'Oh, mv.' said Darrell. 'I love it. If every term is as nice as this, 1 shall be thrilled!'
'Ah, you wait,' said Alicia. 'Everything's always all right at first -but when you've had a wigging or two from Mam'zelle, and been dosed by Matron, and kept in by Potty, and slated by Miss Remmington, and ticked off by one of the older girls and...!'
'Oh stop!' cried Darrell. 'Nothing like that will happen, Alicia. Don't try and frighten me!'
But Alicia was right, of course. Things were not going to be quite so smooth and easy as Darrell thought!
6 ALICIA'S LITTLE JOKE
DARRELL had good brains and she had been taught how to use them. She soon found that she could easily do the work of her class, and in such things as composition was ahead of most of the others. She felt pleased.
'I thought I'd have to work much much harder than at my old school,' she thought to herself 'But I shan't! It's only maths. I'm not so good at. I wish I was as good as Irene at maths. She does things in her head that I can't even do on paper.'
So, after the first week or two. Darrell relaxed a little, and did not worry herself too much about her work. She began to enjov amusing the class a little, just as Alicia did. Alicia was thrilled to have someone to help her in her mischief.
Betty Hill went much further than Alicia. Darrell sometimes wondered if there was anything she would stop at. There were two mistresses that Betty and Alicia played up to. One was Mam'zelle Dupont, the other was a quiet, gentle mistress who took needlework, and sometimes took prep, time at night. Miss Davies never seemed to realize that Alicia and Betty could play tricks on her. Mam'zelle did realize it, but was taken in all the same.
'Did you ever hear how Betty put a white mouse into Mam'zelle's desk one day?' said Alicia. 'Poor little thing, it couldn't get out, and suddenly, in despair, it pushed up the little ink-pot, and stuck its nose out of the ink-pot hole. Mam'zelle nearly had a fit.'
'What did she do?' asked Darrell, with great interest.
'Flew out of the room as if a hundred dogs were after her!' said Alicia. 'When she was gone we took the mouse out quickly, and Betty hid it down her neck. So, when Mam'zelle ventured back, and ordered one of us to turn her desk out and get the mouse, there was none to be found. Mam'zelle thought her eyes had gone wrong!"
'Oh, I do wish I'd been there!" sighed Darrell. 'Alicia, do do something funny like that. Do something in maths, can't you? I know Miss Potts is going to go for me over my maths, prep, and something like that would take her mind away from me!'
'What! Play a trick like that in Potty's class!' said Alicia, scornfully. 'Don't be silly. Potty's up to everything. You can't fool herV
'Well—in Mam'zelle's class, then,'begged Darrell. '1 like Mam'zelle, but 1 haven't seen her in a temper yet and I'd like to. Do do play a trick in her class.'
Alicia felt that she would have a most admiring
spectator in Darrell, if only she could think of something. She screwed her forehead into wrinkles and thought hard.
Betty prompted her. 'Can't you think of something Sam or Roger or Dick did last term?' she asked. She turned to Darrell. 'Alicia's three brothers all go to the same school," she said. 'And there's a master there called Toggles—at least that's what the boys call him—and he's such a dud the boys can play any trick they like on him and get away with it.'
Darrell thought Roger, Sam, and Dick sounded fine brothers to have. She wished she had a brother too. But she had only a younger sister.
'There's one thing Roger did last term that was quite funny,' said Alicia, suddenly. '1 believe we could do it. But you and Betty will have to help, Darrell."
'Oh, I'd love to,' said Darrell. 'What is it?'
'Well, Roger pretended to be deaf,' said Alicia. 'And everything old Toggles asked him he pretended to hear wrong. When Toggles said "Johns, sit still in your chair!" Roger said "Give you a cheer, sir? Certainly! Hip, hip, hip, hurrah!"
Darrell laughed. 'Oh, Alicia! That would be fun! Do,do pretend to be deaf, please do. We'll play up to you like anything. We will really. Do it in Mam'zelle's class.'
The first form soon heard that Alicia was going to pull Mam'zelle's leg, and were thrilled. The first excitement of coming back to school had worn off. The girls were rest¬less and ready for a bit of extitement.
'Now.' said Alicia, 'I'll pretend to misunderstand what Mam'zelle says—and then you can repeat it very ioudly, Darrell, and then you Betty, and then the rest of the class. See? We'll have some sport.'
