fatiguing a day for the juniors. All the
prefects were going, while the Camellia Buds, with the exception of
Esther and Mary, who had been before, were also included in the party.

"This is one thing you wouldn't get at any rate in an ordinary English
school," said Lorna. "I don't suppose the Brackenfield girls are taking
excursions to Greek temples."

"There aren't any Greek temples in England for them to go and see,
silly," laughed Irene.

"Well, Abbeys or Castles or anything ancient."

"From Dona's accounts that sort of thing is not in their line. They
concentrate on games."

"Hockey is all very well, but give me our orange groves and the blue
sea."

"Ye-es; but I sometimes hanker for a really A1 hockey match!"

"Don't you like the Villa Camellia?"

"Of course I do. What's the matter, Lorna? I believe you're jealous of
Brackenfield!"

"No, I'm not, though I'm sure I'm right in fancying you'd rather be
there than here."

"How absurd you are!"

"Am I? All right! Call it absurd if you want. Are you going to sit next
to me in the char-a-banc?"

Irene looked conscious.

"I promised Peachy! But you can sit the other side, you know."

"Oh, no, thanks! If you've made arrangements already I'm sure I don't
want to interfere with them. I wouldn't spoil sport for worlds."

"You are the limit!"

"Am I? Indeed! Perhaps you'd rather not have me for a buddy any more?"

"For gracious' sake stop talking nonsense! You're the weirdest girl I've
ever met," snapped Irene. Then to avoid an open quarrel she walked away,
leaving her chum in the depths of misery.

Lorna knew her own temper was at fault, but she was in a touchy mood and
laid the blame on fate.

"If I had a nice home like other girls, and had been going there for
ripping holidays, and had brothers and cousins to write to me I'd be
different," she excused herself, quite forgetting that, however much we
may be handicapped, the molding of our character is after all in our own
hands.

As it was she sulked, and when the char-a-banc arrived, although Irene
beckoned her to a place beside herself and Peachy, she took no notice
and waited till everybody else had scrambled in. The result of this was
that she finally found herself seated away from all her own friends and
next to Mrs. Clark, the wife of the British chaplain, who by Miss
Morley's invitation had joined the excursion. Perhaps on the whole it
was just as well. Mrs. Clark was what the girls called "a