First Term at Malory Towers (7 page)

“Come into the common room, North Tower girls, as soon as you are dressed,” said Katherine at last, in her usual cool voice. The girls looked at one another. A first-form meeting! About Gwendoline and Darrell, they supposed. They tore off up the cliff, and poured into the changing-room, chattering loudly. Neither Gwendoline nor Darrell was there.

Gwendoline had gone up to her dormy, to get some cold cream for her red-streaked legs. They didn't need cold cream, of course—but she meant to make as much fuss as she could! She had always been jealous of Darrell, and she was jolly glad she had got something against her. Coming up and apologizing like that—she didn't mean a word of it, Gwendoline was sure!

The rest of the first-form North Tower girls, eight of them, met in the common room. Katherine sat herself on a desk and looked round.

“I am sure you are all agreed that, much as we like Darrell, we can't pass behaviour of that sort,” she began.

“Oh, Katherine—don't row her!” begged Mary-Lou's small voice. “She saved me from drowning, she really did.”

“She didn't,” said Katherine. “Gwendoline isn't such an idiot as to drown anyone. I suppose she just suddenly felt spiteful being teased by the others for not trying to swim properly.”

Mary-Lou was firmly convinced that Darrell was a heroine. She had suffered such agonies under the water, and had really and truly thought she was drowning—and then along had come strong, angry Darrell. How could Katherine judge her anyhow but kindly? Mary-Lou didn't dare to say any more, but she sat with a worried, anxious look on her face, wishing she could speak up for Darrell bravely and fearlessly. But she couldn't.

“I think,” said Irene, 'that Darrell should certainly apologize to Katherine for being cheeky to her. And if she won't, we'll send her to Coventry. We won't speak to her for a week. I must say I'm surprised at Darrell.”

“Well, /think she must apologize to Gwendoline too,” said Katherine. “I heard those slaps right at the other end of the pool! That's much more important than apologizing to me.”

“But how
much
more unpleasant!” murmured Alicia. “How I should hate to have to say I was sorry for anything to darling Gwendoline Mary!”

“Aren't you going to address a few words to Gwendoline too?” asked Jean.

“Yes,” said Katherine. “Of course. Now, I wonder where Darrell is. Oh, dear, I do hope she won't kick up a fuss about apologizing to Gwendoline. If she's still in a flaming temper she won't be easy to deal with. I don't
want
to report her, or to send her to Coventry. I never imagined she could be such a little spitfire.”

Just as she finished this speech, the door opened and Darrell herself walked in. She looked surprised to see the girls sitting about, silent and serious. Katherine opened her mouth to speak to her, astonished to see Darrell looking so calm.

But before she could say a word, Darrell walked right up to her. “Katherine, I'm most awfully sorry I spoke to you like that. I can't think how I could. I was in such a temper, I suppose.”

The wind was completely taken out of Katherine's sails. Instead of glaring at Darrell, she smiled. “That's all right,” she said, rather awkwardly. I saw you were in a rage. But, Darrell...”

“That's an awful fault of mine,” said Darrell, rubbing her nose as she always did when she felt ashamed of herself. “My temper, I mean. I've always had it. I get it from Daddy, but he keeps his temper for something worthwhile—I mean he only loses it when there's some really big reason. I don't. I go and lose it for silly little things. I'm awful, Katherine! But honestly I had made up my mind when I came to Malory Towers that I wouldn't lose it any more.”

The girls, who had looked coldly at Darrell when she had marched into the room, now regarded her with warm liking. Here was a person who had a fault, and who said so, and was sorry about it, and didn't attempt to excuse herself. Who could help warming to a person like that?

“Well,” said Katherine, “you managed to lose it all right this evening! I think Gwendoline deserved all she got, Darrell—but you shouldn't have been the one to give it to her. I'm the one to tick her off, or Pamela, or even Miss Potts. Not you. Just imagine what the school would be like if we could all lose our tempers and go about slapping people when we felt like it!”

I know,” said Darrell. “I've thought all that out myself. I'm much more ashamed of myself, Katherine, than you are of me. I wish you'd believe me.”

“I do,” said Katherine. “But I'm afraid, Darrell, you'll have to do something unpleasant, that you'll hate doing, before we can regard this matter as finished.”

“Oh—what's that?” asked Darrell, looking really alarmed.

