«Now listen, Joan; I want to tell you something», said Mrs. Townsend, sitting on the bed and cuddling Joan beside her. And she began to tell the little girl of her lost brother. «You see, I grieved so much for him, that I almost forgot I had a little daughter to make up for him», said Mrs. Townsend in a trembling voice. «You have always been so quiet and timid too, Joan – you never asked for things, never pushed yourself forward. So I never knew that you minded so much. You didn't say a word.»
«I couldn't», said Joan. «But I'm very happy now, Mother. This is the biggest surprise of my life. I understand things now! I do wish you had told me before. But it doesn't matter. Nothing matters now that I've got you close beside me, and I know you really do love me, and won't forget me again.»
«I will never forget you», said Mrs. Townsend. «I didn't think you minded at all – but now that I know what you have been thinking, I shall be the kind of mother you want. But you must hurry up and get better, mustn't you?»
«Oh, I feel much, much better already», said Joan. And indeed she looked quite different. When Matron came in, she was surprised to see such a happy-looking child.
«I shall want lots of dinner today!» said Joan. «Because Mother is going to have it with me, Matron, and she wants to see how much I can eat!»
As they were eating their dinner together they talked about Elizabeth. «I guessed that it was Elizabeth who sent those things, when you said it wasn't you», said Joan. «It was just the sort of mad, kind thing she would do! You know, Mother, she's the first real friend I've had, and I think she's splendid, though the first weeks she was here she was really the naughtiest, rudest girl in the school. The sad thing is – she's made up her mind to go at half-term, so I shan't have her very much longer.»
«I want to see Elizabeth», said Mrs. Townsend. «She wrote me such a funny, sad letter. If it hadn't been for her letter, and what she did for your birthday, we shouldn't have come to understand one another as we now do, Joan! And although she thinks she did a very wrong thing, somehow or other it has come right, because she really did mean to be kind.»
«Matron! Do you think Elizabeth might come and see me whilst my mother is here?» asked Joan, when Matron came in to take her temperature.
«We'll see what your temperature is doing», said Matron, pleased to see the empty plates. She slipped the thermometer into Joan's mouth. She waited a minute and then took it out again.
«Good gracious! Just below normal!» she said. «You are getting better quickly! Yes – I think Elizabeth might come. I'll send for her.» Elizabeth was practising her duet with Richard when the message came. One of the school maids brought it.
«Mrs. Townsend is in the San with Joan and says she would like to see you», said the maid. «Matron says you can go for twenty minutes.»
Elizabeth's heart sank. So Mrs. Townsend had come to the school! She had got her letter – and now she was here, and wanted to see Elizabeth!
«I don't want to go to the San», said Elizabeth. «Oh dear – isn't there any excuse I can make?»
«But I thought Joan was your friend?» said Richard in surprise.
«She is», said Elizabeth, «but you see – oh dear, I can't possibly explain. Things have just gone wrong, that's all.» The little girl put her music away, looking glum.
«Cheer up!» said Richard. «Things aren't so bad when you go and face them properly!»
«Well, I'll face them all right», said Elizabeth, throwing her curls back. «I wonder what's going to happen to me now?»
Chapter 22: Rita Talks to Elizabeth
Elizabeth went to the San. Matron was just coming out, smiling.
«How is Joan now?» asked Elizabeth.
«Much better!» said Matron. «We shall soon have her out and about again now.»
«Oh, good», said Elizabeth. «Can I go in?»
«Yes», said Matron. «You can stay for twenty minutes, till afternoon school. Talk quietly, and don't excite Joan at all.» Elizabeth went in. She shut the door quietly behind her. Joan was lying in a white bed under a big sunny window, and Mrs. Townsend was sitting beside her.
«And is this Elizabeth?» asked Mrs. Townsend with a welcoming smile. Elizabeth went forward and shook hands, thinking that Mrs. Townsend didn't look very angry after all. She bent over and kissed her friend.
«I'm so glad you're better, Joan», she said. «I do miss you.»
«Do you really?» said Joan, pleased. «I've missed you too.»
