The New House-mistress
Spoilers
Not long after Miss Oswald's arrival at the Middle House, Barbara receives a letter from India (her parents and the youngest children live out there, as Major Allen is stationed at Agra). Mrs. Allan writes that five-year-old Roger and little Beth have had a narrow escape from attack by a mugger (crocodile) when they played truant from their Ayah. The children were saved by an unknown girl who then vanished from the scene, leaving a scribbled note on which the name was illegible and only the initials - A. O. - could be deciphered.
Barbara tells the Headmistress the news from India and finds out that Miss Blake has already heard it from Major Allen. When Barbara expresses a hope that she may some day meet her brother's and sister's rescuer, Miss Blake says that she thinks it "very possible".
After the fire in Middle House, Barbara learns that the Headmistress has known Miss Oswald for sixteen years, and has kept the secret of Beth and Roger Allen's rescue from the crocodile at her own request. Aware that Barbara's treatment of the new housemistress was prompted by a feeling of loyalty to the former head of Middle house, Miss Blake reveals that Miss Lessing and Miss Oswald, both Old Girls of St. Helen's, were great friends in their schooldays.
Girls are given order-marks for using forbidden words or expressions ("Beast" and "Shut up"). Anyone incurring five order-marks in a week has to miss the Saturday evening party.
Sentimentality among the girls is quietly discouraged at St. Helen's; "Linking" (walking arm-in-arm) is forbidden. The Middles' reaction to Miss Lessing's departure is tearful and emotional, and the senior mistress voices the hope that the change will "put a stop to that sort of thing".
The account of the play in the dormitory, although quite different in most particulars from the episode in THE NEW CHALET SCHOOL (h/b) / A UNITED CHALET SCHOOL (p/b) certainly has echoes of the production given in the roof garden at St. Clare's House by Betty Wynne-Davies, Elizabeth Arnett and company, even to the detail of Barbara Allen having to act her final scenes holding up her petticoat with one hand.
contributed by Angela Woodgates, England __ working from a hardback edition