Monica glanced up, said: "Hello!" in reply, then returned to her book.
Nat stood in the middle of the room, surveying its walls, her brow corrugated with thought. Suddenly she seemed to come to a decision, for she shook herself, moved towards the nearest wall with an air of great firmness, and proceeded deliberately and methodically to take down all the notices pinned there, piling them neatly on the table. Monica watched her in silence. When the walls were quite bare Nat spoke, in firm decisive tones to match her manner.
"If you don't want these papers, Monica, I'm going to put them in the rubbish bin. I've quite made up my mind that this room is no longer going to be called the Chamber of Horrors. Next term there will be no more of these—these atrocities. The walls will be devoted to decorative and artistic purposes. You can have two for your Raphaels and Rubens and I'll have the other two for my dogs."
"I don't mind," Monica replied with amazing indifference. "No, I don't want them. Burn them if you like."
Nat scooped up a bundle of papers and departed with them in her arms, returning a minute later to remark in tones of satisfaction: "There, thank goodness I shan't be staring at Pythagoras' Theorem all next week. Good riddance to the horrible things!"
"De mortuis—speak no evil of the departed," admonished Monica gently. "After all, they have served their purpose."
"I say," said Nat, blushing a little. "I'm sorry you—er—didn't come out very well in the exams. Of course, I know you could have done a lot better if you hadn't been so worried, and all that."
"Oh, I didn't mind," replied Monica cheerfully. "I'm afraid I'm not really a proper schoolgirl yet, for I don't seem to care in the least whether I come out top or bottom. I don't see that it matters much. But perhaps it's because I've no real home to take a report to. That must make a difference."
"Yes, I suppose you value it more for your people's sake and what they think of you than for your own," agreed Nat sympathetically. "I'm going to write home this week-end and ask mother if you can come to our place for the Christmas vacation."
"That's awfully good of you, I should love to come."