iend would
altogether sympathize with her. Instead, she plunged into a detailed
description of her elder brothers, telling how two were preparing for
the Army at Sandhurst, how another was at Oxford, and the fourth was
studying law.

"I suppose you are nearly always with your mother, as you are the only
girl," said Janie.

"Well, no," admitted Honor. "She's so delicate, and so often ill. I'm
afraid I give her a headache."

"My mother is delicate too," confided Janie. "She has most dreadful
neuralgia sometimes. I bathe her head with eau-de-cologne, mixed with
very hot water, and it always does her good. She calls me her little
nurse. Have you ever tried hot water with eau-de-cologne for your
mother's headaches?"

Honor had never dreamt of offering any help or assistance to anyone in
sickness. The idea was quite new to her, and that Janie evidently
expected her to be her mother's companion and right hand surprised her.
She had already met with many astonishments at St. Chad's, where most
of the views of life seemed different from her old standards. She
scarcely liked to confess that she was of so little use at home, and
hastily turned the conversation back to her brother Dermot.

"Do you think if I were to ask Miss Cavendish, she would let him call
to see me?" she suggested.

Janie shook her head.

"I'm quite sure she wouldn't," she replied. "The rules are so strict
about visitors. Nobody but our parents is allowed, except an occasional
uncle or aunt--never a brother. You'd better not suggest it."

"Then I shall have to go and see him."

"How could you, Honor? Don't be so unreasonable!"

"I thought I might find an opportunity some day," said Honor
reflectively. "One never knows what may turn up. Dear old Dermot! It
would be hard luck to be within two miles of him for a whole term,
without exchanging a single word."

"Well, if you do, you'll get into a far bigger scrape than you'll like.
You'd much better wait until the holidays, when you'll probably both
travel home together," advised Janie.

There certainly were no opportunities at Chessington College for paying
calls. Except on half-holidays, the girls seldom went beyond the school
grounds, the large playing-fields providing a wide enough area for
exercise. The members of the Fifth and Sixth Forms were allowed to go
out occasionally, within specified bounds, if they went three together;
but the younger ones had not attained to such a privilege.

"We ma