“Well, you'll have to apologize to Gwendoline,” said Katherine, expecting an outburst from Darrell at once.

“Apologize to Gwendoline? Oh, I've done
that
,” said Darrell, with relief. “I thought you meant I had to do something really awful. I'm always sorry very soon after I've lost my temper. I told you that. And that means I have to go and say I'm sorry!”

The girls stared at Darrell, who shook back her black curls and gazed with clear eyes at Katherine. Why, they hadn't needed to have a meeting at all! They hadn't needed to judge Darrell and set her to make amends. She had judged herself and made amends herself. The girls looked at her with admiration and Mary-Lou could hardly keep still. What a wonderful person Darrell was, she thought!

“Of course,” went on Darrell, I still think that Gwendoline did a beastly thing to Mary-Lou—and I think it's a pity too that Mary-Lou doesn't pull herself together so that spiteful people like Gwendoline can't tease her.”

Mary-Lou crumpled up. Oh! Darrell thought her feeble and weak and frightened. And she was too. She knew she was. She knew that a strong person like Darrell could never really like a stupid person like Mary-Lou. But how she wished she would!

Gwendoline opened the door and came in, looking like a martyr. She had undone her hair so that it lay in a golden sheet over her shoulders again. She evidently fancied herself as an ill-used angel or something of the kind.

She heard the last few words Darrell spoke, and flushed red. “Spiteful people like Gwendoline can't tease her!” That was what she heard.

“Oh—Gwendoline. The next time you want to give anyone a nasty fright, choose someone able to stand up to you,” said Katherine, her voice sounding rather hard. “And please tell Mary-Lou you're sorry you were such a beast. You gave her an awful fright. Darrell has apologized to you, and you can jolly well do
your
bit, now!”

“Oh—so Darrell said she apologized to me, did she?” said Gwendoline. “Well, I don't call it an apology!”

“You fibber!” said Darrell, in amazement. She swung round to the girls. “I did!” she said. “You can believe which you like, me or Gwendoline. But I
did
apologize—straightaway too.”

Katherine glanced from Darrell's hot face to Gwendoline's sneering one. “We believe vow,” she said, quietly. Her voice hardened again. “And now, Gwendoline, in front of us all, please, so that we can hear—what have you got to say to Mary-Lou?”

Gwendoline was forced to say she was sorry. She stammered and stuttered, so little did she want to say the words, but, with everyone's eyes on her, she had to. She had never said she was sorry for anything before in her life, and she didn't like it. She hated Darrell at that moment—yes, and she hated that silly Mary-Lou too!

She went out of the room almost in tears. There was a sigh of relief as she left. “Well, it's a good thing
that's
over!” said Irene, who hated scenes. “I'm off to one of the practice rooms. I feel a little music will be good after this upset!”

She went off to play the piano to herself in one of the many practice rooms. She would soon forget about everything but the melody she was playing. But the others didn't forget so easily. It hadn't been nice to see Darrell lose control of herself, but everyone agreed that it served Gwendoline right to get a slapping.

The girls compared the natural, generous way in which Darrell had said she was sorry with the grudging, stammering words that Gwendoline had spoken to the embarrassed Mary-Lou. Gwendoline certainly hadn't come out of the affair at all well. And she knew it too. She felt humiliated. What a fuss to make over a joke! Why, the girls often ducked one another! Anyway, she would write to her mother about being slapped by that beast of a Darrell! That would make all the girls sit up.

She went back to the common room, and opened her locker. Her writing paper was in there. She took out a pad and sat down. She did not usually enjoy writing to her mother. She thought it a bore! She had not written to Miss Winter at all since she had come to Malory Towers, though the governess had written to her three times a week. Gwendoline rather despised the people who liked her, and was spiteful towards those that didn't.

“I'm writing to my mother,” she announced to the girls around. Some were sewing, some were reading. It was a free hour for them before suppertime. Nobody took any notice of Gwendoline's remark except Jean.

“Not the day for writing home, is it now?” she said. “What's come over you, Gwendoline, to be sending home in the middle of the week, when you sigh and groan over your Sunday letter fit to make us all hold our hands over our ears!”

“I'm writing to tell Mother how Darrell slapped me,” said Gwendoline, clearly, so that everyone could hear. “I'm not going to stand that sort of thing. Mother won't, either.”

