"Blyton, Enid - St Clare's 03 - Summer Term at St Clare's" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

'Good old St. Clare's,' said Pat, as she saw the building coming nearer and nearer. 'It's nice to see you again. I wonder what all the girls are doing, Isabel?'
They were at tea when the twins arrived. It was strange to arrive alone, and to have the great front door opened to them by Jane the parlour-maid, looking very smart indeed.
'Halo, Jane I ' cried the twins. 'Where's every one?'
'Having tea, miss,' answered Jane. 'You'd better go along in before everything's eaten up!'
The twins ran to the big dining-hall and opened the door. A great babel of sound came to their ears-the girls all talking together happily. No one saw them at first. Then Janet happened to glance up and saw the twins standing at the door, still in their coats and hats.
'Pat! Isabel!' she yelled. 'Look, Hilary, look Kathleen, they're back! Hurrah!'
She jumped up and rushed to greet them. With a look at the astonished Miss Roberts, the mistress who was at the head of the first-form table, Kathleen and Hilary did the same. They dragged the twins to their table, and made room for them. Miss Roberts nodded at them and smiled.
'Glad you're back!' she said. 'You can take off your hats and coats and hang them over your chairs for now. I don't know if these greedy first-formers have left much for you to eat, but I've no doubt we can get more from the kitchen if not!'
How good it was to be back among the girls once more! What fun to have questions hurled at them, and to call back answers! How friendly every one was, dapping them on the back, and smiling with welcoming eyes! The twins felt very happy indeed.
'How are the mumps?'
'So you've turned up at last!'
'Your Cousin Alison told us the news. Bad luck you couldn't come back the first day!'
'Mam'zelle has missed you terribly-haven't you, Mam'zelle?'
'Ah, ma chъre Pat, the French class is no longer the same without you and Isabel. There is now no one to shout at and say "C'est abominable!" said Mam'zelle, in her deep voice.
'It's good to be back!' said Isabel, helping herself to bread and butter and jam. 'I say-we've got our tuck-boxes with us. We must open them tomorrow.'
'We've finished all that was in ours,' said Hilary. 'Never mind-two or three of us have birthdays this term and you can have a double share of birthday cake to make up for missing our tuck-boxes!'
Only four or five girls around the big table said nothing. They were all new girls, and they did not know the twins. They stared at them in silence, thinking that the two must be very popular to get such a welcome. Pat and Isabel took a quick look at the strange girls, but had no time to size them up for they were so busy exchanging news and eating.
'Plenty of time to know the new girls afterwards,' thought Pat. 'My, it's good to be back at St. Clare's again!'



