A Pair of Schoolgirls: A Story of School Days Read online

  CHAPTER IX

  Dorothy Scores

  Dorothy and Alison met next morning with a shade of embarrassment oneither side. Dorothy was a little ashamed of herself for having acceptedher friend's invitation without leave from Aunt Barbara, and notparticularly proud of her experiences on the way home. She had at firstbeen inclined to tell Alison about her adventure; then she decided itwould be rather humiliating to have to explain that she had forgottenher contract, that she had had no money in her pocket, and that theofficial had not seemed disposed to trust her for her fare. Alison,whose path in life was always smooth, would perhaps scarcely understandthe situation, and it might not reflect altogether to her own credit.Therefore, she did not even mention that she had missed the 6.5 train,and after a hurried greeting buried herself in her books, trying togather some idea of her lessons, which had been much neglected the nightbefore.

  Alison, on her side, was relieved that Dorothy did not refer to hervisit to Lindenlea. She was most anxious to avoid the subject of herinvitation; she felt it would be extremely awkward to be obliged to tellDorothy point-blank that her mother refused to endorse it: and, mindfulof the prohibition against too great intimacy, she left her schoolfellowto her books, and made no advances. The two walked from the station tothe College almost in silence, each occupied with her own thoughts; andthough they met frequently during the day, and travelled back togetheras usual, they only talked about ordinary Avondale topics. Each felt aswarm towards the other as before, but both realized that theirs must bea friendship entirely confined to school, and not brought into theirhome lives. Dorothy, though she was far too proud to hint at the matter,easily divined that Mrs. Clarke had disapproved of Alison's action intaking her to the house, and that she did not mean to give her anyfuture invitation. That hurt her on a sore spot.

  "She thinks me a nobody!" she groaned to herself. "If I had been HopeLawson, now, or even Val Barnett, I'm sure I should have been asked.Alison hasn't even mentioned the tableaux again. I suppose she's notallowed to lend me the costume. Well, I don't care; I'll wear somethingelse."

  But she did care, not only about this, but about many things thathappened in class. It is not pleasant to be unpopular, and in severalways Dorothy was having a hard term. Hope Lawson, who had never beenvery friendly at any time, seemed to have completely turned against her,and was both supercilious and disagreeable. Hope did not like Dorothy,whose blunt, downright ways and frank speech were such a contrast to herown easy flippancy. Money, position, and pretty clothes were what Hopeworshipped, and because Dorothy possessed none of these she looked downupon her, and lost no opportunity of slighting her. In her capacity ofWarden, Hope naturally had much influence in the class, and led popularopinion. It was very unfortunate that she had been elected, for she wasquite the wrong girl to fill a post which involved a tolerable amount ofmoral responsibility. The tone of a Form is a subtle, intangible thing;it means certain codes of schoolgirl honour, certain principles of rightand wrong, certain standards of thought and views of life, all of whichneed keeping at a high level. Under Hope's rule the Upper Fourth beganto show a general slackness; rules were evaded where possible, work wasshirked, and a number of undesirable elements crept in.

  Though Hope, to curry favour, made a great fuss of Miss Pitman to herface, she was not loyal to her behind her back. She would often mimicher and make fun of her to raise a laugh among the girls. Hopeencouraged the idea that a mistress was the natural enemy of her pupils,and that they were justified in breaking rules if they could do sosafely. She did not even draw the line sometimes at a "white lie"; hermotto was, "Keep pleasant with your teacher on the surface, but pleaseyourself when she can't see you, and do anything you like, so long asyou're not caught".

  One morning when Dorothy came into the classroom, she found Hope seatedon her desk, exhibiting a new ring to a group of admiring friends.Dorothy paused a moment, then, as nobody moved, she protested:

  "I'll thank you to clear off. I want to get to my desk."

  Hope giggled.

  "I'll thank you to wait a little, then. I mean to stay where I am forthe present," she said, in a mocking voice.

  "But you're on my desk!"

  "Well, what if I am? A warden has the right to sit upon anybody's deskshe likes."

  "Oh, Hope!" sniggered the others.

  "What's the good of being Warden if you can't? The post must have someadvantages."

