Read Second Form at Malory Towers for Free Online Page A

wicked dark eyes gleaming. I've got some invisible chalk. Have you got anything?”
    “Invisible chalk! You never told me!” said Alicia, her face brightening. “What is it? Show me!”
    I've got it in my locker, in a box,” said Betty. “The common-room will be empty now. Come along and I'll show you. It's queer stuff.”
    The two girls went to their common room. Betty opened her locker and took out a tin box. Inside, wrapped carefully in paper, was a thick slab of curious pink chalk.
    “It doesn't look invisible!” said Alicia. “What does it do?”
    “Well, if you rub it on to a chair, it can't possibly be seen.” said Betty. “And whoever sits down on it makes it warm and it leaves a bright pink patch on a dress or skirt.”
    “I see,” said Alicia. “Golly—we could rub it on the mistress's chair in our form-room—when Mam'zelle Rougier is coming perhaps.”
    I know! Let's rub it on to Mr. Young's chair, when he comes to take singing!” said Betty. “On his piano stool! Then he'll sit down hard on it when he plays accompaniment for our songs—and when he gets up and turns round to write on the blackboard—golly, what a scream!”
    Alicia laughed loudly. “It would be better to play it on Mr. Young than on Nosey or Mam'zelle—he won't suspect a thing—and the first form will have a share in the joke too, because they take singing with us!”
    Alicia cheered up considerably after this. She and Betty tried out the invisible chalk very carefully, and it was a great success.
    Betty took a wooden-bottomed chair and rubbed the curious pink chalk all over it. “Look,” she said, “it doesn't show at all, Alicia. Can you see anything of it?” Alicia looked carefully at the chair, tipping it this way and that “It's perfect,” she said. “Not a thing to be seen! Funny how you can rub it on and it seems to disappear, Betty. It really is invisible. Now, you sit down on it and let me see what happens.”
    Betty sat down, and remained there for a minute or two. The chalk would not work unless it was slightly warmed. As Betty was sitting solemnly there with Alicia watching her, Gwendoline popped her head in to look for Daphne. She was astonished to see Betty sitting solemnly by herself on a chair, with Alicia a little way off.
    “What are you doing?” she asked curiously. “What's happening?”
    “Nothing,” said Alicia. “Buzz off! Daphne's not here.”
    “But what are you doing ?” persisted Gwendoline, suspecting something, though she didn't know what “Why is Betty sitting on that uncomfortable chair in the middle of the room like that?”
    “Alicia! Nosey wants you!” suddenly cried a voice, and Jean's head came round the door. “Hurry! She's in a stew about something. Your maths paper, I should think.”
    “Blow!” said Alicia, and shot off. “Be back in a minute, Betty,” she said, and ran down the passage. Jean looked with interest at Betty sitting all alone in the middle of the common room.
    “Tired?” she asked. Betty scowled. She felt foolish. She wanted to hurl a book at Gwendoline's silly golden head, but she didn't dare to get up in case she had a nice chalky pattern on her back. She didn't want to let anyone else into the trick at the moment.
    “Paralysed or something, poor thing,” said Gwendoline. “Can't get up. Or perhaps it's rheumatism!”
    To Betty's great relief Gwendoline became tired of teasing her and went out to find Daphne. Jean gave a grin and left too. Betty got up and looked round at herself. She gave a chuckle of delight. She had a brilliant pink pattern on the skirt of her tunic. How extraordinary that the invisible chalk should act like that when it was warmed up!
    Alicia came flying in. “Does it work?” she cried, and giggled when Betty swung round and showed her the bright pink marks. “Golly, it's fine! We'll try it on old Mr. Young tomorrow!”
    “Shall we tell anyone?” asked Betty.
    “Not a soul,” said Alicia. “Someone's sure to give it