'Turn her out!' cried Hilary.
'Let's go to Miss Theobald and say we don't want to have a girl like that here!' cried Winnie.
'My mother wouldn't let me stay here if she knew there was a girl like Margery here!' said Erica.
'You be quiet,' said Tessie, giving Erica a push. She wasn't going to let mean little Erica give herself airs.
'Well, now we know all about dear Margery!' said Doris. 'The girl who has been expelled from six schools ' and will soon be expelled from the seventh! And a jolly good thing too. She won't be able to wreak her spite on Pat any more.
There was a sound at the door. The girls turned. Margery was there, as white as chalk. She had heard what Doris had said, and was fixed to the spot with horror. So her poor secret was out. She didn't know how the girls had learnt it ' but evidently some one had found out about her. And now she would have to leave St. Clare's.
Margery stared at the girls out of her deep brown eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came. She turned round and left the silent girls there; they heard her footsteps tip-tapping uncertainly along the passage.
'Well, we've done it now!' said Isabel, feeling rather scared. 'The secret's out ' and the whole school will know tomorrow!'
Chapter 14: Margery makes a Discovery
The twins felt most uncomfortable about Margery. Yet they could not blame their cousin for telling the girl's secret. Alison had been very indignant about the trick that had been played on Pat, and it was her way of backing up her cousin, to talk against Margery.
'I say ' you don't think Margery will run away or anything like that, do you?' said Pat, to Isabel. 'You know, Isabel ' if that sort of thing happened to me, I couldn't stay one moment more at St. Clare's. I simply couldn't. I'd have to go home.'
'Maybe Margery hasn't much of a home to go to,' said Isabel. 'You know, she never talks about her home as we all do ' she never says anything about her mother and father, or if she has any brothers or sisters. Does she? It seems rather queer to me.'
'I don't think we can leave things like this,' said Lucy Oriell, looking grave. 'I think Miss Theobald must have known all about Margery ' and her bad reputation ' and I think she must have said she would let her try here, at St. Clare's. And I think something else too ' I think that all the mistresses were in the secret, and
knew about Margery ' and that they have been asked to be lenient with her to give her a chance.'
The girls stared at Lucy's serious little face. She was such a sweet-natured girl that every one listened to her willingly. No one had ever known Lucy say anything horrid about any one.
'I think get away the same possibly
you're right, Lucy,' said Pat. 'I've often wondered why Margery seemed to with rudeness and carelessness ' whilst we got into hot water if we did things. I knew of course it wasn't favouritism, for no mistress could like Margery. Now I understand.'
'Yes ' Lucy's right,' said Hilary. 'All the mistresses were in the secret, and were trying to help Margery, hoping she'd turn over a new leaf, and be all right at St. Clare's. What a hope!'
'It's this meanness I can't stand,' said Pat. 'I can put up with bad manners and rudeness and even sulkiness, but I just hate meanness.'
'Yes, I agree with you there,' said Janet. 'You can't do much with a mean nature. Well ' what are we going to do about Margery? Lucy, you said we couldn't leave things as they are now. What do you suggest doing?'
'I suggest we all sleep on it, and then one or more of us should go to Miss Theobald tomorrow and tell all we know,' said Lucy. 'If Margery can't face us after what has happened, then she ought to be given the chance to go. But if she still wants to stay, and face it out, then she ought to have the chance to do that. But Miss Theobald ought to decide ' not us. We don't know enough. Miss Theobald probably knows the reason for Margery's funny behaviour. We don't.'
'All right. Let's sleep on it,' said Janet. 'My mother always says that's a good thing to do. Things often seem different after a good night's sleep. Well ' we'll do that ' and tomorrow we'll go to Miss Theobald and tell her all we know.'
'Lucy must go,' said Hilary. 'She's good at that sort of thing. She's got no spite in her and can tell a story fairly. Pat and Isabel had better go too ' because after all, it's against Pat that these hateful tricks have been directed.'
'All right,' said Lucy. 'I'd rather not go really, because I hate being mixed up inthis sort of thing. But somebody's got to go. Well, that's decided then'.
But although the girls had laid their plans seriously and carefully, they were not to be put into action. For something happened that night that upset them completely, and that changed everything in a few hours.
The girls all went to bed as usual. Erica had complained of a sore throat and had been sent to Matron. Matron had taken her temperature, and found that it was a hundred. So into the sanatorium went Erica, where two other girls were, with bad chills.
'You've just got a chill too,' said Matron. 'Now drink this, and settle down quickly into bed. I'll pop in and see you later. You'll probably be normal tomorrow, and can go back to school the next day if you're sensible.'
Erica didn't mind at all. She rather liked missing lessons for a day or two ' and she felt that it was lucky to be away when all the fuss was being made about Margery. Erica was a mean soul ' but even she had been horrified at the look on Margery's face when she overheard what the girls were saying about her.
