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'I'll see that all my children are your pupils, when they come to Malory Towers,' promised Alicia, with a grin. 'Fancy you two thinking all this out and never saying a word!'

There was a short silence. It seemed as if most of them knew what they were going to do when they left school - and had chosen rightly.

'Well, Sally and I are going to college,' said Darrell. 'And so is Alicia - and Betty is coming too. We're all going to St Andrews up in Scotland, and what a good time we'll have!'

'You'll feel funny at first - being the youngest again, instead of the oldest,' said Belinda. 'I suppose you'll take Arts, Darrell. and eventually be a writer?'

'I don't know,' said Darrell. 'It's what I'd like to be. But, you see, Sally and I are not as lucky as you and Irene, Belinda. We haven't a gift that sticks out a mile - or a vocation like Mary-Lou. We've got to find what we're best fitted for, and we can do that at the University. We'll jolly well have to use our brains there, too. We'll be up against some brilliant people.'

Sally got up. 'Where did we put those biscuits, Darrell?' she said. 'Talking always makes me hungry. That's one thing that still makes me think we're not really very grown-up, even though we sometimes think we're getting on that way - we always feel so hungry. Grown-ups never seem to feel like that!'

'Long live our appetites!' said Alicia, taking a biscuit. 'And may our shadows never grow less!'

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Next day everyone awoke to the sound of the loud clang of the dressing-bell. New girls sat up in bed, startled, unused to the loud morning bell. Second-formers grunted and rolled over for another snooze. They were a notoriously lazy form that year. Darrell was always leasing her second-form sister. Felicity, about it.

'Lazy lot of kids,' she said. 'Always rushing down to breakfast with your ties half-knotted and your shoes .mdonc. I wonder Miss Tarker doesn't deal out punish¬ments by the hundred!'

'Oh, old Nosey does!' grinned Felicity. 'Was she as bad hi your time, Darrell, always nosing into this and that?'

'Never you mind,' said Darrell, remembering how she herself as a second-former had scrambled down to breakfast once with only one stocking on. 'How's that awful Josephine getting on?'

'Oh, throwing her weight about as usual,' said Felicity. 'Susan and I don't take much notice of her. It's when she comes up against June that she gets it hot! June simply pulverizes her! Serves her right.'

Darrell was quite sure that June would be able to pulverize' anyone, as Felicity called it. June was Alicia's -Ming cousin, a very tough and aggressive young person, ·nlv slightly mellowed so far by her stay at Malory lowers. She was very like Alicia, and had Alicia's quick 'ongue and sharp humour. She also had Alicia's love of ru ks, and everyone who taught her had learned to keep ;>,'v sharp e\ e indeed on lime

Except Mam'zelle Dupont! Anyone could play a joke on her and get away with it. But it was getting more difficult now, since Mam'zelle had discovered that there were actually booklets and leaflets sent out by firms, describing their jokes and tricks. She had made an intensive study of these, and was now much more on the alert.

'Do you remember when Mam'zelle played a trick on usT said Felicity, giggling as she remembered. 'She bought a set of false celluloid teeth and fitted them over her own - do you remember? And everyone she smiled at had a fit, she looked so monstrous!'

'Yes, I shall never forget,' said Darrell. 'Dear old Mam'zelle. 1 do wish she'd play a "treek" this last term. That's her one and only so far.'

One or two girls still hadn't come back, because of illness or some good reason Moira in the sixth form was due back that day. She and Sally worked well together over the games time-tables and matches - but otherwise Moira was still not very likeable.

'She's always so jolly sure of herself - so determined to be cock-of-the-walk!' complained the girls. 'Never in the wrong, mustn't be contradicted - the great high-and- mighty Moira!'

Darrell caught sight of Amanda, the new sixth-lormer, going past. Something in the determined, confident walk reminded her of Moira. She smiled to herself.

'How will Moira like Amanda? It'll be funny to watch them together. There'll be some battles this term! Well - it's always more interesting when things happen. I wouldn't want my very last term to be dull.'

She went to the common-room after breakfast to find the others in her form. Sally was there, and Mary-Lou and Belinda.

