use."

"Who is the Head of St. Elgiva's?"

"Miss Norton, worse luck for us!"

"Not the tall fair one who met us in London yesterday?"

"The same."

"Oh, thunder! I shall never get on with her, I know."

"The Acid Drop's a rather unsweetened morsel, certainly. You'll have to
mind your p's and q's. She can be decent to those she likes, but she
doesn't take to everybody."

"She hasn't taken to me--I could see it in her eye at Euston."

"Then I'm sorry for you. It isn't particularly pleasant to be in Norty's
bad books. If you missed your train and kept her waiting she'll never
forgive you. Look out for squalls!"

"What's the Head like?"

"Mrs. Morrison? Well, of course, she's nice, but we stand very much in
awe of her. It's a terrible thing to be sent down to her study. We
generally see her on the platform. We call her 'The Empress', because
she's so like the pictures of the Empress Eugenie, and she's so
dignified and above everybody else. Hallo, there's the first bell! We
must scoot and wash our hands. If you're late for a meal you put a penny
in the missionary box."

Marjorie walked into the large dining-hall with Mollie Simpson. She felt
she had made, if not yet a friend, at least an acquaintance, and in this
wilderness of fresh faces it was a boon to be able to speak to somebody.
She hoped Mollie would not desert her and sit among her own chums (the
girls took any places they liked for tea); but no, her new comrade led
the way to a table at the lower end of the hall, and, motioning her to
pass first, took the next chair. Each table held about twenty girls, and
a mistress sat at either end. Conversation went on, but in subdued
tones, and any unduly lifted voices met with instant reproof.

"I always try to sit in the middle, unless I can get near a mistress I
like," volunteered Mollie. "That one with the ripply hair is Miss
Duckworth. She's rather sweet, isn't she? We call her Ducky for short.
The other's Miss Carter, the botany teacher. Oh, I say, here's the Acid
Drop coming to the next table! I didn't bargain to have her so near."

Marjorie turned to look, and in so doing her sleeve most unfortunately
caught the edge of her cup, with the result that a stream of tea emptied
itself over the clean table-cloth. Miss Norton, who was just passing to
her place, noticed the accident and murmured: "How careless!" then
paused, as if remembering something, and said:

"Marjorie Anderson, you are to report yourself