The Girls of St. Cyprian's: A Tale of School Life Read online

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  The Girls of St. Cyprian's

  A Tale of School Life

  BY ANGELA BRAZIL

  Author of "The School by the Sea," "The Leader of the Lower School," "TheYoungest Girl in the Fifth," &c. &c.

  _Illustrated by Stanley Davis_

  BLACKIE AND SON LIMITED LONDON GLASGOW AND BOMBAY

  "'SO I'VE WON, EVEN WITHOUT YOUR VOTE,' SAID LOTTIE TOMILDRED WITH A SPICE OF TRIUMPH IN HER TONE"]

  Contents

  I. THE UNITED SCHOOLS ALLIANCE 9

  II. ST. CYPRIAN'S COLLEGE 23

  III. THE STORY OF A VIOLIN 35

  IV. CONCERNS VA 49

  V. AN ADVERTISEMENT COMPETITION 61

  VI. A CHANCE MEETING 73

  VII. A SCHOOL EISTEDDFOD 85

  VIII. ST. CYPRIAN'S VERSUS TEMPLETON 102

  IX. THE STUDENTS' CONCERT 117

  X. CHANGES 131

  XI. THE TOWERS 142

  XII. AT TIVERTON KEEP 154

  XIII. A COLONIAL COUSIN 165

  XIV. MILDRED'S CHOICE 173

  XV. MONITRESS MILDRED 190

  XVI. THE AUTUMN TERM 204

  XVII. THE ALLIANCE EXHIBITION 218

  XVIII. TWELFTH NIGHT REVELS 233

  XIX. WINTER SPORTS 247

  XX. A MUSICAL SCHOLARSHIP 262

  XXI. HARVEST 277

  Illustrations

  "'SO I'VE WON, EVEN WITHOUT YOUR VOTE,' SAID LOTTIE TO MILDRED WITH A SPICE OF TRIUMPH IN HER TONE" _FRONTISPIECE_ 21

  TANTIE TELLS MILDRED THE HISTORY OF HER VIOLIN, WHICH IS A VERY OLD AND VALUABLE ONE MADE BY STRADIVARIUS HIMSELF 39

  HERR HOFFMANN TELLS MILDRED THAT SHE IS TO PLAY AT THE PUBLIC RECITAL IN THE TOWN HALL 80

  MILDRED IS MET BY HER UNCLE, SIR DARCY LORRAINE, AT THE STATION 143

  "'HI! DANGER!' HE YELLED TO DICCON, WHO WAS ABOUT TO START DOWN THE TRACK" 253

  MILDRED IS TOLD THAT SHE HAS WON THE THREE YEARS' SCHOLARSHIP IN THE BERLIN CONSERVATOIRE 276

  THE GIRLS OF ST. CYPRIAN'S

  CHAPTER I

  The United Schools Alliance

  "If there's one slack, slow business in this wide world," said BessHarrison, stretching her arms in the exigencies of a combined sigh andprodigious yawn, "it's coming back to school after the Easter holidays.Tame isn't the word for it! It's absolute milk and water. Septemberstart is some sport, because one's generally in a fresh form, and thereare always changes; and even January is fairly lively; but now! Why,there's scarcely even a new girl to make a small excitement, andaltogether it's about as stale as beginning again after half-termweek-end."

  "Worse," agreed Maggie Orton. "At half-term one hasn't had time to getout of things. One feels a little sorry for oneself, but that's all. Butwhen one's had nearly three weeks off it's far harder to fall intoharness again."

  "And the burden's heavier!" urged Mona Bradley. "I've just told MissPollock so. We don't start in September with such a grind. No! They keeplaying straw after straw on our unfortunate backs, here an exercise andthere a problem, or some bit of extra prep., till in the aggregate it'smore than mortal girl can bear! We're victims of over-pressure--that'swhat it is!"

  "You don't look a victim--with cheeks like two streaky red Americanapples!" laughed Maudie Stearne.

  "Appearances are deceptive, my good child! You'll often find the thin,wiry sort of folk can stand more than the nice, plump, rosy ones. As forme, I contend that this special botany class is the last straw. Thecamel's back is bending visibly, and I mean to throw over either Latinor music."

