But their intentions were quite ruined by a chance meeting with an old friend of theirs that afternoon. They were having lunch in a big town some twenty miles away from school, and afterwards were going to see a play there. And, having lunch at a nearby table was Pamela Holding, a girl who had been at Redroofs for a year or two whilst the twins had been there.
'Hallo, Pam!' cried Isabel, seeing her first. 'Are you having half-term holiday too?'
'Hallo, Pat, hallo, Isabel ' and is that Alison!' cried Pam. 'Yes- I'm at school at St. Hilda's, and Mother is taking me to the play here this afternoon for my half-term treat. Don't say you're going too!'
'Well, we are!' said Pat, pleased. 'Let's all go together, and have tea with one another afterwards.'
The two mothers knew and liked each other, so they approved of this idea. The four girls and the two grown-ups set off to the theatre at half-past two, chattering and laughing, exchanging all their news.
Unfortunately their seats were not side by side in the theatre, so they had to part there ' but arranged to meet for tea. And it was at tea that the twins heard some queer news about Margery Fenworthy.
Pamela was telling the twins and Alison about some one in her school who had just won the record for long distance running.
'Well, we've a girl at our school who could win any records she liked, I should think,' said Alison. 'She's just a miracle at games and gym. Her name's Margery Fenworthy.'
'Margery Fenworthy!' said Pamela, her eyes opening wide. 'You don't mean to tell me she's at St. Clare's! Golly! We all wondered where she'd gone.'
'Why ' was she at St. Hilda's with you last term then?' asked Pat, in surprise. 'She never will say anything about the schools she has been to.'
'No wonder,' said Pamela, scornfully. 'She's been to about six already!'
'Why so many?' asked Isabel in amazement.
'Can't you guess?' said Pam. 'She's been expelled from the whole lot, as far as I can make out. I know that St. Hilda's stuck her for two terms ' and then out she went! She was just too unbearable for words. So rude in class that no mistress would have her!'
The twins stared ar Pamela. Yes ' that was Margery all right! So she had been sent away from one school after another. What a disgrace!
'Good gracious!' said Alison, finding her tongue first. 'Well, I should think she'll be sent away from St. Clare's soon too. Do you know what she did to Pat?'
And out came the whole history of the spoilt jumper ' and then the story of the Big Row. Pamela listened, her eyes wide with interest.
'Well, I must say the Big Row sounds just exactly like Margery,' she said. 'I could tell you things that are more or less the same about her ' but the affair of the jumper doesn't sound quite like Margery. I mean ' she might in a temper snatch it out of Pat's hand and pull it to pieces in front of her ' but as far as I know Margery never did anything behind anyone's back at St. Hilda's. She must be getting worse.'
'What was she expelled from other schools for?' asked Alison, eagerly.
'Oh, bad temper ' rudeness ' insubordination they called it,' said Pamela. 'She wouldn't work at all at St. Hilda's. She's sixteen, you know. I bet she's only in your form, Pat and Isabel.'
'Yes, she is,' said Pat. 'We thought she must be sixteen. Her work isn't even up to our form's, though. She is always bottom ' when Alison isn't!'
Alison flushed. 'Don't be mean!' she said. 'I haven't been bottom for three weeks! I've been trying hard lately.'
'All right, featherhead,' said Pat, good humouredly. 'I think you have been trying. Well ' it's a race between you and Doris and Margery who'll be bottom the oftenest this term ' so you'd better buck up and try a bit harder!'
The three cousins had plenty to talk about as they went back to school in the car. They sat at the back whilst Mrs. O'Sullivan drove.
'So Margery is sixteen!' said Isabel. 'Golly, isn't she a dunce? And fancy being expelled so many times! I wonder that St. Clare's took her.'
Mrs. O'Sullivan chimed in expectedly. 'If any school can help that miserable girl you keep talking about it should be St. Clare's. Miss Theobald prides herself on getting the best out of the worst ' and I'm quite sure she knows all about Margery Fenworthy, and is hoping that St. Clare's will be the one school that willl keep her.'
The three girls were silent. Secretly they had all been hoping that there might be the excitement of Margery being expelled from St. Clare's too. But now the twins' mother had put the matter in rather a different light. It would be a score for St. Clare's if it could keep Margery.
'Mother ' do you think we'd better not tell the other girls about Margery?' asked Pat, at last, voicing what the others had been thinking too.
'I certainly think there's no doubt about it,' said Mrs. O'Sullivan. 'Why should you spread tales about the girl, when, for all you know, she is simply dreading any one knowing her secret? You say she will not tell you what schools she has
been to. She doesn't boast about being expelled ' so she is evidently ashamed of it. She hasn't behaved well, but I think you shouldn't give her away.'
The twins felt the same. Much as they disliked Margery they didn't want to spread round the news they had heard. But Alison was rather disappointed.
'It would have been such a bit of news!' she couldn't help saying.
'Now, Alison, if you start to bleat this all over the place '' began Pat, crossly, but Alison gave her a push.
