Boarding schools -- England -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Social life and customs -- Juvenile fiction
The thought of shrimps and bread and butter for tea was too much for
Nina's greedy little soul. She did condescend to get off the hot bed
and kiss Brenda, who for her part was quite delightful, for the time
being. She even took the account-book and pencil, and said that they
should not be seen again until the day after to-morrow. Then she washed
Nina's flushed face, and made her wear the objectionable pink muslin
with the folds across the bottom in lieu of flounces, and that little
straw hat, which cost exactly one-and-sixpence, including its trimming.
Afterwards, they all went down on the beach, and presently they had tea.
Then, in good time, they came back to supper, and after that, the
delightful period of the day began for Fanchon, and the trying one for
her two sisters--for Fanchon was now regularly established as Brenda's
companion when she went out to enjoy herself after supper, and the two
younger girls, notwithstanding all their tears and protestations, were
ordered off to bed. It was odious to go to bed on these hot, long
evenings, but Brenda was most specious in her arguments, and Mrs Dawson
and Miss Price and Mrs Simpkins all agreed with the governess--that
there was nothing for young folks like early bed. Mrs Simpkins even
repeated that odious proverb for Nina's benefit, "Early to bed and early
to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." In short, Brenda had
broken in her pupils to her own satisfaction; and when she had seen them
into their "nighties"--as she called those garments,--she and Fanchon,
dressed in their very best, went out on pleasure intent.
It was a pretty sight to see the elegant-looking young governess and her
somewhat _gauche_ pupil wander down to that part of the pier where the
band played; and it was truly edifying to perceive how Fanchon anxiously
copied Brenda on these occasions. She imitated her step, her walk, her
hand-shake--which was of the truly fashionable kind, stiff, and rising
high in the air. Fanchon's heart beat with pleasure when she perceived
how very much Brenda was admired, and, as Brenda could do anything with
her pupil by means of flattery, the young lady was by no means unhappy
about herself. On this special night--the night before the visit to
Beverley Castle--Fanchon felt even more delighted than usual, for she
was allowed, at the last moment, in the close little hall of the
boarding-house, to slip the precious, the most precious bangle on her
sunburnt wrist.
"I always said you should wear it," said Brenda, "and you shall
to-night."
Fanchon fairly trembled with happiness.
"It feels delightful," she said. "It's like a tonic, which gives me
tone. I don't think I should be afraid of anything if I could always
wear this."
"Some day you shall, if you remain faithful to your own Brenda."
"You know, Brenda, I would do anything for you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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