First Term at Malory Towers (19 page)

One by one the girls begged Darrell's pardon. Alicia was a little stiff about it, for she felt really ashamed of the hard words she had said. But then, Alicia
was
hard. She had a good many lessons to learn before she could lose her hardness and gain in sympathy and understanding of others.

I'd like to be friends again,” she said, awkwardly. “You come along with Betty and me as you did before, won't you?”

“Well,” said Darrell, looking round at Sally's steadfast little lace beside her, “well—I think if you don't mind, I'll stick to Sally and Mary-Lou. I wasn't always nice to them, but they did stick by me when I was in trouble—and they're my real friends now!”

“Oh!” said Mary-Lou, her face glowing. “Thank you, Darrell!”

Sally said nothing, but Darrell felt a delighted pinch just above her elbow. She turned and smiled. She felt very happy. Now everything would be all right again till the end of the term. Good!

She saw Gwendoline lying face downwards on her bed. She was crying bitterly. In the gladness of her heart Darrell could not bear to see even her enemy in misery. She went over to Gwendoline and shook her, but not unkindly.

“Gwendoline! I shan't say a word about this to any one and neither will the others if I ask them not to. But you've got to buy Mary-Lou a lovely pen in return for the one you smashed. See?”

“Yes,” said Gwendoline's muffled voice. “I will.”

And that was all that anyone got out of Gwendoline.

She could not say she was sorry. She could not even say a few ashamed words when she gave Mary-Lou a really magnificent fountain pen she had bought. She was weaker than Mary—Lou ever was, for she hadn't even the strength to conquer herself.

“She'll never be any good, Katherine, will she?” said Darrell one day. Katherine smiled.

“It depends how long she stays at Malory Towers,” she said. “It's queer how the longer you stay here the decenter you get. That's what my aunt told me. She came here, too, and she told me all kinds of stories about awful girls who got all right!”

“Not if they're like Gwendoline,” said Darrell. “Nothing will ever alter
her
. I wish she was leaving!”

Gwendoline wished she was, too. The last two weeks of the term were not pleasant ones for her. Nobody mentioned the affair of the fountain pen again, but everyone thought of it whenever they saw Gwendoline, and they would not look at her, or speak to her if they could help it. They were certain, too, that it was she who had played so many horrid tricks on Mary-Lou the whole of the term.

Poor Gwendoline! What with the girls' contempt, and her own feeling that she must work like a slave for the rest of the term, she did not have at all an easy time. But she was only reaping what she had sowed, so she could not grumble!

Darrell was very happy for the rest of that term. She and Sally and Mary-Lou were always together. Darrell no longer wanted Alicia's friendship. Sally was her friend now, and a very satisfying friendship it was, for Sally was even-tempered and well-balanced, and Darrell was not likely to fly into tempers with Sally around!

Exams came and went. Darrell did very well. Sally did not do so well, partly because she had missed two or three weeks of the term, and partly because she had not been allowed to take the full work of her form after her illness.

Gwendoline came out better than anyone expected. “It just shows,” said Miss Potts, rather severely, “it just shows. Gwendoline, what you can do if you try. Why you saved your efforts for last two or three weeks of the term I can't imagine. Perhaps next term you will be obliging enough to work during the whole of the term!”

Gwendoline did not tell Miss Potts what had made her work so hard the last few weeks! She hoped fervently that Miss Potts would put a few nice things down on her report. What a horrid term it had been! She wished she wasn't coming back. Next term she must try and make the girls forget all she had done this term.

Darrell thought it had been a lovely term—except for Sally's illness and the two or three days when the girls had thought she had played that horrid trick on Mary-Lou. But Darrell didn't often think of those times. She was sunny- natured and liked to think of the nice things. She was sorry the term was coming to an end—but still, the hols, would be lovely!

Sally was going to stay with her in the holidays, and she was going to stay a week with Sally, too.

“You'll see my little sister,” Darrell said. “You'll like her. She's a sport.”

“And you'll see mine, too,” said Sally, half-shyly. “I shall have to teach her to be a sport—like you!”

Mary-Lou wished she lived nearer either Sally or Darrell, then she might have been able to see them. Never mind, there was always next term, and the next... Mary-Lou had the sense to know that Sally was Darrell's real friend, and not herself—but she didn't mind. Darrell was fond of her and admired her. That was all that mattered to loyal little Mary-Lou. How surprised her mother was going to be when she found that Mary-Lou was no longer afraid of the dark!

The last day came, with all its excitement of last-minute strapping of trunks and hunting for lost keys. The school became a perfect circus, and North, South, East, and west Tower girls became all mixed up everywhere.

“Always this last day is a madness!” panted Mam'zelle, trying to force her way through a seething mass of excited girls. “Darrell! Sally! Will you please let me through? Ah, these mad English girls!”

Miss Potts, calm and efficient even in the midst of utter confusion, handed out small bags, marked children off the list when parents fetched them in cars, found lost keys and generally remained the one sane person in North Tower. Even Matron got flustered at times, and spent ages looking for a clothes list she had carefully stuck into her belt.

The coaches came rolling up for the train-girls. “Come on, Darrell!” cried Sally. “Let's get the front seats. Where's Mary-Lou?”

“She's going by car!” called Darrell. “Hi, Mary-Lou, good-bye! Write to me and tell me all your news. Good-bye!”

“Come along, now!” cried Miss Potts, and the girls were all hustled into the coaches. “Where's Alicia? If she disappears again I shall really go mad. Alicia! Get in at once, and don't get out again. Good-bye, girls. Be good—or at least, as good as you can! And don't dare to face me next term without your health certificates!”

“Good-bye, Potty. Good—bye!” yelled the girls. “Good bye dear old Potty!”

“Goodness!” said Darrell, who had never heard Miss Potts called Potty to her face before. “How dare they!”

“It's the only time we do, just when we shout good-bye!” said Alicia with a grin. “She never seems to mind then. Look at her grinning all over her face!”

Darrell leaned out of the coach. “Good-bye, Potty!” she yelled. “Good-bye—and good-bye Malory Towers!” she said, almost under her breath. I'll be glad to see you again.”

Good-bye! Good-bye till next time. Good-bye, Darrell and Sally and the rest. We'll meet you again soon. Good luck till then!

The End.