human
THE PLAY'S THE THING
gpt
What sort of thing?
human
Something to show we're jolly pleased she's come back. Just think, she might have died of that loathly 'flu'; lots of people have.
gpt
Shut it, you old ghoul, ordered Barbara;
human
And we ought to celebrate her all-rightness,
gpt
Violets?
human
Silly cuckoo, how are we to get them?
gpt
What _do_ you want, Noreen?
human
How about charades after supper--and ask her to come and see them?
gpt
Frightfully short time to think of anything decent, objected Syb;
human
Let's ask her too.
gpt
That doesn't give us a decent charade.
human
Can't we think of something?
gpt
Not something good enough.
human
P'r'aps you'd like to do some scenes from _Hamlet_, if you want to be so very high-class,
gpt
I say, she burst out,
human
Topping plan! What word shall we have?
gpt
German? suggested Joey.
human
The first syllable could be Germ, you know--those things Matron is always fussing about----
gpt
Or the Huns putting them into wells,
human
What about 'an'?
gpt
Couldn't she be a German girl, called Anne, Anna really, who is pretending to be a schoolgirl, and really plotting and spying?
human
My word, Joey, you're coming on. I'm less surprised you got the scholarship, Noreen cried.
gpt
We--Gabrielle and Joey and I--settled this afternoon that someone ought to look into the matter of the Professor's hatefulness, and it's us that are going to, she added cheerfully and ungrammatically, for the benefit of Syb and Barbara.
human
If he's all right our charade won't hurt him--he'll like it; if he's not....
gpt
Soufflez! Regardez glissant, mes enfants, Noreen cried, tying her hair-ribbon with desperate speed.
human
We must fix up our charade after supper; and look here! we must get some of the others to perform first, while we're fixing it. Ingrid might recite,--she's awfully good,--and we'll get Gabrielle to fiddle. Joey, you'd better do the asking Miss Craigie--oh, and of course you'll have to go to the Head first, as we want all the Staff. Point out it's an occasion.
gpt
Oh, I say, won't one of you?
human
You're rather in favour with the Head, I believe, and anyhow you've swanked enough about Miss Craigie. It's clearly your duty to get leave for the show. We'll do the rest.
gpt
All right,