The Rebel of the School | Page 6

only knew," she said under her breath--"if he only knew that I
was practically sent to Coventry--that none of the nice girls will speak
to me. But never mind; I won't tell him. Nothing would induce me to
trouble him on the subject."
CHAPTER II.
HIGH LIFE AND LOW LIFE.
Amongst the many girls who attended the Great Shirley School was
one who was known by the name of Cassandra Weldon. She was
rapidly approaching the proud position of head girl in the school. She
had entered the Shirley School when quite a little child, had gone
steadily up through the different classes and the various removes, until
she found herself nearly at the head of the sixth form. She was about to
try for a sixty-pound scholarship, renewable for three years; if she got it
she would go to Holloway College, and eventually support herself and
her mother. Mrs. Weldon was the widow of a man who in his time had
a very successful school for boys, and she herself had been a teacher
long ago in the Great Shirley School. Cassandra and her mother,
therefore, were from the very first surrounded by scholarship; they
belonged, so to speak, to the scholastic world.
Mrs. Weldon could scarcely talk of anything else. Evening after
evening she would question her daughter eagerly with regard to this

accomplishment and the other, to this change or that, to this chance
which Cassandra might have and to the other. The girl was extremely
clever, with a sort of all-round talent which was most remarkable; for in
addition to many excellent accomplishments, she was distinctly
musical. Her musical talent very nearly amounted to genius. If in the
future she could not play in public, she resolved at least to earn her
living as a music teacher. Mrs. Weldon hoped that Cassandra would do
more than this; and, to tell the truth, the girl shared her mother's dreams.
Besides music, she had worked very hard at botany, at French and
German, and at English literature. She would be seventeen on her next
birthday, and it was against the rules for any girl to remain at the Great
Shirley School after that time. Cassandra had, however, two more
terms of school-life before her, and these terms she regarded as the
most valuable of her whole education.
In appearance Cassandra was a tall, well-made girl, graceful in her
movements, and very self-possessed in manner. Her face was full of
intelligence, but was rather plain than otherwise, for her mouth was too
wide and her nose the reverse of classical. She had bright intelligent
brown eyes, however, a nice voice, and a pleasant way. Cassandra was
looked up to by all her fellow-students, and this not because she was
rich, nor because she was beautiful, but simply because she was good
and honorable and trustworthy; she possessed a large amount of
sympathy for nearly every one, her tact was unfailing, and she was
never self-assertive.
Now Cassandra, who had many friends in the school, had amongst
them, of course, her greatest friend. This girl was called Florence
Archer. Florence was pretty and clever, but she had neither Cassandra's
depth nor power of intellect. She was naturally vain and frivolous,
except in the presence of her dearest friend. She was easily influenced
by others, and it was her habit to follow the one who gave her the last
advice. Her passionate love for Cassandra was perhaps her best and
strongest quality; but of late she had exhibited a sense of almost
unwarrantable jealousy when any other girl showed a preference for her
special friend. Florence was a very nice girl, but jealousy was her bane.
She thought a good deal of herself, for her father was a rich man, and

only took advantage of the Great Shirley education because it was
incomparably the best in the place. There was no rule against any one
attending the school, and he had long ago secured a niche in it for his
favorite daughter. Florence loved it and hated it at the same time. She
was fond of her own companions, but she could not bear the foundation
girls. These girls made a large percentage in the school. In all respects
they were supposed to be Florence's equals, but as a matter of fact they
were kept in a very subordinate position by the paying girls. On every
possible occasion they were avoided, and there must be something very
special about any one of them if she was taken up by the aristocrats--as
they termed themselves--of the school.
But Cassandra as a rule was perfectly sweet and pleasant to the
foundation girls, and this trait in her friend's character annoyed
Florence more than anything else.
On the morning after Ruth Craven had been admitted to