Miss Ferrars". He sat next to Lesbia at the
supper table. He made no reference at all to highwaywomen, but looked
amused and friendly.

"I wonder if by any chance you happen to be a daughter of a Mr. Charles
Ferrars whom I used to know long ago?" he asked presently.

"Charles was my father's name," answered Lesbia in astonishment.

"Then it must be the same, for you're so like him. Used he to live at
Hanbury? So did I. We were partners together for a short while. Dear me!
That's ages ago now!"

"It's sixteen years since he died," said Lesbia gravely.

"So much as that. Time flies indeed. You must have been too young to
remember him I suppose. A handsome man, and a great favourite with
everybody! It makes me feel quite middle-aged to see his daughter almost
grown-up."

Lesbia had heard so little about her own father that it was interesting
to meet someone who had known and remembered him. She treasured the
brief incident on that account. It seemed a link with the dim far-away
past, when she too had had father and mother of her own to love her and
treasure her, instead of being an orphan with no home but the house of a
distant cousin, and nothing to look forward to in the future but earning
her own living in a way which she would probably find quite
uncongenial.

CHAPTER XXI

Lesbia Decides

Lesbia returned to the High School with a feeling of intense relief at
finding Miss Tatham once more at the helm. A term's rest had set up the
Principal's health, and she seemed her old self again. Her strong, calm
personality made an enormous difference in the school; many wheels,
which had creaked and jarred, now turned smoothly, and teachers and
pupils took on a more united tone. Lesbia went to her and explained the
circumstances which had led to her loss of the prefectship. Miss Tatham
listened quietly, but made little comment. She was, of course, bound to
support Miss Ormerod's regime, recognizing that her locum tenens had
done her best during a difficult term.

"You've been kind in screening the juniors, Lesbia," she said. "I think,
on the whole, as Kathleen has been made a prefect, it will be wiser to
have no further changes. You have quite enough to do as it is. Don't you
agree with me?"

"Yes, indeed! Please don't think I wanted the prefectship back. I only
wanted to explain."

"I'm very glad you told me, because now I quite understand."

Miss Tatham never gushed, or showed favouritism towards any spe