'I wouldn't have played those tricks and made it seem as if they'd been done by Margery if I'd known the girls were going to find out about her being expelled ' and blame the tricks on to her as well as despise her for her disgrace,' thought Erica, her conscience beginning to prick her for the first time. 'I wish I hadn't done them now. But I do hate that horrid Pat. It does serve her right to have her jumper spoilt and all her nature books!'
Erica got undressed and into bed. She was alone in a little room at the top of the sanatorium, which was a separate building on the west side of the school. In the san. were put any infectious cases, any girls with measles and so on, or who had perhaps sprained an ankle. Here Matron looked after them and kept them under her eye until they were well enough to go back to their forms.
Erica was put into a room alone because Matron was not quite sure if her cold was going to turn to something infectious. There had been a case of measles among the Oakdene girls who had played the match against St. Clare's, and the mistresses had been on the watch in case any of their own girls should have caught it from the Oakdene girl.
So Erica was not put with the two girls who had chills, in case by any chance she was beginning to get measles, which she hadn't had.
It was a nice little room, well-tucked away at the top of the san. Erica looked out of the window before she got into bed and saw a sky full of stars. She drew back the curtains so that the sun could come in the next morning and then got into bed.
Matron came along with a hot-water bottle and some hot lemon and honey. Erica enjoyed it. Then Matron tucked her up, switched off the light, and left her to go to sleep.
Erica was soon asleep. Her conscience did not keep her awake, for it was not a very lively one. If Pat or Isabel had done the things that Erica had done lately, neither of them would have been able to sleep at night because of feeling mean and wretched. But Erica went sweetly off to sleep, and slept as soundly as any of the girls in her form.
But one girl did not sleep that night. It was Margery. She lay in her dormitory, wide awake, thinking of what she had heard the girls say about her. Always, always, wherever she went, her secret was found out, and sooner or later she had to go. She didn't want to be at school. She didn't want to stay at home. She wished with all her might that she could go out into the world and find a job and earn her own living. It was dreadful going from school to school like this, getting worse every time!
The other girls slept soundly. Someone snored a little. Margery turned over to her left side and shut her eyes. If only she could go to sleep! If
only she could stop thinking and thinking! What was going to happen tomorrow? Now that all the girls knew about her, things would be terrible.
She couldn't go home. She couldn't run away because she only had a few shillings. There was simply nothing she could do but stay and be miserable ' and when she was miserable she didn't care about anything in the world, and that made her rude and careless and sulky.
'There isn't any way out for me,' thought the girl. 'There's simply nothing I can do. If only there was something ' some way of escape from all this. But there isn't.'
She turned over on to her right side, and shut her eyes again. But in a moment they were wide open. It was impossible to go to sleep. She tried lying on her back, staring up into the dark. But that didn't make her sleepy either. She heard the school clock chime out. Eleven o'clock. Twelve o'clock. One o'clock. Two o'clock. Was there ever such a long night as this? At this rate the night would never be over.
'I'll get myself a drink of water,' said Margery, sitting up. 'Maybe that will help me to go to sleep.'
She put on her dressing gown and slippers and found her torch. She switched it on. Its light showed her the sleeping forms of the other girls. No one stirred as she went down between the cubicles to the door.
She opened the door and went out into the passage. There was a bathroom not far off, with glasses. She went there and filled a glass with water. She took it to the window to drink it.
And it was whilst she was standing there, drinking the icy-cold water that she saw something that puzzled her. She forgot to finish the water, and set the glass down to peer out of the window.
The bathroom window faced the sanatorium, which was a four-storey building, tall and rather narrow. It was in complete darkness except at one place.
A flickering light showed now and again from high up on the third storey. It came from a window there. Margery puzzled over it. She tried to think what it could be.
'It looks like flickering firelight,' she thought. 'But who is sleeping on the third storey, I wonder? Wait a minute ' surely that isn't the window of a bedroom? Surely it's the little window that gives light to the stairway that goes up to the top storey?'
She watched for a little while, trying to make certain. But in the darkness she couldn't be sure if it was the staircase window of a bedroom window. The light flickered on and on, exactly as if it were the glow of a bedroom fire, sometimes dancing up into flames and sometimes dying down.
'I'd better go back to bed,' said Margery to herself, shivering. 'It's probably the room where Erica is ' and Matron has given her a fire in the bedroom for a treat. It's the flickering glow I can see.'
So back to bed she went ' but she kept worrying a little about that curious light ' and in the end she got out of bed once more to see if it was still there.
And this time, looking out of the bathroom window, she knew without any doubt what it was. It was Fire, Fire, Fire!
Chapter 15: A Wonderful Rescue
As soon as Margery saw the light for the second time, she gave a shout. The whole of the staircase window was lighted up, and flames were shooting out of it!
'Fire!' yelled Margery, and darted off to Miss Roberts's room. She hammered on her door.
