used us
from our slumbers at half-past six, and woe to her who dared to turn
over and go to sleep again! At a quarter-past seven we assembled in the
hall, where rows of little blue mugs were waiting for us upon the table;
then, under the escort of Miss Buller, we all turned out, weather
permitting, to go and drink the waters for which Helston Spa was famous.
The brisk run through the fields, where the hawthorn was opening, and an
occasional bird's nest might be found by those who were skilful enough
to lag behind, was inspiriting as a beginning to the day. We always
entreated for the stile path, and lamented when a wet night made Miss
Buller declare the grass too damp, and necessitated a walk along the
high-road, where we must file two and two--"in a crocodile," as Janet
called it.

"Why a crocodile?" asked Lucy, who was not yet used to school-girl
parlance.

"Oh, don't you know?" replied Janet. "Some terribly clever person, I
can't remember whether it was Ruskin or Browning or Carlyle or who it
was, said he would any day rather meet a crocodile than a ladies'
school, so a long row of girls has been called a crocodile ever since."

"It's a stupid old-fashioned custom," said Ellinor, who was generally
disposed to grumble. "At St. Chad's the girls have bounds and may go
where they please, three together. I hate to be paraded like a file of
convicts. We look so foolish carrying our mugs, anyone would take us for
a Sunday-school picnic."

Whether we came by field-path or road the well was quite a romantic spot
when we reached it, for the water bubbled up in a clear spring from a
rocky basin grown round with moss and shaded by ferns. As yet it had not
been spoilt by having had a pavilion built over it, but was left in its
natural condition, under the care of a homely old woman called Betty,
who turned an honest penny by dispensing the waters to visitors, and who
stood our school-girl banter with perfect good-humour.

"Good-morning, Mother Shipton! You haven't flown away on your broomstick
yet?"

"My broom's too busy sweepin' floors, miss, to be used for anything
else."

"What will you do when we've drunk up all the waters, Betty?"

"There's plenty more, miss, where this comes from, so I won't deny you
another mugful if you're wantin' it."

"No, thank you, one is enough of such disgusting stuff! What I want now
is something to take the taste out of my mouth."

Betty drove a brisk but illicit trade with us in toff