Malory Towers - In The Fifth At Malory Towers Part 8

Bill's solidness and matter-of-fact voice made everyone feel more normal. They watched Bill and Clarissa go out of the room.

'Well - I don't somehow feel that was quite such a success as we hoped,' said Sally. 'Actually I feel rather low-down.'

'So do I,' said Darrell. 'Maureen is a conceited a.s.s, of course, and badly needed taking down a peg - but I'm afraid we've taken her down more pegs than we meant to.'

'It won't hurt her,' said Gwen, in a smug voice. 'She thinks too much of herself. I can't think why she's attached herself to me all these weeks.'

Alicia couldn't resist this. 'Like calls to like, dear Gwen,' she said. 'Deep calls to deep. You're as like as two peas, you and Maureen. It's been a sweet sight to see you two together.'

'You don't really mean that, Alicia?' said Gwen, after a surprised and hurt silence. 'We're not really alike, Maureen and I. You've let your tongue run away with you as usual.'

'Think about it, dear Gwendoline Mary,' Alicia advised her. 'Do you babble endlessly about your dull family and doings? So does Maureen. Do you think the world of yourself? So does Maureen. Do you think you'd be the one and only person fit to be Cinderella in the play? So does Maureen.'

Gwen sprang to her feet and pointed her finger at Moira. 'Oh! Just because you found me with my hair down in the dormy the other day, and a towel round my shoulders you went and told the others that I wanted to be Cinderella!'

'Well, I didn't realize it until I caught Maureen doing exactly the same thing,' said Moira. 'Both of you posing with your hair loose and things draped round you! Alicia's perfectly right. You're as like as two peas. You ought to be friends. You're almost twins!'

'But - I don't like Maureen,' said Gwen, in a loud and angry tone.

'I'm not surprised,' said Alicia's smooth voice, a whole wealth of meaning in it. ' You should know what she's like, shouldn't you - seeing that you're almost twins!'

Gwen went stamping out of the room, fuming. Darrell drummed on the table with a pencil. 'I'm not awfully pleased about all this,' she said, in rather a small voice. 'Too much spite and malice about!'

Gwen suddenly put her head in at the door again and addressed Moira.

'I'll get even with you for telling the girls about me and Maureen in front of the gla.s.s!' she said. 'You'll see - I'll pay you back, head-girl or no head-girl!'

Moira frowned and Belinda automatically reached for her pencil. A very fine scowl! But Darrell took the pencil away with a beseeching look.

'Not this time,' she said. 'There's too much spite in this room this evening.'

'All right - Saint Darrell!' said Belinda, and Darrell had to laugh.

Moira came over to her. 'Let's change the subject,' she said. 'What about the house-matches? Let's have a look at the kids you've put in.'

Darrell got out the lists. Moira, as head-girl, took an interest in the matches in which the fifth-formers played, and because she liked games, she was interested too in the lower-school players. It was about the only thing that she and Darrell saw eye-to-eye about. Soon they were deep in discussion, weighing up the merits of one player against another.

'This match against Wellsbrough,' said Darrell. 'Next week's match, I mean, with the fourth team playing Wellsbrough's fourth team. I've put young Susan in - and I'd like to put my young sister, Felicity in. What do you think, Moira?'

'Good gracious, yes' said Moira. 'She's absolutely first-cla.s.s. Super! Runs like the wind and never misses a catch. She must have been practising like anything!'

'She has,' said Darrell. 'I just hesitated because - well, because she's my sister, and I was a bit afraid I might be showing favouritism, you know.'

'Rot!' said Moira. 'You'd be showing yourself a bad captain if you didn't stick the best kids into the team! And I insist on your putting Felicity in!'

Darrell laughed. She was pleased. 'Oh, all right, seeing that you insist!' she said, and wrote Felicity's name down. 'Gosh, she'll be pleased.'

'How's June shaping?' called Alicia. 'I've seen her practising quite a bit lately. Turning over a new leaf do you think?'

'Well - not really,' said Darrell. 'I mean - she practises a lot - but when I coach her she's as off-hand as ever. Never a word of thanks, and always ready to argue. I can't put her into a match-team yet. She simply doesn't understand the team spirit - you know, always plays for herself, and not for the side.'

'Yes, you're right,' said Moira. 'I've noticed that, too. Can't have anyone in the team who isn't willing to pull their weight.'

Darrell glanced curiously at Moira. How much nicer Moira was over this games question than over anything else! She was fair and just and interested. She forgot to be domineering and opinionated. What a pity she was head of the form - she might have been so much nicer if she had had to knuckle down to someone else.

