“Oh no, I haven’t,” said Elizabeth at once. “But I see now that you wouldn’t let me go home if I behave too badly-you’ll only be angry with me and make me stay just to show me I can’t get my own way. But, Rita, if I do try hard to be good, and do everything I ought to, will you please ask Miss Belle and Miss Best to let me go home? They can ask my parents at half-term to take me away. My mother wouldn’t want me to stay anywhere where I was unhappy.” William and Rita looked at Elizabeth in surprise. very puzzled to know what to do with such a strange little girl.
Rita spoke to William, and the jury discussed things together too. But nobody could decide anything at all. / Rita hammered on to the table and everyone was quiet.
“Well, Elizabeth,” said Rita, “we simply don’t know what to say to you. We’ve never been asked such a thing before. We think we’d better ask Miss Belle and Miss Best to help us. Please, Miss Belle and Miss Best, could you advise us what to do best for Elizabeth?” The two headmistresses came up to the platform~ and Rita got them chairs. Mr. Johns came too, and sat with them. It was not often that the masters and mistresses came on to the platform at the weekly Meetings, and it seemed to make things much more important and serious.
“Well, first,” said Miss Belle, “I think we should all discuss this thing together–and as it is not very pleasant to discuss a person when she is present, and Elizabeth may find it a little awkward to hear us, I suggest that she shall be given the chance to leave the room until we have finished, What do you think about it. Elizabeth?” “I’d rather go out of the gym and wait till you say what’s decided,” said Elizabeth, “But please, Miss Belle, I shall be awfully naughty again if-” “Don’t say anything more, Elizabeth, my dear,” said Miss Best hurriedly. She didn’t want the children to feel annoyed with Elizabeth. She knew it was very difficult to be fair if people were feeling angry.
Elizabeth went out of the gym. She went to a music-room nearby and began to practise her part of the duet.
She hoped that she would be able to have her music lessons the next week, then she could play the piano with Richard.
The Meeting began to discuss Elizabeth and what to do with her. Everyone had a say, and everyone was listened to, “We don’t want her, she’s a nuisance,” said one girl. “Why not let her go?” “We do want her,” said Miss Belle, “I think we can help her a great deal.” “She’s been spoilt,” said William. “It’s always difficult for spoil children to fit in anywhere. They think the world’s made for them and them alone.” “But you can’t think how kind Elizabeth is really,” said Joan eagerly. “I’m her only friend, and I know more about her than anyone. She really has a good heart, Mademoiselle said she had too.” “That is quite true,” came Mademoiselle’s voice from the back of the gym. “This little Elizabeth is a good child at heart, and a clever one. But she is so-o-o-o obstinate.” Everyone laughed at Mademoiselle’s long “so-o-o-o-o-” “It’s so silly to think that Elizabeth can be simply splendid, but means to be awful if we don’t give her what she wants,” said William. “Fancy wanting to leave Whyteleafe School! I’ve never, never known anyone want to do that before.” The discussion went on. Nobody could imagine how Elizabeth could want to leave such a fine school as Whyteleafe, where the children were so happy, and where they ruled themselves. Miss Belle, Miss Best, and Mr. Johns smiled at one another when they heard the excited children blaming Elizabeth for wanting to leave Whyteleafe.
“I think I can see the answer to your problem,” said Miss Belle, at last. “Shall we say this to Elizabeth-that she may certainly leave us after the half-term if she is really unhappy, and can say so honestly to the Meeting? She does not need to be rude or naughty or disobedient any more, but may be good, hard-working and enjoy herself all she likes-because we are quite willing to let her go, if she really wants to, in a few weeks’ time!” “Oh-I see,” said Rita, her eyes shining. “You mean that Elizabeth can’t possibly come and say she is unhappy, after enjoying herself at Whyteleafe till half-term! So she won’t want to go after all-but we’re offering her what she wants, so she needn’t be bad any more?” “That’s right,” said Miss Belle. “If Whyteleafe School is all you say it is, and 1 am very proud to hear it-then I think we can safely say that you children and the school will be able to keep Elizabeth here of her own free will. We shall see Elizabeth at her best-and we can all help her to be good and happy.” Everyone stamped their feet and agreed. It seemed comical to them-they were going to tell Elizabeth she could leave when she wanted to-but when the time came they were sure she wouldn’t want to! What a good idea! They all made up their minds to be as nice as possible to Elizabeth so that she simply couldn’t say she was unhappy, when half-term came! “Call Elizabeth in,” said Miss Best, “We’ll tell her,” CHAPTER 14.
A Lovely Week.
ELIZABETH was called back to the gym by Nora. She stopped playing the piano and went back to her place in the gym.
She wondered what the Judges were going to say. They looked serious, but not angry. Rita knocked on the table.
“Quiet,” she ordered. “Elizabeth, we have all discussed what you want us to do. And we have decided that if you come to us at the Meeting after half-term, and tell us honestly that you are unhappy here, and want to go home, Miss Belle and Miss Best will advise your parents to take you away.” “Really!” said Elizabeth in delight. “Oh, thank you, Rita. I am pleased. Now I don’t need to be horrid and rude any more. I can wait till half-term, but I warn you that at the very first Meeting after that I shall ask to go home. I hate being at school.” Elizabeth wondered why everyone roared with laughter when she said that. She looked round in surprise. Even Joan was laughing.
“Well, Elizabeth, that’s settled, then,” said Rita. “Please be as nice as you know very well bow to be until half-term-and then, if you wish, you can certainly go home, if your parents will take you away.” “I know they will, if I’m unhappy,” said Elizabeth.
“Thank you, Rita. I promise to be really good now.” “Very well,” said William. “All your punishments are lifted from now on, your bedtime will be as before, at eight o’clock. You can take riding and painting and all your favourite lessons.” “Good!” said Elizabeth, beaming. She felt very pleased with herself. She had got what she wanted! She could go home at half-term! “I’m glad it’s not before then,” thought the little girl. “I do want to learn that duet with Richard. And I want to give Joan a present for her birthday. And I want to do some more riding-oh yes, and buy that record too! How everyone will love to hear it when I first put it on.” Elizabeth was very happy. She beamed round at everyone, not listening to anything else that was said at the Meeting. There was very little else to discuss, anyway, and very soon the gym was empty, and the children ran off to their various tasks or hobbies.
“Well, Elizabeth, I’ve got you till half-term, anyway!” said Joan. tucking her arm into Elizabeth’s.
“That’s something.” “Well, make the most of me!” said Elizabeth with a laugh. “For you won’t have me afterwards. I jolly well mean to go back home to my pony, and my dog.
I mean to show my parents that I just won’t be sent away to school!” A lovely week began for Elizabeth then. After supper that night there was a little dance, and the boys and girls had great fun. When eight o’clock struck Elizabeth and the others of her age went upstairs to bed, leaving the older ones to go on dancing.
The next day she and Joan went down to the village to buy sweets, and the gramophone record that Elizabeth wanted. The music-shop didn’t have it, but they said they would send for it to the town over the hill, and get it for Elizabeth. They would send it up to the school for her.
Joan bought some chocolate and a book, Elizabeth bought some toffee, and two packets of lettuce seeds. She hadn’t forgotten that she was going to help John Terry with his gardening Dear me, what a lot of things there were to do! “You can have the first lettuce that grows from these seeds,” she promised Joan.