in the Lower Fifth
might be. And so was Monica, and possibly some of the girls in the
Middle and Upper Fifth were not quite so beastly--yes, that was the
only word for it--as her present companions. Gerry decided that she
would work harder than ever at her lessons and try and get moved up
next term, and then possibly, amongst new companions, she could make a
new start, and find school life a much happier affair than it had been
hitherto.

With which resolve she turned the handle of the sitting-room door and
walked inside.

CHAPTER X

THE DORMITORY MATCH

As a rule when Gerry walked into a room, she might have been invisible
so far as the Lower Fifth was concerned. But on this particular
morning the form's collective curiosity was too great to allow it to
keep up its dignified attitude of obliviousness any longer.

"What did Muriel want you for?" demanded Phyllis jealously, as Gerry
came into the sitting-room.

"N--nothing much," answered Gerry nervously. She nearly always was
nervous when questioned abruptly, more especially when Phyllis
Tressider happened to be the questioner. "It was only--only that I've
got to play in the dormitory match this afternoon."

"_You_! What on earth is Muriel thinking of? Why, you can't play
hockey for nuts!" exclaimed Dorothy Pemberton in undisguised
astonishment.

That was, to tell the truth, exactly Gerry's own opinion, but all the
same it was not pleasant to have it confirmed so emphatically by
somebody else. All her determination to play her very best that
afternoon, and so justify Muriel's choice, slipped away from the new
girl as she saw the incredulous amazement in her companions' faces. Of
course she couldn't play! She was quite hopeless where games were
concerned, and always would be. All the old lack of confidence and
distrust of self flooded Gerry's mind again, quite undoing all the good
Muriel's kindly encouragement had worked in her.

It was with a premonition of failure that she took up the place Muriel
had assigned to her on the hockey field that afternoon. She felt
physically ill with suspense and nervousness as she waited for the
whistle to sound and the game to start--a nervousness which grew
greater and greater as the game went on and no balls came her way.
Perhaps if the thick of the fighting had been down her end, some of
Gerry's nervousness might have worn off. But, as it happened, the Pink
Dormitory forwards proved themselves immeasu