ldine let
the matter pass, and, whatever her private thoughts might be, did not
revive the subject after supper.

CHAPTER XX

A Tangled Plot

Loveday and Diana went to bed that evening just as usual. They performed
their customary hair-brush drill, twisted Diana's light-brown locks in
curl-rags, and plaited Loveday's flaxen mane in two long braids, folded
their clothes neatly, read their Bible portions, said their prayers, and
blew out the candle. Then they lay chatting quietly till Miss Beverley
came on her nightly round of dormitory inspection.

"Only a few weeks more and we shall be saying good-bye to the ivy room,"
said Loveday. "I shall be back in Liverpool; and where will you be,
Diana?"

"Crossing the Atlantic, I hope. Dad's had our names down for passages
for ever so long, and they told him our turn might come early in August.
We're crazy to get home again."

"I don't wonder! But _how_ I'll miss you! I shall want heaps of
letters."

"Rather! And so shall I. I'll want to know what you're doing."

"Answering advertisements about posts as nursery governess," said
Loveday bitterly. "No luck ever comes to me. I had a sort of wild idea
that if I won the prize for that essay Uncle Fred might think it worth
while sending me somewhere to train; but I _know_ I shan't get it now.
Hilary read us bits out of hers, and it's just splendid--far better than
mine. I'm not in the innings."

"Oh, Loveday, what a shame! The prize means so much more to you than to
Hilary."

"I know it does. She'll win the maths prize too, and the Latin one."

"It doesn't seem fair she should get everything. I wonder if she'd hold
back her essay so as to give you a chance?"

"Not she!"

"But if----"

At that identical moment Miss Beverley opened the door, and, candle in
hand, looked round the room to see that all was left tidy. Her
inspection was swift; she said "Good night, girls!" shut the door, and
went downstairs to drink cocoa in Miss Todd's study. After her evening
round the silence rule was a point of honour in the dormitories. Loveday
and Diana turned over and went to sleep.

Some time in the middle of the night Diana woke with a start, just in
time to see Loveday in a blue dressing-gown, with their bedroom candle
in her hand, disappearing through the door. Where could Loveday be
going? Had she heard burglars? Was she ill? Why had she not roused her
room-mate? Could she by any chance be walking in her sleep?

All