after this child
instead of letting her escape. She'll do to play forward on your
side. Just put her where you like, and let's begin.'

There was not much chance, when Miss Burleigh was about, of letting
private feuds spoil the game of hockey; and under the influence of
her infectious gaiety, the girls even began to show Babs a certain amount
of friendliness. Perhaps the fact that Jean Murray was bicycling round
the cinder-track, instead of playing hockey, may have had something
to do with their change of manner, but Babs did not inquire into that.
It was enough for her that she was allowed, for the first time in her
life, to run about in the open air without a hat; and she reddened
with pleasure when Charlotte Bigley, the captain of her side, actually
complimented her on the way she ran. Charlotte was the oldest of the
junior girls, and she was going to be moved into the upper Third next
term; so she always professed to be rather superior to the leadership
of Jean Murray--especially when Jean Murray was out of the way.

'You'll make a very good right wing, when you've learnt to pass the
ball inside instead of poking at it,' she observed condescendingly, at
half-time.

A very little was enough to send up Barbara's spirits with a bound, and
when the bell rang at four o'clock for preparation, she ran indoors with
as buoyant a step as the rest, and even whistled gaily to herself as she
unlaced her boots in the large cloakroom, where the girls were taking off
their outdoor things. Angela happened to overhear her, and at once took
upon herself to quench this unseemly appearance of cheerfulness, and to
remind her that she was still only a new girl.

'You'd better look sharp and take off the head girl's boots, or you'll
catch it,' she advised her in a threatening tone.

Barbara stopped whistling and became suspicious. 'Last time I was told to
go and do things for the head girl, it was all humbug,' she said. 'I'm
not going to be taken in twice, so you shut up!'

Angela under the protection of Jean, and Angela by herself, were two
very different beings. The unexpected resistance made by Babs was quite
enough to change her bullying tone into an injured one, and she began
to edge off towards the other girls. 'This isn't humbug, anyhow,' she
said in a milder tone. 'If you don't believe me, go and see; that won't
hurt you, whether it's true or not. Of course, if you _want_ to make
Margaret jump on you, it doesn't matter to me