it after they've gone to bed, and lock them up in their own
quarters."

"That would be all right, old sport, if there were a key, but there
isn't."

"Morvyth Holmes, d'you think I'm an infant? I know perfectly well
there isn't a key. I'm going to fix a screw in the door and another in
the doorpost beforehand, and then twist some strong wire across. It'll
act like a lock."

The Mystics stared at their leader in admiration. Her resourcefulness
knew no bounds. With the monitresses safely boxed up in their
bedrooms, any jinks would be possible in the dormitory. Of course
there remained Mademoiselle, but she slept at the other side of the
house, and from past experience they judged that she was more likely
to devote the evening to her own pleasure than to an over-strict
attention to duty. The juniors, when sounded on the subject, responded
to a girl. Even Cynthia Greene assented gleefully. Every occupant of
the dormitory vowed with a solemn oath to preserve the secret at all
costs. A fund was opened to defray expenses. How to get the provisions
was the main difficulty. There was not a single servant in the
establishment whom they felt was absolutely to be trusted.

"I believe even that new little Lizzie would go and sneak to the
Bumble," sighed Raymonde. "We shall have to go for the things
ourselves. There's nothing else for it. Who'll volunteer? Oh! not all
of you! We can't trot off in a body. Look here, I'll go with
Morvyth."

The village, which lay half a mile away from the Grange, was out of
bounds. It would be an extremely risky proceeding for two girls, in
the ordinary brown serge uniform and conspicuous hats of the school,
to enter a shop and make purchases. Some tiresome busybody would be
sure to see them, and report the matter to Miss Beasley.

"It's a case of disguising ourselves," decided Raymonde. "The maids
keep their waterproofs and hats in the passage near the kitchen. We'll
turn up our hair, borrow what garments we want, and dash off between
prep. and supper. Anyone noticing us on the road will think we're new
servants from some house in the neighbourhood."

The audacity of the project almost staggered Morvyth, but as a member
of the Mystic Seven she was pledged to follow her leader, and would
not for worlds have displayed symptoms of the white feather, though
her more cautious soul began to calculate consequences if caught.
There were so many pitfalls in the path--servants, monitresses, and
mistres