"But, John, I can't come to lunch, because I've promised to tidy the
Lab," Joey began, and then stopped, because she had been rung off. She
went in to breakfast, feeling very doubtful whether she wanted to go to
lunch at Mote to-day, even with the company of Noreen and Gabrielle.
It would be much more fun to go with the Team, and it was more than
possible that Cousin Greta might not see the great importance of being
in time for the match.
Then Miss Conyngham made an announcement at breakfast that made her
absolutely sure she did not want to go.
"I am glad to know that it seems possible I suspected a Redlands girl
unjustly," Miss Conyngham said in the clear voice that reached without
effort to every corner of the big refectory.
"Because I am so glad and thankful that I _was_ mistaken, I wish to
give the College an especial treat, and therefore arranged last night
by 'phone that enough brakes should be here by 1.15 to-day to take the
whole six hundred of us to Deeping Royal--to see, we hope, Redlands
pull it off against the Lincs Ladies."
Miss Conyngham might have had more to say, but she was not allowed
to say it. The whole school rose at her, and the cheering, as Noreen
remarked afterwards, nearly smashed all the breakfast-cups on the
table. Miss Conyngham had to hold up her hand twice for silence before
she could mention that dinner would be at a quarter to one, promptly,
to allow of a punctual start for Deeping Royal.
"How absolutely topping of the Head," Noreen whispered to Joey. "I
say, I _am_ glad you stopped me making an ass of myself last night. I
believe she's just as bucked about it as we are, really. Bags I next
place to you, old thing, in our bus."
"I'm not going," Joey explained mournfully.
"Not going?"
"Not with the rest, I mean. I've got to go to lunch with my cousin."
"What rot! You can't. Why, we should have no end of a time driving--you
go quite close to the Stakes by the shore of the Wash."
Joey began to wish very acutely that she had rung up Mote again
directly she was cut off, and explained that she couldn't manage
Saturday. Only John had startled her just for a minute; he had seemed
so oddly sure that she must come, and then the breakfast gong had gone,
and it was too late.
"Absolute rubbish," Noreen persisted. "Gabby, do you hear? Joey wants
to lunch with her cousins and go with them instead of with us."
"I don't want--at all," poor Joey said. "Only--John seemed to want
me...."
"The conceit of the kid," laughed Barbara.
"I mean he wanted me about signalling, I think," Joey explained in a
hurry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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