ut of friends,
we'll see if we can do anything with Gwen. It's rather rough on her to
be such an outcast."

"Pity she's not as nice as Lesbia."

"Do you know," said Elspeth reflectively, "I'm not sure that she
mayn't be at bottom. Of course Lesbia's awfully sweet-tempered, but
then she's made such a fuss of, and there's really nothing in her.
Now, I think there is something in Gwen, if she were taken the right
way. I didn't like her at all at first, I don't know that I even do
very much now, but I fancy she's one of those girls whom one might get
to like if one saw the other side of her--I'm certain she has another
side, only it never comes out at school."

"It isn't nice of her to rag her own sister, though."

"That's Netta's fault; she starts all the ragging and throws it on to
Gwen."

"I'd be glad if I could really think so," returned Charlotte, and
there for the moment the matter ended.

That afternoon a joyful, jubilant, rejoicing crew of Fifth Formers set
off for the baths, duly armed with their costumes and mackintosh caps,
and from the window of the classroom one dejected, miserable girl
watched them depart. Gwen thought she had never felt quite so forlorn
in her life before. She was aggrieved with Fate, and kept muttering,
"Hard luck! hard luck!" to herself as the last school hat whisked
round the corner.

"I didn't see Netta," she thought, and then turned, for she heard
Netta's indignant, protesting voice in the passage outside in loud
altercation with Miss Trent.

"It's no use, Netta, I can't allow it," the mistress was saying. "With
that sniffly cold in your head it would be folly to bathe, and as you
say your mother is away from home, and you could not ask her
permission this morning, I must be the judge, and I say most
emphatically no."

"But, Miss Trent! If I just--"

"Not another word, Netta! Go into your own Form room at once, and do
some preparation. Do you want me to report you to Miss Roscoe? Then
go, this instant!"

A very sulky, angry, rebellious, disconsolate Netta flung herself
through the doorway and flounced to her desk. She gave one stare at
Gwen, and, frowning, began to get out her books.

"We're companions in misfortune!" ventured Gwen, but Netta took not
the very slightest notice.

"Oh, very well, madam; if you're going to cut me I'll cut you!"
thought Gwen, and she turned to the window again.

There was no mistress in the room, and Gwen knew that for the next
hour she