  "Not music, surely!" said Kitty Fletcher. "Why, you'd miss half the funof the school! You'd be out of all concerts and choral meetings, and youneedn't flatter yourself the Dramatic would take you up instead. No,you'd just have to squat with the kids, and act audience, and I don'tthink that's much in your line, Mona Bradley! You're not the one tocovet a back seat, as a rule."

  "Why, of course I didn't intend to be out of the concerts," protestedMona plaintively. "I only thought I might drop my lessons and give uppractising for a while--just during the tennis season, you know."

  "Oh! I dare say! And you think Miss Jackson will let you play atrecitals when you've never practised a note? Happy are the ignorant,indeed! Don't you know she wouldn't allow Margaret Hales a part in thattrio, when poor old Mag had only been away ten days with 'flu'? As forputting on a girl who actually wasn't having lessons, why, the idea'spreposterous! No, take your granny's advice, and knock off maths, orchemistry, or anything you can induce Miss Cartwright to let you throwoverboard, but stick tight to your piano."

  "True, O Queen! Yours are the words of wisdom, I admit. It's thehalf-hour's practising before breakfast that I so particularly loatheand abhor."

  "Well, now the mornings are light, you needn't growl!"

  "What a Mentor you are! You'll be quoting Dr. Watts to me next:

  "'Tis the voice of the sluggard, I heard him complain, 'You have waked me too soon, I must slumber again!'

  I don't mind confessing that I hate getting up in the mornings; howeversunny they are, it makes no difference. And to have to do it every dayfor a whole term, and peg away at scales and arpeggios! Ugh! I sometimeswish I'd been born a savage in Central Africa!"

  "Then they'd have made you learn the tom-tom, and no doubt that's aninstrument that needs perseverance. You can't get out of it, Mona mine!I see nothing for you but a dreary prospect of early rising, and thepursuit of five-finger exercises. It's your hard, cruel, inexorablefate, the chain from which you can't escape."

  Mona laughed rather unwillingly: her mirth was never very spontaneous.

  "I know it's slavery! Well, I suppose I must live for the summerholidays! They let me lie in bed as long as I like, and it's my ideal ofbliss."

  "Then keep it, you old slacker!" said Bess Harrison. "We'll leave you toyour dreams of a Mahomet's paradise. I like something livelier, and togo back to my original proposition, I think every school ought toprovide a new sensation after the Easter holidays, just to wake us up,and keep us from stagnating."

  "Of course there are tennis and cricket this term," suggested MaggieOrton, half apologetically.

  "That I admit--but so far at St. Cyprian's we've only carried them onrather languidly. I wouldn't for the world confess it outside, butbetween ourselves I don't mind saying that we're far and away behindother schools at games. In music I grant you we can give anyone thelead, in languages we're fair, but at athletics we're a set of duffers."

  "We oughtn't to be, then!" exploded Nell Hayward. "We're surely asphysically fit as most girls, and if we laid ourselves out to train we'dastonish people. It's merely a matter of management. No one's botheredmuch abou
t it before, or tried to keep us up to the mark, so of coursewe slacked. It's not our fault!"

  "But the fact unfortunately remains the same!"

  "We want some new life, certainly, put into the tennis and cricket,"said Maudie Stearne. "Something to make it go. It's never been the samesince Miss Pritchard left."

  "She was A1."

  "We shan't get another Miss Pritchard!"

  "None of the Sixth seem over-keen."

  "We may make up our minds that St. Cyprian's is no good at games!"

  "Cease these jeremiads!" interposed Kitty Fletcher. "I'll tell yousomething to cheer you up. Yes, it's news--real, creditable, veritablenews! Why didn't I tell it before? Because I've been keeping it up mysleeve for the pleasure of giving you a complete surprise."

  "Are we to have a professional to coach us?"

  "Or a special games mistress?"

  "Are several female athletes going to join the school?"

  "Go on, Kit, and tell, can't you?"

  "I haven't heard of either athletes or games mistress, but MissCartwright has a grand scheme on hand. We and five other schools are tojoin together in an alliance, and to meet each other for all kinds ofthings--hockey, cricket, tennis, concerts, debates, photography,gymnasium, arts and crafts, everything that's going, in fact."

