A FORTUNATE TERM
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By ANGELA BRAZIL
"Angela Brazil has proved her undoubted talent for writing a story of schoolgirls for other schoolgirls to read."--Bookman.
Loyal to the School. A Fortunate Term. A Popular Schoolgirl. The Princess of the School. A Harum-Scarum Schoolgirl. The Head Girl at the Gables. A Patriotic Schoolgirl. For the School Colours. The Madcap of the School. The Luckiest Girl in the School. The Jolliest Term on Record. The Girls of St. Cyprian's. The Youngest Girl in the Fifth. The New Girl at St. Chad's. For the Sake of the School. The School by the Sea. The Leader of the Lower School. A Pair of Schoolgirls. A Fourth Form Friendship. The Manor House School. The Nicest Girl in the School. The Third Class at Miss Kaye's. The Fortunes of Philippa.
LONDON: BLACKIE & SON, LTD., 50 OLD BAILEY, E.C.
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[Illustration: SHE FOUND TOM IN THE GREENHOUSE _Page 44_]
A FORTUNATE TERM
by
ANGELA BRAZIL
Illustrated by Treyer Evans
Blackie and Son Limited London Glasgow And Bombay
Contents
CHAP. Page
I. MAVIS AND MERLE 9
II. "THE MOORINGS" 22
III. THE SCHOOL FAVOURITE 34
IV. RED DEVON BY THE SEA 48
V. FAIR MAIDS OF FEBRUARY 61
VI. A CHILD OF MISFORTUNE 75
VII. THE INNOVATORS 86
VIII. THE WARREN 103
IX. A QUESTION OF HONOUR 117
X. AMONG THE BOARDERS 127
XI. ROUND THE FIRE 141
XII. PIXIE-LED 152
XIII. BLACKTHORN BOWER 167
XIV. NICKY NAN NIGHT 181
XV. THE SQUATTERS 193
XVI. TROTMAN'S CIRCUS 209
XVII. THE SICK CLOWN 223
XVIII. GREEK MEETS GREEK 240
XIX. AT HALF-MAST 255
XX. A CONFESSION 266
XXI. THE FLORAL FESTIVAL 278
Illustrations
Facing Page
SHE FOUND TOM IN THE GREENHOUSE _Frontispiece_
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Fortunate Term by Angela Brazil
- 2: Whinburn certainly doesn't suit you
- 3: Mavis looked out of the window
- 4: But it gets dirty directly in Whinburn
- 5: Shall we find cowslips in the fields
- 6: You know very well Devon won't be quite Devon without you
- 7: An invaluable old servant who attended to the surgery
- 8: Merle before they've done with me
- 9: That Mavis and Merle were introduced one January morning
- 10: Opal Earnshaw was fearfully angry that you beat her in maths
- 11: At least Devon people say they are
- 12: Jessop did not need any telling
- 13: When the girls wanted to talk they went to Jessop
- 14: Miss Pollard is only supposed to take twenty pupils
- 15: Merle could always keep order among juniors
- 16: Opal must wait like other people
- 17: Iva and Mavis and I are going to do it
- 18: Merle had found an ally in Iva Westwood
- 19: When she met Merle in the ladies' chain
- 20: Tremayne in his little Deemster car
- 21: Jessop tucked the rug over their knees
- 22: Tremayne disappeared into his surgery
- 23: And leaning against a blade of the waterwheel
- 24: And came scrambling up into the stackyard
- 25: Mavis and Merle were thoroughly enjoying themselves
- 26: Tremayne made a hurried examination of Gwen Williams's wrist
- 27: Penruddock will give you some tea
- 28: Picked up their bunches of snowdrops
- 29: Jessop was a kindly old gossip
- 30: The terrified girl ran for the landlord
- 31: Penruddock had stepped into the breach
- 32: Penruddock send him back to school
- 33: Glared at Iva and Merle for silence
- 34: And supported by Iva and Nesta
- 35: Calling a mass meeting in the playroom
- 36: Has Bernardo not yet returned
- 37: And Merle moved forwards towards it
- 38: As chairwoman of the proceedings
- 39: And a few extra visiting spectres as well
- 40: We've made a beginning and had our symposium
