Coralie laughed.
"Oh! that"s Githa Hamilton. She"s not exactly celebrated for her sweet temper."
"So I should imagine. What was she doing out of bounds before seven o"clock?"
"She"s not a boarder. She lives with an uncle and aunt, and comes to school on her bicycle. She"s the only day-girl we have. I"d hate to be a day-girl--you"re out of everything."
"I shouldn"t think such an extraordinary little toadstool would be in anything, even if she were a boarder," commented Gwethyn, who had not forgiven the savage a.s.sault of the collie, and the contemptuous "You"re more frightened than hurt!" of its mistress.
"You"re about right there. Githa"s no particular favourite, even in her own form."
"If I"d straight lank hair like that, I"d friz it every night," declared Gwethyn emphatically. "She"s the plainest girl in the school! That"s my opinion of her!"
CHAPTER III
Shaking Down
If Katrine and Gwethyn had taken a dislike to the "Toadstool", as they nicknamed Githa Hamilton, that elfish damsel seemed ready to return the sentiment with interest. She divined their weak points with horrible intuition, and her sharp little tongue was always armed with caustic remarks. She would stand watching them like a malign imp when they played tennis, sneering if they made bad strokes, and rejoicing over their opponents" scores with ostentatious triumph. At Katrine"s airs of dignity she scoffed openly, and she would call in question Gwethyn"s really quite harmless little exaggerations with ruthless punctiliousness.
The new-comers tried to preserve an airy calm, and treat this offensive junior as beneath their notice; but she was a determined enemy, returning constantly to the a.s.sault, and the skirmishes continued.
A complete contrast to Githa"s spirit of opposition was the behaviour of Laura Browne. As Coralie had predicted, she took up the new girls hotly.
She walked with them or sat next to them on every possible occasion, asked for their autographs, obtained snapshots of them with her Brownie camera, and gushed over their home photos and private possessions.
"It"s so nice to have someone at the school with whom I really feel I can become friends," she a.s.sured Gwethyn. "The moment I saw you both, I fell in love with you. I believe strongly in first impressions--don"t you? Something seems to tell me there"s to be a link between our lives.
How romantic to have a brother at the front! I think his portrait in uniform is simply perfect. I shall ask you to lend it to me sometimes, when you can spare it. It does one good to look at a hero like that. I wish my brothers were old enough to join. They"re at the mischievous age at present. I envy you your luck."
And Laura sighed dramatically. Katrine, mindful of Coralie"s hint, received these advances with caution, but Gwethyn, who was not a very discriminating little person, felt rather flattered. After all, it is highly pleasant to be openly admired, your friendship courted, your wishes consulted, and your opinions treated with deference. In the first flush of her enthusiasm she readily drew a sketch in Laura"s alb.u.m, embroidered a handkerchief for her, and proffered peppermint creams as long as the box lasted. She submitted peaceably to lend penknife, scissors, pencils, or any other unconsidered trifles, and when she was obliged to ask for them back, her new friend was so ready with apologies for their non-return that she felt almost ashamed of having mentioned the matter.
Between Githa"s evident dislike and Laura"s fawning sycophancy was a wide gap. These two had openly declared themselves "for" or "against"; the solid block of the school stood aloof. During their first week, at least, the new girls must be on approval before they settled into the places which they would eventually occupy. Their sayings and doings were closely noted, but public opinion reserved itself. The monitresses were kind, but slightly cool. They did not altogether like Katrine"s att.i.tude. She had given them to understand that she had come to Aireyholme as an art student, and not as a pupil, and they resented the a.s.sumption of superiority implied.
"We"re all art students here," Diana Bennett had replied stiffly.
"But you"re not taking special private lessons from Miss Aubrey?" asked Katrine, feeling that she scored by this point.
"Viola and Dorrie and I are going in for the matric., so we haven"t much time for painting. It"s a jolly grind getting up all our subjects, I can tell you!"
In the privacy of their own study, the three monitresses discussed the matter at some length.
"I rather like them both," said Dorrie. "Katrine"s quite an interesting sort of girl, only she has at present far too high an idea of her own importance."
"She"s inclined to be a little patronizing," commented Viola. "Of course that won"t do. I"m Captain here, and she"ll have quite to realize that.
We can"t let a girl come into the school at seventeen and begin to boss the whole show."
"Rather not! There ought to be a rule to admit no one over fifteen."
"Thirteen would be better."
"Well, at any rate when they"re juniors, and have time to get used to Aireyholme ways. I"ve been here six years, and if anyone knows the school traditions, I ought to. No, Miss Katrine Marsden mustn"t be allowed to give herself airs. That I"ve quite made up my mind about."
"What do you think of Gwethyn?"
"She"s a harum-scarum, but I like her the better of the two."
"She"s inseparables with Laura Browne."
"Well, you know Laura! She goes for every new girl, and toadies till she"s got all she can, or grows tired of it. Gwethyn will find her out in course of time, I suppose."
"The real gist of the matter," said Dorrie, wrinkling her brows anxiously, "is whether I"m to put them in the tennis list. They play uncommonly well."
"Oh, it wouldn"t be fair to let new girls represent the school!"
"You think so? On the other hand, the school must win by hook or by crook."
"Well, I don"t think it would do to make either of them a champion, putting them above the heads of those who have been here for years."
"It"s a difficult question, certainly."
"Difficult? Not at all; I think it"s conclusive!" snapped Viola rather sharply. "Those who are trained in Aireyholme methods are best fitted to represent Aireyholme. There can"t be two opinions about it."
