sister. “She doesn’t seem to care, either. Grizel has been jolly nice about it, and I know she was upset about the letter. No one can do anything with Deira, and she mopes about all day by herself. None of us want to talk to her, though we’re polite, of course! We couldn’t be anything else here!
Austrians do insist on their twopence-halfpenny worth of manners! Deira won’t say she’s sorry, and it’s been jolly unpleasant!”
Madge Russell turned matters over in her own mind. She felt glad, on the whole, that she had decided against accompanying her husband to Vienna. During the three days she would be at the school surely she could clear up this trouble. She wondered what had happened to bring about such a state of affairs. Not unnaturally, she felt inclined to blame Grizel herself in the first instance. That young lady had no reputation for making allowances for anyone, and she possessed a sarcastic tongue. It seemed almost certain that she had brought this trouble on herself.
Joey, watching her sister’s face, guessed what was passing through her mind, and tried to put matters as straight as she could. “Madge, I don’t think this is Grizel’s fault. In fact, the other prees. practically say it isn’t, though they won’t tell us what’s happened. Grizel has been awfully upset about it all, and she’s done her best to straighten it up – honour bright, she has. Only, Deira doesn’t seem to want it straightened.”
Madge frowned. “Are you sure of this, Joey?”
“Positive certain,” declared Joey. “Honour, Madge. Grizel’s been trying to be a decent head-girl, and she’s been doing everything she can to keep things running just as they did before. She does lots of odd duty, and is jolly nice to the babes-”
“Joey,” interrupted Mrs. Russell, “haven’t you another adverb you can use? Everything’s ‘jolly’ with you just now. I don’t object to the word, but it gets monotonous when you never use anything else.”
“Well, very nice, then,” amended Joey. “She’s not been nearly so sarkey this term, either. Do believe that it isn’t her fault, Madge.”
“Do you think I’m condemning her unheard?” asked her sister dryly. “You’ve never called me unfair before, Joey.”
Joey crimsoned. “No; but I think – things – make you feel that – that – that -”
“That – what?” demanded Mrs. Russell, as the orator came to a distressed halt.
“Well, that it is more likely to be her fault than Deira’s.”
Madge Russell looked at her sister again. Then she nodded. “You’re right, Joey – though I didn’t think it of myself. And it is unfair!”
“I didn’t say so!”
“Not exactly. But you meant it, didn’t you?”
Jo fidgeted. Then she looked up. “Yes; I think I did. I can’t bear you to be wrong in anything?”
“I’m often wrong, Joey-baba,” sighed her sister, an arm round the slender shoulders. “I certainly was there!
Listen! Here comes the Robin!” Joey wriggled away, and stood up as the Robin came racing into the room and flung herself on “Tante Marguerite” with cries of joy. “Tante Guito! How lovely to have you again!
School isn’t so nice without you!”
Mrs. Russell kissed the rosy face upturned to hers, and ruffled the short curls as she said, “You have me in the holidays, Bubchen .”
“That’s not the same,” said the Robin sagely. “We want you all the time – Joey an’ me!”
“And I want you! Are you being a very good girl, sweetheart?”
“I was second – but second in my form last week,” said the Robin impressively. “And I have no order marks all this term!”
“Papa will be pleased to hear that. He sent his love to you, my pet, and when Uncle Jem comes home again he will come down for a week-end at the Post, and you and Joey are to stay with him.”
The Robin squeezed her hands together in her joy. “But that will be jolly !” she said emphatically.
“Topping!” Jo added her comment.
Austrians do insist on their twopence-halfpenny worth of manners! Deira won’t say she’s sorry, and it’s been jolly unpleasant!”
Madge Russell turned matters over in her own mind. She felt glad, on the whole, that she had decided against accompanying her husband to Vienna. During the three days she would be at the school surely she could clear up this trouble. She wondered what had happened to bring about such a state of affairs. Not unnaturally, she felt inclined to blame Grizel herself in the first instance. That young lady had no reputation for making allowances for anyone, and she possessed a sarcastic tongue. It seemed almost certain that she had brought this trouble on herself.
Joey, watching her sister’s face, guessed what was passing through her mind, and tried to put matters as straight as she could. “Madge, I don’t think this is Grizel’s fault. In fact, the other prees. practically say it isn’t, though they won’t tell us what’s happened. Grizel has been awfully upset about it all, and she’s done her best to straighten it up – honour bright, she has. Only, Deira doesn’t seem to want it straightened.”
Madge frowned. “Are you sure of this, Joey?”
“Positive certain,” declared Joey. “Honour, Madge. Grizel’s been trying to be a decent head-girl, and she’s been doing everything she can to keep things running just as they did before. She does lots of odd duty, and is jolly nice to the babes-”
“Joey,” interrupted Mrs. Russell, “haven’t you another adverb you can use? Everything’s ‘jolly’ with you just now. I don’t object to the word, but it gets monotonous when you never use anything else.”
“Well, very nice, then,” amended Joey. “She’s not been nearly so sarkey this term, either. Do believe that it isn’t her fault, Madge.”
“Do you think I’m condemning her unheard?” asked her sister dryly. “You’ve never called me unfair before, Joey.”
Joey crimsoned. “No; but I think – things – make you feel that – that – that -”
“That – what?” demanded Mrs. Russell, as the orator came to a distressed halt.
“Well, that it is more likely to be her fault than Deira’s.”
Madge Russell looked at her sister again. Then she nodded. “You’re right, Joey – though I didn’t think it of myself. And it is unfair!”
“I didn’t say so!”
“Not exactly. But you meant it, didn’t you?”
Jo fidgeted. Then she looked up. “Yes; I think I did. I can’t bear you to be wrong in anything?”
“I’m often wrong, Joey-baba,” sighed her sister, an arm round the slender shoulders. “I certainly was there!
Listen! Here comes the Robin!” Joey wriggled away, and stood up as the Robin came racing into the room and flung herself on “Tante Marguerite” with cries of joy. “Tante Guito! How lovely to have you again!
School isn’t so nice without you!”
Mrs. Russell kissed the rosy face upturned to hers, and ruffled the short curls as she said, “You have me in the holidays, Bubchen .”
“That’s not the same,” said the Robin sagely. “We want you all the time – Joey an’ me!”
“And I want you! Are you being a very good girl, sweetheart?”
“I was second – but second in my form last week,” said the Robin impressively. “And I have no order marks all this term!”
“Papa will be pleased to hear that. He sent his love to you, my pet, and when Uncle Jem comes home again he will come down for a week-end at the Post, and you and Joey are to stay with him.”
The Robin squeezed her hands together in her joy. “But that will be jolly !” she said emphatically.
“Topping!” Jo added her comment.
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