her general
knowledge compared very favourably with the attainments of the rest of
the form. Indeed, she won a word of approval from the Sixth Form's
form-mistress, Miss Latham, at the conclusion of the lesson on English
history.

"You have evidently had a very good grounding, Geraldine," the mistress
said. "You appear to possess intelligence, too. If all your work is
as good as your history, you ought to get on well in your form.
Margaret, since you are her neighbour, will you show Geraldine some of
those historical analyses you did for me last term, so that she may see
how I want your preparation done?"

"Yes, Miss Latham," replied Margaret, a rather nondescript individual
who occupied the desk next to the one that had been allotted to
Geraldine; and the mistress, gathering together her papers, prepared to
leave the room.

"It is a little early yet for your next class," she observed, as she
rose from her seat. "But I have to see Miss Oakley before going on to
the Middle Fifth, so I cannot give you quite your full time this
morning. Who is head of this form? You, Hilda? Very well, then, see
that nobody talks until Miss Parrot comes to you. You can be looking
up some of those dates I want you to learn while you are waiting." And
the mistress departed from the Lower Fifth classroom, leaving an
apparently studious and orderly form behind her.

For a few minutes strict silence prevailed in the classroom. But after
a while the silence was broken by subdued titterings from the back row,
and Hilda Burns, the head of the form, turned sharply round to discover
that Phyllis Tressider and Dorothy Pemberton were leaning over Jack
Pym's desk. Jack was drawing busily.

"I say, do be quiet. Didn't you hear what Miss Latham said?"
remonstrated Hilda, rather half-heartedly it must be confessed. The
three girls in question did not take much notice of her appeal, and
after a moment or two she made it again.

Dorothy turned to her with a delighted grin.

"We're not talking--we're only laughing. Hilda, do come and look!
Jack's doing caricatures of the mistresses. Aren't they ripping?"

Several of the girls gathered round Jack's desk, Hilda herself amongst
them.

"Oh, I say, how topping! Do do one of Pretty Polly and give it to me!"

"All right, I will presently. Wait till she comes in and then I'll try
and do her. I have to see the person I'm caricaturing or else I can't
get them properly. I did that one of