Mam'zelle. all unsuspicious of this deep-laid plot, entered the first-form classroom smiling brightly the next morning. It was a beautiful summer day. She had had two
letters from home, giving her the news that she had a new little nephew. She had on a new brooch, and had washed her hair the night before. She was feeling in a very good temper.
She beamed round at the class. 'Ah, my dear girls!" she said. 'We are going to do some very very good French today, n 'est ce pas? We are going to be better than the second form! Even Gwendoline will be able to say her verbs to me without one, single, mistake!1
Gwendoline looked doubtful. Since she had been at iVlalory Towers her opinion of her governess at home had gone down. Miss Winter didn't seem to have taught her half the things she ought to have known! On the other hand, thought Gwendoline, she had raved over her hair and blue eyes, she had praised the sweetness of Gwendoline's temper, and said how graceful she was in all she did. That kind of thing was most enjoyable to a person like Gwendoline. But a little more learning would have been very useful to her at Malory Towers.
She wished she had learnt a lot more French. Mam'zelle had exclaimed at the little she knew, and had even suggested extra French lessons in order to get her up to the average standard of the form. But so far Gwendoline had been able to avoid extra lessons, and she was quite determined to go on avoiding them! French five times a week was bad enough without extra time tagged on.
She smiled back rather doubtfully at Mam'zelle, hoping that Alicia would soon begin her performance, so that Mam'zelle's attention would not be directed at her. Mam'zelle beamed round again. She thought the girls looked eager and responsive this morning. The dear girls! She would tell them about her new little nephew. That would please them, no doubt!
Mam'zelle could never stop herself from talking about her beloved family in France, if she had had news of them. Usually the girls encouraged her, because the more they heard about la chere Josephine, and la mignonne Yvonne, and la mechante Louise, the less they heard about verbs and genders. So they were delighted when Mam'zelle informed them of her new nephew.
'II est appele, Jean—he is called John. II est tout petit, oh, tout petit!' Mam'zelle held up her two hands and measured a small distance between them to show how little her new nephew John was. 'Now what does that mean? II—est—tout—petit. Who will tell me?'
Alicia was sitting in an attitude of strained attention, leaning forward as far as possible over her desk, one of her hands behind her ear. Mam'zelle noticed her.
'Ah, Alicia, you did not hear me very well? I will re peat. II—est—tout—petit. Repeat to me, please.'
'Pardon?' said Alicia, politely and put both hands behind her ears.
Darrell wanted to giggle already. She tried to keep her face straight.
'Alicia! What is wrong with you?' cried Mam'zelle. 'Can you not hear?'
'What do I fear? Why, nothing, Mam'zelle,' said Alicia, looking slightly surprised. Somebody giggled and then smothered it quickly.
'Mam'zelle said "Can you not hearV repeated Betty in a loud voice to Alicia.
'Beer?' said Alicia, more astonished, apparently, then ever.
'CAN YOU NOT HhAR?" shouted Darrell, joining in the game. And the class joined in too. 'CAN YOU NOT HEAR?'
Mam'zelle banged on her desk. 'Girls! You forget yourselves. What a noise to make in class."
'Mam'zelle. perhaps Alicia is l)l i.' said Darrell.
speaking as if Mam'zelle herself were deaf. 'Maybe she has
ear-ache.'
'Ah. la pauvre petiteV cried Mam'zelle, who suffered from ear-ache herself at times, and was always very sympathetic towards anyone else who did. She bellowed at Alicia.
"Have you ear-ache?'
'A rake? 1 don't want a rake, thank you Mam'zelle,' replied Alicia. "I'm not gardening today."
This was too much for Irene, who let out one of her explosive laughs, making the girls in front of her jump.
'TiensV cried Mam'zelle, jumping too, 'what was that? Ah, you Irene—why do you make that extraordinary noise? I will not have it.'
'Can't help sneezing sometimes, Mam'zelle,' stuttered Irene, burying her nose in her handkerchief as if she was about to sneeze again. Curious noises came from her as she tried to choke back her giggles.
'Alicia,' said Mam'zelle. turning back to the mischief maker, who at once put both hands behind her ears, and frowned as if trying her best to hear. 'Alicia, do not talk to me of rakes. Tell me, have you a cold?"
'No, I've no gold, only a ten-shilling note,' answered Alicia, much to Mam'zelle's mystification.
