'Ah, this is worse than ever!' cried Mam'zelle. 'So they were there all the time and I could not even see them! And alas, alas ' still the beetles they crawl over my desk! I am ill! I must leave you! You will go on with your French quietly, please, and wait till Miss Roberts come back. I am ill ' tr's malade, tr's malade! '
Mam'zelle left the room stooping like an old woman. The class were startled and dismayed. This was not the right ending for a joke at all! Mam'zelle had taken it really seriously. She had believed Janet and Doris when they had assured her that the insects were not there. The girls stared at one another in dismay. Janet picked the insects off the desk and put them carefully out of the window.
'Janet, I don't like this,' Lucy said in her clear voice. 'We've given Mam'zelle a real shock. It sounded to me as if she hadn't been feeling well for ages and thought that our joke was all part of her illness. I wish we hadn't done it now.'
Everyone wished the same. Nobody giggled. Janet wished that Mam'zelle had seen through the joke and had punished her. This was much worse than any punishment. The girls took up their pens and got on with their work, each feeling decidedly uncomfortable.
In about ten minutes Miss Theobald came in. The girls stood up at once. The Head Mistress glanced at the board and at the girls' books. She saw that they were working and she was pleased.
'Girls,' she said, in her low pleasant voice. 'I am sorry to tell you that Mam'zelle is sure she is ill, so she will not come back to you this morning. I have sent for the doctor. Please get on with what work you can, and wait until Miss Roberts returns.'
She went out. The girls sat down. They felt more uncomfortable than ever. Janet went very red. She kicked herself for playing such a trick now. She thought about Mam'zelle and her bad temper. Could it have been because she was feeling ill?
The first form was so subdued that morning that Miss Roberts was quite astonished. She kept looking at the bent heads and wondering what was the matter. But nobody told her.
At the end of the morning there was a regular buzz of talk in the common room. 'Did you know that Mam'zelle is very ill? Whose form was she in when she was taken ill? Oh, yours, Margery? What happened? Did she faint or something?'
Nobody gave Janet away. They all felt that she was sorry about the trick, and they were ashamed too ' so they said nothing about the joke at all. It had gone very wrong and goodness knows how it could be put right.
Mam'zelle was put to bed, and Matron went to see to her. Poor Mam'zelle was more worried about her eyes than about anything else. She kept telling Matron about the insects she had seen, and she declared she was afraid to go to sleep in case her nightmare came back.
Janet went to ask Matron how Mam'zelle was after tea. The doctor had been, so Matron was able to tell the girl all the news.
'It's overwork and strain,' she told Janet. 'Poor Mam'zelle's sister was ill all the Christmas holidays and she went to nurse her. She nursed her day and night, and got very little rest or sleep herself. So she came back tired out, and instead of taking things easy, she worked herself all the harder. I know you girls thought her very bad-tempered and irritable this term ' but that's the explanation!'
'Did she ' did she say anything about her spectacle case?' asked Janet.
Matron stared at Janet in surprise. 'What do you know about her spectacle case?' she said. 'As a matter of fact something seems to be worrying poor Mam'zelle terribly. She keeps saying that her eyes are going wrong because she saw insects coming out of her spectacle case ' and she daren't go to sleep and get the rest she needs because she is so afraid she will dream that insects are crawling over her. She is in a very over-tired state!'
Janet went away to tell the others. So that was the explanation of Mam'zelle's bad temper that term! She had been nursing her sister day and night ' and knowing Mam'zelle's zeal and thoroughness, Janet could well imagine that she had spared herself nothing in the holidays. Mam'zelle had the kindest heart in the world, in spite of her hot temper.
'I do feel simply awful about that trick,' said Janet to Pat. 'I really do. I've got a good mind to go into Mam'zelle's room and tell her about it to set her mind at rest. I simply daren't tell Miss Roberts or Miss Theobald.'
'Well, go and tell Mam'zelle then,' said Pat.
'That's a good idea. Take her some flowers from me. And some from Isabel too.'
Every one in the class put money towards flowers for Mam'zelle. As the next day was Saturday they were able to go down into the town to buy them. They bought daffodils narcissi, anemones and primroses. They all felt so guilty that they spent far more money than they could really afford.
Miss Roberts saw the girls coming back with their flowers, and stared in amazement.
'What's this ' a flower-show?' she asked.
'They're for Mam'zelle,' said Hilary, which astonished Miss Roberts all the more, for she had heard the bitter complaints of her form about the amount of work set by Mam'zelle that term, and her bad temper when it was not done properly.
'These first-formers aloud to them. 'This very bad night, so I can take the flowers
have really kind hearts,' thought Miss Roberts. She spoke is very nice of you. Mam'zelle will be pleased. She had a don't expect any of you will be allowed to see her. But you to Matron to give to her.'
