Part 2 (1/2)
”Somebody had better go to Miss Todd!”
”It's no use; I've just been,” said Loveday Seton, joining the group of malcontents. ”We had it all out in the study, and she listened quite kindly and politely, but she was firm as nails. She says it's an experiment for the sake of good tone, and she hopes it will work well.
We seniors are sandwiched up with intermediates and juniors so that our influence may permeate through the school.”
The five listeners groaned.
”Couldn't we permeate enough during the daytime?” sniffed Ida. ”I don't see what influence I can have while I'm asleep. I call it a jolly nuisance to be saddled with three kids in one's room.”
”Of course you have your curtains.”
”What's the use of curtains? A cubicle's only semi-private after all.
What it means is that we seniors are always on duty policing those juniors. What a life!”
”Where are you put, Loveday?” asked Geraldine.
”In the little ivy room upstairs. There are two beds, and I'm to act mentor to this new American girl who's just arrived.”
”Poor you! What's she like?”
”I don't know. I haven't seen her yet, but I wish she were at Jericho.”
In a decidedly ruffled frame of mind, Loveday pa.s.sed along the landing, and climbed the stairs that led to the ivy room. She found her room-mate already in possession, and with her belongings half-unpacked. Photos adorned her dressing-table, a large American flag draped the mirror, and her bed was spread with odds and ends. She smiled broadly as Loveday entered.
”So here you are!” she greeted her. ”Goody! What a relief! I've been worrying about what you'd be like, and just praying you wouldn't have spectacles and talk with a lisp. Miss Todd gave me to understand you were a peach, and I might think myself in luck to room with you, but you never can trust head mistresses till you see for yourself. She's told me the truth, though, after all. Yes, I like you right straight away, and I always make up my mind about people, slap bang off at once.”
Loveday stared in surprise at the impetuous little figure kneeling beside the big trunk. Diana's dark-grey eyes shone like stars, her oval face, if not exactly pretty, was piquant and interesting, her light-brown hair curled at the tips. It was, of course, an unheard-of liberty for a new girl, and an intermediate to boot, thus to address a senior, but the greeting was spontaneous and decidedly flattering. The grey eyes, in fact, expressed open admiration. On the whole, Loveday decided to waive ceremony and tradition for the nonce.
”We've been put together for the term, so we must make the best of each other,” she conceded, more graciously than she had intended to address the interloper. ”I'm glad to see you've kept to your own side of the room, and haven't overflowed into mine.”
”No fear!” chuckled Diana. ”I've been at school before, and learnt not to spread myself out. We're on rather a short allowance of s.p.a.ce, aren't we? Are these drawers all I've got? I shall have just to wedge my things in. There's my cabin trunk to come yet.”
”You may have three pegs in the landing cupboard, and a locker in the cloak-room, but anything else will have to be stored in the box-room. I should think you had enough clothes there to last you a year, instead of wanting another trunk full.”
Diana shook her head.
”They're all mixed up. We packed in half an hour. I just flung in the first things that came to hand. Cousin Cora promised to send on the rest of my luggage after me. If she doesn't, I'd best 'phone.”
”You'd have a little difficulty to do that,” said Loveday dryly.
”D'you mean to say there's no 'phone here, or”--looking round the room--”no electric light either?”
”Certainly not. We go to bed with candles.”
”Well! I wanted mediaeval ways, and it looks as if I was going to get them. It'll be rather a stunt to go to bed by candle-light. Are there any ghosts about this place? Or skeletons built into the wall? Or dungeons with rusting chains? Or mysterious footsteps? Oh! I thought there'd have been at least something spooky in a house that claims to be six hundred years old.”
Diana's cabin trunk arrived in the course of a few days. She sorted out a selection of her numerous belongings, arranged them in her limited number of drawers, and consigned the surplus back to her boxes to be stored in the attic. This done, and a telegram received to announce the safe arrival of her father and mother in Paris, she seemed prepared to settle down. Her fellow intermediates, biased largely by her generosity in the matter of chocolates, gave her, on the whole, a favourable reception. Wendy even went further, and proffered friends.h.i.+p.
”You're just the jolly kind of girl I like,” she explained. ”I think we might have some topping times together, and wake up the school. Things are apt to get a little dull sometimes.”
Diana nodded intelligently.