- 41: The Glyn Williams are everything there now
- 42: They looked about for Bevis in the stackyard
- 43: Have fled after Merle she would have done so
- 44: Are you going with him to the Sanatorium
- 45: While Gwen and Babbie were speaking to a gardener
- 46: Had rented The Warren from General Talland
- 47: Opal worshipped openly at Gwen's shrine
- 48: Now Merle was sitting just behind Opal
- 49: Opal turned white and then scarlet
- 50: CHAPTER XAmong the Boarders Mavis and Merle
- 51: Among the silliest of the boarders was Nita Howard
- 52: Nita felt she had scored a success
- 53: What's become of Winnie and Joyce
- 54: The cloakroom will be quite dark
- 55: We couldn't do it anywhere else except in the cloakroom
- 56: So when Miss Pollard and Miss Fanny entered
- 57: Who gathered the driftwood cast up by the gale
- 58: Weave me the wreath of vervain
- 59: But one little pixie was left behind
- 60: For I know that the pixies have stolen him away
- 61: Then seized up the toilet jug to add some cold
- 62: Certainly Merle seemed pixie led
- 63: And handed it reproachfully to Merle
- 64: Merle popped back into her place
- 65: It was not a cromlech after all
- 66: Answered Merle with dramatic unction
- 67: Declared that Mavis was a lucker
- 68: Bevis was a most satisfactory person to act guide
- 69: But Bevis had brought a piece of candle and a box of matches
- 70: Mavis spoke slowly and hesitatingly
- 71: Said Mavis through her chattering teeth
- 72: Which Bevis foraged out of the fields
- 73: Gwen Williams sauntered in the direction of the Ramsays
- 74: Who also suffered from the metronome
- 75: Were amazed that Jessop did not answer it
- 76: The metronome is missing from the piano
- 77: It's a pity they didn't keep the metronome
- 78: And you too nodding to Merle
- 79: You promised us a surprise at Blackthorn Bower
- 80: There are heaps of pixie tales
- 81: What are we to do with our prehistoric cups
- 82: Although it's so dirty and cobwebby and dilapidated
- 83: What's going to become of Bevis
- 84: Miss Pollard would not commit herself
- 85: Will you give a message for me to Miss Pollard
- 86: Miss Pollard tore it open hastily
- 87: While Queenie and Pixie ran in contrary circles
- 88: Did a marvellous turn with Queenie
- 89: You're the biggest fibber I know
- 90: Who were at present leading spirits at Brackenfield
- 91: His leg was in splints and his head was bandaged
- 92: He smiled feebly at Mavis and Merle
- 93: To Merle it was a gorgeous opportunity
- 94: That speedometer isn't working
- 95: And Merle understood her meaning
- 96: Tudor and Merle played Gwen and Mavis
- 97: Merle would have liked to beg to mount Armorelle
- 98: Merle had revised her first opinion of Tudor
- 99: And Merle thought she saw a snake
- 100: They did not care for him to know about Blackthorn Bower
- 101: Bevis flown at young Williams and run away
- 102: Penruddock was mistaken in her calculations
- 103: Glyn Williams really buy the property
- 104: George Talland and his son might 'cut the entail'
- 105: Bevis stared searchingly at Mavis
- 106: Penruddock hurried down the fields to the cave
- 107: Penruddock had come into the parlour
- 108: Tremayne had more patients than usual
- 109: Ever since she heard the news about General Talland
- 110: Why didn't I tell at the inquest
- 111: Is he the grandson of General Talland
- 112: Mavis and Merle were very anxious to see the floral festival
- 113: The Ramsays had been offered places in Mr
- 114: Ramsay had a secret to tell to Mavis and Merle
- 115: And Aunt Nellie would be lost without Jessop