Part 27 (1/2)
”I wish we'd been with you,” said Giles. ”You've had all the luck.”
As the car was now repaired, the party once more packed up their baggage, and set forth for the short remainder of their tour. Lenox's leave was nearly over; Giles would be due in London next week; and Mr.
Hewlitt's business in Paris was not yet concluded. After another day's enjoyment they parted at Cheltenham, and sent the girls back to school by train.
”We shan't forget you, dear,” said Mrs. Hewlitt to Loveday, as she saw them off. ”You must come and see us again some time--perhaps in America. Take care of my little Diana for me--won't you?”
”I will--I will, indeed! Oh, I don't know how to thank you! It's been just the absolute time of my life!” said Loveday, leaning out of the carriage window as she waved good-bye.
CHAPTER XVII
The Green-eyed Monster
With the summer term came a period of great outdoor activity at Pendlemere. Miss Chadwick, Miss Carr, and Miss Ormrod were tremendously busy on the land, and gave the school a thorough initiation into the principles of gardening. The girls studied birds, noted what insects they ate, and how useful they were in a garden; they learned the life-histories of certain insects, and the causes of some plant diseases; they organized an amateur weather bureau, and kept charts of the progress of their crops. Everybody agreed that the new regime was much more interesting than that of the old days when the gardening had all been done for them, and they had only lounged about the lawn and played tennis. Each flower seemed twice as beautiful when they had helped to grow it, and the vegetables of their own cultivation were voted prize-winners.
Diana, in consideration of her great love for horses, was allowed to give some a.s.sistance in Baron's toilet, and even sometimes to drive him, a privilege (dependent on good behaviour) which made her supremely happy.
On the whole, though Miss Todd was undoubtedly rather strict, the girls decided that the school was jollier than in Mrs. Gifford's days. They did not forget their former Princ.i.p.al, who wrote to them sometimes from her new home and told them about her life in Burma, but they had accepted the changed conditions, and had grown to like them. The outdoor department seemed to bring a much wider current of life into Pendlemere.
Miss Chadwick and her two a.s.sistants were thoroughly modern, and would discuss all sorts of up-to-date problems, so that the school kept in touch with the outside world instead of living in the narrow rut of its own little round of lessons and amus.e.m.e.nts. This term four elder students had come, princ.i.p.ally to study gardening under Miss Chadwick.
They were girls of eighteen and nineteen, who, instead of being placed among the school, took somewhat the position of the old-fas.h.i.+oned ”parlour boarder” of sixty years ago, and were on terms of intimacy with the mistresses. Naturally they were the envy and admiration of those less fortunate beings who were still only ordinary pupils. They were good-natured to the schoolgirls, but held themselves a little aloof.
Sometimes, in a rather superior manner, they would condescend to be friendly. Each had her own train of wors.h.i.+ppers. The prettiest and most attractive of the four was Adeline Hoyle, a tall, fine-looking girl with dark eyes, a very fair skin, and thick coils of brown hair twisted into a cla.s.sic knot. There was a calm dignity about her and a charm of manner that was exceedingly taking. It bowled over Diana's heart entirely. She took a sudden and most violent affection for Adeline. She would hang about to try to get a word with her, flush crimson at the slightest notice from her idol, and was ready to perform anything in the way of odd jobs. She even took up sewing--a much neglected part of her education--in order to embroider a handkerchief-case as a birthday offering. It is an exhilarating, but rather wearing process to be violently in love, especially when you are decidedly doubtful as to whether the loved object in the least appreciates your attentions.
Adeline would accept Diana's sweets or flowers with a kind ”Thank you”, and then pat her on the shoulder and tell her to run away. She would sometimes allow her to link arms in the garden, but it was suffered with an air of amused tolerance. It was obvious that she very much preferred the society of Hilary, who was nearer her own age, and that she regarded intermediates as mere children. Diana, who was eccentric in her likes and dislikes, but very keen when she took a fancy to anybody, went through all the stages of longing, hope, elation, despair, and jealousy.
When she saw Hilary received into supreme favour, the green-eyed monster swooped down and took possession of her. Loveday, who had watched the progress of the affair with some distress, offered what consolation she could in the sanctuary of the ivy room.
”Adeline's really very good to you,” she comforted.
”Yes, but she doesn't care twopence,” raged Diana. ”I know she's nice and kind and all that, but she loves me with the love she'd give to a distressed negro or a starved cat. I want her to _want_ me--and she doesn't one little bit! She just tolerates me sometimes, and that's all.
What she can see in Hilary I can't imagine. I think Hilary's the most detestable girl in the school. I always have disliked her. I _hate_ her now!”
”Some people say that hating anybody sends out 'thought-forms' like hideous daggers into the invisible world, and they do dreadful harm, and in the end they come back to their owners like curses. Can't you manage to send out some prettier thoughts?”
”No, Loveday Seton; I can't, and won't, and shan't!” said Diana emphatically, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up mouth and eyes into one of her ugliest faces.
”I'm not going to pretend I like Hilary when I don't--that would be a fiblet and worse than red daggers. Yes, you can call me naughty if you like. I've got to the stage when I don't care.”
Knowing by experience that Diana generally received suggestions in this way, but sometimes ruminated over her remarks afterwards, Loveday shelved the question of thought-forms and their possible ill effects, and petted her spoilt room-mate instead till she cajoled her into a better temper. The green-eyed monster still reigned, however, and Diana sat at tea-time flas.h.i.+ng, if not red daggers, very obvious untoward glances, as she caught a smile of comprehension pa.s.s between Adeline and Hilary. n.o.body had time to take much notice of her heroics.
Everyone was too busy discussing school affairs. The very latest news was that the boat-house was at last to be unlocked, the boat thoroughly overhauled and painted, and that mistresses and students would go rowing on the lake. A rumour even began to circulate that certain favoured members of the school might be taken as pa.s.sengers.
”We used when Mrs. Gifford was here,” said Wendy. ”She often got Mr.
Thwaites from the village to come and row us. It was top-hole. And once he let Tattie and me try to row, but I 'caught a crab' and dropped the oar. I'd soon learn though, if I'd another chance.”
”We ought to have two or three boats,” decided Sadie.
”One for each form,” amended Vi.
”You bet it's only seniors who'll have any luck,” groused Diana, who was still in the depths of despondency.
”There's no knowing,” said Jess hopefully.