by L. T. Meade
CHAPTER XIII
A COCOA PARTY.
Nearly one hundred girls were in the great dining hall. They were allseated at the different tables when Annie Colchester and Leslie Gilroyappeared. Annie went straight up to her own table, bowed somewhatawkwardly to Miss Frere the tutor, who was at the head, and then, seeingthat the teacher's eyes were fixed on Leslie, said in an abrupt voice:
"This is my roomfellow, Miss Leslie Gilroy, Miss Frere."
"How do you do, Miss Gilroy?" said Miss Frere in a pleasant voice. "Ithink you will find a seat next to Miss Colchester. Move down a little,please, Jane," she continued, turning to another girl with a rosy faceand dark eyes. "Yes, there is plenty of room now. I will have a talkwith you after dinner, if you like, Miss Gilroy."
"Thank you, I shall be very glad," replied Leslie. Her bright eyes andlovely face, her whole manner and pleasant expression, made many of thegirls turn and glance at her; but nobody stared in at all an unpleasantmanner.
The girl called Jane began to talk to Leslie, and told her some of therules of the place. Leslie was glad to learn what she could; but hereyes anxiously glanced from table to table in the hope of once moreseeing her two companions of the cab. Presently she observed Marjorieand Eileen seated at a table at the other end of the room. They weretogether, looking already quite at home and perfectly contented. Theytalked to one another; when they caught Leslie's eyes they nodded to herin a pleasant, hail-fellow-well-met manner.
"Who are those two girls?" said Jane Heriot suddenly. "They are fresherslike yourself, are they not?"
"I do not know much about them," replied Leslie. "Yes; they have justcome to St. Wode's--their names are Marjorie and Eileen Chetwynd. Theywere kind enough to share a cab with me coming from the station, andseem to be very nice girls indeed."
"I like their faces," said Miss Heriot; "but what a funny way they dotheir hair. I don't care for that short hair; do you?"
"Not personally," replied Leslie; "but they seem nice girls and havehandsome faces."
"Yes, I am sure they are charming, and also out of the common. I onlytrust they won't join the oddities. We have a few oddities here, ofcourse. I am so glad you are not going to be one."
As Jane spoke she glanced toward Annie Colchester, who looked back ather and nodded.
"I overheard you, Jane," she said; "and you are perfectly welcome tospeak of me as the oddity of all oddities. Miss Leslie Gilroy has foundout that fact for herself already; have you not, Miss Gilroy?"
"I have found you quite willing to put up with the discomfort of havingme in your room," answered Leslie, coloring as she spoke.
"You are sure to have a room to yourself after this term," said JaneHeriot. "This is always our most crowded term; but if Annie takeshonors, which she is very likely to do, she will be leaving St. Wode's,and then the governors will give you another room."
The dinner proceeded. Leslie asked a few more questions of Jane, whoalways replied in a pleasant, intelligent manner; and, when the meal hadcome to an end, she asked Leslie if she would like to come with her toher own room.
"This is our debate evening," she said. "I will bring you down to thehall presently, and introduce you to several of the girls; but now docome down to my room and have a chat. We don't debate before half-pasteight. I am sure we shall be friends."
"But Miss Frere said something about wishing to see me after dinner,"said Leslie. "She is one of the tutors, is she not?"
"Oh, yes, such a darling; the dearest, sweetest woman on earth. Butsurely you don't want to talk over books to-night?"
"Yes, I do. I should like to settle down to my work as quickly aspossible."
"Well, of course you can speak to Miss Frere; but I don't think she cangive you much of her time, for she is to open the debate. She is ourclassical tutor. Are you classical, Miss Gilroy?"
"No: I came here to study literature," replied Leslie.
"In that case you won't have anything to do with Miss Frere. Miss Mapleis the tutor who will look after you and arrange your lectures. I willjust speak to Miss Frere. Oh, come with me if you like; we can bothspeak to her."
Jane Heriot slipped her hand through Leslie's arm, drew her up the roomto where Miss Frere was talking to a number of students, and thentouched the tutor on the arm.
"Ah, my dear," said Miss Frere, turning to Leslie, "you would like tohave a little talk with me?"
"But, please, Miss Frere," interrupted Jane, "Miss Gilroy has just toldme that she is going to study literature."
"In that case I am not the tutor who will have to look after you,"replied Miss Frere. "Shall I introduce you to Miss Maple now, or willyou wait until the morning?"
"Do wait until the morning," said Jane. "I am dying to show you my room;and afterwards you must come to hall. You won't, of course, take part inthe debate to-night, but you can look on and find out how far you arelikely to enjoy yourself amongst us."
"With so many temptations, I think I will wait to be introduced to MissMaple until to-morrow," said Leslie.
