A World of Girls: The Story of a School Read online

conclusion. "I shall askMiss Good, our very accomplished English teacher, to place you in thethird-class. You will have to work very hard, however, at your French,to maintain your place there. But Mdlle. Perier is kind andpainstaking, and it rests with yourself to quickly acquire aconversational acquaintance with the language. You are aware that,except during recreation, you are never allowed to speak in any othertongue. Now, go back to the school-room, my dear."

  As Mrs Willis spoke she laid her finger on a little silver gong whichstood by her side.

  "One moment, please," said Hester, colouring crimson, "I want to ask youa question, please."

  "Is it about your lessons?"

  "No--oh, no; it is--"

  "Then pardon me, my dear," uttered the governess, "I sit in my roomevery evening from eight to half-past, and I am then at liberty to see apupil on any subject which is not trifling. Nothing but lessons arespoken of in lesson hours, Hester. Ah, here comes Miss Good. MissGood, I should wish you to place Hester Thornton in the third-class.Her English is up to the average. I will see Mdlle. Perier about herat twelve o'clock."

  Hester followed the English teacher into the great school-room, took herplace in the third-class, at the desk which was pointed out to her, wasgiven a pile of new books, and was asked to attend to the history lessonwhich was then going on.

  Notwithstanding her confusion, a certain sense of soreness, and someindignation at what she considered Mrs Willis's altered manner, sheacquitted herself with considerable spirit, and was pleased to see thather class companions regarded her with some respect.

  An English literature lecture followed the history, and here againHester acquitted herself with _eclat_. The subject to-day was "JuliusCaesar," and Hester had read Shakespeare's play over many times with hermother.

  But when the hour came for foreign languages, her brief triumph ceased.Lower and lower did she fall in her school-fellows' estimation, as shestumbled through her truly English-French. Mdlle. Perier, who was avery fiery little woman, almost screamed at her--the girls coloured andnearly tittered. Hester hoped to recover her lost laurels in German,but by this time her head ached, and she did very little better in theGerman which she loved than in the French which she detested. At twelveo'clock she was relieved to find that school was over for the present,and she heard the English teacher's voice desiring the girls to goquickly to their rooms, and to assemble in five minutes' time in thegreat stone hall, equipped for their walk.

  The walk lasted for a little over an hour, and was a very dreary penanceto poor Hester, as she was neither allowed to run, race, nor talk a wordof English. She sighed heavily once or twice, and several of the girlswho looked at her curiously agreed with Annie Forest that she wasdecidedly sulky. The walk was followed by dinner; then came half anhour of recreation in the delightful play-room, and eager chattering inthe English tongue.

  At three o'clock the school assembled once more; but now the studieswere of a less severe character, and Hester spent one of her first happyhalf-hours over a drawing lesson. She had a great love for drawing, andfelt some pride in the really beautiful copy which she was making of thestump of an old gnarled oak-tree. Her dismay, however, wasproportionately great when the drawing-master drew his pencil rightacross her copy.

  "I particularly requested you not to sketch in any of the shadows, MissThornton. Did you not hear me say that my lesson to-day was in outline?I gave you a shaded piece to copy in outline--did you not understand?"

  "This is my first day at school," whispered back poor Hester, speakingin English in her distress. Whereupon the master smiled, and evenforgot to report her for her transgression of the French tongue.

  Hester spent the rest of that afternoon over her music lesson. Themusic-master was an irascible little German, but Hester played with sometaste, and was therefore not too severely rapped over the knuckles.

