Second Form at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton Read Free Book Online

and tune of it.
    So down he sat. Aha! That stool was once more too low! Mr. Young twirled himself vigorously round on it till it was the right height. The girls giggled. Mr. Young could never realize how funny he was, twirling round lightly on that little stool.
    “Now I will play you your new song,” said Mr. Young. “You may sit to listen to it. You will hear when the chorus comes, for I will sing it to you.”

    Off he started, tumty-tum-ti-tam, his hands flying up and down, and then his voice booming out at the chorus. Alicia and Betty winked at one another. The chalk ought to be working now.
    Three times Mr. Young played the song and then he got up. “Did you like it?” he asked, and the girls chorused loudly. “Oh, yes, Mr. Young!”
    Mr. Young turned towards the blackboard and picked up a piece of white chalk. At once the girls saw that he was smeared with the brightest pink at the back! They stared in delight.
    “Look at Mr. Young! What's he rubbed against? Oh, do look!”
    Soon the class was in a state of giggle and Mr. Young glared round.
    “Silence, please! What behaviour is this today?” There was a momentary silence, but as soon as the unfortunate singing-master turned back to the board again more giggles broke out Then Irene gave one of her terrific explosions.
    Mr. Young flung the chalk down on the floor. He looked as if he was about to stamp on it and probably he would have done so if the door hadn't suddenly opened, and Miss Grayling appeared. She had someone with her.
    “Oh, excuse me for interrupting your class, Mr. Young,” she said. “But could you just have a word with Mr. Lemming about the piano here?”
    Mr. Young had to swallow his annoyance and explain what was wrong with the piano. In doing so he turned his back to Miss Grayling who eyed this patch of brilliant pink with the utmost astonishment. The girls were as quiet as mice now, and Alicia and Betty felt distinctly anxious.
    Miss Grayling turned to Sally, the head of the second form. “Will you go to the hall and fetch the clothes brush there?” she said. “Poor Mr. Young has brushed against something.”
    Sally flew off and fetched the brush. Mr. Young was surprised to hear Miss Grayling's remark. He looked over his shoulder trying to see himself.
    “Is it paint?” he asked in alarm. “I do hope not! Oh—only chalk! How in the world did it get there?”

“OY!”
    Soon the offending pink chalk had been vigorously brushed away by Mr. Lemming, who then proceeded to sit down on the piano stool himself to try out some of the bass notes, which had gone wrong. Alicia and Betty watched breathlessly. Most of the girls, guessing that some trick was being played, watched eagerly too.
    They were well rewarded when Mr. Lemming rose from the stool. He was wearing a long black overcoat and on it was a wonderful pattern of bright pink. Mr. Young stared at it in amazement.
    “Ah, you have it too!” he cried. “See, Miss Grayling. Mr. Lemming has brushed up against something also. I will soon put him right.”
    In spite of being under Miss Grayling's eye the girls began to giggle. Miss Grayling looked very puzzled.
    “Your coat was quite all right when we came along here,” she said to Mr. Lemming. I am sure I should have noticed it if you had brushed against anything so violently pink as this. In any case there is no wall as pink as this chalk! Whatever can have happened?”
    She walked to the stool and looked at it very closely. Alicia and Betty hardly dared to breathe. But the invisible chalk lived up to its name and Miss Grayling did not see a sign of it. It did not occur to her to sit down and see if the same thing happened to her. Still feeling puzzled she took Mr. Lemming out of the room, and the lesson proceeded again.
    Not until the end of it did poor Mr. Young sit down on that stool again. When he got up, behold! He was as pretty a sight as before, and the girls stuffed their hankies into their mouths trying not to explode with