The Blinded Soldiers' Fund
The examinations were drawing most horribly and imminently near, and
the Fifth Form, feeling themselves for the most part ill prepared for
the ordeal, were shivering in anticipation. Armed with textbooks, they
made desperate efforts to pull up arrears, and stock their brains with
an assortment of necessary facts. Ardiune crammed dates at every
available moment, Morvyth studied the map of Europe, Valentine devoted
herself to Virgil, and Magsie wept over French verbs, while the rest
tried to fill up any educational gaps and holes where they knew they
were lacking. The image of the Rev. T. W. Beasley, M.A. loomed large
on the horizon, and his advent was hardly regarded with pleasure.
"I know I'll be scared to death!" moaned Aveline. "If there are any
viva voces I shall break down altogether. I know I shall! Directly he
looks at me and asks a question, every single idea will go bang out of
my head!"
"It doesn't matter how well you know things if you're nervous!" agreed
Katherine.
"I hate the written exams!" groaned Raymonde. "They're so long, and
one gets so inky, and one's hand grows so stiff. I never can express
myself well on paper. Gibbie says I've no gift for composition."
"There aren't any J pens left in the cupboard," volunteered Maudie.
"And Ma'm'selle says it's not worth while sending for more just at the
end of the term, and we must use Waverleys for the exam. There's a
whole boxful of those."
"Oh, what a shame! I can't write with a Waverley!" protested Raymonde
in much indignation. "It'll spoil my whole exam. I call that tyranny!
Look here! I'm not going to be done! I shall send for a fountain pen
with a broad nib. I saw one advertised in a magazine."
"The Bumble won't let you."
"I shan't ask her!"
"Then how'll you get it?"
"Oh, trust me! I'll manage it somehow. I'm not generally easily
circumvented when I set my mind upon anything. I've a plan already."
"Have you? What is it?"
"Ah, that would be telling!" laughed Raymonde. "Perhaps my pen will
come floating in through the window!"
"You mad creature! I don't believe you'll really get it!"
"Wait and see!"
The Fifth Form possessed a little upstairs room at the Grange which
they called their sanctum. It held a piano, and was mainly used for
practising, but the girls sometimes studied there out of preparation
hours. Its principal article of furniture was a large, old-fashioned
bureau, which Miss Beasley had bought among other things when she
took over the house. She had given every girl in the Form one of its
drawers, together with a key, so that each could have a place in which
to keep any special treasures locked up.
As Raymonde sat in the sanctum that afternoon alone, trying to apply
her mind to memorizing certain axioms of Euclid, Veronica came
bustling in.
"You here, Ray? Miss Beasley wants some change to pay the laundry.
You've got the money you collected at your coon concert last night;
can you let her have thirty shillings in silver, and she'll give you
notes instead?"
"Certainly," replied Raymonde, rising at once and unlocking her drawer
in the bureau. "Here you are--four half-crowns make ten shillings,
eight shillings is eighteen, and twenty-four sixpences make thirty
shillings altogether. I'd just as soon have notes."
"Right-o!" said Veronica. "I'll bring them up to you later on, or send
somebody with them. I hope our entertainment will do as well as yours.
By the by, a queer thing happened just this minute. I saw the ghost
girl again!"
"Where?" asked Raymonde excitedly.
"Peeping round the corner of the winding staircase; but she vanished
instantly. I went up a few steps, but couldn't see her. The wire door
was open, and I very nearly ran up to the attic to investigate, but I
knew Miss Beasley was waiting for the change. I must rush and give it
to her now, or there'll be squalls. Ta-ta!"
Raymonde did not either lock up her drawer or resume her Euclid. She
stood for a moment or two pondering. Then a mischievous light broke
over her face, and she clapped her hands.
"Splendiferous! I'll do it!" she said aloud; and, whisking out of the
room, she ran up the winding staircase, and through the open wire door
into the forbidden but fascinating territory of the attics.
The girls at the Grange were obliged to keep strictly to their
practising time-table, and Raymonde was due at the piano in the
sanctum from 5.30 until 6.15. At 5.40, which was fully ten minutes
late, the strains of her Beethoven Sonata began to resound down the
passage. Mademoiselle, passing from her bedroom, stood for a moment to
listen. She was impressed by the fact that Raymonde was playing much
better than usual, and performing in quite a stylish fashion the
passage which usually baffled her. She almost opened the door to
congratulate her pupil, but being in a hurry changed her mind, and ran
downstairs instead. A little later Veronica, also in much haste,
entered the room arm-in-arm with Hermie.
