"

Etheldreda's gasp of dismay was heard throughout the room. Her cheeks
rivalled Susan's in their flame of indignation. _Susan_ to play her
false, to endeavour to wrest a coveted place from a friend! Susan an
enemy, a rival! Dreda felt a vehement, overwhelming disgust for the
whole universe and its inhabitants, a shattering of faith in every
cherished ideal! Never, no never again, could she bring herself to
believe in a human creature!

The two girls sat silent, awaiting the mistress's decree, and Miss Drake
looked slowly from one flushed face to the other, her usually smooth
forehead showing two deep horizontal lines. It was her "thinking
look"--the look which she wore when she was trying to explain an
unusually difficult point in the day's lessons. The girls watched her
anxiously, saw the lines clear away, and the light of decision drawn in
her eyes; wondered if it were in imagination only that at the same time
they caught the sound of a faint sigh of regret.

"Thank you, girls," she said slowly. "It is sweet of you both to be so
ready to help. I am ever so much obliged to you, Susan--but Dreda spoke
first. I think I will decide to give the post to her."

Nobody heard any more than this, though Miss Drake continued talking for
several moments. Dreda was thrilling from head to foot with triumphant
joy. Susan's flush had deepened from crimson to an absolute magenta.
The other girls were torn between sympathy and amazement! For once in
their lives they were unanimous in condemnation of the beloved Duck's
judgment, and could not imagine what she had been dreaming about to
choose Dreda Saxon for a post of responsibility, when that most reliable
of Susans could have been had for the asking. No one made any remark,
however, and Dreda, glancing expectantly around, failed to meet any of
the congratulatory smiles which were surely her right on so auspicious
an occasion. The girls were sitting stiff and straight in their seats,
staring at their desks in their most prim and wooden manner. Susan was
the only one who ventured a struggling smile, and from her Dreda
contemptuously turned aside. Hypocrisy was a failing for which she had
no tolerance!

It was with a visible effort that Miss Drake continued the discussion in
her usual bright, cheery manner.

"The term is already a month old. I should like to have the synopsis of
the contents of the magazine by to-day fortnight--say the tenth of next
month. We