CHAPTER XII
In Quarantine
However excellent the arrangements of a school, and however happy thegirls may be there, the word "holidays" nevertheless holds a magicattraction. Miss Birks's pupils thoroughly appreciated the Dower House,but they would not have been human if they had not rejoiced openly inthe immediate prospect of breaking-up day. Already preparations werebeing made for the general exodus; the gardener was carrying down trunksfrom the box-room, Miss Harding was checking the linen lists, and thegirls were sorting the contents of their drawers and deciding what mustbe left and what taken home.
"These are going to be extra-special holidays," triumphed Deirdre. "Youknow, my sister's at school at Madame Mesurier's, near Versailles? Well,Mother and I are to have ten days in Paris, so that we can see Eileenand take her about. Won't it be absolutely ripping? I've never beenabroad before, and I'm just living for it. We're to go and see all thesights. Eileen's looking forward to it as much as I am."
"I'm going to stay with my cousins in Hampshire," said Dulcie. "They'remad on horses, so I shall get some riding. They always give me 'Vicky',the sweetest little chestnut cob. She goes like a bird, and yet she's sogentle. When we're not riding we play golf. Their links are gorgeous."
"Where are you going, Gerda?" asked Deirdre.
"To London, to meet Mother," replied Gerda, with a light in her eyessuch as the chums had not seen since she arrived. She offered no detailsof further plans, but evidently the prospect satisfied her. All threegirls were counting the hours till their departure. There is a dour oldproverb, however, which states that "there's many a slip 'twixt cup andlip", and for once its pessimistic philosophy was justified.
On the very morning of the breaking-up day Deirdre, who had passed afunny, feverish night, woke up to find her face covered with a rash.Dulcie went for Miss Birks, who, after inspecting the invalid andfinding on enquiry that both Dulcie and Gerda had slight sore throats,forbade the three to leave their bedroom until they had been seen by amedical man. Very much disconcerted, they took breakfast in bed.
"It may be only nettle-rash," said Deirdre. "I had it once before whenI'd eaten something that disagreed with me."
"And I expect Gerda and I caught cold on the warren yesterday. No doubtit's nothing," said Dulcie, trying to thrust away the horribleapprehensions that oppressed her.
When Dr. Jones arrived, however, and examined his patients he soundedthe death-knell of their hopes. He pronounced Deirdre to be sufferingfrom a slight attack of German measles, and from Dulcie's and Gerda'ssymptoms diagnosed that they were sickening for the same complaint.
"The rash will probably be out to-morrow," he announced. "With care inthe initial stages it should prove nothing serious, but for the presentthey are as well in bed."
The three victims could hardly believe the calamity that had overtakenthem. To stop in bed with measles when their boxes were packed and thelast things ready to go into their hand-bags, and their trains arrangedand their relations notified of the time of their arrival!
"It's--it's rotten!" exclaimed Deirdre, turning her flushed face to thewall.
"If it's German measles I believe it's your fault, Gerda!" declaredDulcie, weeping openly.
"I didn't start them!" objected poor Gerda.
"You've had them packed in your box, then!" snapped Dulcie, who wasthoroughly cross and unreasonable. "Oh, won't it make a prettyhullaballoo in the school?"
The sympathies of the moment might well be with Miss Birks. She hadcaused each of her remaining seventeen pupils to be examined by thedoctor, and as all appeared free from symptoms was sending off seventeentelegrams to inform parents of the circumstances and ask if they wishedtheir daughters to return home or to remain in quarantine. Withoutexception the replies were in favour of travelling, so the usual cabsand luggage carts drove up, and the girls, rejoicing greatly, werepacked off under Miss Harding's escort by the midday train to SidcombeJunction, where they would change for their various destinations.
In spite of strict injunctions to keep warm, Deirdre got out of bed andwatched the departure from the window.
"To think that I ought to have been sitting inside that bus, and my boxought to have been on that cart!" she lamented. "Oh, I could howl!Mother will have got our tickets for Paris. I wonder if she'll gowithout me? Oh, why didn't I powder my face and say nothing about it?"
"You couldn't have hidden that rash! Besides, it's horribly dangerous tocatch cold on the top of measles. Get back into bed, you silly! I'lltell Miss Birks if you don't! Do you want what the doctor called'complications'? I think you're the biggest lunatic I know, standing inyour night-dress by an open window!" Dulcie's remarks were sage if notcomplimentary, so Deirdre tore herself away from the tantalizingspectacle of the start below and dutifully returned to her pillow justin time to save herself from being found out of bed by Miss Birks, who,having said good-bye to the travellers, came upstairs to condole withthe three invalids.
"I can't think how we caught it!" sighed Dulcie.
"At our performance of _Coriolanus_, I'm afraid," said Miss Birks. "Dr.Jones tells me that all the little Hargreaves are down with it. He wascalled in to attend them yesterday. Probably they were sickening for itand gave you the infection."
"I hope Ronnie won't have caught it!" gasped Gerda.
