04 The Head Girl of the Chalet School (20 page)

“For goodness sake, try to behave as though you were middles, and not juniors!” said Grizel, whose first act on leaving the sick-room had been the settlement of this affair. “
None
of you will have anything to do with him, because
we
will do all he needs. Simone, if you whimper, I’ll send you away! At your age you ought to be a little less babyish. You’re a regular sponge!”

This bracing treatment had the effect of making Simone mop her eyes and choke down her sobs while she replied with dignity, “You do not understand, Grizel. It is that I care for Joey, and wish to help her in every way, that I wish to tend Rufus while she is not able.”

“Your English,” said Grizel dispassionately, “is simply horrible! Even Renee speaks better than you do.

After four years I should have thought you’d manage to be – well, more idiomatic than you are.”

This was adding insult to injury, and Simone stalked off with her nose in the air. Still, as she managed to keep from wailing – at least in public – Grizel felt that she had accomplished
some
thing.

The sale was a huge success. By the time the girls had laid out all they had made themselves, and added to it all the contributions from other people, they found that they had enough for two needlework stalls, one handwork stall, a sweet stall, a toys stall, and the little ones’ lucky dip. When it was all over they counted their takings, and there was wild rejoicing when they found that they had made enough to keep one of the free beds filled for a whole year.

“I vote we do this every year,” said Grizel, as she locked her cash-box; “then it could be the Chalet School bed, and Doctor Jem would always feel sure of
that
, anyway-”

“Good idea,” said Mary. “I vote we do. What do you others think?”

They all agreed, and Grizel was made to sit down then and there and write to Doctor Jem, telling him what they intended doing.

The result of this was that when Grizel, Joey, and the Robin put in an appearance at the Sonnalpe on the first day of their holidays, they were escorted ceremoniously to the sanatorium, and taken to the big free ward for children. There were no patients there yet, though some would be arriving very shortly. It was a big, sunny room, with picture-flowers, and a glorious view from the windows. But the girls paid no heed to all this. One thing only caught their eyes. The middle cot had a brass plate over it, and on this was printed

“The Chalet School Bed.”

“Jem, you
ripper
!” gasped Jo. “Oh, how decent of you to get it done before we came up.

“It’s topping!” said Grizel. “Ever so nice, Doctor Jem!”

“I like the shiny thing,” remarked the Robin gravely. “Why has it our name up, Oncle Jem?”

They explained it to her carefully, and she listened with a beaming face. When they had finished, she heaved a deep sigh. “I will save all my
Schillings
,” she said.

Doctor Jem stooped and kissed her. “You are a darling,” he said.

The Robin kissed him back, and then turned to Mrs. Russell. “Will it please you, Tante Guito?”

“Very much, my pet.”

“How much can I save in a year if I save one
Schilling
every week?” demanded the baby.

“Oh, I don’t think you can save all your pocket-money every week,” laughed Madge. “You will want money for stamps and birthday presents and church collections. But you may save half of it. In English money that will be fifteen shillings.”

“Then what is the Austrian
Schilling
worth at that rate?” asked Jo with interest. “I never thought of it before, somehow.
Isn’t
it worth as much as one of ours?”

“No; only about sevenpence,” said her brother-in-law. “So, although your allowance of five
Schillings
a week sounds sumptuous, it really runs into about three shillings, and, as you have a good deal to do with it, it isn’t much.”

Jo, who had to provide gloves, stockings, and handkerchiefs out of her pocket-money, agreed. “It sounds all right; but it isn’t! I wish I didn’t lose so many hankeys!”

“Same here,” added Grizel. “And what makes it worse is that, just as I’ve got accustomed to thinking in
Schillings
, I’ve got to go to Italy, and get accustomed to thinking in
liras
. What are
they
worth?”

“That’s a problem,” replied the doctor. “They should be worth ninepence, but they’re not; you see – oh dear, it’s too complicated!”

“Never mind, then,” said the head-girl, looking back at the bed. “Anyway, I’ll send all I can save for the cot. It mayn’t be
much
, but it’ll always be something.”

“I’ll do the same,” decided Joey; “but what will happen about hankeys I can’t imagine.”

