06 by Last Term at Malory Towers Read Free Book Online Page A

that nice lather of yours miserable. You've got what you want at the expense of someone else's peace ol mind.'
    'I've got to stand on my own feet, haven't I?' muttered Gwen.
    'Not if you stamp on someone else's toes to do it,' said Darrell, warming up. 'Don't you love your father, Gwen? I couldn't possibly treat mine as you've treated yours. It you did say all those cruel things to yours, then you ought to say you're sorry.'
    'I'm not sorry I said them,' said Gwen, in a hard voice. 'My father's often said unkind things to me.'
    'Well, von deserved them,' said Darrell, beginning to lose patience. 'He doesn't. I've met him plenty of times and I think he's a dear. You don't deserve a father like that!'
    'You said you weren't going to preach,' said Gwen, scornfully. 'How long are you going on like this?'
    Darrell looked at Gwen's silly, weak face and marvelled that such a weak person could be so hard and unyielding. She tried once again, though she now felt sure that it was no use. Nobody in this world could make am impression on Gwen!
    'Gwen,' she began. 'Yon said that your lather said he couldn't afford to send you to Switzerland. If so, he'll have to go short ol something himself, to let you go.'
    'He was wrong when he said he couldn't afford it,' said Gwen. 'Mother said he could. He was just saying dial as an excuse not to let me go. He was horrid about the whole tiling. He said - he said - that 1 was s-s-silly enough without being made s-s-s-sillier, and that a good ]-j-job would shake me out ol a lot of n-n-nonsense!'
    Stuttering with self-pity, Gwen now dissolved into tears. Darrell looked at her in despair.
    'Couldn't you possibly go to your father and say · oti're sorry, you'll call the whole thing off, and do what he wants you to do, and get a job?' she asked, in her lorthright way. It all seemed so simple to Darrell.
    Gwen began to sob. 'You don't understand. 1 couldn't Missibly do a thing like that. I'm not going to humble myself. Daddy would crow over me like anything. I'm l/W I've made him miserable - it'll teach him a lesson!' mushed Gwen, so maliciously that Darrell started to her teet.
    You're horrible, Gwen! You don't love your lather or anyone else. You only love yourself. You're horrible!'
    She went out ol the room, and made her way straight i(i Miss Grayling's room. Site had (ailed utterly and absolutely with Gwen. If Miss Grayling wanted to iiil'uence her she must try herself. It was beyond Darrell!
    She told Miss Grayling everything. The Head Mistress listened gravely. 'Thank you, Darrell,' she said. 'You did vour best, and il was well done. One day Gwen will meet lier punishment, and it will, alas, be a terrible one.'
    What do you mean?' said Darrell, hall scared by the ■leboding tone in Miss Grayling's voice.
    I only mean that when someone does a grievous \ rong and glories in it instead of being sorry, then that '·< 'son must expect a terrible lesson,' said Miss Giavling
    ! ?
     
    'Somewhere in her life, punishment is awaiting Gwen. I don't know what it is, but inevitably it will come. Thank you, Darrell. You did your best.'
     
     
     
    .JIT
    "M:
     
     
    if
    The mafid trick
    Darrell would not let Gwen and her obstinacy spoil more ihan a day of her precious last term! She brooded over ihe interview in her study for a few hours, wishing she could have done better with Gwen - and then [Hit it right out of her mind.
    i know I can't do anything more, so what's the good ol worrying about it? she thought, sensibly. She turned her thoughts to more interesting things - tennis matches swimming matches - half-term, when hei parents came down - and she also thought about a secret that f elicity had giggled out to her the day before.
    'Oh, Darrell. Do listen! Susan's heard of a lovely trick from June. It's so simple, and so safe.'
    Darrell grinned. It was good being high tip in school, and an important member of the sixth form - but it did mean that tricks and jokes were no longer possible or permissible. It