«Come here, Elizabeth», said Mrs. Townsend, drawing Elizabeth to her. «I want to thank you for your letter. I was so surprised to get it – and I know it must have been hard to write.»
«Yes, it was», said Elizabeth, «I was awfully afraid you would be angry with me when you got it, Mrs. Townsend. I meant to make Joan so happy on her birthday – and I didn't think she'd find out it wasn't you who sent the things! I know it was a silly thing to do, now.»
«Never mind», said Joan's mother. «It has made things come right in the end!»
«Have they come right?» asked Elizabeth in surprise, looking from Joan to her mother.
«Very right», said Mrs. Townsend, smiling. «Joan will tell you all we have said, one day, and you will understand how they went wrong. But now I want to tell you that I am very, very glad Joan has such a kind little friend. I know she will be much happier at Whyteleafe now that she has you. It is so horrid to have no friends at all.»
«Oh, Elizabeth, I do so wish you were staying on at Whyteleafe», sighed Joan, taking her friend's hand. «Couldn't you possibly, possibly stay?»
«Don't ask me to, Joan», said Elizabeth. «You know I've made up my mind to go, and it's feeble to change your mind once you've made it up! I've said I shall go, and if the Meeting says I can, I shall go back with my parents when they come to see me at half-term.»
«Do you think you will be able to come and see me at half-term?» asked Joan, turning to her mother.
«Yes, I will», answered Mrs. Townsend. «I hope by then that you will be up and about, and we will go to the next town, and spend the day there, Joan.»
«Oh, good», said Joan happily. It was the first time her mother had ever come to take her out at half-term, and the little girl was delighted. «I shall get better quickly now, so that I shall be ready for you at half-term!» A bell rang in the school. Elizabeth got up quickly.
«That's my bell», she said. «I must go. Good-bye, Mrs. Townsend, and thank you for being so nice about my letter. Good-bye, Joan. I'm so glad you're happy. I'll come and see you again if Matron will let me.» She ran off.
Mrs. Townsend turned to Joan. «She's a very nice child», she said. «How funny that she should have been so naughty at first – and what a pity she wants to leave! She's just the sort of girl that Whyteleafe School would be proud of.»
Elizabeth thought of Rita as she sat in class that afternoon, doing her painting. “I told Rita I would go to her as soon as I had an answer to my letter” she thought. “Well – I haven't exactly had an answer – and yet I do know the answer, because Mrs. Townsend came herself and told me!”
She wondered if she should go to Rita after tea. What should she tell her? She didn't know!
She need not have worried herself. Miss Belle and Miss Best had sent for Rita that day, and had told her about Elizabeth, and her queer letter to Joan's mother.
«She spent the money her uncle gave her on buying that big birthday cake for Joan, and other presents and cards», said Miss Belle. «That is where the money went, Rita!»
«But why didn't Elizabeth say so?» asked Rita, puzzled.
«Because if she explained that, the school would know Joan's unhappiness at being forgotten by her mother», said Miss Best. «If Elizabeth had been longer at Whyteleafe School, she would have gone to you, Rita, or to one of the monitors she trusted, and would have asked their advice – but she has been here such a short time, and is such a headstrong, independent child, that she takes matters into her own hands – and gets into trouble!»
«All the same, she has the makings of a very fine girl in her», said Miss Belle. «She is fearless and brave, kind and clever, and although she has been the naughtiest, rudest girl we have ever had, that only lasted for a little while.»
«Yes», said Rita, «I liked her almost from the beginning, although she has been very difficult. But she really is the sort of girl we want at Whyteleafe. I'm afraid now, though, that she will go home, for we have promised that she shall, if she wants to.»
«You must send for her and have a talk with her, Rita», said Miss Best. «She was supposed to come and tell you when she had an answer to her letter to Mrs. Townsend, wasn't she? Well – we know the answer now – and it is not an answer that can be explained fully to a School Meeting. Have a talk with Elizabeth, and then decide what to do. I think you will feel that although Elizabeth did wrong, the kindness that was at the bottom of it more than makes up for the upset she caused!»
