Читать книгу Second Form at Malory Towers - Enid blyton - Страница 5

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This, of course, was a silly way to introduce any new girl, especially as every listening girl immediately felt that anyone likely to be Gwendoline’s favourite was not at all likely to be theirs! They smiled politely at the new girl, taking her in from top to bottom.

She was very pretty. Her golden hair curled about her forehead, and her blue eyes were much bluer than Gwendoline’s large pale ones, but they were set nearer together than Gwendoline’s, giving her rather a sly look. She had beautiful white teeth, and a very charming smile.

She used it now. “I’m so pleased to come to Malory Towers,” she said. “I’ve never been to a school before.”

“That’s one thing we had in common!” said Gwendoline, in a pleased voice. “I didn’t go to school before I came here either.”

“It would have been better for you if you had,” said Alicia. “You wanted a lot of licking into shape, Gwendoline. I suppose, as usual, you were waited on hand and foot at home these hols., with your old governess and your mother telling you that you were the most wonderful girl in the world!”

Gwendoline looked annoyed. “You don’t need to be rude immediately you see me, Alicia,” she said. “Come along, Daphne, I’ll show you what to do. You are in our dormy, which will be very nice. I can show you round quite a lot. I know how I felt when I first got here and didn’t know anyone.”

Daphne seemed very grateful. She had very good manners, and thanked everyone nicely whenever they showed her or told her anything. She certainly was very pretty and graceful. It was clear that for some reason Gwendoline had quite made up her mind to be her friend and helper.

“I told you she’d have to be silly about somebody,” said Sally to Darrell, as they went downstairs to their supper. “Well, she’s welcome to Daphne. She’s got too many airs and graces for me!”

“Gwendoline says that Daphne’s father is practically a millionaire,” said Darrell. “She had a nurse, a governess and her own maid before she came here!”

“Oh—so that’s why dear Gwendoline is sucking up to her!” said Sally. “I thought there must be something. Hey, Irene—you’ve still got your hat on! Do you particularly want to wear it at supper?”

“Oh, gosh!” said Irene, putting her hand up to her head. “Have I forgotten to take it off? Belinda, you might have told me!”

Belinda grinned. “I don’t know that I noticed it,” she said. “So many things strike me as odd here, at the moment. Wearing a hat to supper didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary.”

“What a pair you’ll make!” said Sally. “Come on, Darrell, come on, Mary-Lou. We shan’t get any supper if we don’t hurry.”

All the girls were tired that night, and the second-formers were very glad to tumble into bed. Gwendoline had chosen the bed next to Daphne. “If you feel homesick, just tell me,” she said to Daphne, who looked really charming in blue pyjamas, her curly hair all about her shoulders in a golden mass. Gwendoline’s hair, too, was golden, but it was straight. She envied Daphne her curls.

“I expect I shall feel rather queer,” said Daphne, getting into bed. “You see, I’m so used to lots of people round me—Mummy coming to kiss me good night—and my governess popping in to see if I’m all right—and my maid folding all my things. I shall ...”

“No more talking,” said Sally, suddenly.

Gwendoline sat up. “You’re not head of form or dormy, Sally,” she said. “Don’t give orders, then!”

“I’m not,” said Sally. “You know the rules, Gwendoline. I’m just reminding you of them, that’s all.”

Gwendoline lay down. Presently the whispering began again. Sally got cross.

“Shut up, Gwendoline. It’s long past time to stop talking. We all want to go to sleep.”

“Wait till you’re head and I’ll obey you, but not till then!” said Gwendoline, rather anxious to show off in front of her grand new friend. “We’ll know tomorrow who’s head.”

“Well, it won’t be you,” said Alicia’s malicious voice from down the room.

“Shhhh!” said Darrell, hearing a footstep. It was Matron. She came in quietly, saw the wakeful girls, and spoke kindly to them. “Not asleep yet? Hurry up! No more talking now, of course. Good night.”

She went out. Gwendoline debated whether or not to begin whispering to Daphne again. But a tiny snore from Daphne showed that she was asleep. So it wouldn’t be any good to defy Sally—Daphne wouldn’t be able to whisper back!

Soon all the girls were fast asleep. They didn’t hear Miss Potts peep into the room and shut the door quietly. They didn’t even hear the sixth-formers trooping upstairs later on. They were all tired out.

The dressing-bell awoke everyone with a jump. Sally sat straight up, startled. “Oh—it’s only the school bell,” she said, and laughed. “I couldn’t think what it was for a moment.”

The first day was always fun. No real lessons were done, though classes were held. Tests were given to see what the new girls knew. New books, pencils and so on were given out. A list of various duties was compiled, each girl taking her turn at them, week by week.

The new girls all had to go to see Miss Grayling, the quiet, low-voiced Head Mistress. She told the girls exactly the same as she had told Darrell the year before. “You will all get a lot out of your years at Malory Towers. See that you give a lot back! Be just and responsible, kind and hardworking. I count as our successes those who leave here as young women good-hearted and kind, sensible and trustable, good sound people that the world can lean on. Our failures are those who do not learn these things in the years they are here.”