But that wasn't Janet's plan at all! She was going to see Mam'zelle somehow, whatever Matron said!
Chapter 22: Last Week of Term
Pat and Isabel kept watch for Matron after tea that day. They were to tell Janet when she was not about so that Janet might slip in by herself. Janet was not going to take the flowers in with her. They were outside the room in a cupboard and
Janet meant to go and fetch them as a kind of peace-offering when she had confessed everything to Mam'zelle.
Poor Janet was rather white. She didn't at all like the idea of facing Mam'zelle, even when she was ill. But it had to be done. Pat and Isabel saw Matron come out of Mam'zelle's bedroom with her tea-tray and they went to her.
'Matron, please may we have a clean towel?'
'What have you done with yours?' asked Matron, bustling along with the tray. 'Come along and get it then, I haven't much time.'
Pat looked back over her shoulder and winked at Janet to tell her that Matron wouldn't be back for a few minutes. The twins meant to keep her talking and give Janet a clear field.
Janet slipped to Mam'zelle's door. She knocked and a voice said, 'Entrez!' Janet went in. Mam'zelle was lying in bed, looking up at the ceiling. She looked very unhappy, because she was still worrying about what was suddenly and mysteriously the matter with her eyes. She expected to see insects crawling all over the ceiling. Poor Mam'zelle ' she would not have thought these things if she had not been so overworked.
She looked with surprise at Janet. Matron had told her there were to be no visitors that day.
'Mam'zelle,' said Janet, going to the bed. 'Are you better? I had to come and see you. I wanted to tell you something.'
'It is nice to see you, ma ch're Janet!' said Mam'zelle, who was by any kindness. 'What have you to tell me, ma petite?'
always touched
'Mam'zelle ' Mam'zelle ' I don't know how to tell you,' said Janet, 'you'll be so angry. But please believe me when I say I'm terribly sorry ' so are we all ' and we wouldn't have done it if we'd know you'd been feeling ill ' and''
'My dear child, what are you trying to say?' asked Mam'zelle, in the utmost astonishment. 'What is this terrible thing you have done?'
'Mam'zelle ' we ' I 'I put those beetles and things into your spectacle case to pay you out for punishing me the other day,' blurted out Janet, desperately. 'And I put a trick ink-blot on my book too. You see''
Mam'zelle looked at Janet as if she couldn't believe her ears. 'Those ' those crawling insects were real, then?' she said, at last.
'Yes, Mam'zelle,' said Janet. 'Quite real. I got them from places under the fence. I ' I didn't think you'd believe it was your eyes that were wrong. Now you're ill we feel awful.
'
Mam'zelle lay quite still. So her eyes and mind were quite all right. Those insects were not in her imagination, they were real. It was only a joke! If she had been well and quite herself she would have guessed that! But she was tired and could not think properly. How thankful she was that Janet had told her!
She turned to speak to the girl but Janet was not there. She had slipped out to get the flowers. She came back with her arms full of them, and Mam'zelle gasped to see them.
'Mam'zelle, these are from all of us in the first form,' said Janet. 'We are sorry you're ill ' and please forgive us, won't you? Honestly, we'd have put up with all your rages and everything if we'd known you were so tired!'
'Come here,' said Mam'zelle, and reached out a large hand to Janet. The girl took it shyly. 'I have been abominable this term!' said Mam'zelle, a smile coming over her face. 'Insupportable and abominable! You will please tell the O'Sullivan twins that, Janet. I know the nickname they had for me last term ' Mam'zelle Abominable, which they gave me because I said so often that their work was abominable! But this term I have really earned that name.'
'You were awfully cross with us lots of times,' said Janet, honestly. 'But we don't mind NOW. We understand.'
'Ah, you English girls! There is nobody like you when you are nice,' said Mam'zelle, quite forgetting all the dreadful things she had thought and said about them that term. 'You will give my love to the others, Janet ' and my best thanks for these beautiful flowers ' and you will tell them that if they will forgive me I will forgive them also ' and you too, of course! M'chante fille! Wicked girl, Ah
' but how brave and good of you to come and tell me!'
Janet stared at Mam'zelle and Mam'zelle looked at Janet with her big dark eyes. She began to laugh, for she had a great sense of humour at times.
'To think you put those beetles there ' and I did not know it was a trick ' and that ink-blot! What bad children you are! But how it makes me laugh now!'
And Mam'zelle went off in a loud burst of laughter. Matron was passing by the door at that moment and heard it in amazement. Thinking that Mam'zelle must have gone mad for a minute, Matron quickly opened the door and went in. She looked in astonishment when she saw the masses of flowers ' and Janet!
