Читать книгу The Girls of the Abbey School - Elsie Jeanette Dunkerley - Страница 4

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Punctually at ten minutes past nine, Jack and Jen met outside the big school gates on Monday morning.

‘Been dreaming of cricket all Sunday?’ Jack asked anxiously.

‘No, country-dances!’ Jen retorted. ‘I’ve got little bits of all the tunes mixed up in my head, in an awful jumble! I say! There’s the Queen at the gate! I’m going to ask her if I can’t do both!’

‘You can’t; not till you’re a senior, anyway. She’s looking for somebody. Muriel, perhaps; she’s her bridesmaid.’

Queen Joan came to meet them. Her face was unusually grave, and Jack murmured nervously, ‘I wonder what’s up?’

‘Miss Macey wants all the girls to go straight to the hall and wait for her there. She has something to say to the whole school. Don’t go to take your hats off!’ as Jack, looking bewildered, turned towards the dressing-room. ‘She said go straight to the hall.’

‘But what on earth’s up, Joan? Don’t you know what’s the matter?’ and Muriel, an older girl, came hurrying up. ‘Joy has just told me, but she says she doesn’t know what it means.’

‘I don’t know a word more than you do. Miss Bates was on duty here when we came, and she told Joy and me to send all the girls straight to the hall. I’m afraid there’s something wrong.’

‘Shan’t I go up to my room with my night things?’ Jen looked up doubtfully at the Queen. ‘I’ve been staying with my aunt for the week-end.’

Joan looked down at her, and smiled—‘You’re the new little boarder, aren’t you? I’m glad you’ve an aunt living here. Are you making friends?’

‘Oh, yes! And I want to learn your dances. But can’t I play cricket, too? They say I can’t.’

Joan laughed. ‘We’ll discuss that later. I think you’d better go into the hall with the rest. Miss Macey was very particular about it. We don’t know the reason, you see, and when you don’t know it’s better to be on the safe side.’

‘But I’ve got my nightdress here! And my brush and comb and toothbrush!’ Jen remonstrated. ‘Oughtn’t I to put them away, don’t you think?’

Joan laughed out. ‘It won’t hurt you to hold on to them for a few minutes longer. I’m sure that little case isn’t very heavy. Better wait till we’ve asked somebody who understands.’ She had her own shrewd idea as to the probable cause of Miss Macey’s order, and knew the need to run no risks; but it was only a guess and she could not speak of it.

So Jen, lugging her attaché case, and Jack, with her strap of books and music case, joined the crowd of excited, questioning girls in the big hall, where, as a rule, hats and boots were strictly forbidden, and all waited in tense curiosity for Miss Macey’s appearance. No boarders were present, a fact which was soon noted, with much surprised comment. ‘What have they all been doing during the week-end?’ Jack murmured. Joan Shirley’s troubled look grew as she found her suspicions confirmed.

When Miss Macey stepped on to the platform a breathless silence fell, which made no sounding of the bell necessary. She looked worried and tired, and her explanation was short, but clear to the youngest present.

‘Girls, I grieve to tell you that we have had a case of serious illness in the house. There has not been time to write to your parents, or I would not have allowed you to come here this morning. Cissie Raynes, of Form IV. B’—Cissie’s classmates looked at one another, nervously sympathetic—‘was poorly all yesterday, and by night the doctor suspected it to be a case of diphtheria. I regret to say that is confirmed this morning, and she has been removed to the hospital, where she will have every care. The rest of the boarders will have to remain in quarantine for a few days, till we see if there are any more cases. As you have only been at school a few days, it is possible Cissie brought the infection with her, though she says she knows of no other cases near her home. But as diphtheria develops very quickly, it is quite possible she may have taken it here, and what has affected her may affect others also. I always have our drains, water, milk, etc., carefully tested each holidays, but this Easter I have been abroad, and I fear that those to whom I trusted the oversight of this duty may have failed me. I shall, of course, have these tests made again at once, and endeavour to find out where the danger lies; and the result, and the date of our resuming classes, and the place, will be communicated to your parents at the earliest possible moment. I say “the place,” because if we find trouble in this building, with drains, for instance, it may be possible to get the use of some other house and continue at least some of your classes during the summer. I am deeply distressed that this should have happened in matric term, and for the sake both of the senior and junior exam girls we will continue our classes with the least possible delay, if arrangements can be made. But on that point I shall have to write to your parents. You will go home at once now, without, of course, seeing any of the boarders or wandering over the school. Go out quietly and quickly, and convey to your parents my deepest regret that this should have happened. I am glad to be able to assure you that Cissie’s case is a slight one. The doctor gave her an injection of anti-toxin at once, and does not think she will be in any danger now, with ordinary care.’

‘Please, Miss Macey!’ Joy Shirley stepped forward. Joan had whispered a word, at which Joy’s face had lit up in delight. ‘Topping! Joan, you’re the limit for ideas!’

