e. "Lily
thinks we're lost souls--nearly all of us."

"Onny swaw, my dears, onny swaw."

"It's all very well. But there's no knowing what Mademoiselle would make
her believe. She'd got reams about you, Hendy--nothing bad enough."

"H'm," said Miriam, "I can imagine----"

Her thoughts brought back a day when she had shown Mademoiselle the
names in her birthday-book and dwelt on one page and let Mademoiselle
understand that it was the page--brown eyes--les yeux brunes foncees.
Why did Mademoiselle and Fraulein think that bad--want to spoil it for
her? She had said nothing about the confidences of the German girls to
anyone. Elsa must have found that out from Clara.

"Oh, well it's all over now. Let's be thankful and think no more about
it."

"All very fine, Jemima. You're going home."

"Thank goodness."

"And not coming back. Lucky Pigleinchen."

"Well, so am I," said Miriam, "and I'm not coming back."

"I say! Aren't you coming to Norderney?" Gertrude flashed dark eyes at
her.

"Can't you come to Norderney?" said Judy thickly, at her elbow.

"Well, you see there are all sorts of things happening at home. I must
go. One of my sisters is engaged and another going away. I _must_ go
home for a while. Of course I _might_ come back."

"Think it over, Henderson, and see if you can't decide in our favour."

"We shall have another Miss Owen."

Miriam struggled up out of her basket. "But I thought you all _liked_
Miss Owen!"

"Ho! Goodness! Too simple for words."

"You never told us you had any sisters, Hendy," said Jimmie, tapping her
on the wrist.

"What a pity you're going just as we're getting to know you," Judy
smiled shyly and looked on the floor.

"Well--I'm off with my bundle," announced Gertrude. "To be continued
in our next. Think it over, Hendy. Don't desert us. Hurry up, my room.
It'll be tea-time before we're straight. Come on, Jim."

Miriam moved, with Judy following at her elbow, across the room to
Millie. She looked up with her little plaintive frown. Miriam could not
remember what her plans were. "Let's see," she said, "you're going to
Norderney, aren't you?"

"I'm not going to Norderney," said Nellie almost tearfully. "I only wish
I were. I don't even know I'm coming back next term."

"Aren't you looking forward to the holidays?"

"I don't know. I'd rather be staying here if I'm not coming back after."

"To stay in Germany? You'd rather do that than anything?"

"Rather."

"Here,