CHAPTER X
Mischief
Avelyn, I regret to say, was no ideal heroine of fiction, but aparticularly human girl, with a strong spice of mischief in hercomposition. She considered that she owed her room-mates a grudge, andshe cast about for a suitable opportunity of paying the debt. As ithappened, fortune favoured her. Miss Kennedy sent her to the study tofetch a book that was required. She knocked at the door, and as nobodyanswered she turned the handle and went in. The room was empty. Shefound Volume III of the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_, and as she turnedfrom the bookcase she cast an eye on Miss Thompson's desk. It was spreadwith papers, and in front, just beside the inkpot, was a whole pile ofexeat forms. They were little printed sheets bearing the words:
SILVERSIDE
_I hereby certify that..............................is allowed leave of absence for the afternoon._
_Signed............................._
_Date..............................._
When a girl visited the town, she was given one of these forms, dulyfilled in by the Principal, without whose signature it was not valid.The system, perhaps, savoured of red tape, but it saved the mistressesthe trouble of enquiring from head-quarters who were to compose theirparties. Avelyn looked critically and covetously at the exeats. Eachrepresented so much fun to one girl. A sudden idea struck her. Shelaughed aloud at the thought of it, and yielding to the impulse, countedout four of the forms, and popped them into her pocket. Then she fledback to the waiting Miss Kennedy with Volume III of the _EncyclopaediaBritannica_.
Wednesday afternoons at Silverside were chiefly devoted to optionalsubjects. The violin master came to give lessons, and several girlswhose spines were suspected of symptoms of crookedness, did specialphysical exercises under the eye of a gymnastic teacher. The elocutionpupils met in the Sixth Form room, and learned to recite Shakespeare,while those who were taking oil-painting wended their way to the studio.Those unfortunates whose parents did not rise to "extras" were herdedtogether in the dining-room, regardless of forms, and did plain sewingor printing. A band of privileged boarders, under guardianship of amistress, started at 2.30 for the dissipations of the city. Now at 2.15Avelyn was due for her music lesson. She put her pieces and studies intoher case, washed her hands carefully, retied her hair ribbon, scentedher pocket-handkerchief, and sauntered down the corridor. She paused fora moment at the door of the Fifth Form room, then entered. Laura Talbotwas sitting disconsolately on one of the desks, girding at life to asympathetic audience. Avelyn thrust the four exeat forms into her hand,and remarked:
"For the Cowslip Room! And I've got to go to my music lesson! Isn't ithard luck! Ta-ta! I'm late as it is, and Mr. Harrison gets baity if he'skept waiting."
Laura stared at the forms for a moment, utterly staggered, thenincomprehension changed to joy, and she jumped from the desk.
"Irma! Janet! Ethelberga! We've got exeats! Oh, jubilate! Scurry quickand get ready! We've only just time to change our things. Oh, I say! Tothink of seeing 'The Temple Bells' after all!"
An agitated ten minutes followed, in which the four girls almost tumbledover one another in the hurry of making their toilets. Laura put on herbest hat and birthday furs, Ethelberga sported a bracelet, Irma, afterforaging at the back of her top drawer, was distinctly seen to abstracta powder puff and apply it to the tip of her nose, Janet tried to coaxher fingers into new gloves a quarter of a size too small, there was anunlocking of cashboxes and a taking out of money. At the eleventh hourthey sped down the stairs into the hall. The little party of elect weredrawn up ready to go, and only waiting for Miss Peters. That lady hadbeen impeded in her dressing, and consequently came hurrying up, verymuch flustered.
She was a gentle, fair-haired, middle-aged, depressed little person,who had been pitchforked into teaching against her will. Her weak pointwas discipline, and the girls knew it, and took base advantage. Now,instead of forming an orderly crocodile, they clustered round her,clamouring all sorts of requests for things they wanted to do in town.
"If there's time! Dear me, I don't know! I can't promise anything! Itwill all depend!" replied the harassed mistress.