'Miss Roberts! Miss Roberts! Quick, come and look! The san. is on fire! Oh, quick! '
Miss Roberts woke with a jump. Her room faced on to the san. and she saw at once what Margery had just seen. Dragging on a dressing-gown she ran to the door. Margery clutched hold of her.
'Miss Roberts! Shall I go and see if Matron knows! I'm sure she doesn't!'
'Yes, run quickly!' said Miss Roberts. 'Don't wake any of the girls in this building, Margery ' there's no need for them to know. Hurry now. I'll get Miss Theobald and we'll join you.'
Margery tore down the stairs and undid the side door. She raced across the piece of grass that separated the san. from the school. She hammered on the door there and shouted.
'Matron! Matron! Are you there!'
Matron was fast asleep on the second floor. She didn't wake. It was Queenie, one of the girls in bed with a chill who heard Margery shouting. She ran to the window and looked out.
'What is it, what is it?' she cried.
'The san. is on fire!' shouted Margery. 'Flames are coming out on the storey above you. Wake Matron!'
The girl darted into the Matron's room. She shook her hard, calling to her in fright. Matron woke up in a hurry and pulled on a coat.
Miss Theobald appeared with some of the other mistresses. Some one had telephoned for the fire-engine. Girls appeared from everywhere, in spite of mistresses' orders to go back to bed.
'Good gracious! Go back to bed when there's a perfectly good fire on!' said Janet, who, as usual, was eager to enjoy any experience that came her way.
'Golly, I've never seen a fire before! I'm going to enjoy this one. Nobody's in any danger!'
Girls swarmed all over the place. Matron tried to find the three who had had chills ' Queenie, Rita and Erica. 'They mustn't stand about in this cold night air,' she said, very worried. 'Oh, there you are, Queenie. You are to go at once to the second-form dormitory and get into the first bed you see there. Is Rita with you ' and where is Erica?'
'Rita's here,' said Queenie, 'and I think I saw Erica somewhere.'
'Well, find her and take her to bed at once,' ordered Matron. 'Where are the two maids' Are the safe?'
Yes, they were safe. They were shivering in their coats nearby, watching the flames getting bigger and bigger.
'Matron, is every one out of the sanatorium?' asked Miss Theobald. 'Are you sure? All the girls? The maids? Any one else?'
'I've seen Queenie,' said Matron, 'and Rita ' and Queenie said she saw Erica. Those are the only girls I had in. And the two maids are out. They are over there.'
'Well, that's all right then,' said Miss Theobald, in relief. 'Oh, I wish that fire-engine would hurry up. I'm afraid the fourth storey will be completely burnt out.'
Queenie had not seen the right Erica. She had seen a girl called Erica, who was in the fourth form, and she had not known that Matron meant Erica of the second-form. Erica was still in the san.
No one knew this at all until suddenly Mam'zelle gave a scream and pointed with a trembling hand to the window of the top storey.
'Oh, que c'est terrible!' she cried. 'There is some one there!'
Poor Erica was at the window. She had been awakened by the smell of smoke, and had found her bedroom dark with evil-smelling smoke that crept in under and around her door. Then she heard the crackling of flames.
In a terrible fright she had jumped up and tried to switch on her light. But nothing happened. The wires outside had been burnt and there was no light in her room. The girl felt for her torch and switched it on.
She ran to the foor ' but when she opened it a great roll of smoke unfolded itself and almost choked her. There was no way out down the staircase. It was in flames.
The fire had been started by an electric wire which had smouldered on the staircase, and had kindled the dry wood nearby. The staircase was old and soon burnt fiercely. There was no way out for Erica. She tried to run into the next room, from whose window there was a fire-escape ' but the smoke was so thick that it choked her and she had to run back into her own room. She shut the door and rushed to the window.
She threw it open, and thankfully breathed in the pure night air. 'Help!: she shouted, in a weak voice. 'Help!'
No one heard her ' but Mam'zelle saw her. Every one looked up at Mam'zelle's shout, and a deep groan went up as they saw Erica at the window.
Miss Theobald went pale, and her heard beat fast. A girl up there! And the staircase burning!
'The fire-engine isn't here,' she groaned. 'If only we had the fire-escape to run up its ladder to that high window! Oh, when will it come?'
Some one had found the garden hose and was playing water on the flames. But the force of the water was feeble and made little difference to the fire. Erica shouted again.
'
Help! Save me! Oh, save me!' She could see all the crowd of people below and she could not think why some one did not save her. She did not realize that the fireengine had not yet come, and that there was no ladder long enough to reach her.
'Where is the long garden ladder?' cried Margery, suddenly, seeing a gardener nearby. 'Let's get it. Maybe we can send a rope up or something, even if the ladder isn't long enough!'
The men ran to get the longest ladder. They set it up against the wall and one of them ran up to the top. But it did not nearly reach Erica's window.
'It's no good,' he said, when he came down. 'It's impossible to reach, Where's that fire-engine? It's a long time coming.'