there was plenty of hard work to be gone through before the end of the
term arrived. For the first time in her life Sylvia had real
examinations. She rather enjoyed the solemnity of the occasion, the
typed questions, the large sheets of lined paper with margins ruled in
red ink, the clean blotting paper, the new pens, and even the awesome
silence of the room, with Miss Arkwright sitting at her desk reading
instead of teaching as usual. She came out top in history, grammar,
and geography, but Marian beat her easily in French, writing, and
arithmetic, and in the end their marks were so exactly even that they
were bracketed together.

Then there was an agitating afternoon when everybody had to recite
poetry to Miss Kaye, each being expected to choose a different piece.
Sylvia selected "John Gilpin", which she had learnt with Miss Holt,
but unfortunately grew nervous and got so mixed that she was obliged
to sit down in confusion, and hear Marian sail glibly through "The
Little Quaker Maiden", a poem which she rendered with great effect.
Connie Camden and Jessie Ellis had a furious quarrel as to which
should say "Hohenlinden", that being the shortest on the list of both;
but in the end Jessie gave way and took "The May Queen" instead.

Miss Denby did not allow the music to be neglected, and made each
pupil learn a grand Christmas piece which seemed to need much more
practising than any other, and had the added ordeal that it must be
played on the last day before an audience of the whole school.

The party which was always held on the Saturday before breaking-up was
also a new experience to Sylvia. The first class acted a short French
play, under the excited direction of Mademoiselle, who had spent much
time in coaching them for their parts. The second class took a scene
from _The Midsummer-Night's Dream_. Trissie Knowles made a pretty
Titania, and Stella Camden such a mischievous Puck that everybody
clapped heartily, though Miss Barrett said she was only acting her
natural character, and of course it came easily to her. Connie Camden
climbed up and sat on the window sill in order to see better, and fell
down with a terrible crash, grazing her knee on a form and making a
big bump on her forehead, and Dolly managed to upset a bottle of ink
which Miss Coleman thought she had put most securely away.

When the plays were over, the girls had dancing and games in the large
classroom, and finished with a dainty supper of fruit,