Lillipilly Hill by Eleanor Spence

under his arm.
    For once Harriet did not glance continually about her, in search of wild flowers and animals and insects. She did lift her head once to listen to the excited chatter of a group of gillbirds, and to watch a formation of black swans pass far above, across the milky sky towards the sea. But for the most part her thoughts raced ahead of her feet, in the direction of the schoolhouse. She wondered whether Dinny would keep her promise, and whether Aidan and Rose-Ann would welcome it.
    As they came in sight of the school, Aidan drew even farther away from the rest of the party. To be escorted to school at all was bad enough, but to be conducted thither by a loud-voiced servant-girl was too much of an indignity altogether. He ducked through the sliprail, and stood aloofly under a near-by pine, while Polly took her leave of the girls.
    The Wilmots had arrived early, and only half a dozen children were as yet grouped in the shade. Dinny was not one of them. Acutely conscious of six pairs ofstaring, intensely inquisitive eyes, Harriet yet mustered the courage to gaze at the strange new faces. Five of the children were quite small, ragged, sunburnt little creatures, all barefoot and bareheaded. The sixth was a boy, larger than Aidan, and the proud possessor of a grown-up waistcoat. He was not particularly prepossessing, having a pudgy, sullen face, and bristling hair.
    â€˜What’s that pile of books for?’ he demanded of Aidan, without preamble.
    â€˜To read, of course,’ said Aidan, his nervousness making him sound more precise and aloof than ever.
    The other boy sniggered, and his laughter was echoed dutifully by the younger children. Harriet flushed, and Rose-Ann edged away towards the fence, already entertaining notions of flight.
    â€˜We don’t wear fancy white collars at this school,’ went on the big boy. ‘We leave that to the girls—don’t we?’
    A chorus of assent came from his followers.
    â€˜Do you leave your manners behind, too?’ asked Aidan, and turned his back on them.
    The boy was for a moment baffled, being somewhat slow-witted, and less ready with his tongue than with his fists. One of the smaller children ventured to laugh at Aidan’s retort, and that annoyed the big boy still further.
    â€˜Don’t you speak to me like that!’ he bellowed, darting round to peer into Aidan’s face. ‘What’s your name, anyway?’
    â€˜Aidan Wilmot. What’s yours?’
    The other boy ignored the question. He turned delightedly to his followers.
    â€˜D’you hear that? Aidan! Will we call him Ada?’
    â€˜Ada! Ada!’ came the joyful chorus.
    Harriet could stand it no longer.
    â€˜Hit him, Aidan! Go on—punch him on the nose!’
    But Aidan merely shook his head, and strode off towards the schoolhouse.
    â€˜He’s scared!’ said one of the little boys, in a disappointed voice. ‘Why don’t he fight? He’s nearly as big as Paddy.’
    â€˜Yeah, your brother’s scared,’ repeated a small, tow-headed girl at Harriet’s elbow.
    â€˜He is not!’ cried Harriet. ‘He just doesn’t want to get his hands dirty touching that big bully!’
    The boy thus described lifted a hand menacingly, and Rose-Ann began to cry. Harriet, standing her ground, was none the less greatly relieved to see a familiar figure burst through the fence, and to hear Dinny’s shout: ‘Get away from her, Paddy Tolly, before I go and tell your Ma on you!’
    Although Dinny had no supporters, except for twovery small boys clutching her hands, Paddy and his band speedily withdrew, muttering vague threats as they went.
    â€˜You don’t want to let Paddy scare you,’ said Dinny. ‘He’s as stupid as one of our broody chooks.’
    â€˜I wasn’t scared,’ Harriet declared stoutly.
    â€˜But she was,’ said Dinny, indicating the trembling Rose-Ann. ‘And where’s