She collected the exeats and counted them automatically. In her flurryshe never noticed that four of them were not filled in with names orsigned. Laura had handed them to her without herself noticing theomission. There was nobody to rectify the mistake, so the fourroom-mates, in most exuberant spirits, started in the crocodile forHarlingden. They accomplished a few purchases in the town, but poor MissPeters found it so difficult to keep her flock together, that she wasforced to abandon the shops, and suggested the cinema. She consideredher role of duenna anything but an enviable position, and wouldwillingly, that afternoon, have exchanged jobs with a charwoman. Shebreathed more freely when she had piloted her lively young charges upthe stairs at the picture palace, and ensconced them in a gigglingdouble row in the balcony. For a blissful hour and a half they would beout of mischief, with eyes fixed only on the marvellous scenes fromIndia.
Meantime, while Laura, Irma, Janet, and Ethelberga were staringfascinated at the bewildering East, following the heroine through aseries of dazzling adventures, things at Silverside were taking aprosaic and totally different turn. It happened that Irma and Janet,whose French recitations that morning had been a dismal failure, weredue in the Fourth Form room that afternoon to say their returned poetrylesson to Mademoiselle. She waited a quarter of an hour for them, then,as they did not turn up, she instituted enquiries. Several reliablewitnesses informed her that they had been seen (and envied) departingwith the crocodile for Harlingden. Mademoiselle's temper was naturallypeppery, and under such provocation as this she burst forth in greatindignation:
"What! Go out to pleasure when I tell them to come and say lessons tome! It is what you call the limit! Of what use to try to teach, if theyare to do only what they like? I go straight to tell Miss Thompson!"
Mademoiselle was brimming over with wrath, and poured out her complaintsvehemently in the study. The Principal's lips tightened as she listened.
"I did not give exeats to Janet and Irma. This shall be enquired into,Mademoiselle," she replied.
Miss Thompson meant what she said. When the crocodile returned fromHarlingden, she was waiting in the hall, and ordered Laura, Irma, Janet,and Ethelberga to report themselves in her study. The scene whichfollowed was short and stormy. The girls, whose minds had scarcely yetbecome detached from Indian jungles and Hindoo palaces, were suddenlyaccused of having played truant. They denied _in toto_, pleading thatthey had exeats.
"Where did you get these exeats?" demanded Miss Thompson sternly.
"They were handed to us in the schoolroom."
"By whom?"
With one consent the girls hesitated. They did not wish to throw theblame upon Avelyn.
"You refuse to tell me?" said the Principal. "Very well, you may go tothe First Form room, where your tea will be sent to you. I shall siftthe matter thoroughly after preparation. It is disgraceful that such athing should happen at Silverside."
When preparation was over that evening, the boarders were ordered toassemble in the big schoolroom. They went in much astonishment,wondering for what reason they were thus summoned. A whisper got aboutthat four girls were in trouble, but on what exact count nobody seemedto know.
They had scarcely taken their places when Miss Thompson entered. Shelooked worried and serious. A decorous silence pervaded the room.Everyone was alert with expectation and intense interest. There was asensation as when thunder is in the air. After an impressive pause, thePrincipal, standing so that her eyes scanned all the faces fronting her,stated the case briefly.
"A thing has occurred to-day which has never happened here before. Fourgirls went into Harlingden without leave. They tell me that they werehanded exeats by a schoolfellow, and believed that they had mypermission for the holiday. I have examined the exeats that were givenin to Miss Peters, and find that four of them a
re unsigned. I can onlyconclude that somebody must have taken these exeats from my study. Iintend to find out who that person is. Can anybody give any informationon the subject?"
There was absolute stillness in the room. Every girl looked at herneighbour. Avelyn sat as if petrified. Until that moment it had neverstruck her that her practical joke might have any serious issue. She hadnot expected her room-mates to believe that the exeats were genuine. Shethought that when they looked at them they would notice at once thatthey were unsigned, and therefore not valid. It was incredible that MissPeters should also have accepted them. What was intended for a piece ofsilly fun had assumed the aspect of a very grave fault.
"I will ask Miss Peters to tell us what she knows," said Miss Thompson,turning to the mistress.
