monitress, came to see that
all went off to their bedrooms, going upstairs with them to help to
plait their hair and superintend the due brushing of teeth and the
tidy disposal of clothes. From the beginning it had seemed so new and
strange and exciting that Sylvia had not yet found time for the tears
which she had fully intended to shed, and it was only when she was in
bed and the light turned out that she suddenly remembered how homesick
she was. Even then the fresh events kept mixing themselves up with her
regrets, and as she mopped her cheeks with her damp pocket handkerchief
she thought: "It's much more interesting than I expected. I shall like
Linda. But Marian Woodhouse needn't think she's going to teach me
everything. I dare say I can learn lessons as well as she does. It
would be lovely if I could be head of the class. I'm going to try
and try just as hard as I possibly can, and then I could write to
Mother and tell her I was top."

And with this meritorious resolution she fell asleep.

CHAPTER IV

A First Day at School

There were thirty-three girls at Heathercliffe House, and they were
divided into four forms. Miss Kaye herself taught the first class,
Miss Barrett the second, Miss Arkwright the third, and Miss Coleman
the Kindergarten, while Mademoiselle took French and Needlework, and
Miss Denby the music, a few elder girls, however, learning from a
master, who came twice a week to give lessons.

Sylvia found that she very soon settled down into the ordinary routine
of her new life. Miss Kaye was kind, and tried to make school seem as
much like home as possible. There were a certain number of clearly
defined rules, but on the whole the pupils were allowed a good deal of
liberty, which she trusted to their sense of honour not to abuse. Four
of the eldest girls were monitresses, responsible for the behaviour of
the third and fourth forms, and the younger ones were encouraged to
come to them with their troubles or difficulties.

"You see, telling a monitress isn't like telling a teacher," said
Linda, "and Mercy Ingledew's so nice she never makes mischief. I'm
glad she's on our landing instead of Kathleen Gilchrist."

To Linda Sylvia had been attracted at once, and when she found that
her room-mate liked the same occupations and the same books as
herself, had read _Eight Cousins_ and _The Little Duke_ and was just
beginning _Ivanhoe_, she felt the friendship was sealed. Linda was
certainly a ver