"Blyton, Enid - Malory 02 - Second Form at Malory Towers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

Soon the car swung up to the big flight of steps leading to the great front door. Other cars were in the drive, and groups of chattering girls stood about. Gay voices called across the drive.
"Hallo. Lucy! Look, there's Freda! Isn't she brown? Had good hols., Freda? You look as if you'd lived in the water, you're so brown."
"Hallo, Jenny! Did you get my letters? You never answered one, you pig. Hey, Tessie. Look out for my night-case. Take your great feet off it!У
"Good-bye. Mother! Good-bye. Daddy! Ill write as soon as I've settled in. Don't forget to feed my pet mice, will you?"
"Get out of the way there! You'll be run over by that car! Oh, it's Betty Hill. Betty, Betty! Have you brought any tricks or jokes back with you?"
A pair of wicked eyes looked out of the window of the car, and a tuft of hair fell over a brown forehead. "I may have!" said Betty, stepping out. "You never know! Anyone seen Alicia? Or hasn't she come yet?"
The train-girls haven't arrived! The train is late, as usual!"
"Darrell! Darrell Rivers! Hallo, there! And Sally. I say, let's go in and find our dormy. Come on!"
What a noise! What a tumult! Darrell couldn't help feeling thrilled. It was good to be back at school againЧback at Malory Towers.
Three New Girls.
Darrell said good-bye to her parents and they purred off in the car. Darrell was always glad that her father and mother were sensible when they said good-bye. They didn't burst into tears as Gwendoline's mother always did. They didn't expect her to stay close beside them and look mournful. They laughed and talked just as usual, promised to come down at half-term, then kissed her good-bye, and went, waving cheerfully.
Soon she and Sally were carrying their night-cases up the steps into the big hall. They had their lacrosse sticks too, which got entangled with people's legs as the other girls surged around and about
Miss Potts was in the hall. She had been their form-mistress when they had been in the first form, and was still their house-mistress, for she was in charge of North Tower, in which they slept. All the girls' bedrooms or dormitories were in the four towers, and there was a house-mistress in charge of each one, and also a matron.
Miss Potts saw Sally and Darrell and called them. "Sally! Darrell! Take charge of this new girl for me, will you? She will be in the second form with you, and will be in your dormy. Take her up to Matron."
Darrell saw a tall, thin girl standing by Miss Potts.
looking nervous and scared. Darrell remembered how lost she had felt when she had first come to Malory Towers, and she felt sorry for the girl She went up to her, Sally behind her.
"Hallo! Come along with us and well look after you. What's your name?"
"Ellen Wilson." said the girl. She had a very pate face and looked tired out In the middle of her forehead was a deep line, cutting down between her eyebrows, making her look as if she was continually frowning. Darrell didn't much like the look of her. but she smiled at Ellen kindly.
1 expect you feel pretty muddled with all this row going on." she said. "I felt the same last year when I came. My name's Darrell Rivers. And this is my friend, Sally Hope."
The girl gave polite little smiles and then followed silently behind them. They all made their way through the excited throng of girls.
There's Mary-Lou!" said Darrell. "Hallo. Mary-Lou! You've grown!"
Little Mary-Lou smiled. "I hope sol" she said. IТm tired of being the smallest in the form. Who's this?"
"Ellen Wilson. New girl. Second form," said Darrell.
"In our dormy," added Sally. "We're taking her to Matron. Hallo, here's Irene. Irene, we saw you nearly knock off your father's glasses in the car, when you waved to us."
Irene grinned. "Yes, that was the third time I'd done it. He was just getting annoyed with me. Are you going to Matron? IТll come along too."
"Got your health certificate?" asked Sally, slyly. It was a standing joke with the girls that Irene always arrived without it, no matter how safely her mother
had packed it in her night-case, or given it in an envelope to Irene to put in her pocket.
"Got yours?Ф said Darrell to Ellen Wilson. "We have to hand them over at once. And woe betide you if you go down with measles or chicken pox or something if you've just handed in a certificate saying you haven't been near anyone ill! Golly. Irene, you don't really mean to say you haven't got yours again?"
Irene was feeling in all her pockets, with a humorous look of dismay on her face. "Can't find it at the moment," she said. "Must be in my night-case. But noЧMother said she wasn't going to put it in there any more because it always disappeared. Blow!Ф
"Matron said she'd isolate you next time you came without a health certificate." said Sally. "YouТll have to be in the San. for two days till your mother sends another one. You really are an idiot. Irene."