Miss Peters, much worried and embarrassed, could only state that she hadcounted the exeats, which tallied with the number of girls she had takenin to town. In her hurry she had not examined every paper, and could notsay whether they were signed or not. It was an unpleasant situation forthe poor governess. She was conscious that she had been slack in theperformance of her duties, and that it was owing to her negligence thatthe affair had been possible. Though the Principal did not openly blameher, she felt that she stood reproved before the school. Laura, Janet,Irma, and Ethelberga sat overwhelmed and injured, but stubbornlydetermined not to betray their room-mate. They felt that they wouldrather take the blame themselves than sneak.
"I give you all one last chance," said Miss Thompson. "Can any girlthrow a light on this unfortunate affair?"
The head mistress spoke clearly and slowly. Her glance passed along rowafter row of young faces, as if she would read their very souls. Aminute of ghastly quiet followed, a horrible minute that seemed as longas a year. Then Avelyn rose. She was very pale, and stood erect with herhead thrown a little back.
"I think I can clear it up, Miss Thompson," she answered, in a voicethat was steady, but full of suppressed emotion. "It was I who gave outthose exeats."
"_You_, Avelyn Watson! And on what authority? From where did you getthem?"
"From your study table."
"_From my study table!_" repeated Miss Thompson, her manner growingstill more grave. "What were you doing in my study?"
Avelyn was thoroughly ashamed of herself, but she did not hesitate.
"I was sent to fetch a book. I saw the exeats lying on the table, and Itook four of them to give to the girls. I meant it as a joke. I did notthink they would believe they were real ones."
A murmur of amazement, almost a laugh, circulated through the room. MissThompson checked it sternly.
"Do you understand, Avelyn Watson, what a liberty you have taken? Youwere sent into my study for a certain purpose, and you took advantage ofthe privilege of entering my room to peruse the papers on my desk, andto steal--yes, I use the word deliberately--to _steal_ some of them. Idon't know how you view such conduct, but at Silverside we consider itutterly unworthy of a lady. You owe me an instant apology."
Avelyn writhed under her mistress's scathing words. "I'm very sorry,Miss Thompson. I never thought of it as anything but a joke. I apologizemost sincerely. I didn't mean to get anybody into trouble."
The Principal looked searchingly at Avelyn.
"You have been guilty of a very grave breach of discipline," shereplied. "I accept your apology because you have spoken up andconfessed, but I cannot let such an episode go unpunished. Until youreturn home on Friday afternoon you are not to speak to a single girl inthe school. You will attend classes as usual, but you will take yourmeals in the studio, and will sit alone there during recreation hours.You are also prohibited from writing any letters, or taking any booksfrom the library. You may spend your time upon your lessons. Go to thestudio now, and your supper will be brought to you. I put every girl onher honour not to speak or write to Avelyn Watson until next Monday."
Avelyn walked out of the room quite steadily, but with downcast eyes.She had the feeling of one who has fallen suddenly into a pit. It was ahorrible experience to be there arraigned, tried, and found guiltybefore all her companions. Miss Thompson's sarcastic comments hurt hermore than the punishment. She spent the rest of the evening alone in thestudio, and was left there half an hour beyond her usual bedtime. Whenshe went at last to her own dormitory the other girls were in bed, andfeigned to be asleep. Miss Kennedy came in first thing in the morning,and told her that she must dress in the bath-room. All day long her"Coventry" was preserved. The girls, indeed, cast surreptitious glancesof sympathy at her, but they were on their honour not to speak or write,and they did not break their word. It was a hard penance to sit byherself, without even a story-book to amuse her. She felt speciallylonely after four o'clock, when she knew her friends would be laughingand chatting together round the fire, and perhaps roasting chestnuts.
The studio was not a particularly cheerful room for solitaryconfinement. As the dusk closed in, the casts loomed like white ghostsfrom the corners, and she could almost fancy that the eyes of theplaster Venus deliberately winked at her. She had no matches, and nobodycame in to light the gas. She had not even the satisfaction of a fire topoke, for the studio was heated with hot-water pipes. She did notexpect her tea to be brought to her before 5.30.
