood for a moment or two pondering. Then a mischievous light brokeover her face, and she clapped her hands.
"Splendiferous! I'll do it!" she said aloud; and, whisking out of theroom, she ran up the winding staircase, and through the open wire doorinto the forbidden but fascinating territory of the attics.
The girls at the Grange were obliged to keep strictly to theirpractising time-table, and Raymonde was due at the piano in thesanctum from 5.30 until 6.15. At 5.40, which was fully ten minuteslate, the strains of her Beethoven Sonata began to resound down thepassage. Mademoiselle, passing from her bedroom, stood for a moment tolisten. She was impressed by the fact that Raymonde was playing muchbetter than usual, and performing in quite a stylish fashion thepassage which usually baffled her. She almost opened the door tocongratulate her pupil, but being in a hurry changed her mind, and randownstairs instead. A little later Veronica, also in much haste,entered the room arm-in-arm with Hermie.
"Miss Beasley has sent the notes, Ray," she explained. "You needn'tstop. I'll just pop them inside your drawer, and you can put them awayproperly when you've finished practising."
The figure at the piano did not turn her head, or attempt to reply,but went on diligently with the scherzo movement of the Sonata,bringing out her chords crisply, and executing some quite brilliantruns.
"Raymonde's improving enormously in her music," commented Hermie, asthe two monitresses went back along the passage.
"Yes," agreed Veronica. "And how remarkably pretty she lookedto-night! Her hair was quite curly, and she had such a lovely colour.Did you notice?"
"That room's so dark, I can't say I did, particularly. Ray's not badlooking, though I don't call her exactly a beauty!"
"She looked a beauty this evening! Fauvette will have to mind herlaurels! She's always been the belle of the Form until now."
When Maudie Heywood, in accordance with the practising time-table,came at 6.15 to claim the piano, she found the sanctum unoccupied.Raymonde's drawer in the bureau was shut and locked. This fact Maudienoticed almost automatically. At the moment it seemed a matter of noconsequence, though in the light of after events it was to assume agreater importance than she could have imagined.
Raymonde turned up late for preparation, looking hot and conscious,and with her brown serge dress only half fastened. She gave no excusefor her lack of punctuality, and took her loss of order mark withstoicism.
"What were you doing?" whispered Aveline, when the evening work wasover and the books were being put away.
Raymonde's head was inside her desk. She drew it out, and seemed onthe point of uttering a confidence. Then, suddenly changing her mind,she stooped again to arrange her papers.
"Little girls shouldn't ask questions!" she grunted.
"Oh, very well!" flared Aveline, who was very easily offended. "I'msure you needn't tell me anything if you don't want to, thanks! Ishan't force your silly secrets from you!"
"You certainly won't!" snapped Raymonde, as Aveline flounced away.
There was no time for further bickering. The juniors were giving theirgymnastic and dancing display in the lecture hall, and Miss Beasleyhad announced that she wished the entertainment to begin promptly.
"That's a shot at us!" sniggered Ardiune. "I know the Coons startedlate, but we really couldn't help it. It took me ages to help Fauvetteinto her costume, not to speak of getting into my own as well. TheFourth are only performing in their gym. dresses, so it's easy enoughfor them to be punctual. I'll stump up my shilling cheerfully for thesake of the blind Tommies, but I don't expect much of a show for mymoney's worth."
"No more do I," agreed Katherine. "I'm fed up with Swedish drill. Iconfess my interest centres in the refreshments."
After all, the Fifth were agreeably surprised at the achievements ofthe performers. The juniors had been practising in private under theinstruction of Miss Ward, the visiting athletics mistress, and hadquite a novel little programme to present to their schoolfellows. Theyexhibited some remarkably neat skipping drill, and also some charmingRussian and Polish peasant dances, and a variety of military exercisesthat would almost have justified their existence as a Ladies'Volunt
eer Corps. It was a patriotic evening, with much waving of flagsand allusions to King and Country. Even the refreshments were inkeeping, for the table was decorated with red, white and bluestreamers, and there were on sale little packets of chocolates wrappedup in representations of the Union Jack. The cocoa on this occasionwas immaculate, and everything was served with the utmost daintiness.
"Quite a decent business for the kids!" commented Ardiune, "but nothalf the fun of our coon performance!"
"It was ripping in the barn!" agreed Morvyth.
