The girls usually did needlework after supper, but this evening the sitting-room was to be devoted to the sale. Mollie and Phyllis were wise in their generation, and, antic.i.p.ating a stampede, they picked out Gertrude Holmes and Laura Norris as being the most stalwart and brawny-armed among the damsels of St. Elgiva"s, and set them to keep the door, admitting only two at a time. Even with this precaution a rather wild scene ensued. Instead of keeping in an orderly queue, the girls pushed for places, and there were several excited struggles in the vicinity of the stairs. As each girl came out, proudly exhibiting what she had purchased, the anxiety of those who had not yet entered the sitting-room increased. They were afraid everything might be sold before it came to their turns, and had it not been for the well-developed muscles of Gertrude and Laura, the fort might have been stormed and the stores raided.
Mollie and Phyllis had invested their capital with skill, and showed an a.s.sortment of white and coloured crinkled papers, cheap remnants of sateen, lengths of gay b.u.t.ter muslin, and yards of ribbon. For the occasion they a.s.sumed the manners of shop a.s.sistants, and greeted their visitors with the orthodox: "What can I show you, madam?" But their elaborate politeness soon melted away when the customer showed signs of demanding more than her portion, and the "Oh, certainly!" or "Here"s a sweet thing, madam!" uttered in honeyed tones, turned to a blunt "Don"t be greedy!" "Can"t give you more than your shilling"s worth, not if you ask ever so." "There won"t be enough to go round, so you must just make what you"ve got do. Not a single inch more! If you don"t go this minute we"ll take your parcels back. We"re in a hurry."
By using the greatest dispatch Mollie and Phyllis just managed to distribute their goods before the bell rang for prayers. The ribbon and sateen were all bought up, and the crinkled paper which was left over they put aside to make decorations for the hall.
Next day St. Elgiva"s was given up to the fabrication of costumes. The girls retired to their dormitories, strewed their beds with materials, and worked feverishly. In No. 9 the excitement was intense. Sylvia, who intended to represent the United States, was seccotining stars and stripes, cut out of coloured paper, on to her best white petticoat.
Betty was st.i.tching red stripes down the sides of her gymnasium knickers, being determined to appear in the nearest approach to a Zouave uniform that she could muster, though a little doubtful of Miss Norton"s approval of male attire. Chrissie, with a brown-paper hat, a red tie, and belt strapped over her shoulder, meant to figure as Young Australia.
Marjorie alone, the most enthusiastic of all for the scheme, sat limply on her bed with idle scissors.
"I"d meant to be Rumania," she confessed, "and I find Patricia"s bagged the exact thing I sketched."
"Can"t there be several Rumanias?"
"Yes, there will be, because Rose and Enid have set their hearts on the same. I"d rather have something original, though."
"I don"t think Rumania would suit you; you"re too tall and fair," said Sylvia. "It"s better for dark girls, with curly hair if possible."
"Couldn"t you have a Breton peasant costume?" suggested Chrissie. "I"ve a picture post card here in my alb.u.m that we could copy. Look, it"s just the thing! The big cap and the white sleeves would do beautifully in crinkled paper, and I"ll lend you that velvet bodice I wore when I was "Fadette"."
"How about the ap.r.o.n?"
"St.i.tch two handkerchiefs together, pick the lace off your best petticoat and sew it round, and you"ll have the jinkiest little Breton ap.r.o.n you ever saw."
"Christina Lang, you"re a genius!" exclaimed Marjorie, pulling out the best petticoat from under a pile of blouses in her drawer, and setting to work with Sylvia"s embroidery scissors to detach the tr.i.m.m.i.n.g.
"You"ll want a necklace and some earrings," decided Chrissie. "Oh, we"ll easily make you ear-rings--break up a string of beads, thread a few of them, and tie them on to your ears. I"ll guarantee to turn you out a first-cla.s.s peasant if you"ll put yourself in my hands."
"I suppose I"ll be expected to talk Breton," chuckled Marjorie.
The Seniors" entertainment came first, and on the following evening Intermediates and Juniors a.s.sembled in the big hall as the guests of St.
Githa"s. Progressive games had been provided, and the company spent a hilarious hour fishing up boot-b.u.t.tons with bent pins, picking up marbles with two pencils, or securing potatoes with egg-spoons. A number of pretty prizes were given, and the hostesses had the satisfaction of feeling perfectly sure that their visitors, to judge by their behaviour, had absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. St. Githa"s had undoubtedly covered itself with glory, and St. Elgiva"s must not be outdone. The Intermediates worked feverishly to finish their costumes.
Such an amount of borrowing and lending went on that it would be quite a problem to sort out possessions afterwards. It was a point of etiquette that anyone who had anything that would be useful to a neighbour"s get-up was bound in honour to offer the loan of it. Only the hostesses were to be in costume; the guests were to appear in ordinary evening dresses.
Marjorie, before the mirror in her bedroom, gazed critically at her own reflection. Chrissie"s clever fingers had pulled and twisted the crinkled paper into the most becoming of peasant caps, the large bead ear-rings, tied on with silk, jangled on to her neck, her paper sleeves stood out like lawn, the lace-edged ap.r.o.n was a triumph of daintiness, she wore Patricia"s scarlet-kid dancing-slippers with Betty"s black silk stockings.
"Do you think I"ll do?" she queried.
The Zouave officer threw herself on one knee in an att.i.tude of ecstatic admiration, and laid a hand upon her heart.