“I’ll leave you most of mine when I go,” promised Grizel. “I had a letter from my step-mother yesterday, and she says father says I’ve to have a new rig-out for Italy, so she wants me to go to Paris in the summer, and she will meet me there and get me what I need. So you may have them, Jo. I’ve got about forty just now, and I’ll try not to lose any before then.”

“You’re a sport,” said Jowarmly. “Thanks awfully, Grizel.”

The next few days were spent in taking walks in the neighbourhood, but they soon exhausted all the possibilities, and by the time they had climbed the mountain twice they were ready for something fresh.

“That’s the only drawback to here,” said Grizel, as they sat in the salon after
Kaffee
one day. “There aren’t many places you can go to, and now it’s thawing, the whole place is ankle-deep in mud! This is the second time today I’ve had to change my stockings!”

“Well, I had to change every solitary thing,” declared Jobetween two bites of
apfeltorte
. “You’ll have fits when you see my laundry, Madge!”

Madge Russell laughed. “I don’t doubt it for one moment. If there is any mud you can get into, you seem to make for it headlong, Jo. I never knew anyone like you for it! You’re worse than Dick used to be!”

“Has the Indian mail come today?” asked Jem, looking up from his occupation of teasing Rufus.

“Yes; but I haven’t opened it yet. It’s a thick package this time, so I expect Mollie managed to get time to put in a decent letter for once,” said his wife, as she produced the letter from her twin brother, who was in the forestry in the Dekkan. “Yes; there’s something from her.”

“Goodness! What a screed!” ejaculated Jo. “Read’s what she says, Madge.”

Madge nodded and began:

DEAR PEOPLE, – It is such ages since I wrote you a decent letter, that I thought I’d take this opportunity, while mother is with us and looking after the twins and baby, to let you know what we are doing. I should say, what we are going to do, I suppose. Because this is to warn you that we are coming home in June, and hope to be with you in August. Dick gets leave early in May, and it’s a six months’ furlough this tirne. We are coming straight to you, so I hope you can have us. If you can’t we’ll go to one of the hotels by the lakeside till you can.

If you’re not all dying to see your nephew and nieces, you ought to be! Rix and Peggy are imps of wickedness. Where they get it from I can’t imagine! Not from me, that’s certain. I suppose it must be Jo, for Dick says you were never as sinful as our twins are. As for Babs, she’s still at the stage where she sleeps most of the time, and is a good little thing. She is like Dick – the image of him, I think! He, of course, says he doesn’t know where I see it. The first time I told him he had the cheek to go off to the nearest mirror and examine himself carefully, murmuring all the time, “I
may
be plain, but I’m not as bad as all that!” As I told him, he doesn’t deserve a daughter at all!

Rix is like that photo of Madge she sent us on her wedding-day or thereabouts – I wasn’t there, so can’t say as to the actual date. Peggy is dark – like me, and, Dick says, like Joey too. Can you picture them
my
children? Dick and me with three kiddies. Of course, Babs is only three weeks old yet, but still it does make us seem
old
! After all, the twins are thirteen months now; they can walk and talk, though a lot of their conversation is absolutely unintelligible. Babs is to be christened next Sunday. We are going to call her Mary – after me; and Bridget after my little sister, who died before I was born. I suppose she will be Biddy as soon as she is old enough for a name. That won’t be for ages yet. What is happening at school? Have you had any more excitements this term? I am longing to see it, and to get to know all the girls. You’ve written so much about them that I feel as if I knew them all. We want to stay till term begins again – I suppose you’ll have broken up by the time we arrive? Still, I shall hope to see the Robin and Juliet and Grizel, if she hasn’t left you by then. When does she go to Florence?

Babs is howling for me, so ayah will be fetching her. Therefore, my dear relations, I must wind up this epistle. You can’t say I haven’t done you proud this time! – Much love to all, from Mollie.

“Isn’t she a sport?” said Jo enthusiastically. “Fancy me with three nieces and nephews!”

“You’ve only one nephew and two nieces,” Grizel pointed out to her.

“Oh, well, you know what I mean. What does Dick say, Madge?”

“Mainly full of his furlough,” replied her sister. “I’m glad they’re coming. I’ve been wanting to know Mollie ever since I first heard of her. From her letters, she’s a dear. Also, I
am
longing to see the babies.