There remained one more entertainment in aid of the Blinded Soldiers'Fund, that of the Sixth Form, which was expected by everybody to bethe best. Miss Beasley had thrown it open to outsiders, and some ofthe ladies who attended the geology lectures had promised to come andbring friends. In view of this augmented audience the performers madeextra-special efforts. They held frequent rehearsals with closeddoors, and took elaborate pains to prevent impertinent juniors fromobtaining the least information as to their plans. The wildest notionscirculated round the school. It was rumoured that a musical comedy wasto be presented, the male parts being taken by professional actorsspecially engaged from London for the occasion; then that, failing theprofessionals, Miss Beasley and Miss Gibbs had consented to play thetwo heroes, and might be expected to appear in tights, with floweredwaistcoats and cocked hats. In the imagination of the gossipmongersProfessor Marshall, as a Greek tragedian, and Mr. Browne, garbed as ahighwayman, were to be added to the list of artists. It was evenwhispered that the Reverend T. W. Beasley, M.A., who was booked toarrive on Monday, had consented to come earlier, for the purpose ofjoining in the festivities, and would appear in the character of ahumorist, and give some wonderful exhibitions of lightning changes ofcostume and ventriloquism. The uncertainty as to what might beexpected certainly enhanced the pleasure of anticipation. Not a girlwould have missed this performance for worlds.
The Sixth kept their secret well. Not a word leaked out as to the truenature of the programme. Meta, indeed, went about with rather mincingsteps, while Veronica seemed to affect a truculent attitude; butwhether this was the result of learning parts, or was put on withdeliberate intention to deceive, the wide-awake members of the Fifthcould not determine.
The entertainment was to be held on Saturday, when, as there was nopreparation, the whole evening could be devoted to amusement. It wasannounced to begin at 6 p.m., with box office open at 5.45. The schoolturned up with prompt punctuality, and would have scrambled for thedoor, if Barbara, seated at the receipt of custom, had not insistedupon their forming an orderly and orthodox queue. She took theirshillings in a business-like manner.
"Programmes--hand painted--sixpence each. Please buy one for the goodof the cause!" she added.
The programmes, produced in Linda's and Hermie's best style, wereattractive. Each had a different picture upon its cover, and all weretied up with white satin ribbon. The girls opened them eagerly, andread:
MARLOWE GRANGE
Dramatic Performance in Aid of the Blinded Soldiers' Fund.
Scenes from _The Rivals_, by Sheridan.
Cast:
Sir Anthony Absolute Veronica Terry.
Captain Absolute Hermione Graveson.
Faulkland Daphne Johnstone.
Bob Acres Barbara Rowlands.
Mrs. Malaprop Linda Mottram.
Lydia Languish Meta Wright.
Lucy Lois Barlow.
"So the Bumble and Gibbie aren't in it, after all!" whispered Aveline."I never thought they would be, nor the Professor, nor Mr. Browneeither, and certainly not Mr. Beasley! It promises to be decent."
"Hope they'll begin promptly!" murmured Morvyth. "I say, Barbara,isn't it time you began to dress?"
"I don't come on till the second scene," explained Barbara, "so I canchange while they're acting the first. That's why they put me asdoorkeeper. Go back to your seats. Visitors are arriving."
The two front rows had been reserved for outsiders, and presentlybegan to be filled by those who had bought tickets. Miss Beasley andMiss Gibbs took their places, Mademoiselle played an introductoryfantasia upon the piano, and the curtains were drawn aside.
There was no doubt about the play being amusing; from first to lastthe audience was convulsed. The actresses threw themselves admirablyinto their parts, and rendered their characters with the utmostspirit. Veronica, well padded with pillows, made a stout andpresentable Sir Anthony Absolute, and played the autocratic parent tothe life. Hermie, with blue cloak, sword, and military stride,endeavoured to live up to her conception of an eighteenth-centurybuck, and made love with a fervour that was all the more enhanced bythe sight of Miss Gibbs in the front row, sitting with pursed-up lipsand straightened back. Meta, as Lydia Languish, sighed, wept, madeeyes, and indulged in a perfect orgy of sentiment, while Lois actedthe cheeky maidservant with enthusiasm. The best of all, however, wasMrs. Malaprop; Linda had seen the play on the real stage, andreproduced a famous actress to the utmost of her ability. Her absurdmanners and amusing mistakes sent the room into a roar, and sheoccasionally had to wait for quiet until she could continue herspeeches.
Everybody voted the evening a huge success. The visitors heartilycongratulated Miss Beasley upon the cleverness of her elder pupils,and hoped they would sometimes give another open performance. Thegirls clapped till their hands were sore. Even Miss Gibbs, though sheconsidered that the love-making had exceeded the limit allowable inschool theatricals, expressed guarded approval.
"We've cleared two pounds three and sixpence!" announced Barbaragleefully to the Fifth.
"Good!" exclaimed Valentine. "And we made one pound ten, and the kidsone pound seven. What does it tot up to?"
"Five pounds and sixpence," calculated Barbara after a moment'sscribbling on the back of a programme.
"Well, I call it a very decent result for a school of only twenty-sixgirls!"