ses must be outwitted, both in going and returning, to make
their excursion a success. The juniors, however, played up nobly. At a
concerted hour, they managed by cleverly concocted excuses to engage
the attention of all the monitresses, and hold them busy for five
minutes explaining details of lessons or fancy work. Meantime, Aveline
and Valentine purloined waterproofs of a suitable length, together
with appropriate hats, from the passage near the kitchen.

Raymonde and Morvyth, after a rapid toilet and a hasty review of
themselves in a looking-glass, were pleased with their appearance,
especially the way they wore their hats.

"Tilt yours a little more on one side," commanded Raymonde, "and open
your mouth with a sort of cod-fishy expression, as if you'd got
adenoids. Remember, you want to look as common as possible. Drop your
h's when you speak, wherever you can. Say you're in a 'urry to get
back. I shall sniff all the time, as if I'd a bad cold."

"I shall laugh if you do!"

"No, you won't, because we're going to different shops. I'll do
Adcock's, and you shall have Seymour's. It'll be far better than going
together."

Under cover of a guard of Form-mates the conspirators managed to slip
past the barns and off the premises, secure in the knowledge that Miss
Gibbs was correcting exercises in the study, so could not possibly be
watching them through her too useful telescope. Before arriving at the
village they separated, Raymonde going a little in advance, and
Morvyth following, as if they had no acquaintance with each other. It
was perhaps as well for their mutual composure that they visited
separate shops, for Morvyth's provincial accent and Raymonde's cold
might have been mirth-provoking to a fellow conspirator, though they
passed muster well enough with strangers. At the end of ten minutes
the two girls were hurrying back, each armed with a large parcel.
These were handed at once to scouts when they reached the Grange, and
their costumes were removed in the barn, and replaced without delay on
their hooks in the kitchen passage by Valentine and Ardiune.

So far so good. The commissariat department had managed to run the
blockade of school regulations, and secure provisions for the
entertainment. No Tommies looting supplies from the enemy's trenches
could have felt prouder.

When the eventful Thursday arrived, great anxiety was felt as to
whether the Principal and her assistant were really and actually going