Last Term at Malory Towers Read online

  She paused, and every girl looked at her intently, listening hard.

  '! do not count as our successes those who have won

  scholarships and passed exams, though these are good tilings to do. I count as our successes those who learn to l»e good-hearted and kind, sensible and unstable, good, sound women the world can lean on. Our failures are ihose who do not learn these things in the years they are here.'

  Darrell wished she could see into the laces of the five listening girls. What were they thinking, these new¬comers? Were they making up their minds, as she had once done, that they would each be one of Malory Towers' successes? The five girls hardly breathed as they gazed at Miss Grayling and listened.

  'Some of you will find it easy to learn these things, others will find it hard,' went on Miss Grayling. 'But, easy or hard, they must be learned if you are to be happy after you leave here, and if you are to bring happiness to others.'

  Miss Grayling stopped. She looked across at Darrell, who was listening with as much attention as the youngsters.

  'Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'Do you remember my saying these words to you, when you first came here?'

  'Yes, Miss Grayling,' said Darrell. 'And you said something else too. You said, "You will all get a tremendous lot out of your time at Malory Towers. See that you give a lot back."'

  'I did say that,' said Miss Grayling. 'And now I must add to il. Girls, six years ago I said those words to Darrell. She is one who has got a great deal out of her time here - and there is no one who has given more back than Darrell has.'

  The five girls looked in awe at Darrell, their head-girl. They couldn't imagine her standing as a twelve-year-old in front of Miss Grayling, hearing those same words. But Miss Grayling remembered very well.

  'You ma go,' said the Head, pleased with the look of

  the live new girls. They were good stuff, she thought - likely to he the heads of forms and captains ol games - and possibly head-girls of the future.

  Darrell turned to go too. 'Wait a moment, Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'Shut the door.'

  Darrell shut the door and came back to the desk. She felt herself blushing, she had been so pleased at Miss Grayling's words about her. She looked shyly at the Head.

  'You are one of our successes, Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'One of our biggest successes. Sally is another, and so is Mary-Lou. I think there is only one sad failure, real failure, in your form. And she has only this one term to change herself. You know who it is J mean.'

  'Yes,' said Darrell. 'Gwendoline.'

  Miss Grayling sighed. 'You know her perhaps better than I do,' she said. 'Can you do anything with her at all? ! have had a most unpleasant interview these holidays with Gwendoline's parents about her future. Her mother wanted one thing, her father another. Her father, of course, is right. But I hear that he has had to give way in the matter. Darrell, if you possibly can, I want you to try and influence Gwendoline so that she will come round to her father's point of view. Otherwise the family will be split in half, and there will be great unhappiness.'

  'I'll try,' said Darrell, but so doubtfully that Miss Grayling knew there was little hope of success. 'I know all about it, of course, Miss Grayling - Gwen has seen to that! But it's impossible to move Gwen when she's determined to get her own way.'

  'Weil, never mind,' said the Head, smiling suddenly. 'I can put up with twenty Gwcns so long as I have a few Sallys and Darrells!'

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  Darrell went out of the room, feeling so proud and pleased that she could have sung out loud. She was one of the successes! She had always longed to be - but she had made mistakes, been unkind sometimes, lost her semper more times than she liked to remember - and had ruefully come to the conclusion that although she wasn't a failure, she wasn't a howling success either.

  But Miss Grayling seemed to think she was, so she must be. Darrell held her head high, and went swinging along to the sixth-form classroom. She opened the door and went in quietly.

  'I'm sorry I'm late, Miss Oakes,' she said. 'I took the new girls to Miss Grayling.'

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  'Yes, Mary-Lou told me,' said Miss Oakes. 'We were just talking about the work this term, Darrell. Those of ou who are taking Higher Certificate are to work in one group, taking only a few odd lessons with the rest of the form. You have been working hard for the last two terms, so you should not find this term unduly hard - but you will have to keep at it!' Darrell nodded. She badly wanted to pass the Higher well. She felt sure Sally would. As for Alicia and Betty, their quick brains and excellent memories would make success certain. She glanced round at the other girls from the other- Towers, who would also be taking Higher. Yes - they w on Id probably all pass. They were a keen, hard- w i)i king lot.

