The Naughtiest Girl in the School (7 page)

One of the Jury stood up. It was a tall boy called Maurice. “I should like to say that the Jury thinks that Elizabeth Allen must not have any money at all to spend this week, because of her behavior,” he said.

All the Jury put up their hands to show that they agreed.

“Very well,” said the Judge. “Now, Elizabeth, we shan’t say anymore to you today, because you are a new girl, and must be given a chance to settle down, I hope you will have a good report at next week’s Meeting. We shall be very pleased if you do.”

“Well, I shan’t, then,” said Elizabeth, in a furious voice. “You just wait and see what I’ll do.”

“Sit down,” said William, losing his patience with the defiant little girl.

“We’ve had enough of you for one meeting. Nora, give out the money to everyone, please.” Nora gave two shillings to everybody, except Elizabeth. The little girl sat sulking on her form, hating everybody. How dared they take her money? She would pay Ruth out for taking her purse like that! When everyone had their money, the Judges knocked for silence again.

“Does anyone want extra money this week for anything?” asked William.

A small boy stood up. “I should like sixpence extra,” he said.

“What for?” asked William.

“I’ve been told I must give some money to the School Club, to help towards a new gramophone,” he said.

“Well, take it out of your two shillings,” said William. “Sit down. Sixpence extra not granted.”

The boy sat down. A girl got up. “May I have one and nine pence extra to pay for an electric light bulb I broke by accident in the playroom?” she asked.

“Who’s your monitor?” asked Rita. One of the Jury stood up, a girl called Winnie.

“Was it a proper accident, Winnie, or just fooling about?” asked Rita.

“It was a proper accident,” said Winnie. “Elsie was trying to open a tin, and the opener flew out of her hand and broke the light bulb.”

“Give her one and nine pence out of the box, then,” ordered Rita. Winnie took the money and gave it to the girl, who was very pleased.

“Any more requests?” asked William. Nobody said anything. “Any complaints or grumbles?” asked Rita.

Elizabeth felt uncomfortable, Would Nora complain about her? Would that boy she had kicked, who was a monitor, complain too? Goodness, this Meeting was lasting much too long!

CHAPTER 8

The First Week at School

Nobody made any complaints at all. Elizabeth couldn’t help feeling glad.

“All the same, they’ll have plenty of complaints to make about me next week!” she thought. “I’ll just show them that I mean what I say!”

Somebody had a grumble. It was a small boy called Wilfred. He stood up, looking rather shy.

“I have a grumble,” he said, “Go on, then,” said William, the Judge.

“Please,” he said, “I learn music, and one of the times put down for my practice is half of cricket-time on Tuesday. Could I have it changed, because I do bate missing cricket.”

“Certainly,” said William. “Mr. Johns, do you think that could be changed?”

“I’ll see to it,” said Mr. Johns, from the back of the room. “I’ll speak to the music-master and have it put right for Wilfred.”

 “Thank you,” said William and Wilfred together. There were no more grumbles. William hammered on the table.

“The Meeting is over,” he said, “The next will be held at the same time on the same day next week, everyone must attend.”

 The children jumped up, talking loudly, and went out to their various tasks. Some had lessons to prepare for the next day. Some had pets to feed. Some wanted to practice cricket or tennis. Everyone seemed to have something to do.

All except Elizabeth. She seemed to have no one to talk to, no one to walk with. She knew it was her own fault, but she didn’t like it. She wandered off by herself and came to a little room where someone was playing the piano softly and beautifully.

Elizabeth loved music with all her heart. She crept into the little music room and sat down to listen. Mr. Lewis, the music-master, was there playing to himself. When he finished, he turned round and saw Elizabeth.

“Hallo!” he said. “Did you like that?”

“Yes, I loved it,” said Elizabeth. “It sounded to me like the sea.”

“It was supposed to be the sea on a summer’s day,” said Mr. Lewis. He was an old man, with gentle eyes and a small grey beard. “It was written by a man who loved to put the sea into his music.”

“I wish I could learn to play it,” said Elizabeth. “I really do wish I could. Am I supposed to be learning music at this school, do you know?”

 “What’s your name?” asked the music-master, taking out a small notebook and opening it. “Mine is Mr. Lewis.”

“Mine is Elizabeth Allen,” said Elizabeth,

“Yes-here’s your name,” said Mr. Lewis. “You are down for music lessons with me. That’s fine. We shall get on well together, and perhaps by the end of the term you will be able to play this sea-piece you like so much.”

“I’d like that,” said Elizabeth, “but I shan’t be here long. I hate school.”

“Dear me, what a pity,” said Mr. Lewis. “Most children simply love it-especially Whyteleafe School. Well, if you think you won’t be here long perhaps I had better cross your name off my list. It seems a waste of time to have any music lessons if you mean to go.”

 “Well - I might as well have one or two lessons,” said Elizabeth.

“I suppose I couldn’t have one now, could I?” Mr. Lewis looked at his watch. “Yes,” he said. “I’ve got twenty minutes. Fetch your music and we’ll see what you can do.”

Elizabeth was happy for the first time when she sat down at the piano with the music-master by her side. She played one of her favorite pieces. Mr. Lewis jerked his foot in time to the music and nodded his head when she had finished.

“Yes, Elizabeth,” he said, pleased. “You will be one of my best pupils. I must ask you to change your mind about leaving us soon-it will be a pleasure to me to teach you that sea-piece.”