How nice of Rix to be like me!”

“He must be a discerning youth,” laughed the doctor, with an admiring glance at his charming wife.

“Mollie will have her hands full with those three kiddies!”

“Oh, she’ll have an ayah for them,” said Madge easily. “Well, what are we going to do with ourselves now?”

“Let’s play at something,” suggested Joey. “The Robin will have to go to bed soon.”

“There are yet two hours,” protested the Robin.

“Well, two hours goes jolly fast when it’s near bedtime,” declared Joey. “What would you like to play at?”

“‘Walking Up the Hill-side’,” decided the Robin. “Oh! Here comes papa!” She ran to meet her father, who picked her up, and came into the room with her on his shoulder. He was smiling as he came, and Joey thought, not for the first time, that “Uncle Ted” was a dear when he looked like that.

“I’ve some news for you all,” he said as he sat down, transferring his little daughter to his knee. “You may have three guesses among you.”

“An expedition tomorrow,” said Jo instantly.

“That’s right as far as it goes. But you must get nearer than that, Joey.”

“We are going to Salzburg,” said Grizel instantly. It was a long-desired trip, and had been promised to them for some time.

“Clever girl! Yes; I saw the Lannises today, and Mr. Lannis has to go over on business. He offers to take you three and Mrs. Russell if she can come. What do you say?”

“The children may go,” replied Madge. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

“Oh, Madge! Why not?” Jo’s voice was full of disappointment.

“Because I have other things to do,” said her sister. “I’m sorry, Jo, but I simply haven’t the time. What arrangements did you make with Mr. Lannis, Captain Humphries?”

“I said we would ring them up and let them know,” replied the captain. “He is going by car, and is taking Evadne. If the children may go, he will meet us at the foot of the mountain at nine o’clock. They must bring things for the night, as he thinks it is too far to go and come in one day, and his business may take a little time. Mrs. Lannis is not going, but her French maid will be there, so that the girls won’t be left alone while he is at his meeting. He hoped you would go, Mrs. Russell; but if you couldn’t, he says Suzette is quite capable of looking after them. They will, of course, promise to do as she says.” He glanced down at his own little girl, who nodded her curly head. “Me, I will be very good, papa; I will do all Suzette tells.”

“And you others?” He looked across at Joey and Grizel.

“Oh, rather!” said Jo. “I’ll be angel without wings if you let us go, Madge.”

Madge laughed. “If you are, it’ll be the first time, and I can
not
imagine you being angelic on any occasion, Jo. Still, I feel sure you will do as you are told, and not give Mr. Lannis any trouble.”

“I’ll look after them,” promised Grizel, and Madge was satisfied. She know that if Grizel kept the other two out of mischief, she would necessarily keep out of mischief herself.

So it was arranged, and as soon as Captain Humphries had had his coffee, he went off to ring up the hotel where the Lannises were staying and tell them that it was all right, and the girls would come.

As for those young ladies themselves, they rushed upstairs to pack a small case with their belongings as soon as the meal was over. Madge followed to suggest early bed, since they would have to be up by five the next morning, and would have a full day. Incidentally, she knew that Mr. Lannis could not be relied on to see that they went off early while they were with him. Evadne did as she chose with her father, and if she wanted to stay up, he would permit it. Privately, Mrs. Russell resolved to give Grizel instructions that the Robin was to be tucked up in her nest as near her usual time as possible. She felt rather doubtful about allowing the baby to go on this trip at all. However, Captain Humphries had made no demur, and he was her father, so Madge felt that she couldn’t very well interfere now. She drew Grizel to one side while the other two were joyfully arguing about their trip.

“Grizel, I want you to promise me that you will try to see that the Robin is in bed by eight o’clock at latest.

I know that Evadne sits up to all hours at home, and I expect you and Jo will not get off before ten. But the Robin
must
go as near her usual time as possible. It won’t hurt Jo to sit up for once, and, of course, you are much older, and ten is not too late in holiday times when you are not working, and can sleep later the next morning. But the Robin would be worn out for the rest of the week if it was permitted her. Will you see to it, dear?”

Grizel nodded. “Yes, of course I will, Madame. I wish you were coming with us,” she added wistfully.