«Yes, I think so too», agreed Rita, who had been very interested in all that Miss Belle and Miss Best had told her. She was glad to know that Elizabeth had spent the pound on somebody else, glad that it was only kindness that had caused such a disturbance! She went out to look for Elizabeth.
It was after tea. Elizabeth was running to see if Matron would let her sit with Joan again. She bumped into Rita round a corner.
«Good gracious! What a hurricane you are!» said Rita, her breath bumped out of her. «You're just the person I want to see. Come to my study.» Rita had a little room of her own, a study all to herself, because she was Head Girl. She was very proud of it, and had made it as nice as she could. Elizabeth had never been in it before, and she looked round in pleasure.
«What a dear little room!» she said. «I like the blue carpet – and the blue tablecloth – and the pictures and flowers. Is this your very own room?»
«Yes», said Rita. «William has one too. His is just as nice as mine. He is coming here in a minute. Have a sweet, Elizabeth?» Rita took down a tin from the small cupboard and offered it to Elizabeth, who at once took a toffee. Elizabeth wondered what Rita and William were going to say to her. There was a knock at the door, and William strolled in.
«Hallo», he said, smiling at Elizabeth. «How's the Bold Bad Girl?» Elizabeth laughed. She liked William calling her that, though she had hated the name not so very long ago.
«Elizabeth, William and I know now what you spent that pound on, and why you did it», said Rita. «And we want to say that we quite see that you couldn't tell the Meeting.»
«And we shan't tell the Meeting either», said William, sitting down in Rita's cosy arm-chair.
«But won't you have to?» asked Elizabeth in surprise.
«No», said William. «Rita and I are the judges of what can be told the Meeting, and what need not be explained, if we think best. We shall simply say that we have had a satisfactory answer and explanation, and that the matter is now finished.»
«Oh, thank you», said Elizabeth. «It wasn't really myself I was thinking of, you know, it was Joan.»
«We know that now», said Rita. «You tried to do a right thing in a wrong way, Elizabeth! If you had been at Whyteleafe a little longer, you would have done things differently – but you haven't been here long enough.»
«No, I haven't», said Elizabeth. «I do see that I have learnt a lot already, but I haven't learnt enough. I wish I was wise like you and William.»
«Well, why not stay and learn to be?» said William with a laugh. «You are just the sort of girl we want, Elizabeth. You would make a fine monitor, later on.»
«Me! A monitor!» cried Elizabeth, most astonished. «Oh, I'd never, never be a monitor! Good gracious!»
«It may sound funny to you now, Elizabeth», said William. «But in a term or two you would be quite responsible and sensible enough to be made one.»
«I'd simply love to be a monitor, and sit in the jury!» said Elizabeth. «Whatever would Mummy say – and Miss Scott, my old governess, would never, never believe it. She said I was so spoilt I would never do anything worth while!»
«You are spoilt!» said Rita, smiling. «But you would soon get over that. What about staying on, Elizabeth, and seeing what you can do?»
«I'm beginning to feel it would be nice», said Elizabeth. «But I can't change my mind, I said I meant to go home at half-term, and I'm going to. It's only feeble people that change their minds, and say first one thing and then another. I'm not going to be like that.»
«I wonder where you got that idea from?» said William. «I mean, the idea that it's feeble to change your mind once it's made up? That's a wrong idea, you know.»
«Wrong?» said Elizabeth, in surprise.
«Of course», said William. «Make up your mind about things, by all means – but if something happens to show that you are wrong, then it is feeble not to change your mind, Elizabeth. Only the strongest people have the pluck to change their minds, and say so, if they see they have been wrong in their ideas.»
«I didn't think of that», said Elizabeth, feeling puzzled.
«Well, don't puzzle your head too much about things», said William, getting up. «I must go. Think about what we have said, Elizabeth. The next Meeting will be your last one, if you are leaving us – and we shall keep our word to you and let you go if you want to. You can tell your parents when they come to see you at half-term, and Miss Belle and Miss Best will explain everything to them. But we shall be sorry to lose the naughtiest girl in the school!»
Elizabeth left the study, her head in a whirl. She did like William and Rita so much. But she couldn't change her mind – she would be so ashamed to climb down and say she had been wrong!
