of a whole year; but she nevertheless
acquitted herself creditably, and actually gained higher marks than
several girls who had come to school the preceding September.

"I feel as if I'd been in a battle!" she announced, when at length the
ordeal was over and the last set of papers handed in. "My fingers are
soaked with ink, for my fountain pen leaked atrociously; but it wrote
so much quicker than an ordinary one that I didn't dare to abandon it."

"You'll soon get the ink off," said Lettice. "Miss Maitland always puts
plenty of pieces of pumice stone and slices of lemon in the
dressing-room at examination time. I'm sure I've failed in geometry,
and I shall be very much surprised if I find I've scraped through in
physics."

"I feel just as doubtful over English language," said Chatty Burns.
"But it's no use worrying ourselves any more; we can't correct mistakes
now, whatever stupid ones we may have made."

"And we can just have a few peaceful days until the sports," added
Lettice.

The end of the term was always celebrated by a gathering of parents and
friends, at which the girls gave exhibitions of their skill in running,
jumping, or some of the physical exercises that they had learnt with
Miss Young. This year the programme was to include military drill and
flag signalling. The latter was a new departure in the school, but one
that everybody had taken up with enthusiasm. Little bands of the most
expert performers had been selected, and these practised diligently in
the playing-fields, waving their messages with great accuracy and
dispatch.

"It might come in useful if there were a war," said Lettice; "and, at
any rate, it will be very convenient at home. I mean to teach some
friends who live at a house close by, and we shall be able to stand at
our bedroom windows and talk with our flags."

"It will be fun out yachting," said Madge Summers. "We can signal any
vessel we pass, and ask her name, and where she is going, and all kinds
of questions."

"I wish Miss Young would teach us heliography next term," said Honor.
"I should like flashing messages with looking-glasses."

"We'll ask her; but we shall have to wait nearly a year. We only have
hockey in the winter term, with gymnasium work when it's wet. Are any
of your people coming over on Thursday?"

"I'm afraid not--it's such a long way from Kerry! My mother is still
ill, and my father is busy."

"That's a pity!" said Lettice. "We all like our parents to