The Mam'zelles of Malory Towers

CHAPTER FOUR: A HAWK-EYED ROUGIER

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The girls started fearing Mam'zelle Rougier even more after the little debacle with the mouse.

"Nothing scares her," gaped Alicia.

Unfortunately, the first-formers had to come face-to-face with Rougier again at supper. She was their house mistress, so she always sat at the head of the long table and was supposed to make sure the girls didn't get up to mischief during meals.

So the girls filed into supper that evening with pale faces, and averted eye-contact with the stern Rougier as they took their seats.

Rougier smiled ghoulishly to herself. This was exactly what she liked: supreme obedience and terror. She glared at the girls for good measure, and simultaneously pocketed one of the silver knives on the table.

To tell the truth, Rougier's quick mind was getting more and more restless these days. Her life was filled with pathetic monotony: waking up sinfully early, teaching those pig-faced English girls that dressed plainly and didn't possess any valuables to nick, and then eating dinner while watching the girls shovel disgusting puddings and English stews into their mouths. 

What made matters worse was that Mam'zelle Dupont, her brainless classmate from convent school, never failed to stop at her room after dinner for "cozy French chats." Rougier had to listen to painful stories about Dupont's army of nieces, nephews and cousins. And since she had already stolen all of Dupont's valuable possessions (none of which were very valuable at all), she couldn't even bide her time by exercising her nimble fingers.

So Rougier began to concoct a grand scheme to make things a little interesting. 

At dinner that evening, Rougier watched each girl with hawk-eyes as they ate, a notebook and Irene's gold pen in her hands.

When the Pi Sisters (spiteful twins called Doris and Fanny) stretched out their leg to trip Alicia, Rougier grinned and took note.

When golden-haired, angelic Daphne spread rumours about Irene to Gwendoline Mary, and when Gwendoline Mary lapped up the gossip with a hungry expression, Rougier took note.

When catty Elsie strained her ears and eavesdropped into a conversation about a midnight feast she wasn't invited to, Rougier took note.

Promptly after the English pigs had polished off their massive puddings, Rougier tapped the table to get the girls' attention.

"Listen girls. Gwendoline, Daphne, Doris, Fanny and Elsie - report to my office after Prep tonight."

The girls were terrified at this announcement. What could Mam'zelle Rougier want from them? Would she throw them out of the window like she did to the mouse?