Jen heard Joan’s whispered answer. ‘Well, it’s the best plan, but it must come from you. I can’t offer it!’

‘Please, Miss Macey, if you do have to look for another house, would you care to come to us, or would it be too far away? There’s heaps of room at the Hall, and we don’t use more than a corner of it, really and truly. You and the boarders could easily fit in, and the sitting-rooms are quite big enough for classes. Aunty and I would be delighted.’

‘What a gorgeous idea!’ The anxious faces of the girls began to lighten. ‘That topping old house! It’s a huge place!’

‘Joy, dear, that is most kind, and I appreciate very deeply the readiness of the offer,’ Miss Macey said quickly.

‘Oh, it was Joan’s idea!’ Joy laughed. ‘All my ideas come from her. Every one of them’s second-hand! But as it’s my house she said I must offer it.’

‘I quite understand that it is your house,’ Miss Macey smiled, her tired face a trifle less worried. ‘But all the same, your aunt, as your guardian, would have to be consulted, and she might not welcome such an invasion.’

‘Oh, aunty’s a dear! Isn’t she, Joan?’

‘Of course!’ Joan laughed.

‘If Joan and I wanted it, she’d agree. Besides, she’d see it was good for the school, and she wants us to go in for those wret—I mean, those important exams!’ There was a ripple of laughter, for the ex-Queen’s feelings towards junior matric were well known. ‘Really, Miss Macey, it wouldn’t hurt the house; I’m sure the girls would be careful. And it wouldn’t put us out at all; you see, several of the old servants have left, because my grandfather left them pensions to live on; and we haven’t got settled with new ones yet. We’re still sort of camping out in a corner of the Hall. You could use it for a while, and not interfere with us at all. It wouldn’t be for very long, would it? Not more than this term?’

‘Oh, no! Certainly not more than this term! Even if our drains were condemned, everything could be put right before September.’

‘Then I think you should decide to come, and not look for another house,’ Joy said eagerly.

‘It is most kind of you, Joy, and a very clever thought of Joan’s,’ with a smile at the elder cousin.

Joan said quickly, ‘I’m sure mother would be pleased, Miss Macey. We’ll talk it over as soon as we get home, and write to you about it, shall we? We really aren’t using more than a corner of the house at present, and the only possible objection would be if any damage was likely to be done. I’m quite sure there wouldn’t be any; the girls would all be very careful.’

‘I am sure they would. But do you really think Mrs Shirley——’

‘Explain it all to me!’ Jen pinched Jack’s arm. ‘I feel fearfully new! Everybody else knows all about it! Where does she want us to go? Where do they live? Why does the old Queen say it’s her house? Isn’t it her father’s? And is her aunt the same as Joan’s mother? Then why isn’t the house Joan’s? You said she was older!’

Jack laughed. ‘Six shots a penny! How many more questions? But I’ll tell you quickly enough. Sir Antony Abinger was Joy’s grandfather, and he died last October. He left her the Hall, because her mother ran away from home and got married to Joan’s uncle; he and her father were twins and awfully alike, and that’s why the girls are so much alike too. Joan was no relation to Sir Antony, of course; so he had to leave everything to Joy; but they’d always lived together, because Joy’s father and mother have always been dead—well, for a good long time, anyway!—and Mrs Shirley, Joan’s mother, brought the girls up together. Joan hasn’t any father either now. So Mrs Shirley is Joy’s guardian; but the house and money really belong to Joy. All except the abbey; it’s a lovely old ruin in a corner of the grounds, and he left that to Joan, because she loved it so, every stone of it, and knew every date and every story about it. He loved it too, but Joy didn’t care half so much; so when he died he left the abbey to Joan, on condition she took proper care of it. Joy says he really liked Joan best. Wouldn’t it be simply topping to go there every day for classes?’

‘It would be gorgeous to live there! It was awfully sporty of them to ask us. How far away is it?’

‘Oh, right away out in the country, miles from everywhere! We’d have to cycle every day. I wonder if they’d let me?’ and Jack’s face fell. ‘Perhaps the train would help. I say, Miss Macey’s done talking to the Queens, and everybody’s going. Come on, let’s scoot! Fancy going back to holidays after just two days of school! Isn’t it simply topping? I wonder what mother will say?’

‘But where am I to scoot to?’ Jen stood in dismay. ‘I’m supposed to be living here! Have I got to go and be in quarry-something with the other boarders?’

‘Oh, I say!’ Jack stared at her blankly. ‘What will you do? I never thought of that!’

Jen laughed, with a brave attempt to hide her dismay. ‘When is a boarder not a boarder? When she’s been away for the week-end! Well, there’s no help for it, I suppose! Shan’t see you for a few days, old thing! Hope I don’t go and catch it! Won’t it be rotten luck if I do? Here goes to join the other dip-ites!’ and she turned towards the staircase.