2 SETTLING DOWN AGAIN

IT really was lovely to be back at school again, and to hear the familiar chattering and laughing, to see the piles of books everywhere, and to hear the familiar groans of 'Who's taken my pen?' or 'Gracious, I'll never get all this prep done!'
It was good to see the smiling mistresses, and to catch a glimpse of Winifred James, the dignified head-girl. It was fun to have a word with Belinda Towers, the sports captain. The twins greeted her with beaming smiles, for they liked her immensely. She was one of the top formers, but because she arranged all the matches for the whole school, she was much better known to the lower forms than the other big girls.
'Hallo, twins!' she said, stopping to greet them after tea. 'What about tennis this term? I hope you're good. We want to play St. Christopher's and Oakdene, and beat them hollow. Have you played any in the hols.?'
'Only once,' said Pat. 'We used to be good at our old school, but I don't expect we shall shine much at St. Clare's.'
My word, haven't you changed since you first came two terms ago!'' said Janet, with a sly smile. 'The stuck-up twins would at once have said that they were champions at tennis!'
'Shut up, Janet,' said Pat, uncomfortably. She never liked being reminded of the way she and Isabel had behaved the first term they had arrived at St. Clare's. They had been called the 'stuck-up twins' then, and had had a very difficult time.
'Don't mind Janet's teasing,' said Lucy Oriell, slipping her arm through Pat's. 'You know her bark is worse than her bite. Pat, I shan't see as much of you this term as I'd like, because I've been moved up into the second form.'
'I thought you would be,' said Pat, sadly. She and Isabel were very fond of Lucy. Lucy's father had had an accident the term before, which meant he could no longer do his usual work, and for a while every one had thought that the popular, merry-eyed Lucy would have to leave. But there was a chance that she could win a scholarship and stay on at St. Clare's, for she was very clever and quick. So she had been moved up and would now work with the scholarship girls.
'Margery's been moved up too,' said Lucy. Margery came up at that moment, a tall, older-looking girl. She gave the twins a slap on the back.
'Hallo!' she said. 'Did Lucy tell you the sad news? I'm in the second form too, and I feel very superior indeed to you tiddlers! And gosh-I'm working hard! Aren't I, Lucy?'
'You are,' said Lucy. Margery was her friend, and the two had been glad to be moved up together.
'Who else has been moved up?' asked Isabel, as they all went to the common room together.
Vera Johns, but that's all,' said Janet. 'Otherwise our form is the same-except for the new girls, of course. By the way, your Cousin Alison has palled up with one of them-an American girl, stiff-rich, called Sadie Greene. There she is, over there."
The twins looked for Sadie. There was no mistaking her. Although she wore the school uniform it was plain that her mother had got the very best material possible and had had it made by the very best dressmaker I It was plain too that her hair was permed, and her nails were polished so highly that each small finger-tip shone like a little mirror.
'Golly!' said Pat, staring. 'What a fashion-plate. What's she been sent to St. Clare's for?'
'Can't imagine,' said Janet. 'She thinks of nothing but her appearance, and nearly drives poor Mam'zelle mad. She has the most atrocious French accent you ever heard, and her American drawl is worst Hollywood. You should hear her say "Twenty-four!" The best she can manage is "Twenny-fourr-r-r-r-r-r!" No matter how many times Miss Roberts makes her repeat it. Honestly we've had some fun in English classes, I can tell you. Sadie's not a bad sort though-awfully good-tempered and generous really. But she's jolly bad for that silly cousin of yours. They walk together whenever we go out and talk of nothing but dresses and perms and film-actresses!'
'We'll have to take Alison in hand,' said Pat, firmly. 'I thought she looked a bit more feather-brained than usual when I saw her just now. I say-who's that? What a wild-looking creature!'
'That's our Carlotta,' said Hilary with a grin. 'She's half-Spanish, and has a fiercer temper than Mam'zelle's, and that's saying something I She speaks very badly, and has the most awful ideas-but she's pretty good fun. I can see a first-class row boiling up between her and Mam'zelle someday!'
'Oh, it is good to be back,' said Pat, thoroughly enjoying hearing all this exciting news. 'The new girls sound thrilling. I did hope there would be some. But I'm sorry the other three have gone up into the second form- I shall miss Lucy and Margery especially.'
Pat and Isabel had no prep to do that night but they had to unpack and put away their things instead. They left the noisy common room and went upstairs to their dormitory.
Hilary called after them. 'You're in Number Six, twins. I'm there, and Janet, and Prudence Arnold, a new girl, and Carlotta Brown. And Kathleen and Sheila are there too. You'll see which are your cubicles.'
The twins went up the broad stairway and made their way to the big dormitory. It was divided into eight cubicles, which had white curtains hung around them that could be pulled back or drawn round, just as the girls wished. Pat found their cubicles at once. They were side by side.
'Come on, let's be quick,' said Pat. 'I want to get down and have a talk again. There are still three new girls to hear about. I rather liked one of them-the one with the turned-up nose and crinkly eyes.'
'Yes, I liked her too,' said Isabel. 'She looked a monkey. I noticed she and Janet ragged each other a lot. I bet she's good at tricks too. I say-it looks as if we'll have some fun this term, Pat!'
They unpacked happily, and stowed their things away in the drawers of their chests. They hung up their dresses and coats in the cupboard, and set out the few things they had for their dressing-table. They put out the pictures of their father and mother, and their brushes and mirrors.
I expect we'd better go and see Matron and Miss Theobald,' said Pat, when they had finished. So down they went and made their way to Matron's room. She was there, sorting out piles of laundry. 'Come in! She called in her cheerful voice. She looked up and beamed at the twins.
'Two bad eggs back again!' she said. 'Dear dear- and I've had such a peaceful time without you for a whole week of term. Why couldn't you get the mumps and give me a little longer spell? Well-all I say is-don't you dare to go down with the mumps now, and start an epidemic of it!'