  "A kind of Olympic contest? Oh, what sport!"

  "Exactly. You see, one school's generally keen on one thing, and anotheron something else. This is supposed to spur us on, and make us more 'allroundish'."

  "Hem--a little wholesome competition!" quoted Maudie, with a fairimitation of Miss Cartwright's rather scholastic voice.

  "You put it in a nutshell. We won't call it rivalry, but it wouldcertainly touch us up to be beaten in anything by Newington Green orMarston Grove!"

  "Ra--ther!"

  "And no doubt they'd feel the same, so it will put us all on ourmettle."

  "I think it's a gorgeous idea; but how's it going to be run?"

  "That's just the point. Each school is to have its own separatecommittee, and then send delegates to a general committee. There are tobe five departments: Musical, Dramatic, Arts and Handicrafts, Literary,and Games, and we're to choose two delegates for each."

  "Who's to do the choosing? Miss Cartwright?"

  "No, it's to be put to the vote of the upper school. One must be fromthe Sixth and one from the Fifth, each form to vote for its owndelegate."

  "That sounds fair enough."

  "Can we choose the same delegate for two subjects?"

  "I shouldn't think so."

  "Let me see--Musical, Dramatic, Arts and Handicrafts, Literary, andGames," said Maudie Stearne, ticking them off on her fingers. "Yes, Ihave somebody in my mind's eye for each. Mildred Lancaster, of course,for music."

  "Mildred Lancaster? No, Lottie Lowman."

  "She's not in it with Mildred."

  "But she's a better organizer. There's no comparison, in my opinion."

  "Nor in mine."

  "Talk of people and they're sure to turn up! Here they both come."

  "And as different as chalk from cheese!" murmured Maudie under herbreath.

  The two class-mates who entered the room at that moment were certainlyentirely unlike as regards personal appearance, and the dissimilaritywent deeper. Lottie Lowman, the elder by six months, was a brisk,alert-looking girl with a fresh complexion, a rather long, pointed nose,a thin mouth, and a square, determined chin. Her forehead was broad andintelligent, her light hazel eyes were very bright and sparkling, andher brown hair held just a suggestion of chestnut in the warmth of itscolouring. Lottie's general effect was one of extreme vivacity. Sheloved to talk, and could say sharp things on occasion--there was hardlya girl in the Form who had not quailed before her tongue--and above allshe adored popularity. To be a general favourite at once withmistresses, companions, and the Lower School was her chief aim, and shespared no trouble in the pursuit. Her flippant gaiety appealed to alarge section of the Form, her humorous remarks were amusing, eventhough a sting lurked in them, and if her accomplishments weresuperficial, they made a far better show than the more-solidacquirements of others. She could do a little of everything, and hadsuch perfect assurance that no touch of shyness ever marred herachievements. She knew absolutely how to make the best of herself, andshe had a _savoir faire_ and precocious knowledge of the world decidedlyin advance of her sixteen years.

  Mildred Lancaster, though only six months Lottie's junior, seemed a babyin comparison, where mundane matters were concerned. She was slightlybuilt and rather delicate-looking, with a pale, eager face, a pair ofbeautiful, expressive brown eyes, and a quantity of silky, soft,dull-gold hair, with a natural ripple in it. The far-away look in thedark eyes, and the set of the sensitive little mouth, suggested thathighly-strung artistic temperament which may prove either the greatestjoy or the utmost hindrance to its possessor. Mildred was dreamy andunpractical to a fault, the kind of girl who in popular parlance needsto be "well shaken up" at school, and whose imagination is apt to outrunher performance. Gifted to an unusual degree in music, at which sheworked by fits and starts, her lack of general confidence was a greatimpediment, and often a serious handicap where any public demonstrationwas concerned. The feeling of having an audience, which was like theelixir of life to Lottie, filled Mildred with dismay, and was apt tospoil her best efforts.

  The two girls, who had already heard of Miss Cartwright's scheme, cameinto the room full of the exciting news, and anxious to discuss it withtheir class-mates.

  "The very thing for St. Cyprian's!" declared Lottie. "I'll undertakewe'll give the other schools points! 'Nulli secundus,' second to none,shall be our motto. We'll practise and rehearse till we're tiptop, andcan take the shine out of anybody. The five departments give suchsplendid opportunities. When's the election, by the by?"