  'I'm glad I'm no! taking Higher,' said Gwen. 'Anyway,

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  I suppose I could always lake it at my school in Switzerland, couldn't I, Miss Oakes?'

  Miss Oakes was not interested in Gwen's future school, any more than she was interested in Gwen.

  'You are not up to Higher standard, whatever school you happen to be in,' she said coldly, i can only hope that you will work a little better this term than you have worked for the last two terms, Gwendoline. Would it be loo difficult to leave me with a little better impression of your capabilities than I have at present?'

  Gwen squirmed. She looked round at Maureen for sympathy. She got none, for Maureen always delighted in seeing Gwen made uncomfortable. The others looked studiously into the distance, determined not to catch Gwen's eye or give her any chance ol speaking about her future school. They felt certain they were going to get very very tired ol hearing about it.

  'Amanda, 1 understand that you were going to work lor Higher, if your old school had not been destroyed,' said Miss Oakes, turning to the hefty, solid new girl. 'Do you wish to do so here? I hear that it has been left to you to decide, as you can take it next year if you want to?'

  i don't want to take it this term, thank you,' said Amanda. 'It would be muddling, having had the work with different teachers. I shouldn't do myself justice. I intend to work at my games instead. I hope to be chosen for the Olympic Games next year, anyway.'

  Only the North Tower girls had heard this bit of news so lar. The girls from other Towers gaped at Amanda's forthright assertion. Go in for the Olympic Games! She must either be mad, or else alarmingly good at games!

  'Ah yes,' said Miss Oakes, calmly. '1 forgot you came Irom Trenigan Towers. Well, Amanda, you will find that the games side is very good here, fortunately for you - and very well run.'

  Amanda looked disbelieving, but didn't say anything.

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  Il was, however, quite apparent to everyone that she was busy turning up her rather big nose at the games she might expect at Malory Towers. Sally felt annoyed and half-amused. Moira felt angry. She glared at Amanda, making up her mind to take her down a few pegs as quickly as possible!

  And il she tries to interfere, I'll soon show that / don't stand any nonsense, even if Sally does! thought Moira, scowling so fiercely at her thoughts that Belinda's hand went instinctively into her desk for her sketch-book - the one the girls called her Scowl Book. It had a most wonderful collection of scowls - though the finest were undoubtedly Gwen's!

  How Gwen wished she could get hold of that horrible hook of Belinda's! But Belinda guarded it jealously and had such a fine hiding-place lor it when she took it out ■:! her desk that Gwen had never been able to make out where it was.

  'No, Belinda,' said Miss Oakes, who had already learned to recognize the Scowl Book when she saw it. 'We will have no Scowl Sketches in this session, please. nd, Irene, could you stop tapping out that tune, what¬ever it is, on your desk?'

  'Oh, sorrv,' said Irene, stopping the tapping at once. 'I just can't help it when a new tune comes into my head. It's the way the wind blows in those trees over there, Miss
Oakes - shusha, shusha, shusha - like that, it goes. And it made me . . .'

  'You're tapping attain, Irene,' said Miss Oakes, impatiently. She was never quite certain if Irene really did get as lost in her 'tunes' as she said she did, or if she at ted like this to make a diversion and cause laughter.

  lint Irene was quite serious about it. She lived half in i world of music and halt in the world of ordinary things and when one world clashed with, the other, she wa*- ·.·si' She was quite capable ol writing out a nine in

  French Dietee instead of a word of French - and quite capable, too, of handing it in! Mam'zelle had often been amazed to find herself staring at pages of music notes, instead ol lists of French verbs.

  The French girl, Suzanne, had sat with her eyes hall- closed through the talk so far. Miss Oakes spoke to her suddenly and made her jump.

  'Suzanne! Are you listening?'

  'Police?' said Suzanne. Miss Oakes looked surprised.

  'She means "Please?"' said Darrell, with a laugh. 'She keeps saying "Police?" whenever she doesn't understand anything. Don't you, Suzanne?'

