proud of her fifth-form sister.
“Everyone thinks you’re super,” she told Darrell. “You should see the way they turn out for practice now — on even the most disgusting days! I say — have I got a chance to get into one of the match-teams some day, Darrell? You might tell me.”
“I can only say that if you go on as you are doing you won’t be able to help getting in,” said Darrell, and Felicity gave a whoop of joy.
June was passing and gave her a sour look. She spoke to Gwyneth, the girl with her. “Talk about favouritism! You’ll see Darrell choosing her young sister before anyone else and putting her into the team.”
Darrell heard and was over beside June at once. “June! How dare you say a thing like that about a fifth-former! Just you wait a minute!”
She fished out the Punishment Book that all the fifth-formers were allowed to have and wrote down June’s name in it. She wrote something beside it, tore it out and gave it to June.
“There you are — a little hard work will keep you quiet, and teach you to guard that nasty tongue of yours!”
June took the paper sulkily. She glanced at it. Darrell had written:
“Learn three sonnets of Shakespeare’s, and say them to me or one of the other fifth-formers before Tuesday.”
June scowled. “I can’t do this,” she said. I’ve got something to learn for Alicia this week. I can’t do both.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to,” said Darrell. “I suppose you cheeked Alicia again. Well, we won’t have it. If you don’t learn manners now, and respect for your elders, you never will. You say those sonnets to me before Tuesday!”
She went off with Felicity. “June’s awful,” remarked Felicity. “If only she wasn’t so frightfully funny sometimes, I honestly would never speak to her. Nor would Susan. But she plays such idiotic tricks. She’s playing one tomorrow on Mam’zelle Dupont.”
“What is it?” asked Darrell, with interest. “I shouldn’t have thought there were any tricks left to play on poor old Mam’zelle.”
“Well, there are — and June plays them,” said Felicity. “And when I see Mam'zelle's face I laugh till I cry.”
“Yes, I know — I’ve laughed till I’ve ached too, sometimes,” said Darrell, remembering some of the jokes she and her form had played at times. “What’s June playing at tomorrow?”
“Oh, Darrell,” said Felicity, beginning to giggle as she thought of it. “She’s got a kind of flat balloon arrangement — well, she’s got four, in fact. And you put one under your blouse at the back and another in your front, and another under your skirt at the back, and the last one in front.”
Darrell chuckled. “Go on. I can guess what happens.”
“Well, June showed us,” said Felicity, beginning to laugh helplessly. “All the balloons are joined together by little tubes — and there’s an inflator you press to fill them and a deflator you pull out to empty them. When she pressed the inflator she swelled up, you see, and she looked simply frightful . Oh, dear — I laughed so much I couldn’t sit in my chair.”
Darrell laughed, too. “Well, that’s a new trick, certainly! I wish we’d had it when we were in the first form. Where does June get these tricks from? Alicia always got them from her brothers.”
“Oh, June gets advertisement booklets sent her from the firms that make conjuring tricks and funny tricks,” said Felicity. “I think she must spend all her pocket money on them.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a spot of conjuring in our pantomime,” said Darrell, thoughtfully. “Alicia is awfully good at conjuring. Yes — I’ll put a conjurer into the pantomime — it shall be Alicia! If you can borrow that book — or however many she’s got — from June, I’d like to look through them.”
“Right. But I won’t tell her you want it,” said Felicity. “You’ll be mud to her now, after giving her those sonnets to learn. June’s doing the trick
“Everyone thinks you’re super,” she told Darrell. “You should see the way they turn out for practice now — on even the most disgusting days! I say — have I got a chance to get into one of the match-teams some day, Darrell? You might tell me.”
“I can only say that if you go on as you are doing you won’t be able to help getting in,” said Darrell, and Felicity gave a whoop of joy.
June was passing and gave her a sour look. She spoke to Gwyneth, the girl with her. “Talk about favouritism! You’ll see Darrell choosing her young sister before anyone else and putting her into the team.”
Darrell heard and was over beside June at once. “June! How dare you say a thing like that about a fifth-former! Just you wait a minute!”
She fished out the Punishment Book that all the fifth-formers were allowed to have and wrote down June’s name in it. She wrote something beside it, tore it out and gave it to June.
“There you are — a little hard work will keep you quiet, and teach you to guard that nasty tongue of yours!”
June took the paper sulkily. She glanced at it. Darrell had written:
“Learn three sonnets of Shakespeare’s, and say them to me or one of the other fifth-formers before Tuesday.”
June scowled. “I can’t do this,” she said. I’ve got something to learn for Alicia this week. I can’t do both.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to,” said Darrell. “I suppose you cheeked Alicia again. Well, we won’t have it. If you don’t learn manners now, and respect for your elders, you never will. You say those sonnets to me before Tuesday!”
She went off with Felicity. “June’s awful,” remarked Felicity. “If only she wasn’t so frightfully funny sometimes, I honestly would never speak to her. Nor would Susan. But she plays such idiotic tricks. She’s playing one tomorrow on Mam’zelle Dupont.”
“What is it?” asked Darrell, with interest. “I shouldn’t have thought there were any tricks left to play on poor old Mam’zelle.”
“Well, there are — and June plays them,” said Felicity. “And when I see Mam'zelle's face I laugh till I cry.”
“Yes, I know — I’ve laughed till I’ve ached too, sometimes,” said Darrell, remembering some of the jokes she and her form had played at times. “What’s June playing at tomorrow?”
“Oh, Darrell,” said Felicity, beginning to giggle as she thought of it. “She’s got a kind of flat balloon arrangement — well, she’s got four, in fact. And you put one under your blouse at the back and another in your front, and another under your skirt at the back, and the last one in front.”
Darrell chuckled. “Go on. I can guess what happens.”
“Well, June showed us,” said Felicity, beginning to laugh helplessly. “All the balloons are joined together by little tubes — and there’s an inflator you press to fill them and a deflator you pull out to empty them. When she pressed the inflator she swelled up, you see, and she looked simply frightful . Oh, dear — I laughed so much I couldn’t sit in my chair.”
Darrell laughed, too. “Well, that’s a new trick, certainly! I wish we’d had it when we were in the first form. Where does June get these tricks from? Alicia always got them from her brothers.”
“Oh, June gets advertisement booklets sent her from the firms that make conjuring tricks and funny tricks,” said Felicity. “I think she must spend all her pocket money on them.”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a spot of conjuring in our pantomime,” said Darrell, thoughtfully. “Alicia is awfully good at conjuring. Yes — I’ll put a conjurer into the pantomime — it shall be Alicia! If you can borrow that book — or however many she’s got — from June, I’d like to look through them.”
“Right. But I won’t tell her you want it,” said Felicity. “You’ll be mud to her now, after giving her those sonnets to learn. June’s doing the trick
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