"I trust not, indeed. I shan't feel easy till I have sent to the Castleto enquire about him. It certainly is the most unfortunate happening.But Deirdre may be glad she had not started for Paris. There is nothingso miserable or so disastrously expensive as to be laid up in a foreignhotel. The proprietor would have demanded large compensation formeasles, even if he had allowed her to remain in the house. Probably shewould have been removed to a fever hospital."
"Not a pleasant way of seeing Paris!" said Deirdre, summoning up asmile.
"You'll have a holiday there another time, I'm sure. And now you mustall be brave girls and try to make the best of things. Fortunately, noneof you seem likely to be really ill. We'll do what we can to amuseourselves."
Miss Birks spoke brightly, and her cheery manner hid her owndisappointment, though she might justly have indulged in a grumble, forshe had been obliged to cancel all her arrangements for a motor tour andstay to attend to her young patients. The responsibility of lookingafter them and the subsequent disinfecting which must be done wouldcompletely spoil her holiday. She was not a woman to think of herself,however, and she put her aspect of the case so entirely aside that thegirls never even suspected that her regrets were equal, if not superiorto their own.
As the doctor had prophesied, both Dulcie and Gerda developed the rashon the following day. Fortunately, all three girls had the complaintvery slightly, and beyond a touch of sore throat and sneezing were nottroubled with any very disagreeable symptoms.
"The microbes have only fought a half-hearted battle, and they areretiring worsted," declared Miss Birks; "they're not as savage asscarlet-fever germs."
"Quite tame ones," laughed Dulcie.
"Germs 'made in Germany' aren't likely to be A1," said Deirdre, with aquip at Gerda.
After a day or two in bed, Dr. Jones pronounced his patientsconvalescent, gave them permission to go downstairs, and held out thepromise of a walk on the warren if they continued to improve. Theirperiod of isolation was a fortnight, after which they were to be allowedto go home for the remaining week of the holidays. If it had not beenfor the thought of what they were missing, they might have congratulatedthemselves on having an extremely good time. Miss Birks was kindnessitself, and allowed every indulgence possible. They were kept wellsupplied with books, in cheap editions which could be burnt afterwards,and had licence to pursue any hobby which admitted of disinfection. Dr.Jones brought good reports of the Hargreaves children, who were nowconvalescent. Ronnie had most fortunately not caught any germs, and wasaway with Mrs. Trevellyan in Herefordshire. Of the seventeen girls whohad returned home, Irene Jordan only had developed a slight rash, sothat on the whole the school had escaped better than might ha
ve beenexpected.
After the constant society of their class-mates, the three invalids feltthe Dower House to be very large and empty and lonely. It wasastonishing how different it seemed now the rooms were untenanted. Thewhole place wore a changed aspect. In ordinary circumstances they hardlyever gave a thought to the ancient associations of the house, but nowthey constantly remembered that it had been occupied as a convent, andthat hundreds of years ago gentle grey-robed figures had flitted up anddown those identical stairs and paced those very same passages. It wasthe code of the school to laugh at superstition, and none of the girlswould confess to a dislike to go upstairs alone, but it was remarkablewhat excuses they found for keeping each other company.
Gerda was the worst off in this respect, for Deirdre and Dulcie, thoughready to accommodate each other, did not show her too muchconsideration, and would often ruthlessly disregard her palpable hints.They kept very much together, and though not openly rude, made her feelmost decidedly that she was _de trop_. She never complained, nor offeredthe least reproach; her manner throughout was exactly the same as it hadbeen since her first arrival, gentle, reserved, and uncommunicative.Sometimes the chums, out of sheer naughtiness, tried to pick a quarrelwith her, but she never lost her self-control, and either kept entiresilence, or replied so quietly to their gibes that they were ratherashamed of themselves. To Miss Birks Gerda did not open her heart anymore than to her room-mates. She appeared grateful for kindness, butthe Principal's best efforts could not make her talk, and on the topicof her home and her relations she was dumb. To any questions she wouldreturn the most brief and unwilling answers, and seemed reluctant tohave the subject mentioned at all. After several vain attempts to winher confidence, Miss Birks gave up trying, and allowed her to go on inher usual self-contained silent fashion--a negative policy not whollysatisfactory.
All three girls made excellent progress, and Dr. Jones very soon gavepermission first for a gentle walk round the garden at midday, then fora longer time out-of-doors.
"We've been making invalids of them, though they're not invalids atall," he said jokingly. "They're nothing but three humbugs! Look attheir rosy cheeks! And I hear reports of such excessive consumption ofchicken broth, and jelly, and other delicacies, I shall have to dietthem on porridge and potatoes. I think Miss Birks is too good to you,young ladies. When I was at school I wasn't pampered like this, I assureyou, whatever infectious complaints I managed to catch. They used todose us with Turkey rhubarb, no matter what our ailment; it was a kindof specific against all diseases, and nasty enough to frighten anymicrobe away."
"May we go home next week?" pleaded Deirdre.
"Girls who catch German measles don't deserve to go home. But I knowMiss Birks wants to get rid of you, so I won't be too severe. Yes, Ithink I may consider you cured, and give you your order of release fornext Wednesday."