"Miss Beasley has sent the notes, Ray," she explained. "You needn't
stop. I'll just pop them inside your drawer, and you can put them away
properly when you've finished practising."
The figure at the piano did not turn her head, or attempt to reply,
but went on diligently with the scherzo movement of the Sonata,
bringing out her chords crisply, and executing some quite brilliant
runs.
"Raymonde's improving enormously in her music," commented Hermie, as
the two monitresses went back along the passage.
"Yes," agreed Veronica. "And how remarkably pretty she looked
to-night! Her hair was quite curly, and she had such a lovely colour.
Did you notice?"
"That room's so dark, I can't say I did, particularly. Ray's not bad
looking, though I don't call her exactly a beauty!"
"She looked a beauty this evening! Fauvette will have to mind her
laurels! She's always been the belle of the Form until now."
When Maudie Heywood, in accordance with the practising time-table,
came at 6.15 to claim the piano, she found the sanctum unoccupied.
Raymonde's drawer in the bureau was shut and locked. This fact Maudie
noticed almost automatically. At the moment it seemed a matter of no
consequence, though in the light of after events it was to assume a
greater importance than she could have imagined.
Raymonde turned up late for preparation, looking hot and conscious,
and with her brown serge dress only half fastened. She gave no excuse
for her lack of punctuality, and took her loss of order mark with
stoicism.
"What were you doing?" whispered Aveline, when the evening work was
over and the books were being put away.
Raymonde's head was inside her desk. She drew it out, and seemed on
the point of uttering a confidence. Then, suddenly changing her mind,
she stooped again to arrange her papers.
"Little girls shouldn't ask questions!" she grunted.
"Oh, very well!" flared Aveline, who was very easily offended. "I'm
sure you needn't tell me anything if you don't want to, thanks! I
shan't force your silly secrets from you!"
"You certainly won't!" snapped Raymonde, as Aveline flounced away.
There was no time for further bickering. The juniors were giving their
gymnastic and dancing display in the lecture hall, and Miss Beasley
had announced that she wished the entertainment to begin promptly.
"That's a shot at us!" sniggered Ardiune. "I know the Coons started
late, but we really couldn't help it. It took me ages to help Fauvette
into her costume, not to speak of getting into my own as well. The
Fourth are only performing in their gym. dresses, so it's easy enough
for them to be punctual. I'll stump up my shilling cheerfully for the
sake of the blind Tommies, but I don't expect much of a show for my
money's worth."
"No more do I," agreed Katherine. "I'm fed up with Swedish drill. I
confess my interest centres in the refreshments."
After all, the Fifth were agreeably surprised at the achievements of
the performers. The juniors had been practising in private under the
instruction of Miss Ward, the visiting athletics mistress, and had
quite a novel little programme to present to their schoolfellows. They
exhibited some remarkably neat skipping drill, and also some charming
Russian and Polish peasant dances, and a variety of military exercises
that would almost have justified their existence as a Ladies'
Volunteer Corps. It was a patriotic evening, with much waving of flags
and allusions to King and Country. Even the refreshments were in
keeping, for the table was decorated with red, white and blue
streamers, and there were on sale little packets of chocolates wrapped
up in representations of the Union Jack. The cocoa on this occasion
was immaculate, and everything was served with the utmost daintiness.
"Quite a decent business for the kids!" commented Ardiune, "but not
half the fun of our coon performance!"
"It was ripping in the barn!" agreed Morvyth.
There remained one more entertainment in aid of the Blinded Soldiers'
Fund, that of the Sixth Form, which was expected by everybody to be
the best. Miss Beasley had thrown it open to outsiders, and some of
the ladies who attended the geology lectures had promised to come and
bring friends. In view of this augmented audience the performers made
extra-special efforts. They held frequent rehearsals with closed
doors, and took elaborate pains to prevent impertinent juniors from
obtaining the least information as to their plans. The wildest notions
circulated round the school. It was rumoured that a musical comedy was
to be presented, the male parts being taken by professional actors
specially engaged from London for the occasion; then that, failing the
professionals, Miss Beasley and Miss Gibbs had consented to play the
two heroes, and might be expected to appear in tights, with flowered
waistcoats and cocked hats. In the imagination of the gossipmongers
Professor Marshall, as a Greek tragedian, and Mr. Browne, garbed as a
highwayman, were to be added to the list of artists. It was even
whispered that the Reverend T. W. Beasley, M.A., who was booked to
arrive on Monday, had consented to come earlier, for the purpose of
joining in the festivities, and would appear in the character of a
humorist, and give some wonderful exhibitions of lightning changes of
costume and ventriloquism. The uncertainty as to what might be
expected certainly enhanced the pleasure of anticipation. Not a girl
would have missed this performance for worlds.