Elizabeth felt pleased and proud. But she shook her head. “I’m afraid I shan’t stay,” she said, “They’ve taken my money away so that I can’t run away, but I’m going to be so horrid that they’ll have to send me away!”

“What a pity!” said Mr. Lewis. He looked at his watch again.

“Play me something else,” he said. “I’ve a little more time.”

At the end of the lesson Mr. Lewis showed Elizabeth the name of the sea-piece he had played. “There is a most beautiful gramophone record of it,” he said.

“Why don’t you ask for some money to buy it at the next Meeting? Everyone would love the record in the playroom, and I know they haven’t got it.”

“I’d love to get it,” said Elizabeth, “Then I could hear it whenever I wanted to. But I know the Meeting wouldn’t give me any money! Why, they’ve even not let me have the two shillings everyone else has.”

“Dear dear,” said Mr. Lewis, smiling. “You must really be a very bad little girl-and yet you play my piano like an angel!”

“Do I really?” said Elizabeth in delight-but the music-master had gone, leaving Elizabeth to put away her music and shut the piano.

Elizabeth soon found out that there were many pleasant things that the children of Whyteleafe were allowed to do. Every other day they were allowed to go down to the village in twos, to buy sweets, toys, books, and anything they wanted. They were also allowed to go to the cinema once a week, provided that they paid for themselves.

They could go riding every day, and this Elizabeth simply adored, for there were rolling hills and commons around the school, on which it was perfectly lovely to gallop. Elizabeth rode very well indeed, for she had had her own pony for years.

Then, on two evenings a week, the music-master gave a little concert to those children who really loved music. The concert was from half-past seven to eight, after supper, and Mr. Lewis gathered round him about twelve boys and girls who loved to hear the beautiful music he drew from his piano. Sometimes he played the violin too, and Elizabeth longed to learn to play it when she heard Mr. Lewis drawing the bow across the strings of his fine violin.

On another evening there was a small dance, beginning at half-past seven, for an hour. Elizabeth loved dancing too, and when she saw the notice on the notice-board, she was pleased.

No wonder the children were happy at Whyteleafe! There seemed always something lovely to look forward to, something exciting to do. Helen and Belinda, the other new girls, soon settled down well, made firm friends with one another, and were very happy. The two new boys also made friends, Once Joan tried to make friends with Elizabeth, but the little girl made a rude face and turned away.

As the days went on, Elizabeth kept to her plan. She took every chance of being naughty and rude, till everyone was tired of her. She spent most of the mornings outside the door of the classroom because Miss Ranger could not have her in the room as she disturbed the class so much.

One morning she caught the school cat and put it inside Miss Ranger’s desk before anyone entered the room. When Miss Ranger opened the lid, the cat jumped out, and Miss Ranger squealed in fright. Everyone giggled. They knew it was Elizabeth, of course.

Another time Elizabeth put the classroom clock ten minutes fast, and Miss Ranger stopped the lesson too soon. When Miss Ranger found out, she was angry.

“As you all have missed ten minutes of your arithmetic lesson,” she said, “I am going to give you two extra sums to do for your preparation time this afternoon.”

The class was angry with Elizabeth.

“You wait till the next Meeting!” said Ruth. “There’ll be some fine complaints about you there!”

 “I don’t care,” said Elizabeth. And she didn’t.

One afternoon after tea Elizabeth wanted to go and see the village of Whyteleafe. She went to Nora, her monitor, and asked her for permission to go and look at the shops in the village.

“Yes, you can go.” said Nora. “But get someone to go with you. We are only allowed to go in twos.”

Elizabeth went to Ruth. “Will you come with me to the village?” she asked. “I want to look at the shops.”

“No thanks,” said Ruth, “I don’t want to go with anyone like you! I don’t know how you might behave in the road. I might be ashamed of you.”

“I know how to behave in the road,” said Elizabeth crossly.

“Well, you don’t know how to behave at school!” said Ruth, and walked away.

Elizabeth asked Belinda. But Belinda shook her head. “I don’t want to go,” she said.

Helen wouldn’t go either, nor would Joan. Elizabeth didn’t like to ask any of the boys, because they always laughed at her when they saw her coming.

“Here’s the bold bad girl!” they said to one another. And soon poor Elizabeth began to be known as the Bold Bad Girl! Elizabeth went back to Nora. “Nobody will go with me,” she said.

“It serves you right,” said Nora. “You can’t go if nobody will go with you. We are not allowed to go alone.”

“Well, I’m going alone!” said Elizabeth to herself. And she slipped out of the school door, down the steps, round to the right, and through the big archway! Down the hills she ran to see the village.

She had a lovely time looking into all the shops. She looked longingly into the sweet-shop and wished she had some money to buy some toffee. She looked into a music-shop and wondered if they had the gramophone record of the sea-piece she loved. She looked into the toy-shop-and good gracious! Coming out of it was Rita, the Head Girl of Whyteleafe School! Now what was naughty Elizabeth to do?

CHAPTER 9

Rita has a Job for Elizabeth

Elizabeth had no time to run away. Rita came out of the shop almost on top of her. She smiled at the little girl and then she saw that she was alone. Her smile faded, and she looked stern.

“Surely somebody is with you?” she asked.

“No,” said Elizabeth.

“But, Elizabeth, you know by now that no one is allowed in the village by herself,” said Rita. “You must always come with somebody. Why didn’t you?”

“Because nobody would come with me,” said Elizabeth. “I did ask a whole lot of them.”

“Well, you had better come with me now,” said Rita. “I am alone, because the girls of the top class are allowed to shop by themselves. So walk along with me.”