Chapter 23: Elizabeth Fights With Herself
The next day or two were very pleasant. Elizabeth was allowed to see Joan whenever she liked, and she took her some more flowers from John. She also took her a jigsaw puzzle from Helen, and a book from Nora.
Joan was looking very pretty and very happy. Her mother had gone, leaving behind her a big box of velvety peaches, a tin of barley sugar, and some books. But best of all she had left Joan a promise that never, never would she let Joan think she was forgotten again.
«It's all because of you, Elizabeth», said Joan, offering her friend a barley sugar to suck. «Oh, Elizabeth – do please stay on at Whyteleafe. Don't make me unhappy by leaving, just as I've got to know you!»
«There are plenty of other people for you to make friends with», said Elizabeth, sucking the barley sugar.
«I don't want them», said Joan. «They would seem feeble after you, Elizabeth. I say – have you been looking after my rabbit for me?»
«Of course», said Elizabeth. «Oh, Joan, it's the dearest little thing you ever saw! Really it is. Do you know, it knows me now when I go to feed it, and it presses its tiny woffly nose against the wire to welcome me! And yesterday it nuzzled itself into the crook of my arm and stayed there quite still time the school bell rang and I had to go.»
«Harry came to see me this morning and he said he wishes you were not leaving, because he wants to give us two more baby rabbits, to live with my tiny one», said Joan. «He said they could be between the two of us.»
«Oh», said Elizabeth, longing for the two rabbits. «Really, if I'd known what a nice place Whyteleafe School was, I'd never have made up my mind to leave it!» She had to go then, because it was time for her music-lesson. She rushed to get her music. Richard was in the music-room, waiting for her with Mr. Lewis.
The two were getting on well with their duets. Richard was pleased with Elizabeth now, for he knew that she really loved music, as he did, and was willing to work hard at it. They played two duets very well indeed for Mr. Lewis.
«Splendid!» he said. «Elizabeth, I'm pleased with you. You've practised well since your last lesson, and got that difficult part perfect now. Now – play Richard your sea-piece that you love so much.»
Elizabeth was proud to play to Richard, for she thought him a wonderful player. She played her best. Mr. Lewis and Richard listen
ed without a word or a movement till she had finished.
«She ought to play that at the school concert at the end of the term», said Richard, when the piece was ended. «It's fine!»
Elizabeth glowed with pleasure. She liked praise from Richard even more than praise from the music-master.
«That's what I suggested to her», said Mr. Lewis, sitting down at the piano and playing some beautiful chords. «But she doesn't want to.»
«I do want to!» cried Elizabeth indignantly. «It's only that I'm leaving soon.»
«Oh – that silly old story again», said Richard in disgust. «I thought better of you, Elizabeth. You can stay here if you want to – but you're just too jolly obstinate for words. Your music may be good – but I don't think much of your common sense.» He stalked off without another word, his music rolled under his arm. Elizabeth felt half angry, half tearful. She hated being spoken to like that by Richard.
«I expect Richard is disappointed with you because I know he hoped that you and he would play the duets in the concert this term», explained Mr. Lewis. «He'll have to play them with Harry now – and though Harry likes music, he's not a good player.»
Elizabeth finished her music-lesson without saying very much. She was thinking hard. She was in a muddle. She wanted to stay – and she wanted to go, because her pride told her to keep her word to herself, and leave.
She went out to do some gardening when her lesson was over. She and John had become very friendly indeed over the garden. Elizabeth did not mind working hard with John, and he was pleased.
«So many of the others like to pick the flowers, and trim the hedges when they feel like it», he said, «but hardly anybody really works hard. When the tiny plants have to be bedded out, or the kitchen garden has to be hoed, who is there that offers to do it? Nobody!»
«Well, aren't I somebody?» demanded Elizabeth. «Don't I come?»
«Oh yes – but what's the use of you?» said John. «You're leaving soon, aren't you? You can't take a real interest in a garden that you won't ever see again. If you were going to stay I would make all my plans with you – I believe Mr. Johns would let you take part-charge of the garden with me. It really would be fun.»