1 First Day
“My last term!” thought Darrell, as she got ready to go downstairs. “My very last term! I shall be eighteen on my next birthday—I’m almost grown-up!”
A yell came from below. “Darrell! Aren’t you ever coming? Daddy says do you mean to leave today or tomorrow?”
“Coming!” shouted back Darrell. She snatched up her tennis racket and her small suit-case and fled down the stairs, two at a time as usual.
Her young sister Felicity was there, waiting for her. Both were dressed in the orange and brown uniform of Malory Towers—dark brown coat and skirt, white blouse, orange tie, straw hat with orange band.
“It’s the very last time I shall go off with you in the same uniform,” said Darrell, rather solemnly. “Next term you’ll be going alone, Felicity. How will you like it?”
“Not a bit,” said Felicity, quite cheerfully. “Still, you’ll be having a wonderful time yourself, going off to the University. Don’t look so solemn.”
“Last times are always a bit horrid¹,” said Darrell. She went out to the car with Felicity. Their father was just about to begin a fanfare² on the horn. Why, oh why was he always kept waiting like this? Didn’t they know it was time to start?
“Thank goodness you’ve appeared at last,” he said. “Get in. Now where’s your mother? Honestly, this family wants a daily shepherd to round up all its sheep! Ah, here she comes!”
As Mrs. Rivers got into the car, Felicity slipped out again. Her father didn’t notice her, and started up the car. Darrell gave a shriek³.
“Daddy, Daddy! Wait! Felicity’s not in!”
He looked round in astonishment⁴. “But I saw her get in,” he said. “Bless us all, where’s she gone now?”
“She forgot to say good-bye to the kitten, I expect,” said Darrell, grinning. “She has to say good-bye to everything, even the goldfish in the pond. I used to do that too—but I never wept over them all like Felicity!”
Felicity appeared again at top speed. She flung herself into the car, panting. “Forgot to say good-bye to the gardener,” she said. “He promised to look after my

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