by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XII
INKY ANNIE.
Meanwhile, Miss Colchester and Leslie Gilroy, standing in the middle oftheir room, gazed one at the other. Miss Colchester put up her hand toruffle her red locks. Presently she uttered a short, sharp sigh.
"I see by the build of your head and your figure that you are painfullytidy," she said. "I had hoped that it might have been the will ofProvidence to allow a congenial spirit to share this room with me; but,evidently, that is not to be my lot. How much space do you require?"
"Half the room, I suppose," said Leslie.
"Half! My dear, good creature, impossible! Don't you see that my thingsare everywhere? You will notice, too, that I am absorbed in study. I amworking hard for mathematical honors, and I have only this term in whichto prepare."
"Surely a long time?" said Leslie.
"No time at all, I assure you. Come here; I will show you the list ofbooks I have to get through. Oh, I declare, here comes your trunk--twotrunks. What do you want two trunks for? How perfectly fearful! Put themdown, please, porter--there, near the door. Now then, we had bettersettle this matter at once. You must promise that you will on no accountencroach on my half of the room. I take this side with the bay window;you have the back, with the little side window. I require light for mywork. I give you permission to keep your part, just there in the corner,as tidy as you please. Do you understand?"
"I shall certainly keep my part of the room tidy," said Leslie with somespirit. "And may I ask what this screen is for?"
"Oh! you can use it or not as you please. It is supposed to hide thewashhand-stand: most unnecessary in my opinion. Some of the studentshere even go the length of turning the chest of drawers, so that thedrawers may face the wall; then they put an ornamental sort ofpiano-sheet over the back of the drawers, and make it look like a pieceof ornamental furniture, ornamental instead of useful. Ridiculous! Doesnot one want to bang open a drawer, stuff in one's things, shut it againas quickly as possible, and then not give another thought to the matter?Surely there are untidy girls in the college: why was it my lot to haveyou sent to share my room--you who are the very pink of neatness?"
"I see you are very sorry to have me, and, of course, I am sorry, too,that you should be put out," said Leslie, who thought it best to takethe bull by the horns. "But suppose, Miss Colchester--suppose I, who maynot have quite so much work to do at present as you have----"
"Of course you won't, you silly girl; I am working for honors, I toldyou."
"Well, well; do let me finish. Suppose I undertake the tidying of thewhole room?"
"But, my dear, good creature, I like it untidy. I hate to haveeverything in its place. When things are in their right places they cannever be found; that's my opinion. Do you see my study table? I knowexactly where I have put my things; but, if anybody attempts to tidythem, woe betide my comfort in the future! Well, I see you aregood-natured, and I don't want to be disagreeable. You have a nice face,too, and I dare say we shall pull together all right. If you wish totidy just round my table, you may. For instance, if you see my stockingson the floor, you can roll them up and pop them into my drawer, anydrawer, it doesn't matter which; and, if I do forget to put my bootsoutside at night, you may gather them up with your own and fling them onthe landing. Oh, dear, dear, it is such a worry even to speak about it!But what I was about to say," continued Miss Colchester, "is this: Youmay tidy for me if you please; but there is one point on which I amresolved. This table is never to be touched. The housemaid knows it, andnow I warn you. Think what it means to me--I may make a note, through mybrain may be evolved an idea, which a careless housemaid may throw intothe waste-paper basket. Just think what it would mean! How do yousuppose I am to work in a place like this if I think of small, pettythings which occupy home-girls? You are a home-girl: have you a tidymother? Of course you have."
"Yes," said Leslie, "and a very hard-working and clever mother, too. Shespends a great deal of her time out, but she has trained my sisters andmyself----"
"I do believe you are going to quote that awful proverb about a placefor everything," said Miss Colchester. "Don't, I beg of you."
"I was thinking of it. I did not mean to quote it," said Leslie.
"Well, I must not waste any more time talking. I suppose you must haveyour way. I am afraid your bedstead is a little uncomfortable. Thespring is broken; but you don't mind, do you?"
