The Manor House School Read Online Free PDF Page A

venture out of the walls, to my knowledge."
    The fear, however, that a rat might possibly gnaw its way into her bedroom afflicted Cicely continually.
    "If it ran across my pillow I should die of fright, I know I should!" she wailed. "I wish Mrs. Wilson would let us have the cat to sleep with us. I should feel far safer."
    "I wish we could send for the Pied Piper, and get rid of them all. They woke me twice last night," said Lindsay.
    Poor Cicely never dared to retire without first having a thorough examination to assure herself that no lurking rodent was lying hidden behind the wardrobe, or in any other obscure corner. One evening she was making her usual round, armed with a tennis racket for protection, and was peeping under the bed, when she suddenly let the valance fall hurriedly, and drew back with a shriek.
    "There's a rat there! I saw it quite plainly; its great big eyes were glaring at me!" she announced in a trembling voice.
    "What are we to do?" exclaimed Lindsay, in equal consternation.
    "Call for Miss Frazer this instant. She hasn't gone downstairs yet."
    "Don't disturb it on any account!" decreed Miss Russell, who was fetched from the drawing-room to cope with the emergency. "I shall send at once for Scott, the gardener, and ask him to bring his terrier dog. We must really take some measures to destroy these pests."
    It was not very long before Scott arrived. He clumped solemnly up the stairs with a thick stick in his hand, and Bill, his sharp little fox terrier, at his heels. Mrs. Wilson accompanied him, bearing the kitchen poker; and the parlour-maid followed, holding the yard dog by the collar, in case Bill should miss his prey. Miss Frazer and Miss Humphreys were there to support Miss Russell; while Mademoiselle and a great many of the girls hovered outside in the passage, half-frightened and half-excited over the coming fray.
    "If you'll please to tell me where the young lady saw it, mum," said Scott, "I'll let Bill on it sudden. He's death on rats."
    "It was just at the foot of the bed," quavered Cicely. Scott stooped, and raised the valance with the greatest precaution. Bill sniffed eagerly, but he did not pounce upon any concealed victim.
    "There's nothing there, mum--leastways no rat," said Scott, straightening his back.
    "Are you sure?" gasped Miss Russell. "It couldn't possibly have escaped."
    "I think it's been a little mistake of the young lady's, mum," said Scott, suppressing a grin. "If you'll kindly take a look under the bed, you'll see for yourself."
    Miss Russell hastened to comply, and, bending down, gave an exclamation as she drew out one of Lindsay's best Sunday gloves.
    "What an extraordinary illusion!" she cried. "I don't wonder Cicely took it for a rat. The soft doeskin is exactly the same colour, and the buttons were gleaming just like two bright eyes. I never saw a more perfect resemblance. I should certainly have been deceived. Well, I'm glad our chase has been a case of much ado about nothing. I think you may go to bed with easy minds to-night, girls. If we have any more alarms, we must send for Bill to protect us. Good dog! Can you find some scraps for him in the kitchen, Mrs. Wilson?"
    Cicely's rat was of course a great joke in the school, and a subject of teasing for several days afterwards.
    "You'll imagine your dressing-gown is a tiger next," said Effie Hargreaves.
    "Some people scream at nothing. I'd have been sure about it first, before making such a fuss," said Beryl Austen.
    "She thought it was a wily rat, and watched to see it move, She looked again, and saw that it was nothing but a glove!"
    improvised Nora Proctor, who was fond of
Alice
, and had rather a taste for parody.
    "It was such a disappointment to us, when we were waiting to hear the scuffle," said Marjorie Butler.
    "We shan't believe in your scares next time," said Effie.
    "It's all very well, but I'm sure you'd have been just as frightened yourselves," retorted Cicely. "You've no need to make so much fun of