"Blyton, Enid - St Clare's 04 - The Second Form At St Clare's (b)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

telling tales of her when she had made things unpleasant for them? She
had always said that a tale-bearer was some one quite impossible. ' The
girls deserve to have tales told about them,' thought Mirabel, ' but I
shan't make myself into something I hate just to get back on them.' So
she said nothing at all. ' Well,' said Miss Wilton, impatiently,' as you
have no excuse, it seems, take off your coat and join in the second half
of the game. But next time, if you are late, you will not play in the
game at all-you can just go back to school and ask Miss Jenks to give
you something to do.' The game went on. One or two of the girls began to
feel uncomfortable. It was decent of Mirabel not to give them away. You
couldn't attack people if they behaved well. ' It's time we stopped
going for Mirabel/ thought Hilary. ' I'll tell Elsie so tonight!' 7 A
MEETING IN THE COMMON ROOM ANOTHER meeting, this time called by Hilary,
was held that night. It was held in the common room. Every one was there
but Mirabel, who was doing her maths, paper all over again in the
classroom. * What's the meeting for? ' asked Elsie, half-indignant
j|that any one but herself should call a meeting. ' It's about Mirabel,'
said Hilary. ' You know, she 'didn't split on us when she had the chance
to-so I vote we stop playing tricks on her now. Anyway, we pretty well
put her through it today!' I' ' We're certainly not going to stop,' said
Elsie, at once. , * What, stop when she's only just begun to learn her
lesson! ;" She'll be as bad as ever if we don't go on showing her \ we
can make things just as tiresome for her as she has made them for us!' '
No, we've done enough,' said Hilary. ' It makes^ine "' feel rather mean.
I rather wish we hadn't done quite so many things-and anyway, I don't
know who spilt ink over her maths, paper, and took the water out of the
flowers. We didn't arrange that. Who did it?' There was a silence. Elsie
went red. She did not dare to say she had done anything more than had
already been arranged-the others might think her spiteful, or mean.
' I believe it was Elsie!' said Carlotta, suddenly.

' Look how red she's gone!' Every one looked. Elsie scowled. ' Of course
I didn't do anything,' she said. ' I don't think we did nearly enough. I
think a girl who openly says she's jolly well going to make herself too
beastly to stay more than half a term ought to be well shown up!' '
Well, she has been shown up-by her own self!' said Janet. ' No one would
have known anything about her or her private affairs if she hadn't gone
round yelling them out! I think Hilary is right-r-we won't do anything
more.' ' You talk as if Hilary is head-girl,' said Elsie, spitefully. '
Well-so she was in the first form,' said Bobby, losing her temper. ' And
let me tell you she was a much better one than you, Elsie.' 'Don't
forget that Anna is head-girl too/ said Pat. Anna smiled sleepily. Bobby
turned on her at once. ' As if anyone can remember that Anna is
head-girl, or anything i What's the good of a head-girl who is always
too lazy to do a single thing? We've got two head-girls in this form-and
one is spiteful and catty and overbearing-and the other is fat and
lazy!' ' Shut up, Bobby,' said Hilary, uncomfortably. ' It's no good
losing your temper like that. Let's get back to the point-and that is,
we're not going to persecute Mirabel any more. Let's give her a chance
and see if today's lessons have taught her anything. She knows well