Free Upper Fourth at Malory Towers by Enid Blyton

always wore made it worse!
    The day of the picnic dawned bright and clear, and promised to be lovely and hot
    “A whole day off!” rejoiced Darrell. “And such a day, too! I vote we take our bathing-things and bathe at the foot of Langley Hill. There's a cove there.”
    “You'll have to take your lunch with you, but you can have your tea at the little tea-place on top of the hill,” said Miss Williams. “I've asked the kitchen staff to let you go and help them cut sandwiches and cakes to take with you. Be off with you now—and come back ready to work twice as hard!”
    They clattered off, and in half an hour were streaming up the cliff-path on their way to Langley Hill, each girl carrying her share of the lunch.
    “I should think we've got far too much,” said Mavis.
    “Do you? I don't think we've got enough!” said Darrell, astonished. “But then, my idea of a good picnic lunch is probably twice the size of yours, Mavis! You're a poor eater.”
    Gwendoline and Clarissa panted along a good way behind the others. Darrell called to them to hurry up. She was annoyed to see the two together again after all her efforts to separate them.
    “Clarissa gets a bad heart if she hurries,” called Gwendoline, reproachfully. “You know that, Darrell.”
    “Oh, Gwen—I hardly ever feel my heart this term,” said Clarissa. “I believe I'm almost cured! I can easily hurry.”
    “Well,” said Gwendoline, solemnly, “I'm just a bit worried about my heart, Clarissa. It does funny things lately. Sort of flutters like a bird, you know.”
    Clarissa looked alarmed. “Oh, Gwen—that's just what mine used to do. You'll have to be careful. Oughtn't you to see a doctor?”
    “Oh no, I don't think so,” said Gwen, bravely. “I hate going to Matron about anything. She makes such a fuss. And she's quite likely not to believe what I say. She's very hard, you know,”
    Clarissa had been to Matron once or twice, and had thought her very kind and understanding. She didn't know that Gwendoline had tried to stuff Matron up with all kinds of tales, term after term, whenever she wanted to get out of anything strenuous, and that Matron now consistently disbelieved anything that Gwendoline had to say. She merely handed out large doses of very disgusting medicine, no matter what Gwen complained of. In fact, Alicia said that she kept a special large bottle labelled “Medicine for Gwen” on the top shelf of her cupboard, a specially nasty concoction made up specially for malingerers!
    “Look at Connie,” said Gwen, as they gradually came nearer to the others. “Carrying Ruth's bag for her as well as her own! How can Ruth put up with it?”
    “Well, they're twins,” said Clarissa. “I expect they like to do things for each other. Let's catch them up and talk to them.”
    But the conversation as usual was carried on by Connie, not by Ruth!
    “What a heavenly day for a picnic!” said Clarissa, looking at Ruth.
    “Beautiful,” said Connie, and began to talk about the food in the bags she carried.
    Gwen spoke to Ruth. “Did you find the pencil you lost—that silver one?” she asked.
    Connie answered for her as usual. “Oh yes—it was at the back of her desk after all.”
    “Ruth, look at that butterfly!” said Clarissa, determined to make Ruth speak. Whatever is it?”
    “It's a fritillary, pearl-bordered,” answered Connie, before Ruth had even got a look at the lovely thing. Then Gwen and Clarissa gave it up. You just couldn't get Ruth to speak before Connie got her word in.
    They had the picnic in sight of Langley Hill, because they were much too hungry to wait till they had climbed up to the top. Gwendoline was very thankful. She was already puffing and blowing.
    “You're too fat, that's what's the matter with you, Gwendoline,” said Alicia, unsympathetically. “Gosh, what a wonderful scowl you've put on now—one of your best. A real snooty scowl!”
    Belinda overheard and rolled over to be nearer to them. She gazed at