A College Girl Part 33

Darsie curled her little nose.

"Dull! No scope. How would you dress?"

"Oh-h! The Swotters might have bandages round their heads, and study notebooks between play. The Slackers would just--could just--"

"Just so! 'Could just'! Too feeble, my dear! It won't do. What about worth and charm? Might make up something out of that. Worth, solid worth, genuine worth--"

"Moral worth!"

"That's it! Moral Worth against Charm, personal charm! That'll do it.

That'll do it! _Moral Worth against Personal Charm_. n.o.body can be offended at being asked to represent Moral Worth."

"They will, though! The female heart is desperately wicked," returned Hannah shrewdly. "But if they do it's their own look-out. We'll preserve a high and lofty tone, and be _surprised_! Thanks awfully, old girl. It's an adorable idea. What price the Moral Worth costume--eh, what?"

The Hockey captain went off chuckling, and excitement ran high in the hockey world when the thrilling announcement was posted that afternoon.

"For which side shall I be asked to play?" Forwards, Backs, and Goals alike agitated themselves over these questions, and, sad to relate, Hannah proved a true prophet, for while an invitation from the 'Personal Charm' captain aroused smiles of delight, the implication of 'Moral Worth' was but coldly received.

Darsie Garnett herself was conscious of an electric shock of the most unpleasant nature when, but half an hour after the posting of the notice, the "Moral Worths" invited her to join their ranks! With all the determination in the world, she found it impossible to repress a start of surprise, and was acutely conscious of smothered giggles of amus.e.m.e.nt from those around. She accepted, of course, with protestations of delight, and ten minutes later found balm in the shape of an invitation from the rival team. The "Personal Charms" deplored Darsie's loss, but considered it a masterpiece of diplomacy on the part of the "Moral Worth" captain to have headed her team with the name of the Newnham Belle. "No one could be snarkey after that!"

The two teams held committee meetings on the subject of costumes, which were kept a dead secret until the hour for the match had arrived, when a large body of spectators awaited their arrival on the ground, with expectations pleasantly excited. The "Personal Charms" appeared first, marching in pairs with heads erect, and stamped on each face that brilliant, unalterable, toothy smile affected by actresses of inferior rank. Each head was frizzed and tousled to about twice its natural size, and crowned by an enormous topknot of blue ribbon. White blouses and skirts, blue belts, ties, and hose completed an attractive costume, and as a finishing touch, the handle of the hockey-stick was embellished with a second huge blue bow.

From a spectacular point of view the "Personal Charms" were certainly an unusually attractive spectacle, but as regards popularity with the "field," they fell far behind the rival team. The "Moral Worths"

allowed a judicious time to elapse after the appearance of the "Personal Charms," and then, just as the spectators were beginning to wax impatient, excitement was aroused by the appearance of a white banner, borne proudly aloft in the arms of two brawny Forwards. Printed on the banner were two lines of poetry, which at nearer view proved to be a highly appropriate adaptation--

"Be good, sweet maid, And let who will be charming!"

Certainly the "Moral Worths" had been at pains to disguise any charm they possessed! Even Darsie herself looked plain with her hair dragged back into a tight little knot, her grey flannel shirt padded into the similitude of stooping shoulders, her skirt turned carefully back to front. With lumping gait and heavy footsteps the team marched round the field, and drew up beside the beaming "Personal Charms," who despite the blasts of easterly wind through summer muslin blouses, continued to smile, and smile, and smile.

Throughout the heated game which followed the "Moral Worths" were distinctly the favourite team; nevertheless, it is the deplorable truth that the "Personal Charms" won at a canter, despite the handicap of their beribboned sticks.

When, tired and muddy, Darsie reached her study again, it was to find a postcard from Lavender which a kindly Fresher had laid upon her "burry."

It bore but a few words written in large characters, and plentifully underlined--

"_Which team were you asked to play for_?"

What a glow of satisfaction it gave one to be able to reply, truthfully and accurately, with one short, illuminating--"_Both_!"

Among the other joys of the last terms, one shone out pre-eminent in Darsie Garnett's estimation. She was Prime Minister! It seemed almost too splendid to be true! She, who three years before had made her first appearance at Political as the bashful representative of Bootle-c.u.m- Linacre, to have advanced to this dizzy height of power! To be captain of the Hockey Club paled into insignificance before this crowning honour, but as Hannah was "Speaker," Darsie was unable to crow as loudly as she would have done if her friend's place had been below the gangway.