"I think you are acting wisely," said Miss Frere; "and remember, if youwant anything at any time, I shall be very glad to help you. I willspeak to Miss Maple about you, and she will see you after prayersto-morrow."
Leslie and Jane Heriot left the dining hall together. Annie Colchesterhad long since departed.
"Ought I not to go to her?" said Leslie; "she may think it rude."
"Rude?" cried Jane with a laugh. "Annie think it rude to be left alone?She is hard at work at her studies already. Let me tell you, you will bein luck if you get into that room at all to-night, for one of herunpleasant habits is to lock the door, then she goes to bed withoutthinking anything more about it. Alice Hall, her last roomfellow, wasonce kept out of the room all night in consequence of Annie's behavior.Poor Alice had to share my sofa-bed, and, I assure you, it was a tightfit."
"In that case would it not be wise for me to run up immediately andremove the key?"
Jane Heriot laughed again.
"Excellent," she said; "and Annie will never miss it. She is the mosteccentric creature I ever met. Her brown-studies are too wonderful. Weall laugh at her, but we all like her, for she really is a good oldthing, although such an oddity. Well, I'll come with you, for my room isin the same corridor. Let us go at once. There are two or three friendswho are certain to come and see me to-night, and I should like tointroduce you to them."
Just as the two girls were about to ascend the stairs they met Eileenand Marjorie, who, arm in arm, were looking at the regulation board. Assoon as they saw Leslie they turned to speak to her.
"I hope you are comfortable, Miss Gilroy?" said Marjorie. "We are--very."
"Please introduce me, Miss Gilroy," said Jane Heriot, touching Leslie onher sleeve.
Leslie did what was required.
"You don't know anybody here yet, do you?" asked Jane, turning toEileen.
"No," replied Eileen; "one or two girls spoke to us at dinner, but----"
"In that case you had better come and join my party," said Jane. "Thegirls will call on you to-morrow evening, so you must be at home; butthey will not do so to-night, as it is the first night of term. Do come,both of you. Miss Gilroy is coming, and we shall make quite a cozyparty."
Eileen and Marjorie said they would be delighted to comply, and thegirls went upstairs side by side. Leslie went to her own room, securedthe key, slipped it into her pocket, and joined the rest on thethreshold of Jane's room.
Jane Heriot happened to have one of the prettiest and most tastefullyarranged rooms in North Hall. It was a corner room, and had queer littlenooks and crannies in all sorts of unexpected places. It was paperedwith a very artistic paper, and had a deep dado, which Jane herself hadpainted, with a running pattern of wild flowers and birds. Some goodphotogravures of pictures by Burne-Jones and Watts hung upon the walls,the curtains were of Liberty silk, the floor was covered with aself-colored drugget, the bed was turned into a tastefully arrangedsofa and the chest of drawers was rendered uniqu
e and graceful by apiano cloth concealing its back. The screen which hid the washingapparatus was a Liberty one, and very pretty. A bright little fireburned in the grate, which was agreeable, as the evening was somewhatchilly. One of the windows stood slightly open, and the room was full offresh air without draught.
"We must all go down to debate within an hour," said Jane; "and then Ihope you will return to my room, girls, for cocoa. I am giving a cocoaparty to-night, you know."
"How delightful!" said Leslie. "How pleasant everything seems to be!"
"When did you say the debate would begin?" asked Eileen.
"Within an hour."
"Then you have time first to tell us something of your college life."
"I can do so if you like. We have a great deal of liberty here; and,provided we don't break the rules, we are not likely to get into hotwater. The studious girls work as a rule in the morning, play games inthe afternoon, and work again after dinner, until whatever hour theywish to go to bed. We are all expected to be in bed soon after midnight,and no one is allowed to be outside the gates after half-past ten,unless special leave is given. By the way, do you know any people inWingfield, Miss Gilroy?"
"I have an introduction to one of the Dons, Mr. Matcheson," said Leslie;"but I don't know him yet."
"Oh, you are in great luck if you get into the Matcheson set," said Janewith a slight look of envy flitting across her face. "They are some ofthe nicest people in Wingfield, and they have such delightful Sundayevenings; they are sure to invite you to them. Do you know any people,Miss Chetwynd?"
"Not a soul," said Marjorie, sinking down upon a corner of Jane's sofa,"and I am not likely to," she added; "for when once we take up our workin earnest we shall have no time for social frivolities."
"Social frivolities!" repeated Jane; "but half the good of the place isits social life. You won't get the benefit you ought to derive from aresidence at St. Wode's unless you take up the social as well as thelearned side of the life."
"I don't understand you," said Marjorie, knitting her pretty brows.
