“But why aren’t they going back?”
“Why, silly, because they can’t keep it up, I suppose. If you’ve any sense, you won’t mention Rotherwood to Ingred again. It’s evidently a sore point. Don’t for goodness sake, go rubbing it into her.”
“I wasn’t going to!” grumbled Beatrice. “Surely I can make an innocent remark without you beginning to preach to me like this! I call it cheek!”
Verity did not reply. She had had too many squabbles with Beatrice in the past to want to begin a fresh campaign on the first day of a new term. She discreetly pretended not to hear, and addressing Francie Hall, launched into an account of her doings during the holidays.
“We’re moving out to Repworth at the September quarter,” she concluded. “And it’s too far for me to bicycle in to school every day, so I’ve started as a boarder at the hostel. I shall go home for weekends, though. Nora Clifford and Fil Trevor are there too. They’ll be glad Ingred’s come. With four of us out of one form, things ought to be rather jinky. Hullo, here they are! I say, girls, let’s go to our diggings.”
The two girls who came strolling up arm-in-arm were the most absolute contrast. Nora was large-limbed, plump, rosy, with short-cut hair, a lively manner, and any amount of confidence. Without being exactly pretty, she gave a general impression of jolly, healthy girlhood, and reminded one of an old-fashioned, sweet-scented cabbage rose that had just burst into bloom. Dainty little Filomena might, on the other hand, be described as the most delicate of tea roses. She was fair to a fault, a lily-white maid with the silkiest of flaxen tresses. Her pale-blue eyes, with their light lashes, and rather colorless little face with its straight features were of the petite fairy type. You felt instinctively that, like a Dresden china vase, she was made more for ornament than for use, and nobody—even schoolmistresses—expected too much from her. Experience had shown them that they did not get it.
For two years, ever since her mother’s death, Fil had been a boarder at the College, and because at first she had been such a pathetic little figure in her deep mourning, the girls had petted her, and had continued an indulgent attitude long after the black dress had been exchanged for colors. If Fil had rather got into the habit of posing as the mascot of the form, she certainly deserved some consideration, for she was a dear little thing, with a very sweet temper, and never made any of the ill-natured remarks that some of the other girls flung about like missiles. She was so manifestly unfitted to take her own part that somebody else invariably took it for her.
Verity Richmond, who, with Nora, Filomena and Ingred, represented Va in the hostel, was a brisk, up-to-date, go-ahead girl, full of fun and high spirits. She was a capital mimic, and had a turn for repartee that, quite good-naturedly, laid any adversary flat in the dust. If Nora and Fil were like rose and lily, she was decidedly the robin of the party. Her fair complexion seemed to add force to the brightness of her twinkling brown eyes, and her general restlessness and quick alert ways made one think of a bird always hopping about. Though not quite such a romp as Nora, she was ready for any fun that was going, and intended to get as much enjoyment as possible out of the coming term. She linked herself now on to Fil’s disengaged arm, taking the latter’s pile of books with her own and began towing her two friends in the direction of the hostel.
“I’ve hardly had time even for a squint at our dormitory yet,” she announced. “Mrs. Best said I was late, and made me pop down my bag and fly; but she told me we were all four together, so I went off with an easy mind. I’d been worrying for fear I’d be boxed up with some kids, or sandwiched in among the Sixth. I told you Ingred was to be with us, didn’t I? Let’s go and hunt her out; she’ll have wiped her eyes and got over her jim-jams by now. We’ll have time to do some unpacking before tea, if they’ve carried up our boxes.”
The hostel was a separate house, built at the opposite side of the school playground. It could accommodate thirty girls, and twenty-six were already entered on its register. After a brief peep into the attractive dining-hall, and an equally pleasant-looking boarders’ sitting-room, the three girls went upstairs to a dormitory marked 2. They found Ingred already at work on her task of unpacking, putting clothes away in drawers, and spreading the shelf that served as a dressing-table with an assortment of photos, books, and toilet requisites. She looked rather in the dumps, but it was impossible for anybody to remain gloomy when in the presence of such lively spirits as Nora and Verity, and by the time the gong sounded for tea she had cheered up, and was sitting on her bed discussing school news.
“Look here!” said Verity. “If we want to have a jolly term we four must stick together. Let’s make a compact that, both in school and in the hostel, we’ll support each other through thick and thin. We’ll be a sort of society of Freemasons. I haven’t made up any secrets yet, but whoever betrays them will be outlawed! Let’s call ourselves ‘The Foursome League.’ Now then, put your right hands all together on mine, and say after me: ‘I hereby promise and vow on my honor as a gentlewoman that I’ll stand by my chums in No. 2 Dormitory at any cost.’ That’s a good beginning. When we’ve time, we’ll draw up the rules. Subscriptions? Oh, bother! You can each give sixpence if you like, and we’ll spend the money on a chocolate feast. Remember, Fil, not