'Could you take the lists down for me and put them up on the sports board?' she said to Moira. 'I've got a whole heap of things to do still.'

Moira took the list just as Catherine hurried to offer to take it. 'I'll take it,' said Catherine, who seemed to think it was only right she should be a doormat for everyone.

'No thanks, Saint Catherine,' said Moira, and Catherine went red with humiliation. She had done so much for Moira, been so nice to her, taken such a lot of donkey-work off her shoulders - and all she got was that scornful, hateful name - Saint Catherine. She gave Moira an unexpectedly spiteful look.

Darrell saw it and s.h.i.+vered impatiently. 'I don't like all this spitefulness going about,' she thought to herself. 'It always boils up into something beastly. Fancy the saintly Catherine giving her beloved Moira such a poisonous look!'

Moira went down with the lists. She pinned the list of names for the Fourth Team up first, heading it, 'TEAM FOR WELLSBROUGH MATCH'. Immediately a crowd of excited first-formers swarmed round her.

'Felicity! You're in, you're in!' yelled somebody, and Felicity's face glowed happily.

'So's Susan. But you're not, June,' said another voice. 'Fancy - and you've been practising so hard. Shame!'

'Oh well - what do you expect - Darrell would be sure to put her sister in,' said June's voice. She was bitterly disappointed, but she spoke in her usual jaunty manner.

Moira heard. 'June! Apologize at once! Darrell shows no favouritism at all. She was half-inclined to leave Felicity out. I insisted she should be put in. Apologize immediately.'

'Well,' began June, defiantly, ready to argue, but Moira was insistent.

'I said, "Apologize". You heard me. Do as you're told.'

'I apologize,' said June, sulkily. 'But I bet it was you who missed me out!'

'I told Darrell that I wouldn't have anyone in the match-team who didn't play for the team and not for themselves,' said Moira, curtly. 'You don't pull your weight. You practise and practise - and then in a game all you want to do is to go your own way, and blow the others! Not my idea of a good sportsman. Think about it, June.'

She walked off, not caring in the least what the first-formers thought of her outspokenness. June said nothing. She looked rather queer, Susan thought. She went up to her.

'It was mean to say all that in front of us,' she began. 'She should have . . .'

'What does it matter?' said June, suddenly jaunty again. 'Do you suppose I care tuppence for Moira, or Darrell or Alicia - or any of those stuck-up fifth-formers?'

15 GRAND MEETING.

A GRAND meeting was called to discuss the pantomime, the casting of the characters, and the times of rehearsal. Darrell had finished her writing, and Irene had completed the music. Everything was ready for rehearsal.

All the fifth-formers attended the meeting in the North Tower common-room. It was very crowded. A fire burned in the big fire-place, for it was now October and the nights were cold.

Moira was in the chair. Catherine - rather a quiet and sulky Catherine, not quite so free with her beaming smile - was at her left hand, ready to provide her with anything she wanted. The committee sat on chairs on each side of the table.

Moira banged on the table with a book, and shouted for silence. She got it. People always automatically obeyed Moira! She had that kind of voice, crisp and curt.

The meeting began. Darrell was called upon to explain the pantomime and the characters in it. She was also asked to read the first act.

Very flushed and excited she gave the listening fifth-formers a short summary of the pantomime. They listened with much approval. It sounded very good.

Then, stammering a little at first, Darrell read the first act of the pantomime, just as she had written it, dialogue, songs, stage directions and everything. There was a deep silence as she read on.

'That's the end of the act,' she said at last, raising her eyes half-shyly, not absolutely certain if she had carried her listeners with her or not.

There was no doubt about that a second later. The girls stamped and clapped and cheered. Darrell was so pleased that she felt hot with joy, and had to wipe her forehead dry.

Moira banged for silence.

'Well, you've all heard what a jolly good play Darrell and Sally have got together,' she said. 'Darrell did most of it - but Sally was splendid too. You can tell it will bring the house down if we can produce it properly.'

'Who's going to produce it?' called Betty.

'I am,' said Moira, promptly. 'Any objections?'

There were quite a lot of doubtful faces. n.o.body really doubted Moira's ability to produce a pantomime - but they did doubt her talent for getting the best out of people. She rubbed them up the wrong way so much.

'I think it would be better to have two producers,' said somebody.

'Right,' said Moira, promptly. She didn't mind how many there were so long as she was one of them. She meant to be the real producer, anyway. 'Who do you want?'

'Betty, Betty!' shrieked half the fifth-formers. It was obviously planned. Moira frowned a little. Betty! Alicia's laughing, careless, clever friend.

