04 The Head Girl of the Chalet School Read Online Free Page B

aesthetic sights were not in Miss Bettany’s mind at the moment. Moving quietly, she lifted her pillow, stood up in bed to get a surer aim, and then hurled it well on to Grizel’s face.
    That young lady sat up with a muffled howl, wildly clearing curls and sleep-mists out of her eyes while the pillow fell to the floor. “Joey Bettany! You little brute! And I was having such a gorgeous dream!”
    “Time you were beyond dreams, my dear!” retorted Joey, curling herself up on the bed, and hauling the plumeau round her shoulders. “It’s midday! Nearly time for Mittagessen ! Get up, you lazy object!”
    “Lazy object yourself!” said Grizel indignantly. “You’ve only just wakened yourself! I know you, Jo Bettany! And if you hurl any more things at me I’ll yell the house down!”
    “Funk – cry-baby – cowardy, cowardy custard!” jeered Joey.
    “I’m not! But I’m not going to have you chucking things round the room like that. I say! there’s someone coming – chamber-maid or something! Cave!”
    Joey made a wild dive, and when the round-checked Gretchen came in bearing rolls and honey and coffee on a tray for the two, she found them both lying very properly in bed, though, to be sure, the younger fraulein did not seem to have any pillow, and the other one had two!
    When she had gone, Joey sat up, and demanded her pillow back again.
    “No fear! ” retorted Grizel. “You chucked it at me most brutally, so now you may do without! It’s no good coming and scrapping for it, for you’ll only upset the coffee if you do, and then there’ll be a row! Stop it, Joey! You’ll have the tray all over the bed if you go on like this!”
    “Give me my pillow, then!” retorted Jo, hauling away at it with such goodwill that she finally succeeded in getting it out from under Grizel’s shoulders, nearly upsetting the tray and its contents as she did so. With a cry of triumph she darted back to her own bed and Fruhstuck .
    “Pig!” said Grizel indignantly. “You are a little horror, Joey!”
    “Hurry up and get on,” was the only answer Joey vouchsafed as she devoured her rolls and honey, and drank the bowl of milky coffee which she appreciated far more than the tea she had in England.
    Seeing nothing else to do, Grizel did as Joey suggested, and presently they were dressed in their pretty frocks, so that when Miss Maynard came, as she imagined, to waken them, they were standing at the window, looking out at the quiet street below, ready dressed. They turned as she entered.
    “ Gruss Gott ,” said Joey, with the charming Tyrolean greeting which she loved so. “Oh, Maynie! just look at those darling dogs!”

    Miss Maynard laughed as she crossed the room, and looked out of the window at the sight she had expected to see – a low-wheeled cart with big milk-can slung across it, and drawn by two big dogs, who were padding sedately along as if they knew how important was their charge. The whole equipage was guarded by a small boy of about ten, who bore a long whip, which he cracked continually to encourage his steeds, not that they took any notice of either it or him. Still, it looked well, and it pleased his heart.
    “Jo! You baby!” laughed Miss Maynard. “You must have seen the same thing dozens of times before this!
    They do it in practically every European country! I’m sure you saw it when you were in Munich!”
    “Yes; I know,” agreed Joey. “But those are such dear dogs – nearly as nice as my Rufus!”
    “They aren’t the same breed,” said Grizel critically. “Rufus is a St. Bernard, and I don’t know what you would call those!”
    “Just plain dog, I should think,” said Miss Maynard as she turned from the window. “Well, I came to call you two; but as you are ready, I will go back to Robin. Mittagessen is at one, but I didn’t think we should want any so soon after Fruhstuck . What do you say to going out now? We can get Kaffee at a patisserie , and you can make up for it at our evening