There was certainly some occasion for the rather jealous att.i.tude which the monitresses were inclined to adopt towards Katrine. By the arrangement which her mother had made with Mrs. Franklin, she was really more in the position of the old-fashioned "parlour boarder" than of an ordinary pupil. She had been placed in the Sixth Form, but took less than half the cla.s.ses, the rest of her time being devoted to art lessons. While others were drudging away at Latin translation, or racking their brains over mathematical problems, she was seated in the studio, blissfully painting flowers; or, greater luck still, sallying forth with paint-box and easel to sketch from nature. As the studio was the favourite haunt of most of the seniors, these special privileges were the envy of the school. Nan Beth.e.l.l and Gladwin Riley, in particular, hitherto the Aireyholme art stars, felt their noses much put out of joint, and were injured that their mothers had not made a like arrangement on their behalf. They went so far as to pet.i.tion Mrs.
Franklin for a similar exemption from certain lessons in favour of painting. But the Princ.i.p.al was adamant; the Sixth was her own particular form, she was jealous of its reputation, and by no means disposed to excuse members, whom she had been coaching for months, the credit which they ought to gain for the school in the examination lists.
Though art was a pet hobby at Aireyholme, it must not be allowed to usurp the chief place, to the detriment of Mrs. Franklin"s own subjects.
In the meantime Katrine, quite unaware of these difficulties, wore her picturesque painting ap.r.o.n for several hours daily, and revelled both in her work and in the companionship of her new teacher. Miss Aubrey was the greatest possible contrast to her sister, Mrs. Franklin. Instead of being tall, imposing, and masterful, she was small, slight, and gentle in manner. "A ducky little thing", most of the girls called her, and Katrine endorsed the general opinion. Miss Aubrey certainly would not have made a good head of the establishment; she was absent-minded, dreamy, and made no attempt to uphold discipline; but in her own department she was delightful. The pupils talked with impunity in her cla.s.ses, but they nevertheless worked with an enthusiasm that many a stricter teacher might have failed to inspire. There was an artistic atmosphere about Miss Aubrey; she always seemed slightly in the clouds, as if she were busier observing the general picturesque effect of life than its particular details. In appearance she was pleasing, with soft grey eyes and smooth brown hair. It was the fashion at the school to call her pretty. The girls set her down as many years younger than Mrs.
Franklin. The studio was, of course, her special domain at Aireyholme; she worked much there herself, and quite a collection of her pictures adorned the walls. The crisp, bold style of painting aroused Katrine"s admiration, and made her long to try her skill at landscape-sketching.
Miss Aubrey had kept her at a study of flowers until she could judge her capabilities; but at the end of the first week the mistress declared her ready for more advanced work.
"I am going into the village this morning to finish a picture of my own," she announced. "You and your sister may come with me, and I will start you both at a pretty little subject."
Gwethyn, whose time-table had been left to the entire discretion of Mrs. Franklin, was highly elated to find that she was to share some of Katrine"s art privileges. She had never expected such luck, and rejoiced accordingly. The fact was that Miss Aubrey wished to continue her own sketch, and to settle Katrine at an easier subject a hundred yards farther down the street. She thought it might be unpleasant for the girl to sit alone, and that the sisters would be company for each other. She would be near enough to keep an eye on them, and to come and correct their drawings from time to time. Much enc.u.mbered, therefore, with camp-stools, easels, boards, paint-boxes, and other impedimenta, but feeling almost equal to full-blown artists, the Marsdens, to the wild envy of their less fortunate school-fellows, sallied forth with Miss Aubrey down to the village. Their teacher had chosen a very picturesque little bit for their first attempt--a charming black-and-white cottage, with an uneven red-tiled roof and an irregular, tumble-down chimney. She superintended them while they opened their camp-stools and fixed their easels, then showed them where the princ.i.p.al lines in their sketches ought to be placed.
"You mustn"t mind if people come and stare at you a little," she remarked cheerfully. "It"s what all artists have to put up with. You"ll get used to it. Now I"m going to my own subject. I shall come back very soon to see how you"re getting on."
With great satisfaction the girls began blocking in their cottage, feeling almost like professional artists as they marked roof, angles, and points of perspective with the aid of a plumb-line.
"What a lovely little village it is!" exulted Katrine. "And so delightfully peaceful and quiet. There"s n.o.body about."
"Yes, it"s heavenly! One couldn"t sit out sketching in the street at home," agreed Gwethyn enthusiastically.
Alas! their bliss was shortlived. They had scarcely been five minutes at work when they were espied by half a dozen children, who ran up promptly and joyfully to stare at their proceedings. The group of spectators seemed to consider them an attraction, for they rushed off to spread the gleeful news among their fellows, with the result that in a few moments half the youth of the neighbourhood were swarming round Katrine and Gwethyn like flies round a honey-pot. Evidently the inhabitants of the village regarded artists as a free show; not only did the small fry flock round the girls" easels, but a certain proportion of grown-ups, who apparently had nothing better to do, strolled up and made an outside ring to the increasing and interested audience.
"Do they imagine we"re the vanguard of a circus, or that it"s an ingenious form of advertis.e.m.e.nt?" whispered Gwethyn. "I believe they expect me to write "Sanger"s Menagerie is Coming" in big letters on my drawing-board, or perhaps "Buy Purple Pills"!"
"I should feel more inclined to write "Don"t come within ten yards!""
groaned Katrine. "I wish they"d go away! They make me so nervous. It"s horrible to feel your every stroke is being watched. I"ve put in my chimney quite crooked. Are they troubling Miss Aubrey, I wonder?"