g was the art of crying in bed without making the
slightest sound so as to betray her grief to the occupants of the other
cubicles--a hard and rather choky achievement, for tears are far more
bitter when they must needs be suppressed, and the sorrow that causes
them be hidden away.

She rose next day and went to breakfast, feeling still an alien and an
outsider. The three girls who shared her bedroom appeared determined to
show by their manner how much they resented her presence. They did not
even say good morning, though they were passing through the door at
exactly the same moment as herself, and they hurried on as fast as they
could to avoid walking downstairs with her. In all the large school
there seemed nobody to whom she could turn for sympathy or advice. When
the first bell rang for lessons, she lingered in the hall wondering
where she was expected to go, and was much relieved after a minute or
two to see Miss Rowe coming evidently in search of her.

"I've been looking for you, Patty," she said. "You've been placed in the
Upper Fourth Form. Come with me at once to the classroom, and I'll show
you your desk. Have you brought your pencil box? No; there isn't time to
go and fetch it now; you must manage without for this morning. I can
lend you this pencil, but be sure you don't forget to return it to me at
one o'clock."

The classroom proved large and airy, with four big windows, the lower
sashes of which were painted white to prevent wandering eyes straying
from lesson books to the view outside. It was fitted with desks arranged
to face a low platform on which stood the blackboard, a chair, and a
large desk for the teacher. The walls were hung with maps and views of
foreign places, and there was a cupboard in the corner, where chalk,
new books, ink bottles, and stationery were kept. The vacant desk
reserved for Patty proved to be in the middle of the back row, and as
she took her seat she looked anxiously to see who were her classmates.
All the girls of both the upper and lower divisions were already in
their places, and the view of twenty-one dark or fair heads, and
twenty-one various coloured hair ribbons was rather bewildering. Muriel
was two rows in front, and Jean a little to her left, and in the hasty
glance she was able to bestow she noticed Avis and two of the other
companions with whom she had travelled to Morton on the day of her
arrival. Miss Rowe took the call-over, and entered Patty's name on the
r