'Be quiet! I shan't tell a soul. And will you STOP saying I bleat? I just hate that word! I've tried not to bleat lately, but you just go n and on saying it.'
Alison's eyes were full of the tears she could call up at a moment's notice. But Pat knew the girl was really upset, so she gave her a friendly pinch.
'Shut up, silly! I know you won't say a word. We can trust you all right, I know.'
But although the three girls did not say a word to any one they could not help feeling that such a bad record was terrible ' and they felt Margery might be anything bad ' she might be capable of doing the meanest, horridest things. Each of the girls believed she had ruined the jumper, and when any one said so in their hearing, they all agreed.
Margery took no notice of any one. She was always reading, and she did not seem to hear the remarks made by the girls in front of her. Her good-looking face was even more sullen than usual, and she was the despair of all the mistresses!
Chapter 13: Erica Again
Erica was eagerly on the look-out for another trick to play on Pat or Isabel. If she could make it appear that it was done by Margery, so much the better!
But it was not very easy to play a trick without drawing attention to herself. She waited for a week, and then a chance put the opportunity in her way.
There was a nature-walk one afternoon. All the first- and second-formers had to go. They were to take their satchels with them, with their nature notebooks, and their tins for collecting specimens.
Miss Roberts and Miss Jenks were going too. The woods were to be visited, and the ponds. There should be quite a lot of things to observe, draw and collect.
The twins were excited about the outing, which was to take up the whole of one afternoon. It was a brilliantly fine day and the sun was quite warm.
'There might be early tadpoles or frog-spawn in the ponds,' said Pat. 'I think I'll take a little jar in case.'
All the girls prepared their satchels and put into them their nature books, their tins and jars. Pat was proud of her nature notebooks. She had done some beautiful drawings in them, and Miss Roberts had said they were good enough to be exhibited at the end of the term.
'I've just got one more page to fill,' she said to Isabel. 'I'll do it this afternoon. Are you ready? You're walking with me, aren't you?'
'Of course!' said Isabel. It was no good any one else asking to walk with either of the twins because they always went with each other. They preferred each other to any of the other girls, much as they liked Janet and Hilary and Lucy.
All the girls paired off. No one wanted to go
with Erica and Margery, and so it came about that those two found themselves together. They did not like one another and walked in silence. Some of the girls nudged each other and giggled when they saw the silent pair.
'Two bad eggs together!' giggled Winnie. 'I hope they're enjoying each other's conversation! Doesn't Margery's face look black ' she's in one of her tempers, I expect.'
Margery was feeling rather ill-tempered, for she had hoped to walk by herself. She
did not like being paired off with the mean little Erica. So she said nothing, hoping that Erica would take the hint and leave her to herself as much as possible.
The afternoon went on happily in the yellow sunshine. The girls wandered over the woods, and made notes and sketches, and collected twigs and moss. Some of them found early primroses and stuck them into their button-holes.
Then they went down to the ponds, and exclaimed in surprise to see frog-spawn already floating at the top of the water.
'I must get some!' said Pat, at once.
'You can't,' said Isabel. 'It's too far in. You'll get your shoes wet.'
Pat took a quick glance round. 'Where are Miss Roberts and Miss Jenks? Look ' they're still at the top of the hill. I've time to take off my shoes and stockings and wade in!'
The girls giggled. 'Pat, you do do some awful things!' said Janet. 'Miss Roberts will not be pleased with you ' and your feet will be as muddy as anything.'
'Feet can be cleaned,' said Pat. She took off her satchel and hung it on a post not far off. She took out her little jar and put it down on the bank. Then she stripped off her shoes and stockings and waded into the pond.
'Ooooo! The water's jolly cold!' she said. 'And it's mud at the bottom ' horrid! Oh ' I've trodded on a snail or something!'
Pat made every one laugh. All the girls crowded round, laughing, watching her as she waded here and there.
She reached the frog-spawn and bent down to get it. It slipped through her fingers back into the pond. Isabel laughed.
'Try again, old girl!' she cried. Pat did her best to catch the slippery spawn,
but time after time it slipped down into the water. Soon all the watching girls were in a state of giggle, and did not see Miss Roberts or Miss Jenks coming to the pond!
'Pat!' suddenly cried Miss Roberts's voice, in horror. 'What in the world are you doing? Oh, you naughty girl ' you'll get your death of cold, wading into the icy water like that! Come out at once!'
'Oh, Miss Roberts ' please, Miss Roberts, let me get some frog-spawn first,' begged Pat, snatching another handful, that promptly slithered between her fingers back into the pond again.
'Pat! Will you come out!' cried Miss Roberts. 'Really, I can't leave you firstformers for a single minute!'
All the girls but two were watching the scene with the greatest interest and amusement. Those two were Erica and Margery. Margery had stayed behind in a field to watch some horses ploughing ' and Erica had dawdled too.
Erica heard the laughter going on and hastened to see what the excitement was. Before she got to the pond she saw Pat's satchel hanging on to the post. On it was Pat's name ' P. O'Sullivan.
