A Genius at the Chalet School by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer Page B

was hardly fit to be in Va with every likelihood of going up to one or other of the Sixths in September and the possibility of being otherwise eligible for a prefectship.
   "If you are going to behave so irresponsibly, Hilda, how can we promote you?" Miss Annersley had said gravely. "You are sixteen and a half now - seventeen in May, isn't it? And yet in some ways you are nearly as heedless and careless as little Margot Maynard. How can we dare to rely on you if you aren't going to try to improve?"
   When Hilda got herself out of the study, what was left of her might have gone into a half-pint mug!
   Her own form, needless to state, told her their opinion with brutal frankness. Miss Lawrence had crowned everything that morning when she happened to meet the girl, by telling her exactly what she thought of her for upsetting Nina's music. This had been the finish so far as Hilda was concerned. She had vanished from sight and when Mary-Lou at last found her in the art storeroom where she had hidden herself, she had cried until she was fit for nothing but Matron's care. Being a canny young person, Mary-Lou had refrained from any comments about absence from mending and letter-writing. Instead, she fetched Matron and Matron marched Hilda off to her cubicle and told her to lie down for an hour or two after she had sponged her face.
   During Break, Mary-Lou and her three chums had neatly cut Nina out from the rest of the Seniors and tried by every means in their power to coax her to forgive Hilda. Nina remained implacable and, in despair, Mary-Lou had gone to the Head and begged leave to go to Freudesheim as she wanted to see Aunt Joey about "something frightfully important - and it is frightful, too", she had added consideringly.
   Miss Annersley asked no questions though she guessed what was behind the request. She gave leave at once - the more readily because she herself had had a session with Nina after and had made no greater impression on her than the girls had. Nina could see only her own point of view. She had no pity for Hilda's real unhappiness and all the Head could get out of her was a sullen, "It serves her right if she's miserable. She was warned and she didn't bother to remember. I can't practise and I couldn't have my lesson this morning."
   "There are more important things than music, even," Miss Annersley said sternly. "I hope, until you feel differently about Hilda, you won't try to say Our Father, Nina. Have you ever thought what a terrible condemnation of yourself you are calling down if you ask to be forgiven your trespasses exactly as you forgive those of others? Think that over, please, and ask God to give you the grace of pity."
   Nina had looked rather startled, but she said nothing and the Head had dismissed her with a heavy heart. She had almost decided to consult Joey herself, for if Hilda was miserable, Nina was no better, to judge by her looks. So she had instantly gone to ring up Freudesheim and returned to give Mary-Lou permission to wrap up and run across provided she was back within an hour. Mittagessen was to be early to-day and the girls were to have a long afternoon out-of-doors, tobogganing and ski-ing.
   Mary-Lou had skipped across and poured out the whole story to Joey. Now she said anxiously, "But what can we do about it, Auntie Jo? Hilda's awfully miserable and," she added with a flash of insight that Joey had hardly expected of even her, "so is Nina. It can't be let go on, you know."
   "Your English!" Joey said. Then, "It's no use going on at Nina. You'll only make her dig her toes in more. The best thing you can do is to pray for her. But Mary-Lou, there is something to be said for her. Try to understand a little."
   "I can see that she had every reason to be mad at first," Mary-Lou replied. "But she's gone on being mad and that's what I don't understand."
   "You can try. Listen to me. Do you remember last term after your accident when you first roused up and