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THE NICEST GIRL IN THE SCHOOL
A Story of School Life
by
ANGELA BRAZIL
Author of "The Third Class at Miss Kaye's"
"The Fortunes of Philippa"
Illustrated by Arthur A. Dixon
[Illustration: "SHE STARTED GUILTILY AT HER COUSIN'S ENTRANCE"]
Blackie and Son Limited
London Glasgow and Bombay
Contents
_CHAP._ Page
I. PACKING 9
II. THE PRIORY 20
III. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 36
IV. A MAIDEN ALL FORLORN 50
V. THE ARITHMETIC EXAMINATION 69
VI. ALBUMS 88
VII. PATTY'S PLEDGE 106
VIII. A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT 125
IX. AN AFTERNOON WITH JEAN 145
X. THE CAESAR TRANSLATION 159
XI. THE SUMMER TERM 176
XII. PLAYING WITH FIRE 198
XIII. THE SCHOOL PICNIC 212
XIV. ON THE ROCKS 225
XV. SPEECH DAY 243
Illustrations
Page
"SHE STARTED GUILTILY AT HER COUSIN'S ENTRANCE"
_Frontis._ 166
"EVERYBODY SEEMED TO BE FRIENDS AND TO BE OCCUPIED
WITH SOME GAME OR AMUSEMENT EXCEPT HERSELF" 56
"YOU'LL ALL THREE HAVE TO PROMISE NEVER TO LIGHT THE
GAS AGAIN AFTER MISS ROWE'S TURNED IT OUT" 122
"GIRLS," SHE CRIED, "SURELY YOU CAN'T SUSPECT ME OF
OWNING THAT WRETCHED 'CRIB'?" 173
"THEY WERE CUT OFF ON EVERY SIDE" 232
CHAPTER I
Packing
"Only one day more," cried Patty Hirst, surveying with deep interest the
large new box which stood by the side of the chest of drawers in her
bedroom; "just one day! How dreadfully quickly the time has come! I feel
quite queer when I think about it. I can scarcely believe that before
the end of the week both I and my luggage will be a whole hundred miles
away, and settled at Morton Priory. I do wonder how I shall like it?"
"Very much, I hope," replied her mother, pausing for a moment in her
task of packing the neat piles of linen and underclothing into as small
a compass as possible. "I'm sure it seems a delightful school, and you
are an extremely lucky girl to be going there."
"Yes," said Patty, with a rather doubtful tone in her voice, sitting
down on the edge of the bed, and beginning to turn over the pocket
handkerchiefs, the new blouses, the ties, hair ribbons, and other
articles which made up her schoolgirl outfit; "I suppose I am lucky.
Perhaps it may be nicer than I think. I wanted to go dreadfully when
Uncle Sidney first wrote about it, but somehow now that it's got almost
to starting off, do you know I feel as if I'd changed my mind, and I'm
not at all sure that I wouldn't rather stay at home. It seems too
horrible to have to go amongst so many new girls."
Mrs. Hirst laughed.
"Don't be a silly child," she said. "Of course you will feel strange
just at first, but you will soon get over your shyness. It will be quite
a fresh world for you, and a very interesting one. I expect to have the
most enthusiastic letters from you when you have been there for a few
weeks."
"It will be different from Miss Dawson's, at any rate," said Patty.
"I hope it will. Miss Dawson's is the best school we have in Kirkstone,
but it is only moderately good. I can't be too glad for you to have this
opportunity of going to a better one. Give me your stockings, dear, and
the workbasket; I've a corner I want to fill up here."
Patty sat watching her mother's deft fingers in silence for a moment or
two, only handing her from time to time the things which she required.
She gave a little sigh of satisfaction as she saw all her belongings
stowed away in the big box; she had never had so many new possessions in
her life before, and in the pleasure of owning them felt some slight
compensation for the wrench of parting from home. The two useful
navy-blue serge skirts, with their accompanying blouses, the pretty
brown velvet dress for Sundays, the flowered delaine for evenings, and
the white muslin for school parties, not to mention the hats, coats, and
the numberless small articles needed for a girl going away by herself,
all represented much thought and some self-denial on the part of her
mother, who had made a great effort to send her nicely equipped, and had
toiled hard to finish everything in time.
