it didn't seem as if she was getting any kinder. Darrell often wondered how she could so badly have wanted Alicia to be her friend when she had first come to Malory Towers!
Ellen looked at Alicia with dislike. I can't help it,” she said, “I'm not putting it on.” She sneezed and Alicia gave an exclamation of disgust. “Don't! Go to bed if you're as bad as all that!” “Silence!” said Miss Potts, annoyed. Alicia said no more. Ellen sighed and tried to concentrate on her book again. But she couldn't. She was glad when the bell went and she could get up and go out into the cooler air. She was hot and yet she shivered. Oh, blow, she certainly was in for a cold. Perhaps it would be better tomorrow.
She tried to stuff some food down her throat at suppertime, in case Miss Parker noticed she wasn't eating anything. Miss Parker did not often take any notice of Ellen. She was usually a quiet girl, with a name for bad temper, and Miss Parker was not at all interested in her, though sometimes surprised that her work was not better.
It was Sally who noticed that Ellen seemed ill that night She heard her quick, rather hoarse breathing and looked at her in concern. She remembered how Ellen had coughed in prep. Poor Ellen—was she feeling simply awful, and not wanting to make a fuss?
Sally was both sensible and kind. She went to Ellen and took her hot hands. “Ellen! You're not well! Let me go with you to Matron, silly!”
The little act of kindness made the tears start to Ellen's eyes. But she shook her head impatiently.
“I'm all right. Leave me alone! Just got a headache, that's all.”
“Poor old Ellen,” said Sally. “You've got more than a headache. Come along to Matron. You ought to be in bed!”
But Ellen wouldn't go. It was not until Jean came up and sympathized with her that she broke down and confessed that yes, she really did feel awful, but she couldn't possibly go to bed with all that work to do before the tests! “I must do well, you see.” she kept saying. “I must” The tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke, and she suddenly shivered.
“You won't do any good by keeping up when you should be in bed,” said Jean. “Come along. I'll keep you well posted in what we do in lessons, I promise you! I'll make notes for you and everything!” I “Oh, will you?” said poor Ellen, coughing. “AH right then. If you'll help me to catch up, I'll go and see Matron now. Perhaps just one day in bed will put me right”
But one day was certainly not going to put Ellen right! She was very ill and Matron put her to bed in the San. at once. Ellen was so thankful to be there that she couldn't help crying. She was ashamed of herself, but she couldn't stop the tears.
“Now don't you worry,” said Matron, kindly. “You should have been in bed days ago by the look of you! Silly child! Now you just lie still and enjoy a week in bed.”
A week! Ellen started up in horror. She couldn't possibly miss a week's work. She stared at Matron in dismay. Matron pushed her back.
“Don't look so horrified. You'll enjoy it. And as soon as you feel like it, and your cold is not infectious, you can choose a visitor.”
“Poor Ellen's really ill,” said Jean, as she went back to the others. “I don't know what her temperature is, but I saw Matron's face when she took it, and it must be pretty high.”
“She coughed like anything in prep tonight,” said Sally. “I felt sorry for her.”
“Well. Alicia didn't,” said Gwen maliciously. “She told her to shut up! Dear, kind Alicia!”
Alicia glared. She was always making sharp remarks about Gwen—but this time Gwen had got GBQ back at her—and Alicia didn't much like it.
“On, we all know that Alicia can't bear to give a little sympathy out,” said Darrell, unable to stop herself. She had felt annoyed with Alicia lately, because she had been so offhand with Sally. Also she had thought that Alicia should certainly have owned up that it was she who had known
Ellen looked at Alicia with dislike. I can't help it,” she said, “I'm not putting it on.” She sneezed and Alicia gave an exclamation of disgust. “Don't! Go to bed if you're as bad as all that!” “Silence!” said Miss Potts, annoyed. Alicia said no more. Ellen sighed and tried to concentrate on her book again. But she couldn't. She was glad when the bell went and she could get up and go out into the cooler air. She was hot and yet she shivered. Oh, blow, she certainly was in for a cold. Perhaps it would be better tomorrow.
She tried to stuff some food down her throat at suppertime, in case Miss Parker noticed she wasn't eating anything. Miss Parker did not often take any notice of Ellen. She was usually a quiet girl, with a name for bad temper, and Miss Parker was not at all interested in her, though sometimes surprised that her work was not better.
It was Sally who noticed that Ellen seemed ill that night She heard her quick, rather hoarse breathing and looked at her in concern. She remembered how Ellen had coughed in prep. Poor Ellen—was she feeling simply awful, and not wanting to make a fuss?
Sally was both sensible and kind. She went to Ellen and took her hot hands. “Ellen! You're not well! Let me go with you to Matron, silly!”
The little act of kindness made the tears start to Ellen's eyes. But she shook her head impatiently.
“I'm all right. Leave me alone! Just got a headache, that's all.”
“Poor old Ellen,” said Sally. “You've got more than a headache. Come along to Matron. You ought to be in bed!”
But Ellen wouldn't go. It was not until Jean came up and sympathized with her that she broke down and confessed that yes, she really did feel awful, but she couldn't possibly go to bed with all that work to do before the tests! “I must do well, you see.” she kept saying. “I must” The tears ran down her cheeks as she spoke, and she suddenly shivered.
“You won't do any good by keeping up when you should be in bed,” said Jean. “Come along. I'll keep you well posted in what we do in lessons, I promise you! I'll make notes for you and everything!” I “Oh, will you?” said poor Ellen, coughing. “AH right then. If you'll help me to catch up, I'll go and see Matron now. Perhaps just one day in bed will put me right”
But one day was certainly not going to put Ellen right! She was very ill and Matron put her to bed in the San. at once. Ellen was so thankful to be there that she couldn't help crying. She was ashamed of herself, but she couldn't stop the tears.
“Now don't you worry,” said Matron, kindly. “You should have been in bed days ago by the look of you! Silly child! Now you just lie still and enjoy a week in bed.”
A week! Ellen started up in horror. She couldn't possibly miss a week's work. She stared at Matron in dismay. Matron pushed her back.
“Don't look so horrified. You'll enjoy it. And as soon as you feel like it, and your cold is not infectious, you can choose a visitor.”
“Poor Ellen's really ill,” said Jean, as she went back to the others. “I don't know what her temperature is, but I saw Matron's face when she took it, and it must be pretty high.”
“She coughed like anything in prep tonight,” said Sally. “I felt sorry for her.”
“Well. Alicia didn't,” said Gwen maliciously. “She told her to shut up! Dear, kind Alicia!”
Alicia glared. She was always making sharp remarks about Gwen—but this time Gwen had got GBQ back at her—and Alicia didn't much like it.
“On, we all know that Alicia can't bear to give a little sympathy out,” said Darrell, unable to stop herself. She had felt annoyed with Alicia lately, because she had been so offhand with Sally. Also she had thought that Alicia should certainly have owned up that it was she who had known
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