"Do? You"re ravishing! I"m going to make love to you all the evening, just for the sport of seeing the Acid Drop"s face. Play up and flirt, won"t you?"
"You look a regular Don Juan!" chuckled Marjorie.
"That"s my role this evening. I"m going to break hearts by the dozen. I don"t mind telling you that I mean to dance with Norty herself."
St. Elgiva"s might certainly congratulate itself upon the success of its efforts. The fancy costumes produced a sensation. All the Allies were represented, as well as allegorical figures, such as Britannia, Justice, Peace, and Plenty. It was marvellous how much had been accomplished with the very scanty materials that the girls had had to work upon. The ball was soon in full swing; mistresses and prefects joined in the fun, and found themselves being whirled round by Neapolitan contadini or picturesque j.a.ps. The room, decorated with flags and big rosettes of coloured paper, looked delightfully festive. Even Miss Norton, usually the climax of dignity, thawed for the occasion, and accepted Betty"s invitation to a fox-trot without expressing any disapproval of the Zouave uniform. Marjorie, after a vigorous half-hour of exercise, paused panting near the platform, and refused further partners.
"I want a rest," she proclaimed. "You wouldn"t believe it, but this costume"s very hot, and my ear-rings keep smacking me in the face."
"If you not want to dance, Marjorie, you shall play, and I take a turn,"
suggested the French mistress, vacating the piano stool.
"By all means, mademoiselle. Do go and dance. There"s Elsie wanting a partner. I"ll enjoy playing for a while. What pieces have you got here?
Oh, I know most of them."
Marjorie good-naturedly settled herself to the piano. She was an excellent reader, so could manage even the pieces with which she was not already acquainted. She was playing a two-step, and turning her head to watch the dancers as they whirled by, when suddenly she heard a shout, and Chrissie, who was pa.s.sing, scrambled on to the platform, dragged her from the piano, threw her on the floor, and sat upon her head. Dazed by the suddenness of her chum"s extraordinary conduct, Marjorie was too much amazed even to scream. When Chrissie released her she realized what had happened. She had put the corner of her large Breton cap into the flame of the candle, and it had flared up. Only her friend"s prompt action could have saved her from being horribly burnt. As it was, her hair was slightly singed, but her face was unscathed. The girls, thoroughly alarmed, came crowding on to the platform, and Miss Norton, after blowing out the piano candles, examined her carefully to see the extent of the damage.
"More frightened than hurt!" was her verdict. "But another second might have been too late. I must congratulate you, Chrissie, on your presence of mind."
Chrissie flushed crimson. It was not often that Miss Norton congratulated anybody. Praise from her was praise indeed.
"Please go on dancing," begged Marjorie. "I"m all right, only I think I"ll sit still and watch. It"s made my legs feel shaky. I never thought of the candle and the size of my cap."
"It"s spoilt your costume," said Sylvia commiseratingly. "And yours was the best in all the room--everybody"s been saying so. I wanted to get a snapshot of you in it to-morrow."
"Take Betty instead. She"s the limit in that Zouave get-up. And if you wouldn"t mind using an extra film, I"d like one of Chrissie.
Chrissie"--Marjorie caught her breath in a little gasp--"has saved my life to-night!"
CHAPTER XVIII
Enchanted Ground
Marjorie and Dona spent the larger part of the Easter holidays with an aunt in the north. They had a few days at home, mostly devoted to visits to the dentist and the dressmaker, and then boxes were once more packed, and they started off on the now familiar journey back to Brackenfield.
Joan watched the preparations wistfully.
"Do you think the Empress would take a girl of eight?" she enquired in all seriousness.
"Not unless you could be used as a mascot or a school monkey," returned Marjorie. "You might come in handy at the nursing lectures, when we get to the chapter on "How to Wash and Dress a Baby", or you"d do to practise bandaging on. Otherwise you"d be considerably in the way."
"Don"t be horrid!" pouted Joan. "I"m to go to Brackenfield some time.
Mother said so."
"You"ll have to wait five years yet, my hearty. Why, do you know, even Dona is called a kiddie at Brackenfield?"
"Dona!" Joan"s eyes were big.
"Yes, some of the girls look almost as old as Nora, and they"ve turned up their hair. It"s a fact. You needn"t stare."
"You"ll go all in good time, poor old Baba," said Dona. "You wouldn"t like to be in a form all by yourself, without any other little girls, and there"s no room for a preparatory unless they build, and that"s not possible in war-time. You must peg on for a while with Miss Hazelwood, and then perhaps Mother"ll send you to a day school. After all, you know, it"s something to be the youngest in the family. You score over that."
Both Marjorie and Dona were looking forward to the summer term. Those of their chums who were old Brackenfielders had dwelt strongly on its advantages compared with the autumn or spring terms. It was the season for cricket and tennis, for country walks, picnics, and natural history excursions. Most of the activities were arranged for out of doors, and a larger amount of liberty was allowed the girls than had been possible during the period of short days.
Armed each with a cricket bat and a tennis racket, not to mention cameras, b.u.t.terfly nets, collecting-boxes, and botanical cases, they arrived at their respective hostels and unpacked their possessions.
Marjorie was the last comer in No. 9, and found Chrissie with her cubicle already neatly arranged, Sylvia with her head buried in her bottom drawer, and Betty struggling with straps. The two latter were pouring out details of their holiday adventures.