ral, or an
accident.

By a little judicious elbowing, Dorothy managed to secure a place where
she had a tolerable view of the path and the lich-gate. She was wedged
rather tightly between two nursemaids, and the basket of a grocer's boy
behind was pressing into her back; but these were minor discomforts,
which must be endured.

"Here they come!" said somebody.

There was a rustling and swaying movement among the crowd, a sound of
carriage wheels, a general craning forward of heads; the nurse next to
Dorothy held up her little charge in her arms. It was difficult to see,
for the awning rather hid the view from those in the churchyard above
the path. All that Dorothy caught was a glimpse of a figure in white
satin and lace, and just a peep of some bridesmaids in palest blue; then
a tall woman moved in front of her, and effectually shut out the
prospect.

"What a swindle!" she thought. "I've hardly seen anything at all. It
wasn't worth the trouble of coming. I wonder if the other girls have had
better luck?"

She noticed two school hats in the distance, though she could not
recognize the faces under them. She was half inclined to struggle
through the groups of people towards them, when she remembered to look
at the church clock.

"Nearly twenty-five past!" she ejaculated. "I must fly!"

It was not an easy matter to extricate herself from the crowd. Dorothy
knew it was useless to attempt to go out by the main entrance, so she
made a push for the side gate; then taking a short cut by a small
street, she scurried back to school. She was just changing her boots in
the dressing-room when Addie Parker, Bertha Warren, and three other
girls came hurrying in.

"Oh, Dorothy! Did you get off?" cried Addie. "You are lucky! We were all
caught!"

"Yes, caught dead--every one of us!" echoed Bertha.

"Oh, it was horrible!" exclaimed Joyce Hickson. "I never expected she'd
be there."

"And we ran almost plump against her!"

"Just our luck!"

"What do you mean? Who caught you?" asked Dorothy.

"Miss Tempest. Didn't you see her?"

"No, not I."

"Then thank your good star!"

"Where was she?"

"Close to the lich-gate. She came up quite suddenly, just when the bride
had gone in. Phyllis saw her first, and passed on a 'Cave', but it was
impossible to get away, there were so many people round."

"She must have noticed our school hats in the distance," added Annie
Gray.

"What did she do?" asked Dorothy.

"Pulled out