."

"There's only one item not yet wiped out on the slate," said Ulyth to
Lizzie. "Perhaps I ought to report myself for walking along the veranda
roof. I'd feel more comfortable!"

"Go ahead, then! Teddie's at the confessional now."

"It's never been exactly forbidden," said Ulyth, with a twinkle in her
eye, after she had stated the extent of her enormity to Miss Teddington.

"I would as soon have thought of forbidding you to climb the chimneys!
It was a dangerous experiment, and certainly must not be repeated. I'm
surprised at a senior! No, as you have told me yourself, I will not
enter it in your conduct-book. Please don't parade the roofs in future.
Now you may go."

"Got off even easier than I expected," rejoiced Ulyth to the waiting
Lizzie. "Teddie's bark's always worse than her bite."

"We've found that out long ago," agreed Lizzie.

CHAPTER XIX

A Surprise

The storm-clouds that had gathered round the mystery of the lost pendant
seemed to clear the air, and sunshine once more reigned at The
Woodlands. The juniors were on their very best behaviour; they indulged
in no more surreptitious expeditions and abandoned their truculent
attitude towards the elder girls, who, while careful to preserve their
dignity as seniors, were ready to wipe off old scores and start afresh.
Some manoeuvres in connection with the Camp-fire League proved a bond
of union, for here there was no distinction between Upper and Lower
School, since all were novices to the new work and had to learn alike.
None, indeed, had any time at present to get into mischief. As the end
of the term, with its prospects of examinations, drew near, even the
most hardened shirkers were obliged to put their shoulders to the wheel,
and show a certain amount of intimacy with their textbooks. A nodding
acquaintance with French verbs or the rules of Latin Grammar might
suffice to shuffle through the ordinary lessons in form, but would be a
poor crutch when confronted with a pile of foolscap paper and a set of
questions, and likely to lead to disparaging items in their reports.

In every department, therefore, there was a flood-tide of effort.
Nature-study diaries, roughly kept, were neatly copied; lists of birds
and flowers were revised; the geological specimens in the museum were
rearranged and labelled, the art treasures in the studio touched up,
while pianos seemed sounding from morning to night. The school was on
its mettle to appear at high-w