9 Daphne is Annoyed
Miss Parker was surprised and annoyed when she heard that Daphne was not to go with the class on their long walk. She looked crossly at Mam’zelle.
“But why this sudden desire for French on Daphne’s part?” she said. “She’s just the type of girl that needs a jolly good long walk—yes, and a muddy one too. Shake some of her airs and graces off her! Give her the extra lesson another time, Mam’zelle.”
But Mam’zelle was obstinate¹. She did not like Miss Parker, with her big nose. She pursed up her small mouth and shook her head. “I cannot take Daphne any other time. It is good of the girl to give up a nice walk to improve her French.”
Miss Parker made a disbelieving noise that irritated Mam’zelle at once. “She wants to get out of the walk, you know that perfectly² well, Mam’zelle. It’s foolish to give her her way like that; Daphne gets her way too easily, and I don’t like some of her methods. Too underhand for me!”
Mam’zelle stood up for her favourite, and began to exaggerate. “Miss Parker! If you knew how much that girl wanted to go for her walk! Ah, to splash through the autumn lanes! Ah, to sniff³ the sea air after being cooped up so long! Daphne has sacrificed her pleasure, and she should be praised for that, not blamed. She will be hard at work with me whilst you are all enjoying yourselves out in the lovely air.”
“Well, she wouldn’t take Mam’zelle Rougier in quite so easily as she takes you,” said Miss Parker, beginning to lose her temper. “She sees through her all right!”
Mam’zelle began to bristle⁴. “I will have a word with Mam’zelle Rougier,” she began. “I will have two, three, four words. She shall not say things about Daphne, who is getting so much better at French!”
“Let’s drop the subject,” said Miss Parker, feeling heartily⁵ tired of Daphne. “Go and have it out with Mam’zelle Rougier if you like. I don’t care! Except that I feel Daphne has got the better of us, I’m glad not to have her with us on the walk, moaning and

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