'Janet! What are you doing in here? You naughty girl! I didn't give you permission to come. Go at once!'
'No, Matron, I will not have Janet sent away,' said Mam'zelle, most surprisingly. 'she stays here to put my flowers in water! She has brought me good news. I feel better already. She makes me laugh, this m'chante fille.'
Mam'zelle certainly looked better. Matron looked at her and then nodded to Janet that she might stay and put the flowers in water. Janet swiftly arranged them as well as she could. Mam'zelle watched her.
'The lovely flowers!' she said, contentedly. 'Matron, do you see what beautiful bunches the girls have sent their bad-tempered, insupportable old Mam'zelle?'
'I see them,' said Matron. 'Now, Janet, you must go. And if you come here again without permission I shall spank you!'
Janet went, with a grin. She ran straight to the common room to tell the others all that had happened. How glad they were to know that Mam'zelle had been such a brick about it all ' and had actually laughed.
'Perhaps things will be better this last week of term,' said Doris, who had suffered very much that term from Mam'zelle's rough tongue. 'If Mam'zelle is well enough to come back for a few days at the end of term she'll be nicer ' and if she doesn't I shall be jolly glad to miss French.'
'This term has gone quickly!' said Pat. 'It seems no time at all since half-term ' and here we are almost at the Easter hols. What a lot has happened this term ' almost as much as last term.'
'More,' said Isabel. 'We didn't have a fire last term ' or a heroine either!'
Margery blushed. She was getting very clever at using her crutches, and her leg was mending marvellously. Lucy twinkled at her.
'It always makes Margery go red if you say the word 'heroine'!' she said. 'Pat, Margery is coming to stay with me for a week of the hols. We shan't have any maids or anything, because we are poor now, but Margery's going to help in the house all she can ' isn't she a brick? I shall be working hard most of the time, but I shall take time off to be with Margery too.'
'And then I'm going on a holiday with my father,' said Margery. 'What are you twins doing for the hols.?'
Holidays were certainly in the air. Every one was making plans for Easter. Some were going shopping to get new clothes. Alison was full of this, of course.
'Vain little creature!' said Pat, pulling Alison's pretty hair teasingly. 'Well, you're coming to stay with us part of the hols. and you can bring your new pretties to show us ' but we'll only allow you to boast once about them. After that ' not a word!'
'All right, Pat,' said Alison, who was really learning to be much more sensible. 'I'll have one good glorious boast ' and then be the strong silent girl!'
'You couldn't be silent!' said Isabel, who now liked her silly little cousin very much better. 'If your own tongue couldn't talk, the tongues of your shoes would do it for you!'
The last week of term was very happy. Mam'zelle got much better, and the girls went into her room to see her and play a game with her. She was the same old jolly Mam'zelle she used to be, now that she had had a rest, and changed her ideas about 'these English girls'. She was already making plans for next term's work ' but the
girls refused to listen!
Lucy had been working hard to prepare for the scholarship exam. next term. She had had good news of her father and this made her work with much more zest and happiness. Miss Theobald and the other teachers had worked out her holiday tasks and praised her for the progress she had already made. So Lucy looked much happier, and laughed and joked like her old self.
The twins were happy too. Things had gone well that term. They were top in five subjects. Lucy did not go in for the class exams. as she was doing so much extra work, or she would, of course, have been top in everything except maths, Doris and Alison were bottom in most things, but they were both quite cheerful about it.
'Somebody's got to be bottom,' said Doris to Alison, ' and I think it's rather sweet of us to be willing to take such a back seat in everything!'
'Willing! You jolly well can't help it, you duffer!' said Pat. 'But who cares? You can make us laugh more than anybody else in the form ' so you go on being bottom, old girl!'
The last day came, and the excitement of packing and saying good-byes. Mam'zelle was up once more, making jokes and writing down everyone's address. There was laughter everywhere, and occasionally Miss Roberts's voice was lifted in complaint.
'Kathleen! Is it necessary to yell like that? Sheila, you don't look at all elegant rolling on the floor to do your packing. PAT! PAT! Stop pummelling Janet, What a bear-garden! I shall set you all a hundred lines to write out in the train home and send me tomorrow!'
There were giggles and squeals at this. It was fun to be going home ' fun to look forward to Easter and Easter eggs, to long walks through the primrose woods, and reunions with dogs and cats and horses at home, to say nothing of mothers and fathers and little sisters and brothers.
'See you next term!' called Pat, 'Don't forget to write, Janet. Be good, Doris! Oh, Isabel, don't drag me like that ' I'm coming! We're off in the first coach, everybody! Good-bye! See you all next term!'
Yes ' see you all next term. That's what we will hope to do ' see them all next
term!
Enid Blyton, The O'Sullivan Twins
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