"I do mind," answered Leslie. "I shall ask to have the spring mendedto-morrow. There is no good in having an uncomfortable bed; but forto-night it does not matter."
"Oh, I see you are going to be good-natured! That is your screen--you cantake the best of the two, because I never open mine. You can paste anypictures you like on it if you are given that way; but I hope togoodness you are not. The screen is to put round your washhand-stand.That is your table, and that is your chest of drawers. Now, forgoodness' sake, like a dear, good creature, put your things in order,and don't speak to me again. I must go on with my calculus of finitedifferences."
"What do you mean?" asked Leslie.
"Do you wish for an explanation? If so, pray sit down opposite to me anddon't expect to stir for a week; it will take me at least as long toexplain the matter. Oh, don't say any more just now, and do move assoftly as you can! Do just consider that my winning honors inmathematics is a little more important than that your drawers should bein immaculate order. Do you comprehend?"
"Perfectly."
"Well, don't say another word."
The red-haired maiden returned to her desk, stuffed both her handsthrough her fiery locks, which stuck out now like great wings on eachside of her head, and began murmuring slowly to herself.
Leslie stood still for a moment with a sense of dismay stealing overher.
"What is to be done?" she thought. "Miss Colchester is a very peculiargirl. What does a calculus of finite differences mean? I almost wishdear old Lew had been mathematical, then perhaps I should have known.Well, never mind; I won't disturb that poor, dear scholarly girl; butunpack my things I simply must."
Thanks to her mother's excellent training, Leslie was a proficient inthe art of stowing away things in small spaces; and before the gong fordinner sounded she had put all her belongings away, had arranged thescreen round her washhand-stand, and had even brought out much-lovedphotographs of her mother and her brother Llewellyn to ornament the topof her chest of drawers. These gave a home look to the room, and sheglanced at them with satisfaction. Her bedstead, turned into a sofa byday by means of a crimson rug, was now tidy and in order, and Leslie satdown on the edge of it waiting for Annie Colchester to stir.
The second gong pealed through the house, and Annie suddenly started toher feet.
"Good gracious! Oh, I forgot all about you. What is your name?"
"Leslie Gilroy."
"Leslie Gilroy, please tell me if that is the first or second gong?"
"The second," replied Leslie.
"And who are you?" continued Annie Colchester, gazing in a sort ofvacant way at her roomfellow.
"The girl who has come to share your room."
"And you have put all your things away and made no noise? Excellent! Didyou say that that was the second gong, Miss----"
"Leslie Gilroy is my name."
"Is that the second gong?"
"The second gong sounded two or three minutes ago."
"Then we must fly. Oh, never mind our hands. Ink? Yes, I have ink on myhands and on my face and on my hair; but never mind, never mind; theyknow me now. I am called 'Inky Annie.' I rather glory in the name."
"But I should have thought that a mathematical scholar would have beenthe essence of order," said Leslie. "Surely mathematics ought to conduceto order of mind and body."
"You know nothing whatever about it," said Annie, casting a witheringglance at Leslie. "I wonder if you are clever or what you have come herefor. Girls who are merely orderly have no niche at St. Wode's. But youwill learn doubtless; and if you are good-natured I will stick up foryou of course. C
ome along now; you are a fresher, you know, this term,and will be treated accordingly."
"But how are freshers treated, and why must I be given that unpleasantname?" asked Leslie.
"Custom, my dear--custom. We always call the new girls freshers; you'llget used to it. No one is unkind to a fresher unless she makes herselfdisagreeable, which I rather guess you won't." Here Annie smiledbrightly into Leslie's face.
"Well, I hope we shall be good friends, and that I won't inconvenienceyou," said the other girl.
"You won't if you are silent and keep to your side of the room. Nowthen, let's join hands and fly downstairs."
"Oh, yes, we are fearfully late, and the others have gone into thedining hall."
"Well, come this way," said Annie. "I'll squeeze you into a seat by me,if you like, for this evening, Leslie Gilroy."