perhaps I shall get him in the apple-peels."

"And if you don't?"

"I'll meet somebody else later on."

Having eaten more or less charred pieces of chestnut, the girls produced
their apples, and once more set to work to try magic. The apple had to
be peeled entirely in one long piece, which must then be slung backwards
over the left shoulder on to the floor, where it would form the initial
of the future lover. It was a matter for skilful manipulation of
penknives, not at all easy to manage, so difficult in fact, that Noreen
and Dulcie each made a slip, and chopped their precious pieces of peel
in the middle, thus rendering them useless for purposes of divination.
Lilias, who made the first essay, was completely puzzled by the result,
which did not resemble any known letter in the alphabet, though Gowan,
anxious to interpret the oracles, construed it into a W. Edith's long
thin piece of peel made a plain C, a fact which seemed to cause her much
satisfaction, though she would betray no names. Prissie broke her luck
in half in the very act of flinging it, but insisted that the two
separate portions each formed an O.

It was Carmel's turn next, and her rather broad piece of peel twisted
itself into a most palpable E. She looked at it for a moment as if
rather taken aback, then her face cleared.

"There are quite a number of names that begin with E," she remarked
enigmatically.

Now it was all very well to sit in the sanctuary of their schoolroom
trying such mild magic as divination through chestnuts and apple skins.
Gowan's northern blood yearned after more subtle witchcraft.

"I shan't be content till I've pulled a cabbage stalk!" she declared. "I
don't see why we need wait till midnight! Hallowe'en is Hallowe'en as
soon as it's dark, I should think. Who's game to fly up the
kitchen-garden?"

"What? Now?"

"Why not? We should only be gone a few minutes and Miss Hardy would
never find out."

"It really would be a frolicsome joke!"

"There's a moon, too!"

"I vote we risk it!"

"Come along!"

Nine giggling girls therefore stole cautiously downstairs, a little
delayed by Prissie, who, with a most unusual concern for her health,
insisted on fetching a wrap. They opened the side door, and peeped out
into the night. It was quite fine, with a clear full moon, and clouds
drifting high in the sky. The vegetable garden was so near that the
ceremony could be very quickly performed. It was, of course, breaking
rul