drawn
in about half of mine yet. But I can generally manage to make a little
work go a long way! I came to tell you that it's time to pack up. And I
have a piece of good news as well; it has been so much cooler to-day
that Miss Cavendish says we may be more enterprising to-morrow. I don't
know what's arranged for the other houses, but St. Chad's is down for a
botany ramble. Isn't it jolly? I shall like it much better than
sketching. Miss Maitland is to take us, and we're to walk along the
hills towards Latchfield. There's to be an archery tournament as well,
and we may go to that instead, if we like, only we must put our names
down to-night. The lists for both will be hung up in the hall. I know
which I shall choose."

"So do I," said Janie. "I've never hit the target yet, so it's not much
use my entering against Blanche Marsden and Trissie Turner and Sophy
Williams. A ramble sounds lovely. Honor, do come! I'm sure you're not
keen on bows and arrows!"

"I haven't tried, so I can't tell. A tournament doesn't seem exactly
the place, though, to make one's first wild shots, and I've no time
even for an hour's practice. If it's to be botany versus archery, I
think I'll put my valuable autograph on the side of science."

No one could be more capable of leading a botanical ramble than Miss
Maitland. She was a close student of nature, and not only loved plants
and flowers herself, but could make them interesting to other people.
The beautiful collection of pressed specimens in the school museum was
mostly her work, and she was regarded as the best authority on the
subject in the College.

"I'm often so glad we're at St. Chad's," said Janie. "Miss Maitland is
a thousand times nicer than any of the other house-mistresses. The
Hilaryites are very proud of Miss Hulton because she writes for the
_Scientific World_, the Aldwythites plume themselves on Miss Paterson's
double first, and the Bridites worship Miss Daubeny since she did that
splendid climb in the Alps last summer; but Miss Maitland is so jolly
all round, I like her by far the best. Of course, the School House
girls say the very cream of Chessington is to be with Miss Cavendish,
but I think a head mistress is pleasanter at a distance, one always
feels so much in awe of her."

"Yes; I'm afraid I should never feel quite at ease with Miss
Cavendish," avowed Honor. "At St. Chad's we seem almost like a big
family."

The College stood in the midst of a pretty country, an