  "To-day at four," said Mildred. "And Miss Cartwright has just made upher mind that VB is to vote. She says it will be fairer, and give abetter representation of the school."

  "Oh, goody! We shall have to hurry up about canvassing."

  "Is there to be canvassing?" objected Mona Bradley. "I thought MissCartwright didn't like it?"

  "We can't get on without it," said Lottie promptly. "Why, how else areyou going to put the candidates' points to the electors? There are somany things to be considered if you take an all-round view. Besides, thefun of it! We'll have speeches!"

  "Tub oratory's a cheap way of catching the crowd!" growled KittyFletcher.

  "You shall give us a deep discourse, then!" flared Lottie. "No doubtyou'll convince VB with some learned remarks. Well, if anything's to bedone, we'd better be doing. Nell, old girl, you'll be on my side? Let'scome and organize a plan of campaign. O jubilate! Here are the others!"

  About seven more girls entered the room at the moment, all hotlyengrossed in the new scheme, and anxious to discuss it. The companybroke into groups, representing fairly well the various sets of theForm, and began eagerly to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of thevarious members proposed for the delegateships.

  "It's a responsibility," said Kitty Fletcher, "because a good leader ishalf the battle. Don't let's allow any personal feeling to creep in.Vote for your enemy, if she's 'the man for the job'."

  "May we vote for ourselves?" chirruped Eve Mitchell. "Oh, there! I wasonly in fun!" as the general scorn of the Form descended upon her."Don't utterly spiflicate me! I'm not going to write 'Eve Mitchell' onall my five papers! Honest, I'm not!"

  "You've a good chance for the Music, Mildred," whispered Kitty to herfriend. "There isn't a girl in the school can play like you, and theyknow it. I'll back you up for that, if you'll put in a word for me atGames--that's all I'm good for!"

  "And enough too," replied Mildred, "considering we can only be adelegate for one subject. I'll do my very best, Kit. I'll go at elevenand harangue some of those slackers in VB. Joan Richards and you wouldmake an ideal couple; you'd work well together, and pull up the standardto what it was before Miss Pritchard left. Trust me to do all
I can!"

  There was little time for canvassing if the election were to take placeat four o'clock on that very day. Perhaps Miss Cartwright hadintentionally arranged it so, wishing to avoid too great seeking forfavour among the girls. Competition she considered wholesome, but shedid not want it to degenerate into rivalry. At eleven o'clock "break",and during the dinner interval, the supporters of the variousprospective delegates worked hard, impressing the merits of theirparticular candidates upon the electors, and trying to secure promisesof votes. The poll was only to be among the members of the Upper School,who, in the Principal's opinion, were likely to be better judges of eachother's capabilities than would the younger girls. Juniors, she argued,might be swayed too easily by influence, but she trusted to her seniorsto take an open-minded and unbiased view of the situation.

  Soon after four o'clock, therefore, Forms VI, VA, and VB assembled inthe lecture hall. A monitress dealt out papers, and in a moment or twoMiss Cartwright, the Principal, stepped on to the platform.

  "I should like to remind you, girls, of the few essential rules of ourelection," she began. "They are very simple. No one, of course, mustvote for herself. Each girl is put on her honour not to be influenced bypersonal bias, but to choose for the good of the school. On your papersyou will find five divisions--Musical, Literary, Dramatic, Arts andHandicrafts, and Games. Opposite each you are to write the names of onemember of the Sixth Form and one of the Fifth. You must sign your ownname to the paper, but this will be treated as confidential. I shallmyself count the results."

  "You vote for me, Mildred, for the Musical, and I'll vote for you,"whispered Lottie Lowman, who happened to be sitting next to MildredLancaster. "We can't vote for ourselves, so exchange is no robbery, isit?"

  Mildred coloured with embarrassment. She had already scribbled "MaudieStearne" on her paper, not "Lottie Lowman", and it was tiresome to bethus cornered.

  "These are the secrets of the confessional!" she murmured, trying topass it off as a joke.

  "Nonsense! We can't be so strict as all that. See, I've put 'MildredLancaster'. Let me look at yours."

