04 The Head Girl of the Chalet School by Elinor Brent-Dyer Page A

“Will it be next week-end, Madge?”
    “Yes, I think so. And I am here for three days this time, Robin; and I am going to ask Mademoiselle if I may take my classes again. She tells me that Miss Annersley has a bad cold, so we will send her to the sickroom, and give her a rest while I am here.”
    The Robin hugged her again as the only possible means of expressing her joy, and the bell rang for Mittagessen just when everyone was nicely tousled, for Joey had joined in the hug. They made a frantic rush for the “splasheries” on that, and the two children had to run off to join the others, while Mrs. Russell followed more soberly to the staff-room, where she was greeted with acclamations as the staff filed out to go to the Speisesaal .
    “You will take your own seat, Madame?” said Mademoiselle, who was already in her old place, leaving the head of the staff table to the younger woman. Mrs. Russell nodded, and went there. Then she said grace, and they all sat down.

    It was like old times to sit there, looking down the room at the long tables with the fresh girl-faces turning to her; and yet there were differences. Gisela, Bernhilda, Juliet, Wanda, and Bette were no longer there.
    Grizel Cochrane sat in the head-girl’s seat, dispensing the soup to the little ones, and Joey was no longer a child. Others had grown up, too, and there were new faces among the little ones. Even the Robin was losing her baby chubbiness, and shooting up into a slim little girl, though she still wore her pretty pinafores.
    Particularly, Mrs. Russell noticed Grizel and Deira. The former looked grave and preoccupied, and the latter was plainly miserable. She merely played with her food, and made no attempt to join in the merry chattering in which even Frolich Amundsen, a new little Norwegian, was managing to take part, though it was French day, and till she came to the school she had never heard a word of French.
    Mademoiselle’s eyes followed the girl’s, and she looked very serious, though she said nothing. When the meal was over, however, she caught Deira outside, and brought her back to insist on her eating some of the soup which Luise had kept warm. “You must eat, Deira,” she said firmly. “You will make yourself ill if you do not, and that I cannot permit. Please take it, or I shall treat you as if you were an infant like Robin Humphries, and feed you myself.”
    Deira took it then, but with a very ill-used air. She escaped as soon as she could, and went off to her own quarters, feeling that the whole world was against her.
    Madge Russell had gone up to the prefects’ room, meanwhile, and was having a chat with her girls. They were all delighted to see her, and rejoiced loudly when she told them that she was going to teach during her visit.
    “Oh, Madame! But that will be so nice!” cried Luigia. “It will be as it was before the summer!”
    “I am so glad,” said Rosalie. “We do miss you, Madame.”
    “What books shall we need?” asked Mary Burnett. “It’s literature for us first lesson this afternoon?”
    A shout of laughter rose at this; even Grizel joining in.
    “But how like Mary!” chuckled Gertrud. “You are in haste to begin, my dear.”
    “Well, it’s better not to waste any time,” said Mary in her matter-of-fact way.
    “Shall it be Shakespeare?” asked Vanna. “It is so long since we had a Shakespeare lesson with you, Madame.”
    “Yes; if you like,” said Madge. “What are you doing this term?”
    “ The Tempest ,” said Rosalie. “We’re just finishing the first act.”
    “Very well, then. Bring your Tempests , and we’ll go on.”
    Grizel produced hers from the shelf, and the others made haste to find theirs. While they were busy, the head-girl turned to the ex-Head of the school. “Madame, may I speak to you after school? I do want a talk.”
    Mrs. Russell looked at her thoughtfully. “Yes, Grizel. Come to my study and have Kaffee with me, will you? I shall be alone.”
    “Thank you,”