  "Hope Lawson, do you intend to clear off my desk?" asked Dorothy, withrising temper.

  "I don't know that I do, Dorothy--er--I suppose your name isGreenfield?"

  "For shame, Hope!" said Grace Russell. "I'm disgusted with you. Whycan't you move?"

  Grace enforced her words by a vigorous tug, and drew Hope away to herown place. With two flaming spots in her cheeks, Dorothy opened herdesk. She was too angry for speech. Grace's compassionate looks hurt heralmost as much as Hope's insult. She did not want pity any more thanscorn.

  "I hardly know a word of the History," Hope was saying. "We had somefriends in last night, and we were all playing 'Billy-rag'. Do you knowit? It's a new game, and it's lovely. I scarcely looked at my lessons.However, I begged a concert ticket from Father, and brought it forPittie. It's 'Faust', at the Town Hall, and it's supposed to be tiptop.She'll let me off easy this morning, you'll see."

  "Hope, you're not fair!" objected Grace.

  "Why not? If Pittie chooses to overlook my lessons on the score ofconcert tickets, why shouldn't she? She's keen on going to things. Likesto show off her new dresses. I suppose I shall have to get her aninvitation to the Mayor's reception. By the by, who's going to the YoungPeople's Ball at the Town Hall? It's to be a particularly good one thisyear."

  "I am, for one," said Val Barnett, "and I think a good many of the Formwill be there. Helen Walker, and Joyce Hickson, and Annie Gray areasked, I know."

  "Are you going, Dorothy?" enquired Hope, with a taunt in her tone.

  "Dorothy never goes anywhere!" laughed Blanche Hall.

  Dorothy buried her head in her desk and took no notice; but her silencewas pain and grief to her.

  "Hope's too mean for anything!" whispered Ruth Harmon to Noelle Kennedy."I'm sorry for Dorothy."

  "And Pittie's too bad. It's not worth while preparing one's work if Hopegets all the praise for nothing. Why is Pittie always so hard onDorothy?"

  "Oh, because Dorothy doesn't flatter her up; besides, she lovespresents. I wonder what she'd say if she could hear what her darlingHope says about her sometimes?"

  "I wish she'd find her out."

  "She can't, unless someone tells, and I hate sneaks."

  "Well, I'm really sorry for Dorothy Greenfield. Hope and her set seem tohave taken a spite against her. I don't mind if her dresses are shabby,and if she's the only girl in the Form who doesn't own a watch. I votewe make up a special clique to be on her side."

  "All right; I'm your man! I admire Dorothy she's so 'game'--she nevergives way an inch, whatever Hope says she just sticks her head in theair and looks proud."

  "She flares up sometimes."

  "Well, I don't blame her. I like a girl who won't be kept down."

  "What could we do to boost Dorothy up a little in the Form? Most of thegirls are like sheep; if anyone leads hard enough, they'll follow."

  "Well, I've an idea."

  "Go ahead!"

  "You know Dorothy's splendid at acting. She ought to take a principalpart in our Christmas play."

  "But she can't rehearse. She's barred the gym. and tied to the classroomfor the rest of the term."

  "That's my point. I think Dorothy got much too hard a punishment. MissTempest was angry because she answered back, and never took into accountthat she had owned up about going to that wedding, and that it washonest of her to tell."

  "Yes, 'The Storm-cloud' was savage because Dorothy was cheeky, but Ithink she's got over it a little now; she's been far nicer to herlately."

  "Have you noticed that too? Well, I believe Miss Tempest knows shetreated Dorothy s
everely, and she's sorry, only she doesn't like to eather own words. My plan is that we get up a deputation, go to the study,and beg her to let Dorothy off for rehearsals. She knows what a point wemake of the play."

  "Splendiferous! I verily believe we shall succeed. Shall we go ateleven?"

  "No; we must talk to the others first, and get up as big a deputation aswe can. The more of us who ask, the better."

