20 The Trick!
One or two days slipped by. Mavis was still very ill and could not be seen, but it was known now that she was mending. Everyone was relieved. The girls sent in flowers and books, and Zerelda sent her a complicated American jigsaw¹.
Bill had quite recovered from her midnight adventure and so had Darrell. Miss Peters was delighted with the change in Bill’s work. It was still uneven², but she knew that Bill was paying great attention and really trying hard. Zerelda, too, was working even better, and had actually asked Mam’zelle for extra coaching!
Zerelda had sorted things out in her mind. She had definitely given up the idea of becoming a film-actress. She didn’t even want to look like one! She wanted to look as like the others as possible, and to make them forget how ridiculous she had been. She began to copy them in every way she could.
“Isn’t Zerelda queer?” said Belinda to Irene. “When she first came here she gave herself such airs and graces, and looked down on the whole lot of us—now she tries to copy us in everything—the way we speak, the way we do this and that—and seems to think we’re just ‘wunnerful!’?”
“She’s much nicer,” said Irene, trying out the rhythm of a tune³ on the table in front of her. “Tum-tum-ti-tum. Yes, that’s how it goes. I like Zerelda now, really I do.”
“Look—Gwendoline’s scowling⁵ again!” said Belinda, in a whisper. “I can get that scowl⁴ this time. Isn’t it a beauty?”
Gwen suddenly became aware of Belinda’s intent glances. She straightened her face at once. “If you’ve drawn⁶ me, I’ll tear up the paper!” she said.
“Oh, Gwen—scowl half a minute more and I’ll get it!” begged Belinda. But Gwen walked out of the room, putting the scowl on outside the door because she felt so annoyed with Belinda and her impish pencil.
“About that trick,” said Alicia, suddenly to Darrell. “Shall we play it on Friday? Mam’zelle was murmuring this morning something about a test then.”

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