  As Lottie advanced her paper, Mildred hastily snatched hers away, butnot before her companion had obtained a glance which told her of itscontents. The slight rustle attracted the notice of Miss Cartwright, whofixed such a glare upon the two girls that each at once sat at stiff"attention", and as if unaware of the other's existence. In deadsilence the voting was finished, the papers carefully folded, collected,and handed in.

  "It will take me about ten minutes to count," said the Principal. "Youcan all go to the dressing-room I will pin the result on the noticeboard as soon as I possibly can."

  The girls filed from the lecture hall with a sense of relief. To sitwaiting for the news would have been a sore trial of patience; it wasfar more satisfactory to spend the interval in donning hats and coats.Besides, in the dressing-room they could talk, and they certainly didnot neglect the privilege. No sooner were they clear of the silencebounds than they broke into a perfect babel of chatter, discussing thepros and cons of the election. Some openly avowed how they had voted,some stuck to their privilege of secrecy, but all were ready to debatethe chances of others. Mildred sat lacing her boots and listening to thevarious scraps of conversation that reached her. She hardly dared tohope for her own success, yet among the whole Form no one more ardentlydesired a delegateship than herself. To be a representative of themusical side of St. Cyprian's particularly appealed to her. She felt itwas almost in the nature of a sacred trust.

  Close by Lottie Lowman and a few satellites were washing their hands.

  "Some people's meanness is hardly to be believed!" Lottie was saying."I'd voted for her, and told her so, so she hadn't the excuse of notknowing, and I think the least she could do was to vote for me--it onlyseemed fair!"

  Mildred abandoned the neat "tennis knot" in which she was tying herbootlace, and sprang up in defence of her character.

  "You'd no right to look!" she protested. "Surely I could put anycandidate I liked? There was no coercion!"

  "Not for those who weren't candidates themselves," said Sheila Moore;"but when you were standing for the Musical, you were in rather adifferent position."

  "It was ever so generous of Lottie to vote for you!" urged NoraWhitehead.

  "I certainly call it stingy not to vote for her!" added Eve Mitchell. "Ishould have thought it an obligation!"

  "Oh, it's too bad of you! I can't see where the obligation comes in. Ourvotes were to be quite private. I think you're horrid!"

  "Horrid yourself!" retorted Eve, and would have added more, but at thatmoment a scout announced that Miss Cartwright was in the very act ofpinning the results upon the notice-board, so there was a generalstampede for the corridor. As it was impossible for everyone to see theprecious paper at once, the news was proclaimed aloud for the benefit ofthose on the outskirts of the crowd.

  MUSICAL.--Ella Martin, Lottie Lowman. LITERARY.--Phillis Garnett, Laura Kirby. DRAMATIC.--Dorrie Barlow, May Thornett. ARTS AND HANDICRAFTS.--Alice Lightwood, Freda Kingston. GAMES.--Joan Richards, Kitty Fletcher.

  "So I've won, even without your vote!" said Lottie to Mildred, with aspice of triumph in her tone.

  "I'm very glad, I'm sure. I congratulate you heartily!" replied Mildred,turning back to the dressing-room for her books, and hurrying away,professedly in urgent quest of a tram-car.

  Most of the others lingered, and started more slowly for home.

  "I'm at the tiptop of bliss to have won the Games," said Kitty Fletcherto Bess Harrison. "I thought Mildred would have got the Musical, though.I can't understand it. She's miles ahead of Lottie, really."

  "Yes, but I'm not sure if Lottie won't make the better delegate. Oh! Igrant you Mildred has ten times the music in her, but I doubt if she'dget up a concert so well. She hasn't enough push and go--she's alwaysdreaming. She'd play her own piece divinely, but she'd probably forgetall about other people's."

  "Yes, she is unbusinesslike," groaned Kitty, "but it seems such a shamethat the most musical girl in the Form shouldn't represent the musicsection."

  "Lottie knows exactly the public taste!"

  "And plays trash!"

  "She plays it well, though."

  "In a way."

  "You'll see her appointment will be very popular; she'll make thingshum!"

  "Likely enough, but I'm sorry for Mildred. I'm afraid she'll befearfully disappointed."