Political was held in College Hall on Monday evenings at eight o'clock, and in old-fashioned style the members were divided into three parties, Conservatives, Liberals, and Unionists, whose seats were so arranged as to form three sides of a square.

Viewed from afar there was a strong element of humour about this mock Parliament. Prophetic it might be, but it was distinctly droll to hear Honourable Members addressed as "Madam," while some of the statutes embodied in the Const.i.tution-book were quite deliciously unexpected, the special one, which ran, "_Members occupying the front benches are requested not to darn stockings during Political_" being a constant source of delight to parents and friends.

Darsie was a Liberal. Members of the Opposition accused her openly of Socialism. _What! shall we sacrifice our brother man for the sake of the demon gold_? she would declaim with waving hands and cheeks aflame, whereat the Liberals would cheer as one girl, and even the Conservatives themselves be moved to admiration.

Debates relating to Education, Suffrage, and the House of Lords were held during the winter months, but the crowning excitement followed a daring Bill introduced by the Liberal party for the abolishment of the Unionists _in toto_, on the ground that, being neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring, they acted but as a drag on the wheels of progress.

The benches were crowded to their fullest capacity on the occasion of this historic debate; even the Dons themselves came in to listen, and the whips flew round the corridors, giving no quarter to the few skulkers discovered at work in their studies, until they also were forced into the breach. As a result, the Unionist party, supported by Moderates on both sides, achieved a brilliant and decisive victory.

So much for Political, but the Prime Minister occupied another proud position, for Margaret France's prophecy had been fulfilled, and Darsie was now captain of the Clough Fire Brigade. Beneath her were two lieutenants, and two companies, each seven girls strong, and the duty of choosing times of the utmost inconvenience and unpreparedness for drill alarms rested entirely at her discretion. When the fire-bell rang, every member of the brigade must leave whatever she happened to be about, and dash pell-mell to the a.s.sembling-ground on an upper story.

There the force ranked up in order, the captain explained the locality and nature of the supposed conflagration, and each "man" received "his"

own instruction--one to shut windows and ventilators, and so diminish draughts, another to uncoil the hose, a third to affix the nozzle, and so on. The work was accomplished, examined by the authorities, and the "men" were back on the top landing, ranked up in their original order, in an incredibly short s.p.a.ce of time, when the captain gave a sharp criticism of the performance, followed by a few questions to test the general knowledge of the staff: Where was Mary Murray's study? What was its aspect? What was the nearest water supply? Etcetera.

One excuse for non-attendance, and one only, was allowed to pa.s.s muster--a member who chanced to be in a hot bath what time the bell rang forth the alarm might lie at ease and smile at the scurry without, health and the risk of chill being considered before imaginary dangers.

If, however, the bath were _cold_, out she must get, dash into the coat and skirt which, for members of the fire brigade, supplanted the ordinary dressing-gown, and take her place with the rest.

Nor--with Darsie Garnett as captain--was it any use to attempt deception, as a tired little Fresher discovered to her cost, when she naughtily turned a warm stream into her cold bath and refused to budge.

No sooner were lightning-like instructions rapped out upstairs than down flew the irate captain, rapped at the door, demanded admission, and--in the absence of steam upon the wall--sentenced the cringing truant to a month's suspension of privileges.

Nor was Darsie's own position free from anxiety, for once in a term it was the prerogative of the brigade to surprise the captain, and woe befall her prestige if, on that occasion, she were found wanting! Coat, skirt, and slippers lay nightly on a chair by her bedside, together with the inevitable pile of notebooks, and she felt a burden off her mind when the alarm had come and gone.

Deep, deep down in the recesses of Darsie's mind there slumbered a fell ambition. If there could be a _real_ fire before her term of office expired! Not a serious one, of course--nothing to imperil the safety of the dear old house, but just sufficient to cause a _real_ alarm, and give the brigade an opportunity of demonstrating its powers! It was almost too aggravating to be borne, to hear one morning that a second- year girl had indulged in a study fire, and had extinguished it of her own accord. Extinguished by private effort, when a captain, two lieutenants, and fourteen "men" were languishing for an opportunity to exhibit their powers! The captain spoke sternly to the second-year girl, and rebuked her.