"If I weren't going home to-morrow I don't know what I should do," shethought. "Thank goodness I'm only a weekly boarder! I do think theymight have come and lit the gas."
The room was getting more and more dim, and Avelyn's spirits fell inexact ratio. She was beginning to feel an almost superstitious horror ofthe plaster Venus. Suppose it were to come to life, like Pygmalion'sstatue of Galatea? The bare fancy gave her shivers, and a sudden soundmade her turn with a start. It was nothing less than an unmistakable tapon the outside of the window. Avelyn's nerves were strung at highestpitch. She almost screamed aloud. Peering in through the darkness was aface. She forced herself to approach and look, and with a revulsion offeeling recognized the enquiring countenance of her brother David, withhis freckled nose pressed flat against the glass. He tapped again, andshe opened the window.
"Dave! You mascot! How did you get here?"
"Climbed up the spout!" chuckled David. "It was quite easy. Move out ofthe way! I'm coming in."
He dropped inside the room, then turning to the window again, gave asoft whistle.
"Tony's down below," he explained, "and he'll swarm up too, now I'vegiven him the signal. I'll just lend him a hand over that last piece ofcoping. Here he is! Come on, old chap! We've struck the right shantyafter all. Told you you might trust your grandfather!"
Anthony made his appearance with equal caution. His round face waswreathed in delighted smiles.
"It was a little difficult to fix exactly _which_ window," hevolunteered.
"But how did you know I was here?" asked Avelyn ecstatically.
"We met Pamela at the station, and she told us all about it. So, insteadof going home by the 4.45, we thought we'd come up and see how you weregetting on."
"We made Pam describe which room you were in," added David. "I say, it'sa bit of beastly bad luck for you! Pretty stiff, I call it, to be shutup here!"
"It's too ghastly for words!"
"Cheer oh! We've brought you something. Look!" David felt in his pocket,and produced a paper bag full of toffee and a copy of _Tit Bits_. "It'lldo to read. We'd have got you more, only we didn't happen to have muchmoney with us."
"It was lucky we met Pam before we got into the train," commentedAnthony. "We were earlier than usual at the station to-day. As a rule wetear up at the last moment."
"It was ripping of you to come!"
"Well, we couldn't desert you, old sport, at such a pinch."
"I don't believe anyone could have such decent brothers." Avelyn gazedat him through the gathering darkness with admiration.
At that moment a tread of footsteps and a rattle of crockery sounded inthe passage.
"Goody! It's my tea coming!" she gasped.
There was not time for the boys to make their e
xit through the window.While the door handle was turning they fled to what cover they couldfind. David took shelter behind the pedestal of Apollo, and Anthonycrouched in a corner among some drawing boards. Fortunately it was MissDickens who entered, and Miss Dickens was short-sighted.
"Take this tray from me, Avelyn," she commanded. "Dear me, you're all inthe dark here! Has nobody been to light the gas yet?"
"No, Miss Dickens."
"I must fetch some matches, then. Be careful not to upset that tray asyou put it down."
The second her back was turned the boys flew to the window, and,dropping out one after the other, made their way safely down the spoutinto the garden below, whence they waved parting salutations, andretreated with all speed. Avelyn had just time to hide the toffee andthe _Tit Bits_ before Miss Dickens returned with the matches and lit thegas. She assumed an air of appropriate subjection and melancholy beforeher mistress, which at the moment she certainly did not experience.
Until four o'clock on Friday her punishment continued. Not a single wordwas exchanged between herself and her schoolfellows. She had never feltso glad to go home. The week-end made a break, and when she returned toschool on Monday she found herself apparently forgiven at head-quarters,and no more a black sheep, but an ordinary member of society. Herroom-mates' attitude was a mixture of admiration and gratitude.
"You're the limit, Ave!" said Irma.
"I'd never have thought of it myself," admitted Janet.
"It was such a topping idea!" chuckled Laura.
"And we all got just the very time of our lives at 'The Temple Bells',thanks to you!" added Ethelberga.
"But I never intended it for anything but a joke!" protested Avelyn.