The Naughtiest Girl in the School (10 page)

Yes-he did miss five weeks last term, said a monitor. He had mumps, I remember.

And his father does get wild if he isnt near the top in arithmetic, said another monitor.

Well, it seems to me that wed better ask Mr. Johns if hed be good enough to give Harry extra help in arithmetic this term, so that he can catch up what be missed, said William. Then he wont need to cheat. Mr. Johns, I can see you at the back this evening-do you think it would help Harry if you gave him extra time?

Rather! said Mr. Johns, Ive already suggested it to Harry and now that this has happened I think hell be glad of extra help in arithmetic, wont you, Harry?

Yes, thank you, sir, said Harry.

But William hadnt finished with Harry. We cant let you sit with the others in your class until we know you wont cheat again, he said. You had better put your desk apart from the others until you have caught up with the arithmetic youve missed and then you can go back, if you will come and tell me that you wont cheat again.

All right, William, said Harry. He hated the idea of being set apart because he was a cheat and he made up his mind he would soon know as much as anyone else and then hed beat them with his own brains, and never cheat again.

Cheating is only done by stupid or lazy people, said William. Now-any more complaints?

Then it was Elizabeths turn to go red and look sulky! Up got Nora at once.

I have a serious complaint to make, she said. It is about Elizabeth Allen again. I am the monitor in her bedroom, and I cant make her go to bed at the right time. Not only that she is awfully rude and horrid. I dont think she cares how she behaves at all.

Anything else? asked Rita, staring in disgust at Elizabeth.

Yes-she has poured ink twice over her bedside rug, and refuses to clean it, said Nora.

Well, we will send it to the cleaners and Elizabeth can pay for it, said Rita, It costs two shillings to get those rugs cleaned so I am afraid you will have to give up your two shillings, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth really didnt like to be rude to Rita. So she meekly took out her two shillings and passed them back to Nora, who put them into the money-box.

About the going late to bed, said William, thats easily dealt with. In future Elizabeths bedtime will be altered, and she will go at half-past seven, instead of eight.

But I shall miss the concerts and the dancing, said Elizabeth in dismay.

Thats your own fault, said Rita sternly. If you are sensible, we will alter your bedtime next week-but only if you are sensible.

And now about the rudeness and horridness, said William. Im not sure we can blame Elizabeth for that. You know, weve usually found that rude children are caused by silly parents, who spoil them and let them say and do what they like. I should think Elizabeths parents are to blame for her present rude behavior. They havent taught her good manners.

Elizabeth leapt up at once, her face full of anger.

Mummy and Daddy have taught me good manners! she said. Theyve beautiful manners themselves, and Mummy is never rude to anyone.

Well, we shall only believe that when we see that you are following their example! said William. Whenever you are rude this week we shall each say to ourselves: Poor Elizabeth! She cant help it! She wasnt brought up properly!

Ill show you Ive got good manners! shouted Elizabeth. Ill just show you, you horrid boy!

Everyone began to laugh at the angry little girl.

William banged on the table with his hammer. Silence! Elizabeth wants to show us that she has good manners. Go on, Elizabeth, shout a little more and call us names. Then we shall see exactly what your good manners are.

Elizabeth sat down, boiling. So they thought her mother and father didnt know how to bring children up with good manners, did they? Well, nobody would be more polite than she would be, next week! They would have to say they were wrong!

Kenneth, the monitor in Elizabeths class, got up next. Please, William and Rita, he said, could you do something about Elizabeths behavior in class? It is simply impossible. She spoils all our lessons, and we are getting very tired of it. I guess Miss Ranger is too.

This is really dreadful, said Rita. I had no idea Elizabeth was so bad. I am very disappointed. Has nobody a good word to say for her?

No one spoke. No one said a word. And then everyone got a surprise, for up got Joan Townsend, the Mouse! She was blushing red, for she hated to speak in public.

I-I-I should like to speak for Elizabeth, she said. She can be very kind. She isnt really as horrid as she pretends to be.

Joan sat down with a bump, as red as fire. Elizabeth looked at her gratefully. It was good to have a friend!

Well, its something to hear that! said William. But it isnt enough. What are Elizabeths favorite lessons?

Music, painting, and riding, shouted Elizabeths class.

Well, Elizabeth, until you can behave in the lessons you dont seem to like, you must miss those you do like, said William, after consulting with Rita for a while, You will miss riding, music, and painting this week, and you will not go down to the village at all. We hope there will be better reports next week, so that we can give you back the things you love. We simply cant let you spoil lessons for the rest of your class.

Elizabeth could not stand the Meeting for one moment more. She stood up, pushed a chair aside, and rushed out.

Let her go, she heard Rita say, in a sorry sort of voice. Shes being awfully silly-but shes really not as bad as she makes out!

