Winter Term at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton Page B

to do. Then, perhaps, we will believe you.’
    But Bonnie had a stubborn streak, and she pursed her lips, saying through her tears, ‘I shan’t tell you, for if you were true friends you would believe me, and wouldn’t expect me to explain myself to you like this.’
    â€˜So you are refusing to tell us?’ said Susan, looking grave.
    Bonnie’s soft, brown curls shook as she nodded her head.
    â€˜Don’t be an ass, Bonnie!’ begged Felicity. ‘Just tell us what Miss Tallant wanted you to do, and that will be an end to all of this.’
    This time Bonnie shook her head, a stubborn set to her firm little chin.
    â€˜Then I am afraid, Bonnie, that we will have to assume that you are the sneak,’ said Susan heavily. ‘And your punishment is that you will be sent to Coventry. Not one girl in the form is to talk to you, or have anything to do with you, for a whole week.’
    Then Amy surprised everyone by putting her arm around Bonnie’s heaving shoulders, and saying loyally, ‘Well, I am not joining in your silly punishment, and I don’t care if you send me to Coventry as well! Come along, Bonnie, let’s go somewhere where we can be alone.’
    With that, she led the weeping girl from the room and, as the door closed behind them, Susan grimaced and said, ‘Well, that was simply beastly, but it had to be done.’
    Most of the others agreed at once, but Felicity remained silent. She remembered how Bonnie had played a big part in reuniting Julie with her missing horse, Jack, last term. The girl had certainly proved her loyalty to the form then. And there were several other past incidents when Bonnie had shown that, although she could be rather unscrupulous when it came to getting what she wanted, she was absolutely straight and honest—in her own, rather strange way!
    Oh dear, thought Felicity, I do hope that we haven’t made a dreadful mistake!

9
A shock for the fourth form
    Several days later Felicity and Susan learned some startling news. It was a pleasant, if cold, afternoon, and the two of them were wrapped up in coats, hats and scarves as they walked through the grounds.
    â€˜I shall be glad when Bonnie’s period of Coventry is over,’ said Susan with a sigh. ‘It really is horrible. And it is making things awfully difficult as far as the play is concerned, for I can’t discuss the costumes with her until I can speak to her again.’
    â€˜Yes, but even when we are allowed to speak to Bonnie again, things will never be the same,’ said Felicity thoughtfully. ‘For this incident will always be at the back of our minds. It’s a shame, because although I didn’t like Bonnie much when she first came to Malory Towers, I’ve grown quite fond of her now.’
    â€˜Yes, she has many good qualities, although she has a funny way of going about things sometimes,’ said Susan. ‘Still, I suppose that no one is completely good, or completely bad. And once Bonnie’s punishment is over, we shall all have to do our best to try to forget what she has done, and help her try to make amends.’
    Just then, the two girls saw a figure coming towardsthem, and both groaned inwardly. For it was none other than Miss Tallant!
    â€˜Susan!’ said the mistress sharply, as she drew level with the two girls. ‘I understand that you took a book about play production from my desk yesterday, without permission. Not a very good example for a head-girl to set her form.’
    Susan flushed bright red. She had sneaked the book from Miss Tallant’s desk, for she knew very well that the mistress did not like her, and would certainly have refused to lend it to her if she had asked.
    She had flicked through it in the common-room yesterday evening, and had meant to put it back on Miss Tallant’s desk this morning, before the mistress even realised it had gone. But, alas for Susan, she had completely forgotten