"I don't believe anybody could have a prettier nightdress case or
brush-and-comb bag than this," said Patty, proudly smoothing the lace
edging which she had helped to stitch on herself; "and the clothes bag
is a perfect beauty. Here's the little cash-box, Mother. It seems such a
funny thing to have to take to school. I haven't any 'valuables' to put
into it, except my pocket money, and you said Miss Lincoln would take
care of that. Why must it have two keys?"
"In case you lose one, I suppose. No doubt Miss Lincoln is well
accustomed to schoolgirls' careless ways. You can keep your brooches
inside it, and your locket and chain. Now give me your serviette ring
and your collars, and don't forget that I've put the boot laces in your
workbasket."
"I wonder if I shall unpack by myself, or if anyone will come to help
me," said Patty.
"You'll soon find out what is expected, and of course Muriel will be
able to tell you everything. It's so very nice for you to have your
cousin at the school. You'll have a friend there already."
Patty's face fell.
"I'm not sure, Mother," she said, rather hesitatingly. "The truth is,
I'm afraid Muriel doesn't want me to go. She was so queer and offhand
about it when I was staying at Thorncroft; she wouldn't talk of it at
all, though Aunt Lucy did. Somehow I think she won't like me to be at
the same school as herself."
"You must be mistaken, dear! Why, Uncle Sidney was so pleased with his
project, and said you were to take care of Muriel as if she were your
sister."
"I know he did; but all the same, I don't believe Muriel herself will
like it. She's never been very fond of me; Horace is always much jollier
when I go there. When Aunt Lucy said she hoped we should both be in the
same class, Muriel looked quite cross, and said of course I should be
lower down, as she had gone to school first, and girls who were in
different forms scarcely saw anything of each other; and then, when we
were out in the garden together, she said she didn't see why I must be
sent to The Priory, and surely there were other schools I could have
gone to."
"Never mind, dear! Perhaps she was a little out of temper that day, and
may prove nicer when you really arrive. You must try to keep friends
with her, even if she's not always quite pleasant. We mustn't forget
Uncle Sidney's kindness. I feel very grateful to him, for we couldn't
possibly have sent you to such an expensive school on our own account."
"I'll try," said Patty, "as far as she'll let me. If she were more like
Milly it would be much easier. Oh! how dreadfully I shall miss you and
Father, and Basil, and the little ones! I wish I could go to school and
take my family with me. I don't know how I'm to manage for thirteen
whole weeks without once seeing any of you. The time will never go by."
"Poor little woman!" said her mother. "It does seem hard, I know, but
you must look forward to meeting us all again, and the days will pass
much faster than you imagine."
"But, Mother darling, you'll have so much to do while I'm away. Who'll
help you with the children? Baby will almost have forgotten me by the
time I come back."
"No, he won't; he'll know you in a moment, and give you his biggest hug.
It's no use crying, Patty; young birds must leave the nest some time,
and learn to fly for themselves. We shall miss you as much as you miss
us, but we must brace our minds to bear it, because it's one of those
partings that have to come, and are for the best after all. Think what a
splendid thing it is for you to be going to such a school as Morton
Priory! I only wish I had had such advantages when I was a girl. You
must work hard, and make the very most of your time there."
"I'll do my best, but I'm not clever," said Patty, "and I'm afraid I
never shall be. Mother, dearest, you're actually crying too! What a
horrid, selfish, nasty wretch I am! I believe it's just as bad for you
as it is for me. There! I'm not going to say another word, and if I do,
please give me a smack. I'm ever so ashamed to have made my darling
little Mother cry!"
She got off the bed, and giving a hard scrub to her eyes, stuffed her
handkerchief back into her pocket with a determined air, as if the tears
went with it. All the same, her voice sounded choky, and there were such
bright drops glistening on Mrs. Hirst's eyelashes, that I think they
both felt it a welcome interruption when a loud tramping was suddenly
heard on the stairs, and four children burst tumultuously into the room:
a girl of eleven, two boys of nine and seven, and a younger girl of
about five years old.
"We ran all the way home from school," they cried. "We didn't wait a
single minute to talk to anybody. Oh! have you packed Patty's box
already? We did so want to watch you do it!"
"Go to the nursery, children," said Mrs. Hirst, "I cannot have your
meddlesome little fingers here. Robin, put down that hat immediately!
Wilfred, you're not to open that bag! No, Kitty, my pet, you mustn't
peep inside parcels. Milly, take them away, and make them wash their
hands. I didn't expect you all home so soon."