The Sixth kept their secret well. Not a word leaked out as to the true
nature of the programme. Meta, indeed, went about with rather mincing
steps, while Veronica seemed to affect a truculent attitude; but
whether this was the result of learning parts, or was put on with
deliberate intention to deceive, the wide-awake members of the Fifth
could not determine.
The entertainment was to be held on Saturday, when, as there was no
preparation, the whole evening could be devoted to amusement. It was
announced to begin at 6 p.m., with box office open at 5.45. The school
turned up with prompt punctuality, and would have scrambled for the
door, if Barbara, seated at the receipt of custom, had not insisted
upon their forming an orderly and orthodox queue. She took their
shillings in a business-like manner.
"Programmes--hand painted--sixpence each. Please buy one for the good
of the cause!" she added.
The programmes, produced in Linda's and Hermie's best style, were
attractive. Each had a different picture upon its cover, and all were
tied up with white satin ribbon. The girls opened them eagerly, and
read:
MARLOWE GRANGE
Dramatic Performance in Aid of the Blinded Soldiers' Fund.
Scenes from _The Rivals_, by Sheridan.
Cast:
Sir Anthony Absolute Veronica Terry.
Captain Absolute Hermione Graveson.
Faulkland Daphne Johnstone.
Bob Acres Barbara Rowlands.
Mrs. Malaprop Linda Mottram.
Lydia Languish Meta Wright.
Lucy Lois Barlow.
"So the Bumble and Gibbie aren't in it, after all!" whispered Aveline.
"I never thought they would be, nor the Professor, nor Mr. Browne
either, and certainly not Mr. Beasley! It promises to be decent."
"Hope they'll begin promptly!" murmured Morvyth. "I say, Barbara,
isn't it time you began to dress?"
"I don't come on till the second scene," explained Barbara, "so I can
change while they're acting the first. That's why they put me as
doorkeeper. Go back to your seats. Visitors are arriving."
The two front rows had been reserved for outsiders, and presently
began to be filled by those who had bought tickets. Miss Beasley and
Miss Gibbs took their places, Mademoiselle played an introductory
fantasia upon the piano, and the curtains were drawn aside.
There was no doubt about the play being amusing; from first to last
the audience was convulsed. The actresses threw themselves admirably
into their parts, and rendered their characters with the utmost
spirit. Veronica, well padded with pillows, made a stout and
presentable Sir Anthony Absolute, and played the autocratic parent to
the life. Hermie, with blue cloak, sword, and military stride,
endeavoured to live up to her conception of an eighteenth-century
buck, and made love with a fervour that was all the more enhanced by
the sight of Miss Gibbs in the front row, sitting with pursed-up lips
and straightened back. Meta, as Lydia Languish, sighed, wept, made
eyes, and indulged in a perfect orgy of sentiment, while Lois acted
the cheeky maidservant with enthusiasm. The best of all, however, was
Mrs. Malaprop; Linda had seen the play on the real stage, and
reproduced a famous actress to the utmost of her ability. Her absurd
manners and amusing mistakes sent the room into a roar, and she
occasionally had to wait for quiet until she could continue her
speeches.
Everybody voted the evening a huge success. The visitors heartily
congratulated Miss Beasley upon the cleverness of her elder pupils,
and hoped they would sometimes give another open performance. The
girls clapped till their hands were sore. Even Miss Gibbs, though she
considered that the love-making had exceeded the limit allowable in
school theatricals, expressed guarded approval.
"We've cleared two pounds three and sixpence!" announced Barbara
gleefully to the Fifth.
"Good!" exclaimed Valentine. "And we made one pound ten, and the kids
one pound seven. What does it tot up to?"
"Five pounds and sixpence," calculated Barbara after a moment's
scribbling on the back of a programme.
"Well, I call it a very decent result for a school of only twenty-six
girls!"