"Who put you up to all this?" repeated the Senior Prefect magisterially.
Joey stuck her hands into her pockets. She had been made a fool of;
well, it wasn't pleasant, but one must grin and bear it, even the
hateful apologising to the justly incensed Professor, which she
supposed must be her next proceeding. She wasn't going to get the
others into trouble anyway, and Ingrid Latimer's tone suggested trouble
ahead. "Oh, never mind!" she said.
"I wish to know," Ingrid repeated. "Their names, please?"
"Sorry, it can't be done," Joey stuck out hardily. "And if you don't
want your boots put on, I'll go--please!"
The Senior Prefect looked as though she could hardly believe her
ears; but Joey hadn't been educated up to Senior Prefects and their
expressions. She bolted straight back to the Lab; it would be best to
get that hateful apology over at once.
But the door was locked, this time on the inside, and though she
knocked till her knuckles were sore, there was no answer.
"Hi, Jocelyn Graham, you're to go to Miss Conyngham," shouted a
familiar voice, and Noreen hove in sight round the corner.
Joey saw her opportunity. "Tell that to some other idiot, if you can
find one silly enough to listen to the sort of things you say," she
told her. "Personally, I find it jolly interesting to see what a kid
like you will try on next; but even I don't want too much funniness,
thank you."
She marched off, leaving an outraged and astounded Noreen staring after
her, and betook herself to the sleepy stream meandering at the bottom
of the garden. It was a comfort to feel that Noreen had not succeeded
in having her on a third time, but it was about all the comfort there
was. Joey felt desperately home-sick and miserable just then, and as
if she would give anything in the world to find herself on the heathy
moor, or making bannocks for tea in the kitchen of the little grey
stone cottage, far away from this puzzling and unfriendly new world.
She stared across the sleepy water, wondering whether Father had felt
more wretched than this when he was a prisoner among his enemies.
Yes, of course it had been worse for him, a great deal worse; for
he had been in the midst of dirt and ill-usage and barbarities
unspeakable--only--he hadn't expected to find the Huns friendly
gentlemen, and Joey had somehow expected a great deal from Redlands.
Still, that was no reason for making a fuss; Father hadn't--Joey knew
that. She screwed her eyes up tight, and rubbed the back of a grubby
hand across them fiercely. And while she was doing that someone spoke
to her.
"I say, are you Jocelyn Graham?"
Joey opened her eyes hastily. A girl was standing by her, a girl with
long lovely auburn-brown hair and clear eyes a shade darker, and a
delicate clear skin. She wasn't as tall as Joey herself, anything like,
and she hadn't the superior way of talking, which Joey had noticed in
the rest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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