'Yes - let Betty,' said Alicia, suddenly. She felt that she wouldn't be able to work happily with Moira alone for long. But two producers would be easier. She could consult with Betty all the time!

Betty grinned round and took her place on one of the committee chairs. 'Thanks,' she said. 'I'll produce the goods all right!'

'Now to choose the characters,' said Moira. 'We have more or less worked them out. I'll read them.'

Gwendoline and Maureen held their breath. Was there any hope of being Cinderella? Or even the Fairy-G.o.dmother? Or the Prince?

Moira read the list out.

'Cinderella - Mary-Lou.'

There was a gasp from Mary-Lou, Gwen and Maureen - of amazement from Mary-Lou and disappointment from the others.

'Oh - I can't!' said Mary-Lou.

'You can,' said Darrell. 'We want someone sort of pathetic-looking - a bit scary - someone appealing and big-eyed - and it has to be someone who can act and someone who can sing.'

'And you're exactly right for the part,' said Sally. 'That's right - make your eyes big and scared, Mary-Lou - you're poor little Cinderella to the life!'

Everyone laughed. Mary-Lou had to laugh, too. Her eyes began to s.h.i.+ne. 'I never thought you'd choose me,' she said.

'Well, we have,' said Darrell. 'You can act very well and you've a nice singing voice, though it's not very loud.'

'The Prince - Mavis,' said Moira. Everyone knew that already. The Prince had a lot of singing to do and Mavis would do that wonderfully well. Her voice was beautiful again, and Irene had written some lovely tunes for her to sing to Darrell's words. Everyone clapped.

'The Baron - Bill,' said Moira, and there was a delighted laugh.

'Oh yes! Bill stamping about in riding-breeches, calling for her horse!' cried Clarissa in delight.

'Fairy-G.o.dmother - Louella,' said Moira. Everyone looked at Louella who came from South Tower, and had a tall, slim figure, golden curls and a good clear voice.

'Hurray!' shouted all the South Tower girls, glad to have someone from their tower in a good part.

'b.u.t.tons - the little boots - Rachel,' went on Moira. 'Rachel can act jolly well and she's had the same part before, so she ought to do it well.'

'Who are the Ugly Sisters?' called a voice.

Gwen's heart suddenly gave a lurch and sank down into her shoes. Ugly Sisters! Suppose she had been chosen to be one? She couldn't, couldn't bear it. She saw Alicia gating at her maliciously and felt sure she had been chosen.

She simply couldn't bear it. She got up, saying she didn't feel very well, and went towards the door. Alicia smiled. She could read Gwen's thoughts extremely well. Gwen was going because she was afraid her name would be read out next as one of the Ugly Sisters.

'Your heart worrying you again?' called one of the West Tower girls to Gwen, and everyone laughed. Gwen disappeared. She made up her mind not to go back till the meeting was over.

Maureen was also worried about the same thing. She thought about her rabbit-teeth. Moira might think she was made for an Ugly Sister. Why, oh why hadn't she been sensible and had her teeth straightened when she had a chance? She drew her upper lip over them to try and hide them.

'Ugly Sisters - Pat - and Rita!' said Moira, and there was an instant roar of approval from the girls.

Pat and Rita looked round humorously. They were twins, and certainly not ugly - but they had upturned comical noses, eyes very wide-set, and hair that flew out in a shock. They were comical, good at acting, and would make a splendid pair of Ugly Sisters.

'Thanks, Moira!' called out Rita. 'That suits us down to the ground - right down to our big ugly feet!'

'Demon King - Alicia' said Moira, and again there was a great roar of approval, led by a delighted Betty.

Moira beamed round, looking quite pleasant. 'Alicia's going to do juggling and conjuring as well as leap about the stage like a demon,' she said. 'I can't think of anyone else who could be a demon so successfully.'

More shrieks of approval. Miss James, not far off, wondered what in the world was happening. It sounded as if about fifty thousand spectators at a football match were yelling themselves hoa.r.s.e.

'Jolly good casting!' called somebody. 'Go on!'

'Well, now we come to the servants and courtiers and so on,' said Moira. 'That means the rest of you. There's a part for everyone, even though it may be small.'

'What about Darrell?' called a voice.

'Darrell's written the play and will help in the producing,' said Moira. 'Sally will help her too. They won't be in it because their hands will be full. We're going to ask Pop if he'll do the electricity part - he'll love it.'

Pop was the handyman of the school, very much beloved, and quite invaluable on these occasions.

'It all sounds jolly good,' said Winnie. 'When are the rehearsals?'