"I must try and explain. I see by Miss Gilroy's face that she does."
Leslie nodded and smiled.
"One of the many benefits of coming to college is to strengthen thesocial side of one's character," said Jane. "When Miss Frere or MissMaple ask you to tea, they will discourse much on that point. A collegegirl ought to have wider sympathies, and to be less selfish all round,than a girl who knows only the ordinary home life. Oh, I have not a wordto say against home girls, but certainly college life does strengthenone. Now, here we have heaps of opportunities; we know so many girls, weenter into their lives, we have a delightful feeling of comradeship. Thewide outside world, which we get a glimpse of from our own dear littleparadise, is most strengthening to our characters. You ask some of theolder girls here what they think of St. Wode's. They will tell you thatit is a paradise, an oasis. We are all happy; devoid of care. And thehockey and tennis clubs, and the boating club--they are all so charmingthat we cannot but have a gay time. There are twenty boats belonging toSt. Wode's College; and on the long summer afternoons we go up the rivera good distance, and very often do our work under the trees; so you canimagine how jolly everything is. But of course there are certain rules.No girl can belong to the boating club, for instance, unless she canswim in fifty feet of water."
"I can stand that test," said Marjorie eagerly, "and I should ratherlike to be in a boat. Eileen and I have rowed a good deal on the seasince we were quite children."
"Can you swim, Miss Gilroy?" asked Jane.
"I am afraid I cannot," replied Leslie; "but I don't think I am much ofa coward, and can soon learn," she added. "You see I have spent all mylife in London, and have not had a chance of learning."
"Oh, if you are a London girl you ought to have courage for anything!Then, besides the boating club, we have our bicycle clubs, and ourdebating society, and our dramatic society. Oh, yes, it is a very fulllife, and those derive most benefit from the college who enter into itin its divers branches as much as possible."
"All that social frivolity will not suit me," said Marjorie, breakingthe silence that followed Jane's rapid flow of words.
"Why so?"
"Because my sister and I--I am sure I can speak for her as well asmyself--have come here for a definite purpose. If we had stayed at homewe should have gone in for all those other things. We know a veryearnest student who belongs to this college, and she has given us quitedifferent particulars with regard to the life. She did not speak of itas you have done, Miss Heriot."
"May I know the name of that girl?" asked Jane.
"Certainly you may; she is a great friend of ours. I believe her room isin West Hall; her name is Belle Acheson."
A queer, convulsed sort of look passed over Jane's face for a quarter ofa second, then vanished. She looked solemnly at Eileen.
"Are you a great friend of Miss Acheson's?" she asked.
"Certainly. We have known her since we were children. But why do youinquire?"
"I am sorry--that is all," said Jane.
"Sorry? What can you mean? Do you know her?"
"We all know her more or less. I have nothing to say against herpersonally except that she does not take the best the college affords. Ihope you will not---- But forgive me. I am a stranger to you; I ought notto interfere."
"It would certainly be better for you to say nothing more," saidMarjorie in her gentle voice. "Belle is a friend of ours. Yes," shecontinued, "we have come here to learn, and we don't wish to benarrow-minded; but we are quite determined that we will not waste ourtime nor our money in dress or ornaments."
Here she glanced disapprovingly round the exquisitely furnished littleroom.
"We mean to work hard; we shall have no time for amusement."
Jane muttered something under her breath; then she said cheerfully:
"I am not the one to lecture you. Come, what shall I show you? It willsoon be time to go down to hall to the debate. Now, how can I amuseyou?"
"We don't want amusing," said Eileen; "that's just the very point wewish you to clearly understand. If you can tell us anything about thepoor in Wingfield, or what philanthropic societies are started, or ifthere are classes for the teaching of cookery and domestic economy, weshall be greatly obliged to you."
"But why did you come here?" said Jane, opening her eyes wide. "This isa place for the acquiring of academic learning, not for----"
"It is the place where Belle Acheson is acquiring her profound knowledgeof life," said Marjorie in a slow voice.
Jane looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Just then there came a tap at the door, and two girls named Alice andFlorrie Smart, put in an appearance. They were fashionably dressed, andrushed up to Jane and kissed her.
"Dear old Janie, how are you?" said Alice.
"Oh, we have had such a jolly time," interrupted Florrie. "We were outwith the Davidsons all the afternoon, and thought we should be late. Wewouldn't miss the debate to-night for a thousand worlds. Freshers? Do Isee freshers here? Pray introduce me, Janie."
Jane performed her duties in a somewhat perfunctory manner. She waspuzzled by Eileen and Marjorie, could not understand them, and wasscarcely prepared to like them; but Leslie had already stolen into herheart.