  'Police?' said Suzanne, not understanding a word. 'Police, Darrell, je ne cotnprends pas. I not unnerstand!'

  'Well, Suzanne, you will have to listen with your ears and eyes open,' said Miss Oakes, 'or you will not learn a word ol English vvlnie you are hete. 1 understand that is why you have come - to learn to speak English fluently?'

  'Police?' repeated Suzanne, again, her black eyes very wide open. 'I spik him bad.'

  'What does she mean?' said Miss Oakes.

  'She means she speaks English badly,' said Sally.

  'She must have special coaching then,' said Miss Oakes, firmly.

  'No, no. I not want zat,' said Suzanne, equally firmly.

  'Ah - so you understood what I said then.' said Miss Oakes, beginning to be suspicious oi this innocent- looking Suzanne.

  'Police?' said Suzanne again, and Miss Oakes gave it up. Sire privately resolved to have a few words with Mam'zelle Rougier about her seemingly stupid niece. She began to give out instructions regarding the work to be done that term, what hooks were to be used, and what work was to be done by the girls on their own.

  i like old Oakey, said Darrell, ai break. 'But I've often v ished she had more sense ol humour. She never, never,

  never sees a joke. But she always suspects there may be somebody leading her up the garden path.'

  'Yes. Like Irene and her tunes,' said Belinda, 'and actually Irene is perfectly serious about them. Look at her now - shusha, shush, shusha, shush, over by the window, with her eyes glued on the trees.'

  Alicia grinned wickedly. She went up to Irene and tapped her on the shoulder. 'I say, Irene - can I play- trains too? Shush, shusha, shush, shusha - come on, let's play trains.'

  And before the surprised Irene knew what was happening, half the sixth-formers had formed a line and were playing 'trains' behind Irene, chuffing like engines.

  Amanda watched disdainfully. What a school! she thought. Now if she were at Trenigan Towers, everyone would be out practising tennis strokes or something!

  'Hold it Amanda, hold it1' said Belinda, suddenly, spotting the unpleasant look on Amanda's large face. She had whipped out her Scowl Book, and was busy tlrawing. Amanda had no idea what she was doing. She was so new that she didn't even realize that Belinda could draw.

  She saw in horror that Belinda had caught her face and expression exactly. She snatched at the book but Belinda dodged out of the way.

  T didn't look like that,' said Amanda, enraged. 'I just stood there thinking that if I were at my old school, we wouldn't be playing the fool like this, but out in the open air, practising strokes at tennis, or something sensible.'

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  'Really?' said Moira, coldly. '1 suppose it has escaped our notice that at the moment it is pelting with rain?'

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  Actually Amanda hadn't noticed. She had been too busy scorning the others at their tooling. She turned away, after giving Moira a most unpleasant look which Moira fully returned. Darrell thought there wasn't a pin to choose between the two looks!

  Amanda turned off to the corner where the radio stood. She began to fiddle about with it and eventually managed to find a recording of some sporting event. The commentator was very excited, and his voice came loudly through the common-room, where the girls were having their break.

  Nobody quite liked to tell her to turn it down a bit. Darrell nudged Sally and nodded to the window. It had stopped raining. Sally grinned.

  She and Darrell made signs to the others to creep out of the room without disturbing Amanda. One by one they tiptoed out, and Darrell softly closed the door. They rushed to the cloakroom, lound their lockers, slipped on tennis shoes, snatched up their rackets and ran out to the courts.

  'Let's hope she sees us!' panted Moira.

  Amanda did. The recording came to an end and sin- switched off the radio. She was immediately struck by the quiet in the room, ami swung round. It was empty. She heard the sound of voices outside, and the thud of tennis balls being struck, arid went to the window. She scowled down. Beasts! They were just doing all that to annoy her!

  The girls came back, laughing, when the bell went. 'Pity you didn't feel like a practice, Amanda!' called Moira. 'Never mind - better luck next time!'

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  As usual the girls settled down very quickly for the new term. The summer tern; was always such a lovely one. There were so many things to do - and for those who liked swimming, the magnificent pool that lay in a great hollow of a rock down below on the shore was a source of the greatest delight.