  The weather, which beforetimes had never troubled Dorothy overmuch, wasat present a subject of the most vital importance to her. If it werefine, she might go into the playground at one o'clock; but if it werewet, she was obliged to remain in durance vile in the classroom, whilemost of the girls were amusing themselves in the gymnasium. On thisparticular day it poured. Dorothy looked hopelessly out of the window tosee the gravelled stretch, where the girls often practised hockey,turned into a swamp, and a river racing under the swings. With a groanshe resigned herself to the inevitable. The society of her fivefellow-victims was not particularly exhilarating, so she took a librarybook from her desk and began to read. As a rule, those who were free todo so left the schoolroom only too readily, but to-day Hope Lawson andsome of her chums lingered behind. They were in a silly mood, and begandrawing caricatures on the blackboard.

  "Watch me do Professor Schenk," cried Hope, taking the chalk. "Here'shis bald head, and his double chin, and his funny little peaked beard.Do you like it? Well, I'll draw you another. Miss Lawson's celebratedlightning sketches! Who'll you have next?"

  "Do Pittie," said Blanche.

  "All right; give me the duster and I'll wipe out the Professor. Nowthen, how's this? Here's her snubby nose, and her eyeglasses, and herfashionable fuzz of hair. She's smirking no end! 'Don't I look nice?'she's saying," and Hope drew a balloon issuing from the mouth of theportrait, with the words "Don't I look nice?" written inside; then,encouraged by the laughter of her friends, she added "G. A. Pitman,otherwise Pittie", over the top.

  Dorothy, who wished to read her story, had retired to the extreme backof the room, and sat in a corner, but she nevertheless heard all thatwas going on.

  "Yes, Pittie fancies herself," continued Hope. "You should see whatcostumes she comes out in for evening wear. I'm sure she's greater ontoilet hints than literature."

  "How do you make that out?"

  "Observation, my dear. If you could look inside her desk, you wouldn'tfind it full of classical authors; there'd be novels and beauty recipesinstead."

  "She keeps it locked, at any rate."

  "Wise of her, too. If we could only open it now! Hallo! She's actuallyforgotten to lock it to-day! What a joke! Let us see what she's gothere!"

  "Particularly honourable for a warden!" came a voice from the other endof the room.

  Hope turned round angrily.

  "Indeed, Madam Sanctimonious! So you've grown a prig all of a sudden?Who asked Saint Dorothy to interfere?"

  "Go on, Hope," said Blanche; "we're not goody-goody."

  "Well, I mean to have a look, at any rate. There! Didn't I tell you? Thefirst thing I find is a novel. What a heap of papers! I believe she mustkeep her love letters here. Oh, girls, I say, here's a portrait of agentleman!"

  Blanche, Irene, and Valentine came crowding round, all sense of honourlost in their curiosity.

  "Oh, what a supreme joke!" they exclaimed.

  Now the back desks of the classroom were raised on a platform, and inthe corner where Dorothy sat there was a tiny window that served thepurpose of lighting the passage. From her place Dorothy that momentcaught a vision--no less a person than Miss Pitman herself was walkingdown the corridor. Should she give a warning "Cave!" and let the othersknow? She was not sure whether they deserved it.

  "Look here, you wouldn't be doing this if Miss Pitman could see you!"she remonstrated. "Why don't you stuff those things back and shut up thedesk?"

  "Shut up yourself, Dorothy Greenfield, and mind your own business!"

  "On your heads be it, then," muttered Dorothy. "I tried to save you, buthere comes swift vengeance!"

  At that moment through the open door walked Miss Pitman. She stoppedshort and surveyed the scene through her pince-nez. There was herportrait on the blackboard--not at all a flattering one, especially withthe inscription issuing from her mouth, but quite unmistakably meant torepresent her, for her name was written above. At her open desk were herfour favourite pupils, giggling over the photograph which Hope heldaloft. It was a disillusionment for any teacher, and Miss Pitman's mouthtwitched.

  "What are you doing at my desk?" she asked sharply.

  No girls were ever so hopelessly caught. Hope remained with thephotograph in her hand, staring speechlessly; Blanche tried to shuffleaway, Valentine looked sulky, and Irene--always ready for tears--pulledout her pocket-handkerchief.

  "Who has drawn this picture on the blackboard?" continued Miss Pitman.

  "Hope--Hope did it! It wasn't any of us!" snivelled Irene, trying tothrust the brunt of the affair on to her friend's shoulders.

  Miss Pitman gave Hope a scathing glance, under which the girl quailed.