The bell for the first class will soon go.' said Darrell. '1 suppose vve'd better go down.'

Someone knocked at the door. 'Come in!' called Darrell. A scared-looking second-former put her nose round the door. 'Please,' she began.

'Come right in,' said Belinda. 'We like to know the face has got a body. We shan't eat you!'

The second-former inserted her body into the room loo. 'Please,' she said, 'Miss Grayling says will one of you take the new girls to her. She says not the new sixth- former, but any others in North Tower. She's waiting now.'

'Right,' said Darrell. 'Buzz off. Are the girls waiting in the hall, as usual?'

'Yes, please,' said the scared one, and buzzed off thankfully.

'I'll take the kids in/ said Mary-Lou, getting up. New girls always had to go to the Head on the morning of the second day. Miss Grayling liked to give them an idea of what was expected of them at Malory Towers and. as a rule, no girl forgot those few grave words. Darrell had never forgotten them.

She remembered them now and suddenly put out a hand to stop Mary-Lou.

'Mary-Lou - let me take them in. It's my job, anyway - and I just feel I'd somehow like to hear Miss Grayling talk to the new girls as she once talked to us. I'll go!'

'Right,' said Mary-Lou, understanding at once. She sat down again. Darrell went out of the room and into the hall. The new girls were there, five of them. Three were first-formers, one was a second-former and one a third-former. They all looked uncomfortable and rather scared.

'It's the head-girl!' hissed the third-former. 'Mind vour Ps and Qs.'

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Nobody had any intention of not minding them. The little first-formers looked with wide eyes at this big, important sixth-former. Darrell remembered how scared she had been of sixth-formers too, six vears back, and

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she smiled kindly at them.

'Come along, kids. I'll take you in. Don't look so scared. You've come to the finest school in the world, so you're lucky!'

Darrell took the five girls to the Head Mistress's room, and stopped outside a door painted a deep cream colour. She knocked.

A low, familiar voice called out, 'Come in!'

Darrell opened the door. 'I've brought the new girls to you, Miss Grayling,' she said.

'Thank you, Darrell,' said the Head. She was sitting at her desk, writing, a grey-haired, calm-faced woman, with startlingly blue eyes and a determined mouth. She looked at the five trembling girls standing in lront ol her, her blue eyes going from one to the other, considering each girl closely.

What did she see in them? Darrell wondered. Did she see the bad - and the good ? Did she see which girls could be trusted and which couldn't? Did she know which of them would accept responsibility and do well in the school, and which would be failures?

Miss Grayling spoke to each girl in her low, clear voice, asking their names and forms. Then she addressed them all gravely. Darrell listened as intently as the youngsters, remembering the words from six years back.

T want you all to iisten to me for a minute or two. One clay you will leave this school and go out into the world as young women. You should take with you eager minds, kind hearts and a will to help. You should take with you a good understanding of many things and a willingness to accept responsibility, and show yourselves as women to be loved and trusted. All these things you will be able to learn at Malory Towers - if you will.'

She paused, and every girl looked at her intently, listening hard.

'! do not count as our successes those who have won

scholarships and passed exams, though these are good tilings to do. I count as our successes those who learn to l»e good-hearted and kind, sensible and unstable, good, sound women the world can lean on. Our failures are ihose who do not learn these things in the years they are here.'

Darrell wished she could see into the laces of the five listening girls. What were they thinking, these new¬comers? Were they making up their minds, as she had once done, that they would each be one of Malory Towers' successes? The five girls hardly breathed as they gazed at Miss Grayling and listened.

'Some of you will find it easy to learn these things, others will find it hard,' went on Miss Grayling. 'But, easy or hard, they must be learned if you are to be happy after you leave here, and if you are to bring happiness to others.'

Miss Grayling stopped. She looked across at Darrell, who was listening with as much attention as the youngsters.

'Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'Do you remember my saying these words to you, when you first came here?'

'Yes, Miss Grayling,' said Darrell. 'And you said something else too. You said, "You will all get a tremendous lot out of your time at Malory Towers. See that you give a lot back."'