"I'll go with them, Mother," said Patty, taking the noisy four under her
elder sisterly wing, and escorting them to their own domain, where Mary,
the nurse, was endeavouring to attend to the baby, while at the same
time she restrained three-year-old Rowley from making acquaintance with
the interior of the coal box. "Did you give Miss Dawson my message,
Milly? You forgot? Oh, what a careless girl you are! I shall have to
write her a letter. No, it's no use your running back now. There
wouldn't be time before tea, it's almost ready."
Patty helped the children to put on pinafores and tidy their hair,
washed Rowley's hands, and seated him in his high chair at the table,
then made herself so useful in passing bread and butter, spreading jam,
and handing round mugs of milk, that Mary gave a heartfelt sigh of
regret.
"I simply don't know what we'll do without you when you've gone, Miss
Patty," she said dolefully.
"Oh! I wish I were going too!" cried Milly. "What lovely fun it would
be! Imagine having a gymnasium, and climbing poles, and walking on
planks. Muriel told me all about it when she was over here. She said she
learnt to swarm up a rope like sailors do. And there's a swimming bath,
and hockey, and cricket, and tennis. You can't think how I envy you,
Patty. You're the luckiest girl in the world. It will seem so slow to
stay on at Miss Dawson's. I shan't like it one scrap now."
"Will they toss you in a blanket, Patty," enquired Robin eagerly, "like
they did Cousin Horace when first he went to school, or twist your arm
round and punch it?"
"Of course not," replied Patty, laughing; "those things are only done in
boys' schools. Girls don't play such silly tricks; they don't 'punch'
people at all."
"They do sometimes," declared Robin; "Milly gave me a horrid----"
"Be quiet!" said Milly quickly, administering what appeared to be a kick
under the table. "You deserved anything you got, and if you say a word
more I'll tell about--you know what!"
"If you dare!"
"Be quiet, then."
"I will now, but wait till I catch you afterwards!" and Robin, throwing
her an indignant glance, applied himself so diligently to his bread and
butter, that he had no opportunity for further remarks; while Patty,
wisely ignoring the quarrel, turned the conversation back to the safer
channel of her future experiences, which at present seemed the most
absorbing topic they could have to discuss.
"There'll be a great many more girls there than at Miss Dawson's," she
began.
"How many?" asked Milly.
"I believe there are about seventy, and at least half of them will be
older than I am. Muriel says some of the top class have turned eighteen,
and wear their hair up. I shall only be one of the younger ones."
"How funny!" giggled the children. "Will they give you easy lessons,
then?"
"Compound addition and the first declension?" suggested Robin.
"Or spelling and tables?" said Wilfred.
"Will Patty do pot-hooks and learning to read, like me?" said Kitty.
"You will find it easier, though, if you're one of the youngest, won't
you?" said Milly.
"No, indeed. I expect all the work will be much harder than anything
I've ever done yet. It won't be all hockey and gymnasium, I can tell
you. I'm afraid I shall find I'm behind most of the other girls."
"Oh, Patty, and you were always top at Miss Dawson's!"
"That's quite different. It's easy enough to be top when there are only
four girls in a class, and two of them as stupid as the Simpsons. I may
very likely turn out bottom at The Priory."
"You won't! You won't!" cried Milly. "I heard Miss Dawson tell Mother
you were one of her best workers, and she knew you'd do well wherever
you went. There, you needn't blush! It wasn't anything very particular,
after all. If she'd been talking about me, I'd far rather she'd said I
was a good runner, and could catch a ball without missing it every time
it was thrown to me."
"She did say something about you, though: I heard her," volunteered
Robin.
"Then you shouldn't have listened, and you've no need to tell. I hate
tell-tales!" said Milly, forestalling his offered confidence. "If you've
finished tea, you'd better go and feed the guinea-pigs. Patty, do come
and help me to trace my map, it's the last evening but one that you'll
be here; and I want you to show me how to do G.C.M., because I was
looking out of the window this morning when Miss Dawson told us, and I
can't work any of my sums until I know. Come into the summer-house,
where we can get a little peace and quiet;" and hastily swallowing her
last fragment of bread and butter, she caught up her school satchel, and
beckoning persuasively to her sister, led the way downstairs, and out
into the garden.