“Well”—Miss Read frankly showed her amusement now—“it’s a very good thing, Margot, that the post card was not left to you to send, for the last post went before tea, and any letter sent now would not arrive in York before to-morrow evening.”
“I’m sorry,” said Margot, smiling too. “You don’t mind me not understanding, do you? I’m not used to schools, you see.”
“I don’t see how you can understand the rules all at once, as you’re only twelve, you know,” remarked Miss Read cheerfully, “but we’ll be quite satisfied if you’ll just obey them, and make up your mind that they’ll have to be understood gradually. You’ll find that’s the best way to set to work.”
“All right, I’ll try,” Margot sighed. “How many have I broken already? I’ll do my best; really, I will.”
“Then please remember that in my absence the head girl’s orders must be obeyed—she takes my place, you see—also, one of nurse’s rules is that the dormitories are not to be visited by girls without leave except at certain times. Helen told you that, you’ll remember. It will be to your own interest, you know, to remember these things; a number of people can’t live together without making certain arrangements so that the wheels run smoothly. In schools these arrangements are called ‘rules.’ You’ll get used to things very soon.”
“I feel more used to them now, I think,” said Margot, smiling bravely. “I suppose I’d better go down now, hadn’t I? I hope the girls won’t laugh at me.”
“Well, I don’t think they’re a bit likely to do that,” said the house-mistress.
Her words proved true. On Margot’s entry into the sitting-room she found everyone so busy and intent on arranging their valuables from upstairs, where unpacking was in progress, that her reappearance was noticed by no one but Gretta, who, busily leaning over a small drawer, called to her cousin with delight.
“Margot, this is yours; just next mine. We’ve to line them with paper, Helen says, and then when we unpack—our dormitory’s going to begin next—we can bring down anything we like.”
Margot, glad of employment, threw herself into the task with great enthusiasm, and by bedtime, when the unpacking and arranging of her belongings was completed, she had begun to feel her old cheerful self again, and to settle into the ways of the other girls, who seemed so very much at home. When nurse came in, announcing firmly that in another five minutes lights would be turned out and that undressing would then have to be completed in the dark, Gretta trembled lest her cousin should lift a voice in vigorous protest; but Margot merely scrambled busily into bed behind her curtains.