Daphne, Ellen, Belinda and all the other new girls in various forms, heard these words that morning. All of them listened, impressed. Some remembered the words and never forgot them. They would be the successes. All three new girls in the second form seemed to be listening earnestly and sincerely, especially Daphne. Miss Grayling glanced at her, looking at her closely without appearing to. She knew quite a lot about Daphne Millicent Turner.

Daphne looked back, putting all her soul into her eyes. She wanted badly to make a good impression on Miss Grayling. She smiled her charming smile, but the Head Mistress did not return it. She spoke a few more serious words and then dismissed the girls. They went silently out of the room.

“Isn’t she wonderful?” said Daphne, fervently. “Gwendoline said she’d make a real impression on me, and she has.”

Nobody appeared to care whether any impression had been made on Daphne or not. They separated and went their different ways.

This term Darrell and Sally made their way to the second-form room. They passed the door of the first-formers, the room where they themselves had sat for many terms. The door was open. A tangled crowd of small girls were choosing desks and bagging seats.

“Babies!” said Darrell, loftily. “Just inky-fingered kids who probably don’t know their twelve-times table yet.”

Two old second-formers, now third-formers, passed them in the passage. “Hallo, kids!” said one of the third-formers, condescendingly. “Look out for old Nosey! She’s hard on people who make too many spelling mistakes!”

Nosey was the popular name for Miss Parker, the second-form mistress. She had rather a large nose, which, so the girls said, she kept putting into things that was no concern of hers. Certainly she was a most inquisitive person when she suspected any mischief was going on, and did not rest till she had got to the bottom of it.

She was strict but sometimes she had dreamy fits when she seemed to forget the class and sit gazing into the distance. The class lived for these rare moments and then made the most of them. Darrell was sure she would not like Miss Parker nearly as much as she had liked Potty, the mistress who had taught her in the first form.

Belinda and Ellen seemed to be very keen to know all the details about the various teachers. Darrell and Sally were pleased to supply them. Daphne, of course, went to Gwendoline for information.

“You’ve got to be careful of both Mam’zelles,” said Darrell. “But most of all of Mam’zelle Rougier, the tall thin one. They’ve both got tempers—but Mam’zelle Dupont’s temper is just a short, hot one, and Mam’zelle Rougier’s is a real bad one!”

“And look out for Miss Carton, the history mistress, because, if you don’t like history, she’ll sharpen her tongue on you!” said Alicia. “I do like it, so I’m all right. But if you don’t, look out!”

The first day passed pleasantly and interestingly. The new girls were taken to see the various parts of the big school buildings, the tennis courts, and the gardens. They marvelled at the great swimming-pool hollowed out from the rocks continually filled with fresh water each tide.

“I suppose you can swim very well,” said Daphne to Gwendoline. Gwendoline hesitated and looked round. She had been boasting quite a lot to Daphne, but not in the hearing of the others. Now Darrell was too near for her to make any untruthful statement about her swimming.

“Well—not so well as the others,” she said.

“I bet you swim the best,” said Daphne, warmly. “You’re too modest!”

Darrell giggled. No one could call Gwendoline modest, surely! She was the worst boaster in the school, and sometimes could not draw the line between stupid boasting and real untruth.

Ellen said she could not swim. “I’ve never had much time for games,” she said. “But I’d like to play them well. I’ve had to work so hard always.”

“You must be jolly clever,” said Mary-Lou. “You won the only scholarship offered that would take you to Malory Towers, didn’t you?”

“Yes. But I don’t believe I’m really clever,” said Ellen, the little line deepening on her forehead and giving her a worried look. “I mean—I can work and work and work, and remember things all right—but I’m not brilliant like some girls. Some don’t need to work hard at all—they’re top because they’re so clever, and they can’t help it. I have had to work for everything. Still—I badly wanted to come to Malory Towers, and here I am, so the hard work was worth it!”

“Well, you try being good at games as well as at work,” said Sally, who was very keen on all games herself. “You know what they say ‘All work and no play ...’ ”

“Makes Jack a dull boy—and Ellen a dull girl!” said Ellen, with a small laugh. “I’m afraid that’s what I am, too—dull!”

Belinda loved everything about Malory Towers. Irene, who seemed to have taken her as much in tow as Gwendoline had taken Daphne, was delighted with Belinda’s rapturous admiration of everything.

“Oh, the views!” cried Belinda. “Look at that sea! Look at the colours in that swimming-pool! Where’s my paint-box, quick!”

It was then that for the first time the girls discovered Belinda’s talent. She could draw and paint marvellously well. Best of all, or so the girls thought, she could caricature anyone in a bold pencil or charcoal drawing, producing a comic exaggerated likeness that sent everyone into peals of laughter.

“We’ll have some fun with you, Belinda!” said Irene. “You can draw Nosey Parker—and Mam’zelle—both Mam’zelles, in fact—and Matron—and everyone. I’m glad you came. We’ll certainly have some fun with you!”