That evening three very jubilant girls sat in the small schoolroomscribbling their good news.
"This day week we shall be at home," rejoiced Deidre.
"Oh, goody! I am so glad! I can hardly write sense. I hope Mother'llunderstand it. She's accustomed to my ragtime letters, though."
"Miss Birks is sending post cards about the trains," volunteered Gerda.
"A good thing, too, for I never remember to put the time. Shall I readyou what I've said, Deirdre?
"DARLING MUMMIE,
"I'm coming home--oh! isn't it spiffing? Do let us have trifle and sausages for supper, and let Baba stop up for it. I've made her a present, and it's not infectious, because Miss Birks has had it stoved. And it will be ripping to see you all again. I'm so glad I shan't miss Douglas. I hope Jinks is well, but don't let them bring him to the station to meet me, in case he gets on the line. Oh, high cockalorum for next week!
"Heaps and heaps of love from "DULCIE."
"It's a good thing Miss Birks is sending a post card, you silly child,"remarked Deirdre crushingly. "You've never told your mother which dayyou're coming, to say nothing of mentioning a time."
"Oh, haven't I? No more I have. I'll put it in a P.S. I hope Motherwon't forget I said trifle and sausages. She always lets me choose myown supper on the day I go home, and we have it all set out in thebreakfast-room. Generally we only get biscuits and milk before we go tobed. I think they might let Baba sit up this time. She's nearly six. Oh,bother! My stamps are upstairs. Do come with me, and I'll fetch them. Isimply hate going alone."
"You're as big a baby as Baba," returned Deirdre. "No, I can't and won'tand shan't go with you. You must pluck up your courage for once. Dear methere's nothing to be afraid of, you scared mouse."
Thus duly squashed by her own chum, Dulcie made no further plea; sheonly banged the door in reply, and they could hear her footstepsstumping slowly and heavily upstairs. In a few moments, however, shedescended with a much swifter motion, and, looking pale and frightened,burst into the schoolroom.
"There's somebody or something inside the barred room," she gasped."It--whatever it is--it's tapping on the door. I daren't go past."
Both Deirdre and Gerda rose to the rescue, and--three strong--the girlsventured to investigate. With a few pardonable tremors they drew asidethe curtains that concealed the door of the mysterious room. There wasnothing to be seen or heard, however. The iron bars had not beentampered with, and all was dead silence within.
"Your nerves are jumpy at present, and you'd imagine anything," decidedDeirdre.
"I didn't imagine it. I really heard it. I tell you I did. Oh, I say!There it is again!"
Instinctively the girls clung together, for from inside the doorcertainly came the sound of rapping, not very loud, but quiteunmistakable.
"Who's there?" quavered Deirdre valiantly. But there was no reply. "Ifyou want help, speak," she continued.
The three held their breath and listened. Dead silence--that was all,nor was the rapping repeated.
"I've heard it before," whispered Gerda.
"When?"
"Several times. Once just after I came, and again in the middle of theterm, and about three weeks ago. It's always the same. A few taps, andthen it stops."
"Did any of the other girls hear it?"
"I didn't ask them."
"It's spooky to a degree. What can it be?"
"Oh, do you think there's anybody inside?" whimpered Dulcie.
"Why didn't he answer, if there was?"
"He might be deaf and dumb. Oh, perhaps that's the secret of the room.Is some poor creature shut up there? Oh, it's too horrible!"
"Don't get hysterical!" said Deirdre. "Mrs. Trevellyan wouldn't goshutting up deaf and dumb people! It is very mysterious, though."
"Shall we tell Miss Birks?" suggested Dulcie.
"No, certainly not. She's always fearfully down on us if we get up anyscares about the barred room. Don't you remember how cross she was withAnnie Pridwell and Betty Scott last term?"
"Do you ever hear any other noises?" asked Gerda.
"No, only what might reasonably be rats or mice."
"Has anyone any notion what's inside?"
"Not the very slightest. I don't believe even Miss Birks knows."
"Well, look here," said Dulcie. "I shall never dare to go down thispassage alone again. One of you will simply have to come with me."
"I don't think we'll very much care to go alone ourselves," returnedDeirdre.
"You called me a scared mouse!" Dulcie's tone was injured, as if theepithet still rankled.
"Well, we're three scared mice, and it's a case of 'see how they run!'"laughed Deirdre, getting back her self-possession. "We'll go up and downin threesomes for the future."
"You promise? You'll never make me pass here by myself again?"
"Faithfully, on my honour! We'll act police, and protect you against adozen possible spooks. Do stop squeezing my arm, you've made it quitesore!"
"I don't know how it is, Deirdre, you never take things seriously. Ican't see anything to laugh about myself. The whole thing's
queer, anduncanny, and mysterious, and I hate mysteries. Why can't Mrs. Trevellyanhave the bars taken down and let us look into the room?"
"Ah! Ask me a harder."
"'While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door,'"
quoted Gerda, who was learning "The Raven".
"You're both determined to make fun of it, and it isn't a laughingmatter," complained Dulcie. "I haven't got my stamps yet. Come along!"