, impatient,
objecting "miau" suddenly resounded through the room. Miss Farrar gave
quite a jump, and looked round, but could see nothing. Honor sat bolt
upright, with arms folded and eyes fixed attentively on the blackboard,
as if she were sublimely unconscious of any noise in her vicinity.

"What can it be? It sounds like a cat," said Miss Farrar, peering about
on the floor, and even peeping into the cupboard where the chalk and
the new books were kept.

The girls jumped up, and pretended to look under their desks. Most of
them had an inkling of the situation, but they were human enough to
enjoy an interruption in the midst of difficult equations.

"Perhaps it's a mouse in the wainscot that's not feeling quite well
this morning," suggested Honor, though it would have needed an absolute
giant of a mouse to give vent to the unearthly yowl in which Pete had
indulged. She said it, however, rather too innocently on this occasion.
Miss Farrar was not dull, and had suspected from the beginning who was
at the bottom of the mischief; indeed, it was easy enough by this time
to trace the noise to the right spot, for the kitten had begun to
scratch, and lifted up its voice in a series of emphatic wails,
evidently protesting vigorously against solitary confinement.

Miss Farrar walked straight to Honor's desk and opened it, when out
jumped Pete, purring with satisfaction, and arching his back as if in
expectation of petting. The teacher seized him by the scruff of the
neck and gave him to Janie Henderson, at the same time quelling the
unseemly mirth of her class with a withering glance.

[Illustration: THE LIBERATION OF PETE]

"Carry this kitten back at once to St. Chad's," she commanded. "Honor
Fitzgerald, you will learn two pages of Greek chronology, and repeat
them to me before school to-morrow morning. Lettice Talbot, take a
forfeit! Girls, I am astonished at you! Open your books instantly,
every one of you! Gwen Roby, read out your answer to Example 37."

Though Honor was popular with most of the members of her Form, she was
never on very good terms with Flossie Taylor. Flossie had a sharp
tongue, and liked to make sarcastic remarks; and though Honor would
promptly return the compliment, and often "squash" the other
completely, continual bickering did not promote harmony between the
pair. Flossie was occasionally capable of certain dishonourable acts,
which always drew upon her Honor's utmost indignation and scorn. The