"How," she demanded, "can you _expect_ a reliable force, if precious opportunities are to be wasted like this? Curtains ablaze, and the bedclothes singeing. We may wait for _years_ for another such opportunity!"

"But where do _I_ come in?" cried the second-year girl. "I gave ten and sixpence for that quilt. And a jug of water standing close at hand! It was only human nature--"

"I hope," returned the captain of the Fire Brigade icily--"I _hope_ that is not the spirit in which you propose to go through life. It's a poor thing if you cannot sacrifice a ten-and-sixpenny quilt in the interest of the public good." And she stalked majestically from the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

TRIPOS WEEK.

The Tripos week! Every third-year girl felt as if life and death trembled in the balance during those eventful days. They woke on the Monday morning with much the same feeling as that of a patient who expects to have an arm amputated at eleven, and is morally convinced that she will sink beneath the strain, and when at seven o'clock a second-year friend crept into the study, tray in hand, and administered sympathising cups of tea, the final touch was given to the illusion.

Darsie quailed before the prospect of those three-hour papers.

Experience had proved that she was not at her best in examinations; imaginative people rarely are, since at the critical moment the brain is apt to wander off on dire excursions into the future, envisaging the horrors of failing, instead of buckling to work in order to ensure success. Historical French Grammar in especial loomed like a pall, and she entered the Mission Room at Saint Columba's with the operation-like feeling developed to its acutest point.

For several minutes after taking the first paper in her hand Darsie found it impossible to decipher the words. The type danced mistily before her eyes; and when at last letters shaped themselves out of the confusion, the last state was worse than the first, for she was convinced--drearily, hopelessly convinced--that she could not answer a single question out of the number.

She laid down the paper, and steadied herself resolutely. All over the room other girls were sitting on hard, uncomfortable chairs before tables like her own, some motionless and stunned-looking like herself, some already setting briskly to work. On the walls, among a number of quotations, "_Help one another_!" stared her in the face with tragic significance, and again: "How far high failure overleaps the bounds of low successes." _Failure_! She lifted the paper again, and decided with a glimmer of hope that she could answer at least _one_ question, set to work, and scribbled for life until the last moment of the prescribed three hours! What exhaustion! What collapse! Positively one's legs wobbled beneath one as one trailed wearily Newnhamwards.

What a comfort to be fussed over and petted, treated as distinguished invalids whom the College was privileged to tend!

The Tripos girls "sat at High" at the head of the room, surrounded by attentive Dons, with the V.C. herself smiling encouragement, and urging them to second helpings of chicken (chicken!!). By the time that it was necessary to start forth for the afternoon's ordeal they felt mentally and physically braced, and the operation feeling lessened sensibly.

At the afternoon's ordeal, however, the weariness and depression grew more acute than ever, and on the walk home the comparing of answers had anything but a cheering effect. No girl was satisfied; each was morally convinced that her companions had done better than herself. Where she had failed to answer a question, a reminder of the solution filled her with despair. Of course! It was as simple as ABC. She had known it off by heart. Nothing short of softening of the brain could explain such idiotic forgetfulness.

It was a kindly custom which separated the sufferers on their return to College, each one being carried off by her special second-year adorer to a cheery little tea-party, for which the most congenial spirits and the most delectable fare were provided. Here the tired senior was soothed and fed, and her self-esteem revived by an att.i.tude of reverence on the part of the audience. The second-year girls shuddered over the papers; were convinced that never, no never, could they face the like, and suggested that it would be a saving of time to go down at once.

Later on that first evening, when Marian White appeared to put her invalid to bed, she bore in her hand a letter from Margaret France, which Darsie hailed with a cry of joy.

"Ah! I _thought_ she would write to me. I wondered that I didn't have a letter this morning, but she was right as usual. She knew I should need it more to-night!"

Margaret's letter was short and to the point--

"Dearest Darsie,--A year ago you were cheering me! How I wish I could do the same for you in your need, but as I can't be present in the flesh, here comes a little line to greet you, old dear, and to tell you to be of good cheer. You are very tired, and very discouraged, and very blue. I _know_! Every one is. It's part of the game. Do you remember what a stern mentor I had, and how she bullied me, and packed me to bed, and took away my books? Oh, the good old times! The good old times, how happy we were--how I think of them now, and long to be back! But the best part remains, for I have still my friend, and you and I, Darsie, 'belong' for our lives.