Poor Elizabeth! No money to spend an early bedtime no concerts, no dancing, no riding, painting, or music! The little girl sat on her bed and wept. She knew it was all her own fault, but it didnt make things any better. Oh when, when would she be able to leave this horrid school?

CHAPTER 12

Elizabeth has a Bad Time

Joan went to find Elizabeth as soon as the Meeting was over. She guessed she would be in their bedroom. Elizabeth dried her eyes as soon as she heard Joan coming. She wasn’t going to let anyone see her crying!

“Hallo!” said Joan. “Come down to the playroom. It’s raining or we could go and have a game of tennis.”

“Joan, it was decent of you to speak up for me,” said Elizabeth. “Thanks awfully. But don’t do it again, because, you see, I want everyone to think I’m too bad for this school, so that I’ll be sent home,”

“Oh, Elizabeth, do get that silly idea out of your head!” said Joan. “I’m quite sure that the school won’t send you home, and you’ll only go on getting yourself into more and more trouble. Do be sensible.”

“Do you really think they won’t send me home, however badly I behave?” said Elizabeth in dismay. “But surely no school would want to keep a really bad child?”

“Whyteleafe School has never expelled anyone yet,” said Joan. “So I don’t expect they’ll start on you. You’ll just have a perfectly horrid time, instead of having a lovely one. You’d have much more chance of going home if you went to Rita and said you’d be good if only she would do her best to get you home because you were so unhappy here.”

“Really?” said Elizabeth, astonished. “Well, I didn’t think of that. Perhaps I’ll go to Rita. I’ll see. I am really getting a bit tired of remembering to be bad. There are so many nice things to do here, that I can’t help enjoying myself sometimes.”

“I think you’re a silly goose,” said Joan. “Come on down. It will soon be seven o’clock, and you know you’ve got to go to bed directly after supper for a whole week, instead of at eight o’clock.”

Elizabeth frowned. “I’ve a good mind to go at eight o’clock, just to spite them!” she said.

“Oh, don’t be foolish,” said Joan. “Do you suppose the Meeting cares if you go to bed at seven or eight? You’ll only be hurting yourself, not anyone else, if you’re silly.”

“Oh,” said Elizabeth, seeing for the first time that she was spoiling things for herself far more than she was spoiling them for other people. She sat and thought for a minute.

“Listen, Joan,” she said, “I’ll do as I’m told this week, See? I’ll obey the orders of the Meeting, and go to bed early, and miss all the things I love and at the end I’ll go to Rita and tell her I’m so unhappy that I simply must go home, and I’ll see what she says. I’m sure she could tell Miss Belle and Miss Best and they could write to Mummy for me.”

“Well, you do that,” said Joan, getting a bit tired of Elizabeth’s curious ideas. “Now do come on-bother- there’s the supper-bell, and we’ve wasted all this time!”

They had supper and then poor Elizabeth had to go straight upstairs to bed. Nora popped in to see that she had obeyed the orders of the Meeting and felt quite surprised to see Elizabeth under the sheets.

“Good gracious!” she said. “You are learning to be sensible at last! Now just you listen to me, Elizabeth -the Meeting hates punishing anyone as much as they have punished you this week so be good and sensible and obedient, and you’ll find that everything will be all right at the next Meeting. By the way, I’ll take up your bedside rug the cleaner comes tomorrow, and I’ll see that it’s put ready for him to take.”

“Thank you, Nora,” said Elizabeth, in a very good voice.

The week that followed was not a pleasant one for Elizabeth. She had to see the others go out riding without her. She had to sit indoors and copy out sums instead of going out sketching with the painting class. Worst of all she had to tell Mr. Lewis that she couldn’t have her music lessons that week.

Mr. Lewis was disappointed. “Well, aren’t you a little silly?” he said, patting her on the shoulder. “What a pity! And we were going to do something rather exciting this week too-I’ve got Richard Watson to learn a duet, and I thought you and he could play it together. Duets are fun.”

“Oh dear,” said Elizabeth in dismay. “I’ve never played a duet, and I’ve always thought it would be fun, Could you wait till next week, do you think, Mr. Lewis? I might get all my punishments taken off by that time.”

“I should hope you would!” said the music-master. “Now, Elizabeth, although you are going to miss your lessons with me this week, there is no need for you to miss your practice. Take this duet and try to learn your part by yourself-and next week I’ll have Richard alone too, and we’ll all have a go at it. Practice your other pieces too, and don’t forget your scales.”

“I won’t forget,” promised Elizabeth, and she ran off. Richard Watson was a big boy, and Elizabeth couldn’t help feeling rather proud to think that Mr. Lewis had chosen her to play a duet with him. She knew that Richard Watson played the piano and the violin beautifully.

Elizabeth turned over a new leaf that week. Nobody could have worked harder in class than she did. She only got one sum wrong the whole of the week. She didn’t get a single mistake in dictation. Even the French mistress, Mademoiselle, was pleased with her because she learned a French song so quickly.