atly relieved director. For it was
usually the case, that wherever this young aristocrat went, trouble
followed; for, like the 'twelfth juryman,' she never could understand
why the 'eleven contrary ones' didn't agree with _him_.

Nobody stayed at Oak Knowe, that day, who was able to join this
outing: and when nearly three hundred girls take the road, they are a
goodly sight worth seeing. Each had been provided with her own little
parcel of lunch packed in the small basket that was to be carried home
full of nuts, and each carried a stout alpenstock, such as the
experienced teachers had found a help on their pupils' long walks.

"A walk that is less than five miles long is no walk at all for
healthy girls," had been Dr. Winston's remark; adding, for the Lady
Principal's ear alone: "That'll take the kinks out of them and they'll
give you less trouble, skylarking. Teach them the art of walking and
let them go!"

To escape Gwendolyn, Marjorie had hurried to the fore of her "Ten" and
slipped her arm into Winifred's, who had expected Dorothy instead. But
she couldn't refuse Marjorie's pleading:

"Don't look like you didn't want me, Winnie dear. Gwen is bound so to
take care of me and I don't need her care. I don't see any difference
between you 'Commons' and we 'Peers' except that you're nicer."

"Why, of course, I want you, Marjorie. Can you see Dorothy Calvert
anywhere behind? It's so narrow here and the hedge so thick I can't
look back."

From her outer place and lower height Marjorie could stoop and peer
around the curve, and gleefully cried:

"Of all things! The girls have paired off so as to leave Gwen and
Dolly together at the very end! Another class is so close behind they
can't change very well and I wonder what Gwendolyn will do!"

"I'm sorry for Dolly, but she'll get on. Gwen has pretended not to see
her so many times that Dorothy can hardly put up with it. Under all
her good nature she has a hot temper. You'd ought to have seen her
pitch into one of the scullery boys for tormenting a cat. And she said
once that she'd make Gwendolyn like her yet or know the reason why.
Now's her chance to try it! It's all that silly imagination of Gwen's
that makes her act so. Made up her mind that Dolly is a 'charity'
girl, when anybody with common sense would know better. There are some
at Oak Knowe, course: we all know that, for it's one of the Bishop's
notions he must give any girl an education who wants it and can't p