"Thank you," said Geraldine, somewhat embarrassed by his excessive gratitude. "Is Bruno dry now? Shall I take him to Miss Oakley?"
"Yes, if you like, miss. I'll carry him up to the house for you, or he'll get himself all muddy again. My word, ain't he a weight just?" the man added, as he lifted the big retriever in his arms.
The dinner bell rang just as they reached the schoolhouse door, however, so Geraldine was not able to take the dog to the headmistress's room. She took him as far as the mistresses' corridor, and left him there, while she hurried off to brush her hair and wash her hands for dinner.
Nobody had missed her or noticed her absence apparently, which, Geraldine decided, was perhaps just as well. So far as she knew there was no rule at Wakehurst Priory to forbid girls from assisting to bath the headmistress's dog, but possibly somebody might have found some objection to her morning's occupation if they came to know about it. Since they did not, no harm had been done, and Geraldine reflected, with some satisfaction, that in Bennett at least she had found a friend.
And indeed she had! The school porter was at that moment exhibiting his newly-acquired patch to a circle of interested maids in the kitchen, all of whom were unanimous in praising the excellence of the handiwork.
"A grown woman couldn't have done it better," declared Kate, the linen-room maid.
"Little Miss Wilmott, did you say it was?" asked Cook. "She's a real nice little lady, to my way of thinking."
"That she is," said one of the dining-hall maids. "Always 'Please' and 'Thank you' whatever you do for her, and never any grumbling or ordering of you about. Pity there aren't more young ladies like her, I say, quiet though she is."
"And none the worse for that, I dare say," commented Cook.
So Geraldine, whatever her school companions might think of her, had at any rate succeeded in winning golden opinions in the servants' hall.