8 DARRELL—AND GWENDOLINE
THE girls left in the pool discussed the sudden happenings with interest and much surprise.
'Who would have thought quiet old Darrell would have lashed¹ out like that!'
'She can't be allowed to cheek Katherine. That was jolly rude of her.'
'Katherine, are you going to do anything about it?'
Katherine was now out of the pool, her usually calm face red and disturbed. She had liked Darrell somuch—and now in one minute she had quite a different idea of her! Alicia was puzzled too. Sheshook her head from side to side, trying to get the water out of her ears. Who would have thoughtDarrell had such a temper?
'Come into the common room, North Tower girls, as soon as you are dressed,' said Katherine at last,in her usual cool voice. The girls looked at one another. A first-form meeting! About Gwendoline andDarrell, they supposed. They tore off up the cliff, and poured into the changing-room, chatteringloudly. Neither Gwendoline nor Darrell was there.
Gwendoline had gone up to her dormy, to get some cold cream for her red-streaked legs. They didn'tneed cold cream, of course—but she meant to make as much fuss as she could! She had alw ays beenjealous of Darrell, and she was jolly glad she had got something against her. Coming up andapologizing like that—she didn't mean a word of it, Gwendoline was sure!
The rest of the first-form North Tower girls, eight of them, met in the common room. Katherine satherself on a desk
and looked round.
'I am sure you are all agreed that, much as we like Darrell, we can't pass behaviour of that sort,' shebegan.
'Oh, Katherine—don't row her!' begged Mary-Lou's small voice. 'She saved me from drowning, shereally did.'
'She didn't,' said Katherine. 'Gwendoline isn't such an idiot as to drown anyone. I suppose she justsuddenly felt spiteful being teased by the others for not trying to swim properly.'
Mary-Lou was firmly convinced that Darrell was a heroine. She had suffered such agonies under thewater, and had really and truly thought she was drowning—and then along had come strong, angryDarrell. How could Katherine judge her anyhow but kindly²? Mary-Lou didn't dare to say any more,but she sat with a worried, anxious look on her face, wishing she could speak up for Darrell bravelyand fearlessly. But she couldn't.
'I think,' said Irene, 'that Darrell should certainly apologize to Katherine for being cheeky to her. Andif she won't, we'll send her to Coventry. We won't speak to her for a week. I must say I'm surprised atDarrell.'
'Well, /think she must apologize to Gwendoline too,' said Katherine. 'I heard those slaps right at theother end of the pool! That's much more important than apologizing to me.'

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