Mam'zelle Rougier was going to take the lesson instead of Mam'zelle Dupont. She had made Belinda get into a row, when she could have prevented it.
Alicia, too, was ashamed of this now. But it was too late to do anything about it. There was no point in owning up now that the matter was closed. But she kept kicking herself for not doing so at the right tune. She had been too obstinate.
She was sorry too that she had been bard on Ellen that evening—but how could she know she was really ill? She hadn't any time for that silly Ellen, always snapping and snarling at everyone! Let her be ill! A good thing if she was away from the class for a while. She wouldn't miss her!
Ellen felt very ill for four days, then she felt a little better. Her temperature went down, and she began to take a little more interest in things. But alas! Her old worry came back immediately she was well enough to think clearly!
Those tests! She knew that on the result of the tests depended her place in form. And it was very important that she should be top or nearly top. Her father and mother were so very proud that she bad won the scholarship to such a fine school. They were not well-off, but they had told Ellen they would do anything they could to keep her at Malory Towers, now that she had won the right to be there by her own hard work.
The uniform had been so expensive. Even the train fare was expensive. It was a good thing she had been able to get a lift down in somebody's car. Mother had bought her a new trunk and a new suitcase. More expense. Oh, dear - was it really a good thing to win a scholarship to a school like Malory Towers if you had to count your pennies? Perhaps it wasn't.
Then another thought struck her. She had had to have the doctor. That would be another expense on the bill. And all the time she was losing her schoolwork, and would do badly her first term. Her parents would be bitterly disappointed.
So Ellen worried and worried. The Matron and the Nurse couldn't think why she did not throw off her illness as quickly as she should. Every day she begged to be allowed to get up, but Matron shook her head. “No, you can't, dear. You're not quite right yet, but would you like a visitor now? You can have one if you like.”
“Oh yes, I'd like Jean, please,” said Ellen at once. Jean bad promised to take notes for her. Jean would tell her all about the lessons she had missed. Jean was dependable and reliable.
So Jean came to see her, bringing a pot of honey. But it was not honey that Ellen wanted. She hardly even glanced at it.
“Did you bring the notes you said you would make for me?” she asked, eagerly. “Oh. Jean—didn't you?”
“Good gracious me—what do you want notes of lessons for already?” demanded Jean, in astonishment “You're not even up!”
“Oh. I do. I do.” said Ellen. “You promised, Jean.
Well, bring them next time. You tell me all the lessons you've had now.”
Jean screwed up her eyes and tried to remember. She thought Ellen queer to want to talk about lessons instead of games or fun. She began to tell Ellen.
“Well, in maths, we did those new sums again. I can bring you some to show you. And in French we learnt that long piece of poetry on page sixty-four. I can recite some of it if you like. And for geography we learnt...”
Matron bustled up. “Jean! Ellen mustn't hear a word about lessons yet I She mustn't start worrying her head about work. She couldn't help missing it, and Miss Parker and Mam'zelle will quite understand that she will be a bit behind when she comes back.”
Ellen stared at her in consternation. “But, Matron! I must know it all. I must! Oh, do let Jean tell me. And she's going to bring me some lesson notes she's made for me too.”
“Well, she certainly mustn't. I forbid it,” said Matron. So that was that. Ellen took no more interest in Jean's conversation. She lay back, desperate. She'd be near the bottom now I How unlucky she was!
Ellen has a bad idea
Nobody
Alicia, too, was ashamed of this now. But it was too late to do anything about it. There was no point in owning up now that the matter was closed. But she kept kicking herself for not doing so at the right tune. She had been too obstinate.
She was sorry too that she had been bard on Ellen that evening—but how could she know she was really ill? She hadn't any time for that silly Ellen, always snapping and snarling at everyone! Let her be ill! A good thing if she was away from the class for a while. She wouldn't miss her!
Ellen felt very ill for four days, then she felt a little better. Her temperature went down, and she began to take a little more interest in things. But alas! Her old worry came back immediately she was well enough to think clearly!
Those tests! She knew that on the result of the tests depended her place in form. And it was very important that she should be top or nearly top. Her father and mother were so very proud that she bad won the scholarship to such a fine school. They were not well-off, but they had told Ellen they would do anything they could to keep her at Malory Towers, now that she had won the right to be there by her own hard work.
The uniform had been so expensive. Even the train fare was expensive. It was a good thing she had been able to get a lift down in somebody's car. Mother had bought her a new trunk and a new suitcase. More expense. Oh, dear - was it really a good thing to win a scholarship to a school like Malory Towers if you had to count your pennies? Perhaps it wasn't.
Then another thought struck her. She had had to have the doctor. That would be another expense on the bill. And all the time she was losing her schoolwork, and would do badly her first term. Her parents would be bitterly disappointed.
So Ellen worried and worried. The Matron and the Nurse couldn't think why she did not throw off her illness as quickly as she should. Every day she begged to be allowed to get up, but Matron shook her head. “No, you can't, dear. You're not quite right yet, but would you like a visitor now? You can have one if you like.”
“Oh yes, I'd like Jean, please,” said Ellen at once. Jean bad promised to take notes for her. Jean would tell her all about the lessons she had missed. Jean was dependable and reliable.
So Jean came to see her, bringing a pot of honey. But it was not honey that Ellen wanted. She hardly even glanced at it.
“Did you bring the notes you said you would make for me?” she asked, eagerly. “Oh. Jean—didn't you?”
“Good gracious me—what do you want notes of lessons for already?” demanded Jean, in astonishment “You're not even up!”
“Oh. I do. I do.” said Ellen. “You promised, Jean.
Well, bring them next time. You tell me all the lessons you've had now.”
Jean screwed up her eyes and tried to remember. She thought Ellen queer to want to talk about lessons instead of games or fun. She began to tell Ellen.
“Well, in maths, we did those new sums again. I can bring you some to show you. And in French we learnt that long piece of poetry on page sixty-four. I can recite some of it if you like. And for geography we learnt...”
Matron bustled up. “Jean! Ellen mustn't hear a word about lessons yet I She mustn't start worrying her head about work. She couldn't help missing it, and Miss Parker and Mam'zelle will quite understand that she will be a bit behind when she comes back.”
Ellen stared at her in consternation. “But, Matron! I must know it all. I must! Oh, do let Jean tell me. And she's going to bring me some lesson notes she's made for me too.”
“Well, she certainly mustn't. I forbid it,” said Matron. So that was that. Ellen took no more interest in Jean's conversation. She lay back, desperate. She'd be near the bottom now I How unlucky she was!
Ellen has a bad idea
Nobody
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