Erica took a quick look at the pond. Not a single girl wa soloing her way. Anyway, she was out of sight, behind the hedge. She looked up to see where Margery was. But Margery was still up in the field, watching the horses.
Quick as lightning Erica took the satchel off the post and opened it. Down into the mud she flung all Pat's precious nature books, and her tins of nature finds. She ground the books into the mud with her heel and stamped on the tins.
She flung the satchel into the hedge. Then, as silently as she could, she ran behind the hedge and came up to the pond from the opposite direction. No one noticed her. When Tessie saw her there she imagined that Erica had been there all the time.
Pat was wading out of the water. Her feet was terribly cold. She took out her handkerchief and dried them, and Miss Roberts slapped them well to get the circulation back. Then she made Pat put on her shoes and stockings and run up the hill and back to warm herself.
'And after all that I didn't get any frog-spawn!' said Pat, sorrowfully, as she rejoined the others, her feet tingling. 'Where's my satchel? Where did I put it?'
'Over there on the post,' said Isabel, turning to point. But the satchel wasn't there.
'Well, that's funny,' said Isabel. 'I saw you put it there. Look ' there's Margery nearby. Margery! Bring Pat's satchel over with you if you can see it.'
'What's that in the hedge?' suddenly said Sheila, pointing. Her sharp eyes had seen the big brown satchel there.
'Golly! It's my satchel!' said Pat, in astonishment. 'How did it get there?'
She ran to get it ' and then saw the note-books stamped down into the mud ' and the dented tins with their little collections spilt on the ground. She said nothing, but there was something in her face that made all the girls run towards her.
'What's up, Pat?' asked Isabel ' and then she too saw what had happened. There was absolutely no doubt at all but that some spiteful hand had done the mischief. There was the half-imprint of a muddy foot on the exercise book ' and some one had stamped on the tins!
'It ' it couldn't have been a cow or something, could it?' said Isabel, hating to think that some one had done this to her twin.
Janet shook her head. 'No, of course not. I think we all know who did it ' though we didn't see.'
All the girls looked at Margery, who was standing nearby, looking as surprised as the others. 'Who was the only one not at the pool?' said Janet. 'Margery! Why did she stay behind? To play this beastly trick, I suppose!'
'Girls! What is the matter?' asked Miss Roberts, coming up. 'Oh, Pat ' are those
your books in the mud? How careless! And all your beautiful drawings spoilt too. How did that happen?'
'I don't know, Miss Roberts,' said poor Pat, red with dismay. She could not bring herself to sneak on Margery, even at that moment. Miss Roberts saw that something serious was the matter, and could hear Margery's name being whispered around her.
'Well, pick up your things quickly,' said Miss Roberts, looking at her watch. 'You have made us late with your paddling. Hurry now. This matter can be settled later on.'
The girls walked quickly home. Erica had to walk with Margery. She was pleased that her mean trick had come off so well, and that Margery had once again been blamed for what was not her fault. Margery walked as if she was in a dream. She simply could not understand who had done these things, for she knew quite well that she had not! Who could be so amazingly mean as to do them ' and then let some one else take the blame? Not even Erica, surely!
She took a glance at Erica, walking by her side. There was something in the smug look on the girl's face that made Margery begin to suspect her. She remembered suddenly how she had noticed Erica slipping back into the meeting the night the jumper was spoilt. Could it be Erica! She was a mean little sneak ' every one knew it ' but could she be so hateful as that?
'Well, it's some one,' thought Margery, bitterly, 'and as usual I get all the blame. What an unlucky creature I am!'
That evening after tea the girls talked about the latest trick on poor Pat. Margery could not bear their scornful glances and went to the school library to pretend to choose a book.
And whilst she was there Alison let the cat out of the bag!
'We didn't mean to tell this,' she began, looking all round, 'but now that we've seen this fresh bit of spite from Margery, I'm going to tell you all a bit of interesting news.'
'Shut up, Alison,' said Pat.
'I'm not going to shut up,' said Alison, with spirit. 'Do you think I'm going to stand by and see these things happen without getting back on Margery if I can? Now just you listen everybody!'
All the girls were silent, listening eagerly. What could Alison be going to tell them?
'We met an old friend of ours at half-term,' said Alison. 'She goes to St. Hilda's ' and Margery went there ' and she was expelled from there!'
There
was a buzz of horror. Expelled! What a dreadful disgrace! And to think she was at St. Clare's! No wonder she would never say what school she had been to!
'Not only that,' went on Alison, her eyes flashing round, 'but she has been to five or six schools altogether ' and has been sent away from each one! Do you wonder she's backward? Do you wonder she's still in the first form when she's sixteen!'
A loud chatter broke out. The girls were amazed. They couldn't believe it ' and yet it was so easy to believe, knowing Margery!
'Well, why should St. Clare's have to have her!' cried Tessie, in indignation. 'Why have we got to put up with her, I'd like to know'