'I did say that,' said Miss Grayling. 'And now I must add to il. Girls, six years ago I said those words to Darrell. She is one who has got a great deal out of her time here - and there is no one who has given more back than Darrell has.'

The five girls looked in awe at Darrell, their head-girl. They couldn't imagine her standing as a twelve-year-old in front of Miss Grayling, hearing those same words. But Miss Grayling remembered very well.

'You ma\ go,' said the Head, pleased with the look of

the live new girls. They were good stuff, she thought - likely to he the heads of forms and captains ol games - and possibly head-girls of the future.

Darrell turned to go too. 'Wait a moment, Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'Shut the door.'

Darrell shut the door and came back to the desk. She felt herself blushing, she had been so pleased at Miss Grayling's words about her. She looked shyly at the Head.

'You are one of our successes, Darrell,' said Miss Grayling. 'One of our biggest successes. Sally is another, and so is Mary-Lou. I think there is only one sad failure, real failure, in your form. And she has only this one term to change herself. You know who it is J mean.'

'Yes,' said Darrell. 'Gwendoline.'

Miss Grayling sighed. 'You know her perhaps better than I do,' she said. 'Can you do anything with her at all? ! have had a most unpleasant interview these holidays with Gwendoline's parents about her future. Her mother wanted one thing, her father another. Her father, of course, is right. But I hear that he has had to give way in the matter. Darrell, if you possibly can, I want you to try and influence Gwendoline so that she will come round to her father's point of view. Otherwise the family will be split in half, and there will be great unhappiness.'

'I'll try,' said Darrell, but so doubtfully that Miss Grayling knew there was little hope of success. 'I know all about it, of course, Miss Grayling - Gwen has seen to that! But it's impossible to move Gwen when she's determined to get her own way.'

'Weil, never mind,' said the Head, smiling suddenly. 'I can put up with twenty Gwcns so long as I have a few Sallys and Darrells!'

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Darrell went out of the room, feeling so proud and pleased that she could have sung out loud. She was one of the successes! She had always longed to be - but she had made mistakes, been unkind sometimes, lost her semper more times than she liked to remember - and had ruefully come to the conclusion that although she wasn't a failure, she wasn't a howling success either.

But Miss Grayling seemed to think she was, so she must be. Darrell held her head high, and went swinging along to the sixth-form classroom. She opened the door and went in quietly.

'I'm sorry I'm late, Miss Oakes,' she said. 'I took the new girls to Miss Grayling.'

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'Yes, Mary-Lou told me,' said Miss Oakes. 'We were just talking about the work this term, Darrell. Those of \ou who are taking Higher Certificate are to work in one group, taking only a few odd lessons with the rest of the form. You have been working hard for the last two terms, so you should not find this term unduly hard - but you will have to keep at it!' Darrell nodded. She badly wanted to pass the Higher well. She felt sure Sally would. As for Alicia and Betty, their quick brains and excellent memories would make success certain. She glanced round at the other girls from the other- Towers, who would also be taking Higher. Yes - they w on Id probably all pass. They were a keen, hard- w i)i king lot.

'I'm glad I'm no! taking Higher,' said Gwen. 'Anyway,

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I suppose I could always lake it at my school in Switzerland, couldn't I, Miss Oakes?'

Miss Oakes was not interested in Gwen's future school, any more than she was interested in Gwen.

'You are not up to Higher standard, whatever school you happen to be in,' she said coldly, i can only hope that you will work a little better this term than you have worked for the last two terms, Gwendoline. Would it be loo difficult to leave me with a little better impression of your capabilities than I have at present?'

Gwen squirmed. She looked round at Maureen for sympathy. She got none, for Maureen always delighted in seeing Gwen made uncomfortable. The others looked studiously into the distance, determined not to catch Gwen's eye or give her any chance ol speaking about her future school. They felt certain they were going to get very very tired ol hearing about it.

'Amanda, 1 understand that you were going to work lor Higher, if your old school had not been destroyed,' said Miss Oakes, turning to the hefty, solid new girl. 'Do you wish to do so here? I hear that it has been left to you to decide, as you can take it next year if you want to?'