  Then came tea and another half-hour of recreation, which was followed bytwo silent hours in the school-room, each girl bent busily over herbooks in preparation for the next day's work. Hester studied hard, forshe had made up her mind to be the intellectual prodigy of the school.Even on this first day, miserable as it was, she had won a few plauditsfor her quickness and powers of observation. How much better could shework when she had really fallen into the tone of the school, andunderstood the lessons which she was now so carefully preparing! Duringher busy day she had failed to notice one thing: namely, the absence ofAnnie Forest. Annie had not been in the school-room, had not been inthe play-room; but now, as the clock struck eight, she entered theschool-room with a listless expression, and took her place in the sameclass with Hester. Her eyes were heavy, as if she had been crying, andwhen a companion touched her, and gave her a sympathising glance, sheshook her head with a sorrowful gesture, but did not speak. Glasses ofmilk and slices of bread and butler were now handed round to the girls,and Miss Danesbury asked if any one would like to see Mrs Willis beforeprayers. Hester half sprang to her feet, but then sat down again. MrsWillis had annoyed her by refusing to break her rules and answer herquestion during lesson hours. No, the silly child resolved that shewould not trouble Mrs Willis now.

  "No one to-night, then?" said Miss Danesbury, who had noticed Hester'smovement.

  Suddenly Annie Forest sprang to her feet.

  "I'm going, Miss Danesbury," she said. "You need not show me the way; Ican find it alone."

  With her short, curly hair falling about her face, she ran out of theroom.

  CHAPTER EIGHT.

  "YOU HAVE WOKEN ME TOO SOON."

  When Hester reached her bedroom after prayers on that second evening,she was dismayed to find that she no longer could consider the prettylittle bedroom her own. It had not only an occupant, but an occupantwho had left untidy traces of her presence on the floor, for a stockinglay in one direction and a muddy boot sprawled in another. The newcomerhad herself got into bed, where she lay with a quantity of red hairtossed about on the pillow, and a heavy freckled face turned upward,with the eyes shut and the mouth slightly open.

  As Hester entered the room, from these parted lips came unmistakable andloud snores. She stood still dismayed.

  "How terrible!" she said to herself--"oh, what a girl! and I cannotsleep in the room with any one who snores--I really cannot!"

  She stood perfectly still, with her hands clasped before her, and hereyes fixed with almost ludicrous dismay on this unexpected trial. Asshe gazed, a fresh discovery caused her to utter an exclamation ofhorror aloud.

  The newcomer had curled herself up comfortably in _her_ bed. Suddenly,to her surprise, a voice said very quietly, without a flicker ofexpression coming over the calm face, or the eyes even making an effortto open--

  "Are you my new school-mate?"

  "Yes," said Hester, "I am sorry to say I am."

  "Oh, don't be sorry, there's a good creature; there's nothing to besorry about. I'll stop snoring when I turn on my side--it's all right.I always snore for half an hour to rest my back, and the time is nearlyup. Don't trouble me to open my eyes, I am not the least curious to seeyou. You have a cross voice, but you'll get used to me after a bit."

  "But you're in my bed," said Hester. "Will you please to get into yourown?"

  "Oh, no, don't ask me; I like your bed best. I slept in it the whole oflast term. I changed the sheets myself, so it does not matter. Do youmind putting my muddy boots outside the door, and folding up mystockings? I forgot them, and I shall have a bad mark if Danesburycomes in. Good-night--I'm turning on my side--I won't snore any more."

  The heavy face was now only seen in profile, and Hester, knowing thatMiss Danesbury would soon appear to put out the candle, had to hurryinto the other bed as fast as she could; something impelled her,however, to take up the muddy boots with two very gingerly fingers, andplace them outside the door.

  She slept better this second night, and was not quite so startled thenext morning when the remorseless gong aroused her from slumber. Themaid-servant came in as usual to ligh
t the candles, and to place twocans of hot water by the two wash-handstands.

  "You are awake, miss?" she said to Hester.

  "Oh, yes," replied Hester almost cheerfully.

  "Well, that's all right," said the servant. "Now I must try and rouseMiss Drummond, and she always takes a deal of waking; and if you don'tmind, miss, it will be an act of kindness to call out to her in themiddle of your own dressing--that is, if I don't wake her effectual."

  With these words, the housemaid approached the bed where the red-hairedgirl lay again on her back, and again snoring loudly.

  "Miss Drummond, wake, miss; it's half-past six. Wake up, miss--I havebrought your hot water."

  "Eh?--what?" said the voice in the bed