4 Night and Morning
Darrell found time that first evening to make sure that her young sister was not being whisked off by June, Alicia’s thirteen-year-old cousin in the first form. To her relief she saw that Felicity was arm-in-arm with Susan, her friend of the term before.
June was standing¹ alone, on the edge of the little crowd of first-formers. She had a most determined² look on her face, and Darrell wondered what she was thinking of. “She is certainly planning something,” thought Darrell. “Well, so long as she leaves Felicity out of her plans, she can do what she likes! How I do dislike that child!”
The fifth-formers went to bed a quarter of an hour after the fourth-formers. It was grand having just fifteen minutes more. They chattered³ as they undressed, and speculated on all sorts of things in the coming term.
“I shall miss having Miss Williams to teach us,” said Sally, who had liked the fourth-form mistress very much. “I wonder if . . .”
The dormitory door opened and a face looked in. It was Connie, Ruth’s twin.
“Ruth! Are you all right?” she said. “It’s queer not being with you. Are you managing all right? Did you find your . . .”
“Connie!” exploded Alicia. “What do you mean by coming into the fifth dormy when you’re jolly well supposed to be in bed? Clear out.”
Connie stood in the doorway⁴ obstinately⁵. She was a great one for arguing. “I only just came to see if Ruth was all right,” she said. “We’ve never been parted before, and . . .”
“Clear out!” yelled everyone, and Irene brandished⁷ her hair-brush fiercely, almost knocking Belinda’s eye out.
But still Connie held her ground. Her eyes searched Ruth’s face, which was also wearing an obstinate⁶ look. “Ruth,” began Connie, urgently. “Do say something. Don’t stand there like that. I only just came to . . .”

分享到：