'Mam'zelle said COLD not GOLD,' explained Darrell at the top of her voice.
'You know—COLD, the opposite of HOT," went on Betty, helpfully. 'Have you a COLD?'
'HAVE YOU A COLD?' roared the class, coming in like a well-trained chorus.
'Oh, COLD! Why don't you speak clearly, then I should hear you," said Alica. 'Yes—I've had a cold, of course.'
'Ah—then it has affected your poor ears.' said Mam'zelle.
'How long ago was this cold. Alicia?"
Darrell repeated this question at the top of her voice, followed by Betty.
'Oh—when did 1 have it? About two years ago,' said Alicia. Irene buried her nose in her hanky again. Mam'zelle looked a little blank.
'It is of no use the poor child trying to follow the French lesson,' said Mam'zelle. 'Alicia, sit by the window in the sun and read your French book to yourself. You cannot hear a word we say.'
Alicia looked enquiringly at Darrell, as if she hadn't heard. Darrell obligingly repeated it all at the top of her voice. Betty unfortunately was too overcome by a desire to laugh to be able to repeat it too. But the rest of the class obliged with a will.
'YOU CANNOT HEAR A WORD WE SAY!' they chorused.
The door opened suddenly and a mostirate Miss Potts looked in. She had been taking Form 2 next door, and could not imagine what the shouting was in Form I.
'Mam'zelle, excuse my interrupting you, but is it necessary for the girls to repeat their French lesson so very loudly?' she asked.
'Ah, Miss Potts, I am so sorry. But it is not for me the girls repeat words so loudly, it is for the poor Alicia,' explained Mam'zelle.
Miss Potts looked most surprised. She looked at Alicia. Alicia felt uncomfortable. She also looked as innocent as she could. But Miss Potts was always on the alert when Betty or Alicia looked innocent.
'What do you mean. Mam'zelle?' she snapped. 'Has Alicia suddenly gone deaf.' She was all right this morning.'
'She is quite, quite deaf now.' Mam'zelle assured her. Miss Potts looked sharply at Alicia.
"Come to me at Break, Alicia.' she said. 'I would like a few u ords with vou."
Nobody dared repeat these words to Alicia, but Mam'zelle herself obliged. She shouted across to Alicia.
'Miss Potts says, will you...'
'Don't bother to repeat what 1 said, Mam'zelle,' said Miss Potts. 'Alicia will come all right. I shall expect you at eleven, Alicia. And please stand up when I speak to you.'
Alicia stood up , her face a flaming red. Miss Potts went out of the room, and she did not shut the door very quietly. Mam'zelle disliked people who banged doors.
'Ah, this door, it goes through my poor head!' she said. "Miss Potts, she is very good and clever, but she does not have the head-ache, as I do...'
'Nor the ear-ache,' put in Darrell, but no one raised a giggle. Miss Potts's entry and fierceness had damped the cheerfulness of the class considerably.
Alicia said no more about her ear-ache. She took a book and sat down by the window in the sunshine, feeling sure that Miss Potts would not appear again. She thought she might as well get something out of her perfomance! Mam'zelle took no further notice of her, and devoted herself to a whole-hearted search for someone in Form l who could and would conjugate a whole French verb properly. Not finding anyone really good, she lost the good temper she had entered with that morning, and gave the class a bad time.
She stalked out when the bell for Break went. The girls crowded round Alicia. 'Oh, Alicia! I nearly died when you said "beer".'—'Wasn't it a shame Potty coming in like that?'—'Will you get into a fearful row, Alicia?'
'Darrell nearly yelled the roof off' said Irene. 'I almost burst with trying not to laugh.'
T must go and hear what Potty has to say,' said Alicia. 'Pity 1 forgot she was taking Form 2 next door! So long, mils!'
7 DARRELL LOSES HER TEMPER
ALICIA got a good scolding, and extra prep. She came out from Miss Potts's room, and ran straight into Mam'zelle. 'Haveyou been to see Miss Potts, Alicia?' asked Mam'zelle, thinking that perhaps Alicia hadn't heard what Miss Potts had said.
'Oh, yes, thank you. Mam'zelle,' said Alicia, and walked off. Mam'zelle stared after her. How queer! Alicia had heard perfectly what she had said. Could ears get better so quickly then? Mam'zelle stood still and frowned. Miss Potts came out of her room and saw her.
'If Alicia shows any further signs of deafness, send her to me,' said Miss Potts, coldly. '1 can always cure it at once.'
