“Miss Drummond, wake, miss; it’s half-past six. Wake up, miss—I have brought your hot water.”
“Eh?—what?” said the voice in the bed sleepily; “don’t bother me, Hannah—I—I’ve determined not to ride this morning; go away—” then more sleepily, and in a lower key, “Tell Percy he can’t bring the dogs in here.”
“I ain’t neither your Hannah, nor your Percy, nor one of the dogs,” replied the rather irate Alice—“There, get up, miss, do. I never see such a young lady for sleeping, never.”
“I won’t be bothered,” said the occupant of the bed, and now she turned deliberately on her side and snored more loudly than ever.
“There’s no help for it,” said Alice: “I have to do it nearly every morning, so don’t you be startled, miss. Poor thing, she would never have a good conduct mark but for me. Now then, here goes. You needn’t be frightened, miss—she don’t mind it the least bit in the world.”
Here Alice seized a rough Turkish towel, placed it under the sleepy head with its shock of red hair, and, dipping a sponge in a basin of icy cold water, dashed it on the white face.
This remedy proved effectual; two large pale blue eyes opened wide, a voice said in a tranquil and unmoved tone—
“Oh, thank you, Alice. So I’m back at this horrid, detestable school again?”
“Get your feet well on the carpet, Miss Drummond, before you falls off again,” said the servant. “Now then, you’d better get dressed as fast as possible, miss—you have lost five minutes already.”
Hester, who had laughed immoderately during this little scene, was already up and going through the processes of her toilet. Miss Drummond, seated on the edge of her bed, regarded her with sleepy eyes.