In the Fifth at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online Page A

would take off!
    “You’ll be pleased to hear we haven’t got to work quite so hard this term, Gwen,” she told her. “More time for games and gym. You’ll like that.”
    Gwendoline gave Alicia one of her Looks, as she called them. Alas, they never impressed Alicia. It wasn’t safe to argue with Alicia, or contradict, or try to say something cutting. Alicia was always ten times as quick at answering back and a hundred times as cutting as anyone else.
    “We’ll have the committee meeting at half-past five,” announced Moira. “That seems to be the best time. You’ll be coming, Gwendoline, won’t you — have you heard about the Christmas Entertainment Committee yet?”
    Gwendoline hadn’t, so she was duly enlightened. She was pleased. She saw herself at once in one of the chief parts of whatever play or pantomime was chosen. She would loosen her sheet of golden hair — what a pity it wasn’t curly. She would look lovely, she knew she would!
    Exactly the same thoughts were going through Maureen’s mind. She too would like one of the chief parts — and she too would play it with her golden hair loose. She felt she would like to confide her thoughts to Gwendoline.
    “When I was at Mazeley Manor,” she began. Belinda interrupted at once.
    “Oh yes — have you told Gwen about Measley Manor?”
    Maureen frowned. “You know its Maz eley ,” she said, with dignity. “Mam'zelle just didn’t know how to pronounce it, that’s all, when she said it.”
    Mam’zelle caught her name mentioned. She turned, with her wide smile. “Ah — you want to talk about Measley Manor again, your dear old school, n’est ce pas ? You have not yet told Gwendoline about Measley Manor?”
    Maureen saw the girls grinning and gave it up. She went on talking to Gwen, who was astonished at all this by-play which she didn’t, of course, understand.
    “At my old school we did a pantomime,” said Maureen. “It was the Sleeping Beauty . I had to have my hair loose, of course. You have to have someone with golden hair for those parts, don’t you?”
    Gwen agreed heartily. She was very proud of her golden hair, and only wished she was allowed to wear it loose round her face at school, as she did at home.
    “The prince was grand,” went on Maureen. “I really must tell you all about the play. You’re so interested in plays, aren’t you? Well...”
    And till long past teatime Maureen went on and on interminably with her long and boring tale of what happened in the play at her last school. Gwendoline couldn’t stop her or get rid of her. Maureen was just as thick-skinned and slow of taking a hint as she was!
    “Gwen’s met her match at last,” said Darrell to Sally. “I say, look at Bill — and Clarissa, too — all dressed up in riding things. Don’t they know the committee meeting’s in about ten minutes?”
    Sally called to them. “Hey, you two! Where do you think you’re going?”
    “To have a look at Thunder and Merrylegs,” said Bill.
    “But didn’t you know there’s a committee meeting on almost at once?” said Darrell, exasperated.
    “No. Nobody told us,” said Clarissa, looking startled. “It wasn’t up on the notice-board.”
    “Well, we’ve been talking about it ever since this morning, and except for Maureen and Gwen, who discussed golden-haired beauties in plays, we’ve talked about nothing else all tea-time,” said Darrell. “Where are your ears? Didn’t you hear a word of it?”
    “Not a word,” said Bill, seriously. “I’m so sorry. Of course we’ll come. Have we time just to go and see Thunder and Merrylegs first? We must have been talking about something else, Clarissa and I, and not heard the rest of you.”
    “You were whinnying away to each other,” said Sally. “I suppose you’ve got horses on the brain again. No, don’t go down to the stables now — you certainly won’t be back till the end of the committee if you do. I know you two when you disappear into the stables.