"Blyton, Enid - St Clare's 06 - Fifth Formers at St Clare's" - читать интересную книгу автора (Blyton Enid)

7 ANTOINETTE DEFEATS ANGELA

THE next time she was sent for, Antoinette arrived promptly, all smiles. She was just as neat and chic as Claudine, quick-witted and most innocent-looking. Miss Jenks, the second form mistress, had already learnt that Antoinette's innocent look was not to be trusted. The more innocent she looked, the more likely it was that she had misbehaved or was going to misbehave!
' You sent for me, Angela ? ' said Antoinette.
'Yes,' said Angela, putting on one of her flashing smiles. ' I did. Antoinette, will you clean those brown shoes over there, please ? I'm sure you'll do it beautifully.'
Antoinette stared at Angela's beaming smile and smiled back. Angela felt sure she could see intense admiration in her eyes.
' The polish, please ? ' said Antoinette, politely.
' You'll find it in the cupboard, top shelf,' said Angela. ' How chic and smart you always look, Antoinette—just like Claudine.'
' Ah, Claudine, is she not wonderful ? ' said Antoinette. 'Angela, I have five sisters, and I like them all, but Claudine is my favourite. Ah, Claudine—I could tell you things about Claudine that would make you marvel, that would make you wish that you too had such a sister, and . . .'
But Angela was not in the least interested to hear what a wonderful sister Claudine was, and she was certain she would never wish she had one like her. Angela preferred being a spoilt only child. You had to share things with sisters!
' Er—the polish is in the cupboard, top shelf,' she said, her bright smile fading a little.
' The polish—ah yes,' said Antoinette, taking a step
towards the cupboard, but only a step, ' Now, Claudine is not the only wonderful sister I have-there is Louise. Ah, I wish I could tell you what Louise is like. Louise can do every embroidery stitch there is, and when she was nine, she won . . .'
' Better get on with my shoes, Antoinette,' said Angela, beginning to lose patience. A hurt look came into Antoinette's eyes, and Angela made haste to bestow her brilliant smile on her again. Antoinette at once cheered up and took another step towards the cupboard.
She opened her mouth, plainly to go on with her praise of Louise or some other sister, but Angela picked up a book and pretended to be absorbed in it.
' Don't talk for a bit,' she said to Antoinette. ' I've got to learn something.'
Antoinette went to the cupboard. She took a chair and stood on it to get the polish. Then she stepped down with a small pot in her hand, and a little secret smile on her mouth--the kind of smile that Claudine sometimes wore. Angela did not see it.
Antoinette found a brush and duster and set herself to her task. She squeezed cream on to the shoes and smeared it on well. Then she brushed it in and then rubbed hard with the soft duster. She held the pair of shoes away from her and looked at them with pride.
' Done ?' said Angela, still not looking up in case Antoinette began talking again.
' They are finished,' said Antoinette. ' Shall I clean yet another pair, Angela ? It is a pleasure to work for
you.'
Angela was delighted to hear this. Aha-Alison would soon see that she could win the heart of Antoinette as easily as any one else's.
' Yes, Antoinette-clean all the shoes you like,' she said, smiling sweetly. ' How beautiful that pair look!'
' Do they not ?' said Antoinette. ' Such beautiful shoes they are too ! Ah, no girl in the school wears such fine clothes as you, Angela-so beautifully made, so care-
fully finished. You have more chic than any English girl—you might be a Parisian!'
' I've been to Paris and bought clothes there two or three times,' said Angela, and was just about to describe all the clothes when Antoinette started off again.
' Ah, clothes—now you should see my sister Jeanne! Such marvellous clothes she has, like those in the shops at Paris—but all of them she makes herself with her clever fingers. Such style, such chic, such . . .'
" You seem to have got a whole lot of very clever sisters,' said Angela, sarcastically, but Antoinette did not seem to realize that Angela was being cutting.
' It is true,' she said. ' I have not yet told you about Marie. Now Marie . . .'
' Antoinette, finish the shoes and let me get on with my work,' said Angela, who felt that she could not bear to hear about another sister of Antoinette's. ' There's a good girl!'
She used her most charming tone, and Antoinette beamed. ' Yes, Angela, yes. I am too much of a chatter-tin, am I not ? '
' Box, not tin,' said Angela. ' Now, do get on, Antoinette. It's lovely to hear your chatter, but I really have got work to do.'
Antoinette said no more but busied herself with three more pairs of shoes. She stood them in the corner and put the empty pot of cream into the waste-paper basket. ' I have finished, Angela,' she said. ' I go now. Tomorrow you will want me, is it not so ? '
' Yes, come tomorrow at the same time,' said Angela, switching on a charming smile again and shaking back her gleaming hair, ' You've done my shoes beautifully. Thank you.'
Antoinette slipped out of the room like a mouse. She met Claudine at the end of the passage and her sister raised her eyebrows. ' Where have you been, Antoinette ? You are not supposed to be in the fifth form studies unless you have been sent for.'
' I have been cleaning all Angela's shoes,' said Antoinette, demurely. Then she glanced swiftly up and down the corridor to see that no one else was in sight, and shot out a few sentences in rapid French. Claudine laughed her infectious laugh, and pretended to box her sister's ears.
'Tiens! Quelle mechante fille! What will Angela say?'
Antoinette shrugged her shoulders, grinned and disappeared. Claudine went on her way, and paused outside Angela's study. She heard voices. Alison was there now too. Claudine opened the door.
' Hallo,' said Alison. ' Come for that book I promised you ? Wait a minute—I've put it out for you somewhere.'
She caught sight of all Angela's shoes standing gleaming in a comer. ' I say! Did young Violet clean them like that for you ? She doesn't usually get such a polish on !'
' No—Antoinette did them,' said Angela. ' She was telling me all about your sisters and hers, Claudine.'
' Ah yes,' said Claudine,' there is my sister Louise, and my sister Marie and my sister . . .'
' Oh, don't you start on them, for goodness' sake,' said Angela. 'What's the matter, Alison, what are you staring at ?'
' Have you used up all that lovely face-cream already ?' said Alison, in a surprised voice, and she picked an empty pot out of the waste-paper basket. ' Angela, how extravagant of you! Why, there was hardly any out of it yesterday—and now it's all gone. What have you done with it ?'
' Nothing,' said Angela, startled. ' I hardly ever use that, it's so terribly expensive and difficult to get. I keep it for very special occasions. Whatever can have happened to it ? It really is empty !'
The two girls stared at each other, puzzled. Claudine sat on the side of the table, swinging her foot, her face quite impassive. Then Angela slapped the table hard and exclaimed in anger.
' It's that fool of an Antoinette! She's cleaned my shoes with my best face-cream! Oh, the idiot ! All that lovely cream gone—gone on my shoes too!'
' But your shoes, they look so beautiful!' remarked Claudine. ' Maybe the little Antoinette thought that ordinary shoe-polish was not good enough for such fine shoes.'
' She's an idiot,' said Angela. ' I won't have her do any jobs again.'