  "An extremely clever way of showing her talent for drawing, no doubt,"remarked the mistress sarcastically. "I shall be obliged if someone willclean the board."

  Several officious hands at once clutched the duster and erased theoffending portrait. Miss Pitman walked to her desk, closed the lid,locked it, and put the key in her pocket.

  "It is superfluous to tell you what I think of you," she said. "MissTempest will have to hear about this."

  "Well, Hope's done for with Miss Pitman, at any rate," said BerthaWarren to Addie Parker, when the outraged mistress had taken herdeparture, and the four sinners had fled downstairs.

  "Yes, there'll be no more favouring now--and a good thing, too! It wastime Miss Pitman's eyes were opened. Will she really tell Miss Tempest?"

  "Serve them right if she does. I'm waiting for developments."

  There was not long to wait. At two o'clock, Hope, Blanche, Irene, andValentine received a summons to the study, and after a ten minutes'interview with the head mistress came away with red eyes.

  "Have you heard the news?" said Noelle Kennedy presently. "There's beena most tremendous storm--a regular blizzard--in the study. Miss Tempesthas been ultra-tempestuous, and Hope and the others have come out justwrecks."

  "What's the matter?" enquired some of the girls who had not heard of theoccurrence in the classroom.

  "Hope found Miss Pitman's desk unlocked, and she and Irene and Val andBlanche were calmly turning over the contents when Pittie popped intothe room and caught them. Then the squalls began. They had to reportthemselves in the study, and it turned out that there was something elseagainst Hope and Blanche. I don't know who gave them away, but somebodyhad been telling Miss Tempest that they were at the wedding that day.She charged them with it, and was simply furious because they hadn'towned up when she asked the class."

  "I can tell you who told her," volunteered Margaret Parker. "It wasProfessor Schenk. He saw them there, and he happened to mention it thismorning."

  "Well, Miss Tempest was fearfully stern. She said Hope wasn't fit to beWarden, and to represent the Lower School, if she'd no more idea ofhonour than that. She's taken away the Wardenship from her. She saysit's not to be decided by election again--she's going to choose a girlfor herself."

  "Whom has she chosen?"

  "Grace Russell," said Ruth Harmon, who at that moment joined the group."It's just been put up on the notice board."

  "Well, I'm glad. Grace will make a good Warden."

  "Yes, there's something solid about Grace. She never lets herself becarried away."

  "Hope will be crestfallen."

  "Never mind--it will do Hope Lawson good to find she's not the mostimportant person in the Form."

  "I say," interposed Noelle, "isn't this a good opportunity to put in aword for Dorothy? She owned up when Hope didn't, so Miss Tempest oughtto remember that. Let us strike while the iron is hot, and go to thestudy now."

  "Rig
ht you are! Where are Mavie and Doris? I'm sure they'll come too."

  Dorothy's champions walked boldly into the study, and put their case sosuccessfully to Miss Tempest that she condescended to consider it.Perhaps, as Noelle suspected, she thought she had given too severe apunishment, and was ready to remit it. In the end, she consented toforgive, not only Dorothy, but her companions in misfortune also,granting all six permission to enter the gymnasium again.

  "It's a complete turning of the tables," said Ruth, as the girlsreturned triumphantly from their mission. "Dorothy's free, and Hope andBlanche will have to stay in the classroom and do their share ofpenance."

  "Then they'll be out of rehearsals."

  "Of course they will."

  "And who's to take Becky Sharp?"

  "I vote for Dorothy."

  "So do I. She deserves it."

  "Where is she? Let's take her her order of release."

  * * * * *

  The events of that day had an effect upon the Upper Fourth in more waysthan one. Perhaps Miss Pitman had learnt a lesson, for in future sheaccepted no presents at all from her pupils, not even flowers, andshowed special favour to nobody. The Form liked her much better now thatshe was more impartial.

  "I can't stand a teacher who pets one girl and snubs another," saidRuth. "It isn't just, and one has a right to expect justice from one'sForm mistress."

