my mantelpiece."

That evening, after preparation and supper, the entire school, instead
of being allowed to pursue fancy work, was summoned to the lecture
hall, and harangued by Miss Beasley upon the follies and dangers of
superstition. She touched upon ancient beliefs in witchcraft, and
modern credulity in clairvoyance and spiritualism, and placed an
equal ban upon both.

"In these enlightened times, with all the advantages of education to
dispel ignorance," she concluded, "it is incredible to me that anybody
can still be found ready to believe in such nonsense. I beg you all,
and especially those elder girls who should be leaders of the rest, to
turn your thoughts and conversation to some healthier topic, and to
let these morbid fancies sink into the obscurity they deserve."

"It was a nasty hit for the monitresses!" whispered Ardiune to
Raymonde afterwards. "Did you see Veronica turning as red as beetroot?
We'll have to wake early to-morrow morning, and swat at those wretched
dates. It was grizzly bad luck Gibbie found us out!"

"But on the whole the game was worth the candle!" proclaimed Raymonde
unrepentantly.

CHAPTER VIII

The Beano

After the events related in the last chapter, the monitresses suddenly
awakened to a sense of their responsibility as leaders of the school.
Particularly Veronica. She had a sensitive disposition, and Miss
Beasley's reproof rankled. She determined to set an example to the
younger ones, and to be zealous in keeping order and enforcing rules.
She held a surprise inspection of the juniors' desks and drawers, and
pounced upon illicit packets of chocolate; she examined their books,
and confiscated any which she considered unsuitable; she put a ban
upon slang, and wrote out a new set of dormitory regulations. Her
efforts were hardly so much appreciated as they deserved. The girls
grumbled at this unanticipated tightening of the reins.

"We've always bought sweets and kept them in our desks," declared Joan
Butler. "I believe Veronica used to do it herself."

"Life wouldn't be worth living without chocolates!" mourned Nora
Fawcitt.

"And we always used to scramble for the bathroom in the mornings, ever
since I've been here," groused Dorothy Newstead. "It's no fun to wait
in a queue."

The Fifth fared no better than the Fourth, and being older, their
indignation was even hotter.

"Veronica took away _Adam Bede_, and said it wasn't 'suitable'!" fumed
Aveline. "She to