Katherine got up. “I'm glad you told me what you were going to do,” she said. “I'll go and get my writing-pad too. I am sure you won't tell your mother what led up to your slapping! But I will!”

Gwendoline flung down her pen in a fury. She tore the sheet she had begun, right off the pad and crumpled it up. “All right,” she said. “I won't write. I'm not going to have you telling tales of me to my people. What a beastly school this is! No wonder Mother didn't want to send me away from home.”

“Poor darling Gwendoline,” said Alicia, as the angry girl flung out of the room. “She just can't do anything she wants! I must say I think Malory Towers is going to be jolly good for her!” She shook her head violently again, and Darrell looked at her in surprise.

“Why do you keep doing that?” she asked.

“I told you. I can't seem to get the water out of my ears,” said Alicia. “They feel blocked. I
say
—I do hope I shan't be deaf tomorrow! I did go deaf once before when I swam under water for ages!”

“Oh, Alicia! How funny it would be if you really did go deaf tomorrow in Mam'zelle's class!” said Darrell, heartlessly. “Oh, dear. I can't imagine what would happen!”

“Well, / can!” said Alicia. “Let's hope my ears get right before the morning!”

THE affair at the Pool had a good many results. First, it made Mary-Lou follow Darrell about like a dog that has found its master and doesn't mean to leave it! She was always there to fetch and carry for Darrell. She tidied her desk for her. She even tidied the drawers in her dressing table, and offered to make her bed each day.

But Darrell didn't like that sort of thing. “Don't,” she said to Mary-Lou. “I can do things for myself. Why should you make my bed? You know we're all supposed to make our own, Mary-Lou. Don't be daft.”

“I'm not,” said Mary-Lou gazing at Darrell out of her big, wide eyes. “I'm only just trying to make a—a little return to you, Darrell—for—for saving me from drowning.”

“Don't be silly,” said Darrell. “You wouldn't have drowned, really. I know that now. And anyway I only slapped Gwendoline hard! That was nothing.”

But it didn't in the least matter what Darrell said, Mary- Lou persisted in adoring her, and being on the watch for anything she could do. Darrell found chocolates put inside her desk. She found a little vase of flowers always on her dressing table. But it irritated her and made her cross. She could not see Mary-Lou's mind reaching-out for a friendship that might help her. Mary-Lou was so weak. She needed someone strong, and to her Darrell was the finest girl she had ever met.

The others teased Darrell about Mary-Lou's attentions. “Has the little dog wagged its tail for you today?” asked Alicia.

“I wish I had some one to put bee-yoo-tiful flowers on my dressing-table!” said Irene.

“Just like Darrell to encourage silly nonsense like that!” said Gwendoline, who was jealous of all Mary-Lou's friendly little attentions to Darrell.

“She doesn't encourage it,” said Katherine. “You can see she doesn't.”

Another result of the Pool affair was that Gwendoline really did feel bitter towards Darrell now. She had never in her life been slapped by anyone, and she couldn't forget it. Not even her mother had slapped her! It would have been very much better for spoilt, selfish Gwendoline if a few smacks had come her way when she was small. But they hadn't and now the four or five slaps she had received from Darrell seemed to her, not a sudden flash of temper, soon to be forgotten, but a great insult somehow to be avenged.

“And one day I'll pay her back, see if I don't!” thought Gwendoline to herself. “I don't care how long I wait.”

The third result of the Pool affair was that Alicia really did go deaf through swimming under water so long. It was not a deafness that would last very long, Alicia knew. Suddenly her ears would go “pop” inside, and she would be able to hear as well as ever. But in the meantime it was really very annoying to think that just after she had
pretended
to be deaf, she really had become deaf. Whatever would Mam'zelle say this time?

It was unfortunate for Alicia that she sat at the back of the room, in the last row but one. Anyone with normal hearing could hear perfectly well, even in the back row, but Alicia with both ears “blocked,” as she called it, found it extremely difficult to catch every word that was said.

To make matters worse, it was not Mam'zelle Dupont who took French that day, but Mam'zelle Rougier, thin, tall and bony. She was rarely in a good humour, as her thin lips, always tightly pressed together, showed. It was funny, Alicia thought, how bad-tempered people nearly always had thin lips.