Feeling frantically in all her pockets, Irene followed Sally. Darrell and Ellen to North Tower, and went in with them. The second-form dormy was not far from the first-form dormy, where Darrell had slept for the last four terms. It was on the second floor and was a lovely big room with ten white beds in it, each covered with a pretty eiderdown.
The girls dumped their night-cases down in the dormy and went to look for Matron. Ah, there she was, shepherding another new girl up to the dormy. Darrell looked at the girl. She was about the same age as Darrell, and. like Darrell. had black curly hair, but cut much shorter, more like a boy. She looked rather dirty and untidy, but she had a very attractive grin, and her eyes twinkled as she looked at the other girls. She did not look nearly so lost or forlorn as Ellen.
"Ah. SallyЧDarrellЧhere's another new girl,Ф said Matron, briskly. "Take charge of her. will you? Her name is Belinda Morris. NowЧhave you all got
your night-cases? And what about your health certificates?"
"Our night-cases are there," said Darrell, pointing to where they had dumped them on the floor. "And here's my health certificate. Matron." "Where's my night-case?" said Belinda, suddenly. "Surely you had it with you a minute ago?" said Matron, looking all round. "Well, give me your certificate and then go and look for your case."
"But it's in the case," said Belinda, and looked vaguely round.
"You probably left it down in the hall for everyone to fall over." said Matron. "You girls I Thank you. Darrell. Is this your certificate. Sally?Чand yours. Mary-LouЧand yours, F.Ikn. What about yours. Irene?"
"It's a most peculiar thing. Matron." began Irene. hunting in all her pockets again. "You know. I had it when I started off this morning. I remember Mother saying..."
Matron stared at Irene, really exasperated. "Irene! Don't dare to tell me you've not brought it again. You know what I told you last term. There is a rule here that girls who forget their health certificates shall be isolated until one is produced. I've never had to enforce that rule yetЧbut in your case I really think..." "Oh, Matron, don't isolate me!" begged Irene, taking her night-case, opening it and emptying all the contents higgledy-piggledy on the floor. "IТll find it, I will!"
The girls stood by, laughing. Really, Irene was very funny when she had lost something. Matron looked on grimly. Irene bent low over the case, hunting hardЧand suddenly she gave a cry and put her hand to her chest.
"Oooh! Something's pricking me! Whatever can it be? Gracious, something's run a sharp point right into me!Ф
She stood up, rubbing her chest. Then she opened the front of her coatЧand the girls gave a scream of laughter.
"Irene! You donkey! YouТve got your health certificate pinned on to your front I You couldn't lose it if you wanted to."
Irene looked down, pleased. "Of course!Ф she said, unpinning it I remember now. I knew I should lose it unless I really did hang on to it somehowЧso I pinned it tightly to my front. Here it is. Matron. You won't have to isolate me after all!Ф
Matron took it, and put it with the others she had. "A narrow squeak for you, Irene!" she said, and her plump face broke into a smile. "You put a grey hair into my head at the beginning of every term! Now. you girlsЧunpack your night-cases and put out your things. The trunks won't be unpacked till tomorrowЧand then each of you will have to check the clothes' list you brought with you."
She departed, rustling stiffly in her starched apron, looking out for more returning girls, collecting lists and names and certificates, bringing order out of confusion, and welcoming back all the sixty or so girls returning to North Tower. In the other towers, three more matrons were doing the same thing. It was a real task to welcome back about two hundred and fifty girls, with their trunks, night-cases and odds-and-ends!
Belinda had wandered off to look for her night-case. Whilst the others were still putting out their things, she sauntered back, a brown suit-case in her hand. She opened it and shook out a pair of pyjamas. She stared at them in surprise. "Golly! I didn't know I bad pyjamas like this,"
she said. "And what posh bedroom slippers Mother has put in for me. For a surprise, I suppose!"
Darrell looked over her shoulder. Then she grinned. "You'll get into trouble if you unpack any more of those things." she said. "They belong to Georgina Thomas! Shell be jolly wild if she finds out you've got her night-case! She's probably hunting all over the place for it now. Can't you read, Belinda?"
Darrell pointed to the name marked on the collar of the pyjamas. "Georgina Thomas."