really did love her, how could he encourage her to break rules, to be lazy, to do all the wrong things? How could he laugh when he read dis¬approving remarks on Jo's reports?
Jo said he clapped her on the back and roared with laughter when he read what Miss Parker had written at the bottom of her report last term, remembered Felicity. What was it she wrote, now? 'Jo has not yet learned the first lesson of all - the difference between plain right and wrong. She will not get very far until she faces up to this lesson.' Gosh - if I'd had that on my report, Daddy would have been broken-hearted, and 1 should have got the most awful rowing. But Jo's father only laughed!
Felicity found Susan, who was going to take her practice serves. Soon they were on a court, and Felicity was lamming the balls hard at the patient Susan. Amanda wandered up after a time and watched. Felicity redoubled her efforts at serving well.
Since Amanda had taken on June and was training her so well, every lower-former hoped to be singled out for a little attention from the big sixth-former. Felicity sent down one or two fast serves, and Susan called out to Amanda.
'She's good, isn't she, Amanda?'
'So-so,' said Amanda, and turned away, not appearing in the least interested.
'Beast!' said Susan, under her breath. 'Moira would at least have said yes or no - and if Felicity was doing something wrong she'd have set her right, and if she was doing well, she would have praised her.'
Actually Amanda had hardly noticed Felicity's play. She was thinking hard about something. About two things, in fact. She was worried about June -- not about
X6
her progress, which was, in fact, amazing. Amanda knew how and what to teach, and June was a very able and quick pupil - but June was getting tired of Amanda's strictness and lack of all praise. She was becoming annoyed with the sharp commands and curt orders, ft had never been easy for June to knuckle under to anyone, and to be ordered about by someone she really disliked was getting a little too much for her.
She had said so to Amanda the day before. Amanda had taught her a fast new swimming-stroke, and had insisted on her thrashing her way up and down the pool, up and down. Then she had gone for June because she hadn't paid attention to some of her shouted instructions.
'You deliberately swam all the way up the pool using vour legs wrong,' she said. 'I yelled at you, but you went · n and on.'
'Do you suppose I can hear a word when water is in my ears, and my arms are thrashing over my head like 1 bunder?' demanded the panting June. 'It's true that even the school could probably hear your voice, and no doubt they could even hear it at the post-office, a mile away - it's always loud enough! But I couldn't, so you'd better get a megaphone. Though I grant you your voice is better than any megaphone, at any time, in any place. Why, even at church . . .'
'That's enough,' said Amanda, angrily. 'I don't take cheek from a second-former.'
'And I'm beginning to feel I won't take orders from a sixth-former,' said June, drying herself with a towel. 'I've had almost enough. So I warn you, Amanda -'
Amanda was about to say something really cutting, but stopped herself. She had begun to be very proud of June. June was a most marvellous pupil, although un- Iriendly and usually silent, h would be a pity to stop the caching now that June was almost as perfect as she could hope to be at tennis and swimming. She was quite good enough for the second team now, and Amanda meant to ask to have her tried out for it in a week or two's time.
So Amanda turned away, fuming inwardly, but trying not to show it. June grinned to herself. She knew quite well that Amanda didn't want to give up the coaching now that June was proving her right in what she had said to the others. All the same, thought June, I'm getting tired of it. This is a most unpleasant term, slaving like this. Do f really, honestly, care enough about being in the second team
Jo said he clapped her on the back and roared with laughter when he read what Miss Parker had written at the bottom of her report last term, remembered Felicity. What was it she wrote, now? 'Jo has not yet learned the first lesson of all - the difference between plain right and wrong. She will not get very far until she faces up to this lesson.' Gosh - if I'd had that on my report, Daddy would have been broken-hearted, and 1 should have got the most awful rowing. But Jo's father only laughed!
Felicity found Susan, who was going to take her practice serves. Soon they were on a court, and Felicity was lamming the balls hard at the patient Susan. Amanda wandered up after a time and watched. Felicity redoubled her efforts at serving well.
Since Amanda had taken on June and was training her so well, every lower-former hoped to be singled out for a little attention from the big sixth-former. Felicity sent down one or two fast serves, and Susan called out to Amanda.
'She's good, isn't she, Amanda?'
'So-so,' said Amanda, and turned away, not appearing in the least interested.
'Beast!' said Susan, under her breath. 'Moira would at least have said yes or no - and if Felicity was doing something wrong she'd have set her right, and if she was doing well, she would have praised her.'
Actually Amanda had hardly noticed Felicity's play. She was thinking hard about something. About two things, in fact. She was worried about June -- not about
X6
her progress, which was, in fact, amazing. Amanda knew how and what to teach, and June was a very able and quick pupil - but June was getting tired of Amanda's strictness and lack of all praise. She was becoming annoyed with the sharp commands and curt orders, ft had never been easy for June to knuckle under to anyone, and to be ordered about by someone she really disliked was getting a little too much for her.
She had said so to Amanda the day before. Amanda had taught her a fast new swimming-stroke, and had insisted on her thrashing her way up and down the pool, up and down. Then she had gone for June because she hadn't paid attention to some of her shouted instructions.
'You deliberately swam all the way up the pool using vour legs wrong,' she said. 'I yelled at you, but you went · n and on.'
'Do you suppose I can hear a word when water is in my ears, and my arms are thrashing over my head like 1 bunder?' demanded the panting June. 'It's true that even the school could probably hear your voice, and no doubt they could even hear it at the post-office, a mile away - it's always loud enough! But I couldn't, so you'd better get a megaphone. Though I grant you your voice is better than any megaphone, at any time, in any place. Why, even at church . . .'
'That's enough,' said Amanda, angrily. 'I don't take cheek from a second-former.'
'And I'm beginning to feel I won't take orders from a sixth-former,' said June, drying herself with a towel. 'I've had almost enough. So I warn you, Amanda -'
Amanda was about to say something really cutting, but stopped herself. She had begun to be very proud of June. June was a most marvellous pupil, although un- Iriendly and usually silent, h would be a pity to stop the caching now that June was almost as perfect as she could hope to be at tennis and swimming. She was quite good enough for the second team now, and Amanda meant to ask to have her tried out for it in a week or two's time.
So Amanda turned away, fuming inwardly, but trying not to show it. June grinned to herself. She knew quite well that Amanda didn't want to give up the coaching now that June was proving her right in what she had said to the others. All the same, thought June, I'm getting tired of it. This is a most unpleasant term, slaving like this. Do f really, honestly, care enough about being in the second team
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