04 The Head Girl of the Chalet School by Elinor Brent-Dyer Page B
Authors: Elinor Brent-Dyer
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murmured Grizel. “It is good of you, Madame. I do want a talk with you.”
Madge looked at her anxiously. The girl was paler than usual, and there were shadows under her eyes. She had been taking this thing hardly.
“I am sure you are working well in all ways this term, Grizel,” said Mrs. Russell gently. “I can see that for myself.”
The colour touched Grizel’s face, but she said nothing more, and the return of the others waving their books put an end to the conversation for the time. Lessons began almost immediately, and in the joy of being at the beloved work of teaching once more, Madge forgot most of the news she had received, and the girls forgot their feud with Deira, who awakened to a little more life under the influence of the old Head.
From the Sixth, which numbered six girls only, Mrs. Russell went on to the Fourth, which was the largest form in the school, and there she received a rapturous welcome, and felt herself back in the old days indeed, for not one of her girls was missing, save the little Crown Princess of Belsornia. The afternoon finished up in the First, where the babies, as the older girls called them, were having “At the Back of the North Wind”
read to them, with explanations where they were needed. This lasted only twenty minutes, and then the last school-bell rang, and the few day-girls went off to get ready for their walk to the various chalets round the lake where they lived. Mrs. Russell retired to her old bedroom, which was still hers, and changed her frock, and brushed out her pretty curly hair before she twisted it up into its usual knot at the back of her head.
Then she went down to the study, where she was waylaid by Jo, who wanted to know if she and the Robin might come to Kaffee .
Madge shook her head. “I’m sorry, Joey, but Grizel is coming, and I want to see her alone.”
Joey’s face fell grievously. “Oh, Madge! We do so want to be with you!”
“I shall go over to put the Robin to bed,” said her sister quietly. “You may come to my room early tomorrow morning. At least, you may come after six,” she added hastily.
Jo was given to waking up early, and her interpretation of the time might be earlier than her sister liked.
“Righto, then,” said Jo reluctantly. “But it’s rotten luck all the same!”
“Can’t help that,” said Madge austerely. “Grizel needs me more than you do just now.”
“I wish Deira had been in – her beloved Ireland before she’d behaved like this!” said Jo. “I think she’s an ass!”
“I can’t help that. And your English, my child, is in sad need of reform.”
Jo grinned. “I think you’d better come back, Madge. We can’t get on without you.”
“Very kind of you, but I have to think of Jem, remember.”
“You would spend the hols. with him,” suggested Joey.
Madge shook her head laughingly. “I’m afraid he would scarcely be contented with that. And I shouldn’t like it either! Now you must run away. Grizel will be here in a minute, and Kaffee will be ready for you sooner than that. Run along, baby! You shall have your innings tomorrow morning.”
Joey went off, fairly contented with this promise, and her sister went into the study and sat down. Grizel put in an appearance three minutes later, and then Luise arrived with Kaffee und Kuchen , and they were left alone.
Grizel started the ball. She took her coffee from the Head, accepted a cake, and then said nervously, “Have you heard of what has happened, Madame?”
“Do you mean between you and Deira? Yes; Jo told me.”
A little silence followed. Then the girl set down her coffee and turned to the Head. “Madame, on my honour as a Guide, I have tried!”
Madge looked her full in the face, but the grey eyes never dropped beneath hers, so she said, “Give me your version of the story, Grizel. I want to know everyone’s side before I say anything.”
Grizel told her story, and told it very fairly. She admitted that Deira had “made
Madge looked at her anxiously. The girl was paler than usual, and there were shadows under her eyes. She had been taking this thing hardly.
“I am sure you are working well in all ways this term, Grizel,” said Mrs. Russell gently. “I can see that for myself.”
The colour touched Grizel’s face, but she said nothing more, and the return of the others waving their books put an end to the conversation for the time. Lessons began almost immediately, and in the joy of being at the beloved work of teaching once more, Madge forgot most of the news she had received, and the girls forgot their feud with Deira, who awakened to a little more life under the influence of the old Head.
From the Sixth, which numbered six girls only, Mrs. Russell went on to the Fourth, which was the largest form in the school, and there she received a rapturous welcome, and felt herself back in the old days indeed, for not one of her girls was missing, save the little Crown Princess of Belsornia. The afternoon finished up in the First, where the babies, as the older girls called them, were having “At the Back of the North Wind”
read to them, with explanations where they were needed. This lasted only twenty minutes, and then the last school-bell rang, and the few day-girls went off to get ready for their walk to the various chalets round the lake where they lived. Mrs. Russell retired to her old bedroom, which was still hers, and changed her frock, and brushed out her pretty curly hair before she twisted it up into its usual knot at the back of her head.
Then she went down to the study, where she was waylaid by Jo, who wanted to know if she and the Robin might come to Kaffee .
Madge shook her head. “I’m sorry, Joey, but Grizel is coming, and I want to see her alone.”
Joey’s face fell grievously. “Oh, Madge! We do so want to be with you!”
“I shall go over to put the Robin to bed,” said her sister quietly. “You may come to my room early tomorrow morning. At least, you may come after six,” she added hastily.
Jo was given to waking up early, and her interpretation of the time might be earlier than her sister liked.
“Righto, then,” said Jo reluctantly. “But it’s rotten luck all the same!”
“Can’t help that,” said Madge austerely. “Grizel needs me more than you do just now.”
“I wish Deira had been in – her beloved Ireland before she’d behaved like this!” said Jo. “I think she’s an ass!”
“I can’t help that. And your English, my child, is in sad need of reform.”
Jo grinned. “I think you’d better come back, Madge. We can’t get on without you.”
“Very kind of you, but I have to think of Jem, remember.”
“You would spend the hols. with him,” suggested Joey.
Madge shook her head laughingly. “I’m afraid he would scarcely be contented with that. And I shouldn’t like it either! Now you must run away. Grizel will be here in a minute, and Kaffee will be ready for you sooner than that. Run along, baby! You shall have your innings tomorrow morning.”
Joey went off, fairly contented with this promise, and her sister went into the study and sat down. Grizel put in an appearance three minutes later, and then Luise arrived with Kaffee und Kuchen , and they were left alone.
Grizel started the ball. She took her coffee from the Head, accepted a cake, and then said nervously, “Have you heard of what has happened, Madame?”
“Do you mean between you and Deira? Yes; Jo told me.”
A little silence followed. Then the girl set down her coffee and turned to the Head. “Madame, on my honour as a Guide, I have tried!”
Madge looked her full in the face, but the grey eyes never dropped beneath hers, so she said, “Give me your version of the story, Grizel. I want to know everyone’s side before I say anything.”
Grizel told her story, and told it very fairly. She admitted that Deira had “made
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