  Those who wished could go to swim before breakfast, ind every morning, once the pool had been declared vvarm enough for swimming, girls ran down the steep cliff-path to the swimming-pool. They wore their swimming-costumes with a wrap round them.

  Most of the girls loved the pool. A few didn't. Those who hadn't learned to swim were afraid. Those who didn't like cold water hated the pool. Gwen, of course, vas one of these, and so was Maureen.

  The new French girl also hated the very idea of the pool. She went to watch the girls there once, and quealed in fright if a splash of water so much as reached her toes!

  Su/.anne! Don't be an idiot!' said Miss Potts, who Happened to be in charge of the swimming that day. '11 . on squeal like a silly first-former I shall make you strip >11 your clothes and go in. I can't think why Mam'zelle !<'isn't make you.'

  Mam'zelle, of course, never would make anyone go 'Jio the pool if they didn't want to. She detested it ■isell, and so did the second trench teacher, Mam'zelle

  :;jiei, Suzanne's aunt. Neither ol thetn understood the craze for games and sports of all kinds that they found in English schools.

  '1 go hack,' announced Suzanne, at the next splash, and she turned to go up the sloping way to the cliff on which the school was built.

  'Oh no, you don't,' said Miss Potts. 'You stay here. Even if you can't be persuaded to learn to swim, you can watch the others!'

  'Police?' said Suzanne, with a blank expression on her face. Miss Potts wished fervently she had Suzanne in the first form under her for just one day. She was quite certain that Suzanne would never utter that infuriating word again!

  Gwendoline and Maureen were made to swim, of course, though it still took them ages to make up their minds to get into the cold, clear water. They waited till everyone else was in, because it was simply extra¬ordinary how many accidental pushes happened to them when Alicia or Moira or Betty came by. If there was one thing Gwen hated it was to enter the pool suddenly without warning!

  The pool was always beautiful on blue sunny days. It shone a deeper blue than the sky, and after a few weeks of summer got really deliriously warm - till the tide came in, swamped the pool, and left cooler water there! Darrell loved the pool. Even when she was not swimming she used to take her books down beside it and dream there, looking over the brilliant bl
ue water.

  Moira was a very good swimmer. So was Sally. Darrell always had been. But the new girl, Amanda, surpassed them all!

  She was a most magnificent swimmer. The first time she entered the water, everyone gasped. She streaked across the pool with the most powerful over-arm stroke the girls had ever seen.

  'Gosh - what a swimmer!' said Darrell. T never saw anything like it. She is good enough for the Olympic Games. She could beat us hollow, Sally.'

  Amanda was not content with the pool, big and deep though it was. She looked out to sea. '1 shall go and swim in the sea,' she said.

  'You're not allowed to,' said Darrell, who was nearby, drying herself. 'There's a very dangerous current out there at high tide.'

  'Currents aren't dangerous to a strong swimmer like me,' said Amanda, and flexed her arms to show Darrell her enormous muscles. She had great strong legs too. She was heavy in her walk, and not at all graceful in ordinary life - hut when she was playing games or swimming, she had the strong grace of some big animal, and was most fascinating to watch. The lower forms gaped at her, and often came down to the pool when the word went round that Amanda was there - just to stand and stare!

  'Would you like to give some of these youngsters a bit of coaching, Amanda?' Sally said one day. As head of school games, she was always on the look-out for likely youngsters to coach.

  T might.,' said Amanda, looking bored. 'So long as it's not a waste of my time.'

  'Oh well, if you feel like thatV said Moira indignantly. She was nearby, listening. Moira was not very likeable, hut at least she did try to help the lower forms in their games., and was a great help to Sally.

  'We never had to bother with the young ones at rrenigan Towers,' said Amanda, drying herself so vigorously that her skin came up bright red. 'We had plenty of coaches there. They looked after the youngsters. Vou seem to have too few games mistresses here.'

  Darrell fumed inwardly at this criticism of Malory lowers. There were plenty of teachers tor everything! lust because Malory Towers didn't make a religion ol