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simply extra¬ordinary how many accidental pushes happened to them when Alicia or Moira or Betty came by. If there was one thing Gwen hated it was to enter the pool suddenly without warning!
    The pool was always beautiful on blue sunny days. It shone a deeper blue than the sky, and after a few weeks of summer got really deliriously warm - till the tide came in, swamped the pool, and left cooler water there! Darrell loved the pool. Even when she was not swimming she used to take her books down beside it and dream there, looking over the brilliant blue water.
    Moira was a very good swimmer. So was Sally. Darrell always had been. But the new girl, Amanda, surpassed them all!
    She was a most magnificent swimmer. The first time she entered the water, everyone gasped. She streaked across the pool with the most powerful over-arm stroke the girls had ever seen.
    'Gosh - what a swimmer!' said Darrell. T never saw anything like it. She is good enough for the Olympic Games. She could beat us hollow, Sally.'
    Amanda was not content with the pool, big and deep though it was. She looked out to sea. '1 shall go and swim in the sea,' she said.
    'You're not allowed to,' said Darrell, who was nearby, drying herself. 'There's a very dangerous current out there at high tide.'
    'Currents aren't dangerous to a strong swimmer like me,' said Amanda, and flexed her arms to show Darrell her enormous muscles. She had great strong legs too. She was heavy in her walk, and not at all graceful in ordinary life - hut when she was playing games or swimming, she had the strong grace of some big animal, and was most fascinating to watch. The lower forms gaped at her, and often came down to the pool when the word went round that Amanda was there - just to stand and stare!
    'Would you like to give some of these youngsters a bit of coaching, Amanda?' Sally said one day. As head of school games, she was always on the look-out for likely youngsters to coach.
    T might.,' said Amanda, looking bored. 'So long as it's not a waste of my time.'
    'Oh well, if you feel like thatV said Moira indignantly. She was nearby, listening. Moira was not very likeable, hut at least she did try to help the lower forms in their games., and was a great help to Sally.
    'We never had to bother with the young ones at rrenigan Towers,' said Amanda, drying herself so vigorously that her skin came up bright red. 'We had plenty of coaches there. They looked after the youngsters. Vou seem to have too few games mistresses here.'
    Darrell fumed inwardly at this criticism of Malory lowers. There were plenty of teachers tor everything! lust because Malory Towers didn't make a religion ol
    ?!
    spoil as Trenigan had, this great lump ol an Amanda dared to look down her nose at it!
    Sally saw Darrell's laee, and nudged her. It's no good saying anything,' she said, as Amanda walked oil. 'She's so thick-skinned, and so sure ol hersell and her luture, that nothing we tan say will make any impression. She must have been very upset when Trenigan went up in smoke - and she probably hates Malory Towers because it's new to her, and doesn't go in lor ihe sport she adores as much as she'd like it to!'
    'She's jolly lucky to conic here,' snorted Darrell, still looking furious. Sally laughed, it was a long lime since she had seen Darrell near to losing her lamous temper. Once upon a time Darrell had lost her temper practically every term and had shocked the school by her rages - but now it very seldom showed, lor Darrell had it well undei control.
    'Don't let her get under your skin,' said Sally. 'Believe me, she's much more likely to get under mine! She's infuriating over tennis - doesn't seem to think it's worth while even to have a game with us! She's got under Moira's skin all right - there'll be high words there soon.'
    The second-formers came running down to the pool for their swim. The bigger girls heard the soft thud-tluid of the rubber-shoed feet coming along, and turned. There was a yell trom