“I’ve got the idea of my life!” she declared. “It isn’t often I have a really topping notion, but this is one of those inspirations that come sometimes, one doesn’t know how.”
“You needn’t be quite so peacocky about it!” chirruped Katherine. “Other people have ideas occasionally as well as you.”
“Ah! but wait till you’ve heard mine, and then you’ll allow I’ve some reason to cock-a-doodle. Look here, don’t you think it’s extremely nice to be philanthropic?”
“Don’t know,” replied the others doubtfully. They distrusted Raymonde’s philanthropy, and were unwilling to commit themselves. 71
“It’s so nice to do things for others,” continued their schoolmate gushingly. “When somebody has been looking forward to an event, just think of the bliss of being able to bring it to pass! One would feel a sort of mixture of Santa Claus and Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother!”
“Go on!” murmured the Mystics.
“Well, you see, what I mean is this. Gibbie’s been taking ever such a lot of trouble to teach us how to act in emergencies. She must have spent hours thinking out those problems. I sometimes feel, girls, that we do not sufficiently appreciate our teachers!”
The grimaces of the six were eloquent.
“Get to the point!” suggested Ardiune.
“I’m getting! Well, you know, we’re all very grateful to Gibbie, and interested in the problems, and happy in our work, and all the rest of it. I think we ought to do something to make a little return to her for her kindness. Now it must be very disappointing to coach us up for these emergencies, and never have an opportunity of putting what we’ve been taught into practice. If we could show her that her lessons have sunk in, and that we could face a sudden catastrophe with calm courage and prompt presence of mind, then she’d feel her labour had not been in vain. She really deserves it!”