She walked off. Mam'zelle began to breathe quickly. 'The bad girl, Alicia—She has pulled my foot,' said Mam'zelle, who sometimes got a little mixed! 'She has hoodie-winked me! Never again will I believe her, the bad girl."
Darrell had thoroughly enjoyed the absurd affair. How cleverly Alicia had pulled it off! She looked at her admiringly, and Alicia liked the admiration. It always egged her on to further misbehaviour. Mary-Lou stared at her too, as if she was somebody most remarkable. Alicia went up and took Darrell's arm.
'We'll think of something else soon,' she said, 'You and I and Betty. We'll be the Bold Bad Three, or something like that!'
'Oh, rc'.v!' said Darrell, thrilled at the idea of being one of a gang with Betty and Aliea. 'Do let's! Maybe 1 could think of something, too.'
If was decided, however, that it would be best not to try anything further until a little time had gone by. Perhaps something could be tried on Miss Linnie next.
Gwendoline was jealous of the way Alicia and Betty, recognized leaders in the first form, had made friends with Darrell. After all, Darrell was as new as she herself was. And she, Gwendoline, was much prettier, and had, she was sure, much more charm of manner.
She took Sally Hope into her confidence. 'I don't like the way Darrell Rivers pushes herself forward all the time, do you?' she said to Sally. 'Thinking she's so marvellous! Chumming up with Alicia and Betty. Not that I would if they asked me.'
Sally didn't look very interested, but Gwendoline didn't mind. She went on grumbling about Darrell. 'She thinks she's got such good brains, she thinks she plays such a marvellous game of tennis, she thinks she's so good at swimming! I've a good mind to show her that I'm twice as good as she is!'
'Well, why don't you?' said Sally, bored. 'Instead of showing everyone you're twice as bad!'
Gwendoline was annoyed. To think that the quiet little Sally Hope should say such a thing to her! She looked at Sally as if she would like to wither her up.
'All right,' said Gwendoline grandly. 'I w///just show you, Sally. I haven't really tried before, because it didn't seem w orth it. / didn't want to come to Malory Towers, and Mother didn't want me to either. It was Daddy that made me come. I did marvellously with my governess. Miss Winter, and 1 could do marvellously now, if only I thought it was worth while!'
Alicia came up and heard this curious speech. She laughed loudly.
'You can't play tennis, you can't swim, you squeal when
your toe touches the cold water, you don't even know all your twelve times table, baby! And then you talk of it not being worth while to show what you can do! You can't do a thing and never will, whilst you have such a wonderful opinion of yourself!'
Sally laughed too, and that made Gwendoline angry. How she would like to slap them both! But Miss Winter had always said that a little lady kept her hands to herself. Anyway, it would be decidedly dangerous to slap Alicia.
Gwendoline walked off, her nose in the air. 'Dear Gwendoline Mary,' remarked Alicia, in a loud voice. 'Mummy's pet, Daddy's darling, Miss Winter's prize pupil. And can't do fractions properly yet!'
That evening the girls were in the swimming-pool, having a lovely time. Alicia swam under water the whole width of the pool, and then back again. Everyone applauded her.
'How can you hold your breath all that time?' cried Darrell. 'I wish I could ! Do it again, Alicia, when you've got your breath.'
'The water's got properly into my ears this time!' said Alicia, shaking her head violently. 'They feel all bunged up. I'll wait till they're clear. I'll do a spot of diving.'
She was just as good a diver as a swimmer. Gwendoline, paddling about in the shallow end, envied her. She was certain she could swim and dive better than Alicia-—if only she could get over the unpleasant beginnings. She did hate the first cold plunge. She couldn't bear going under the water. She spluttered and gasped if she got water up her nose, and felt as if she w as drowning.
There was only one person worse than she was, and that was poor Mary-Lou. No one teased Mary-Lou too much. It was too like teasing a small, bewildered kitten. Gwendoline saw her floundering about near her, and because she knew
Mary-Lou was even more afraid of the pool than she was, she felt a sense of power.
She waded over to Mary-Lou, jumped on her suddenly and got her under the water. Mary-Lou had no time to scream. She opened her mouth and the water poured in. She began to struggle desperately. Gwendoline, feeling the struggles, spitefully held her under longer than she had intended to. She only let her go w hen she felt a sharp slap on her bare shoulder.