  Grace Russell was a decided success as Warden. She was not thecleverest girl in the Upper Fourth by any means, but she was one of theoldest, and she had a strong sense of duty. She kept the rulesscrupulously herself, and discouraged all the shirkings that had come inunder Hope's regime. It was wonderful how rapidly most of the girlsresponded to her influence, and how soon the Form began to take a bettertone.

  Hope was very quiet and subdued after her deposition, till one day shecaught Dorothy in the dressing-room.

  "You're a mean sneak, Dorothy Greenfield!" she began hotly. "Youpromised on your honour you wouldn't tell Miss Tempest we'd been at thewedding, and yet you went and did it!"

  "I didn't!" declared Dorothy, with equal heat. "I kept my promiseabsolutely. I never told a single soul."

  "What's the quarrel?" said Margaret Parker.

  "Why, Dorothy had seen Blanche and me at that wretched wedding--I wishwe'd never gone!--and she promised she wouldn't tell, and then she musthave done--I'm certain it was she!"

  "It was Professor Schenk who told Miss Tempest," replied Margaret. "Iknow, because Beatrice Schenk said so. Do you mean to say you letDorothy own up about that business, and then expected her to keep quietabout your share of it? It's you who are the sneak. Dorothy tell,indeed! We know her better than that. She flies into rages, but she'dscorn to get anybody into trouble at head-quarters. I think she's been atrump."

  The feeling of the Form at present was decidedly in Dorothy's favour.Schoolgirl opinion veers round quickly, and a companion who is unpopularone week may be a heroine the next. Margaret Parker was so indignant atHope's conduct that she published abroad the story of the promise, andthe general verdict was that Dorothy had shown up very well in theaffair.

  "I don't believe I'd have kept such a secret and let Hope get offscot-free," said Ruth Harmon, "especially when she was being so rude;but I'm not quixotic, so that makes the difference."

  After this the rehearsals in the gymnasium went on briskly. It wasgrowing near Christmas, and there was still much to be done to perfectthe performance. Dorothy threw herself with enthusiasm into the part ofBecky Sharp; she did it to the life, and defied Miss Pinkerton withspecial zeal.

  "She does it almost too well. I wish Miss Tempest could see her!"laughed Alison.

  "She's going to," said Mavie. "She sent a message to say she'd like tocome, and bring some of the mistresses."

  "Oh! Oh! Oh!" exclaimed the girls.

  The little play had only been intended to be acted before a selectcircle of day boarders, so the performers felt quite nervous at theidea of numbering Miss Tempest and the mistresses among their audience.It was to be given at two o'clock on the last Tuesday before breaking-upday. It was not possible to make many preparations in the way ofscenery, but the girls did their best in respect of costumes. Alisoncoaxed two silk dresses and several other properties from her mother,not to speak of the gorgeous robes in the chest which she brought,though it was decided after all not to have tableaux. Poor Alison, stillfeeling sore about the invitation she had not been allowed to ratify,was determined to lend Dorothy the best pieces of her theatricalwardrobe, and pressed the handsomest things she possessed upon her. Shewas amply satisfied with the result when she saw her friend attired, asBecky, in a green silk dress and sandalled slippers.

  "You're just like the illustrations to our _Vanity Fair_. That littlemuslin apron's sweet!" she exclaimed.

  When the afternoon arrived, not only Miss Tempest and five mistresses,but several members of the Sixth Form took their places on the benchesset ready for them.

  "Mary Galloway's come! Aren't you nervous, Dorothy?" whispered Ruth,greatly excited, for Mary was the president of the College DramaticUnion, and a critic of matters theatrical.

  Dorothy had got to a stage beyond nervousness. She felt as if she weregoing to execution.

  "I expect I shall spoil the whole thing, but it can't be helped," shereplied resignedly. With the first sentences, however, her couragereturned, and she "played up" splendidly. Her representation of Beckywas so spirited that teachers and elder girls applauded loudly.

  "Very good indeed," commented Miss Tempest, when the act was over. "Ihad no idea you could all do so well."

  "I should like a word with Becky Sharp," said Mary Galloway, slippingbehind the scenes and drawing that heroine aside. Dorothy returned fromthe whispered conference with shining eyes.

  "What is it? You're looking radiant!" said Alison.

  "I may well be! Mary Galloway's going to propose me as a member of theCollege Dramatic Union!"