for the fun of the thing.
Netta loved to show off before the others, and because she found Miss
Gascoyne an easier victim than Miss Douglas, she kept most of her
sallies for the junior teacher. She could estimate to a nicety the
fine distinction between giving trouble and open defiance. She never
actually overstepped the line, but she contrived to make matters very
unpleasant for poor Winnie. It was her boast that she could always
raise a spark out of Miss Gascoyne, and her admirers were ready to
titter in sympathy.

Winnie, mindful of her position as teacher, never mentioned school
affairs to Gwen; but one day Beatrice tackled the latter on the
subject.

"I hear you've struck up a friendship with Netta Goodwin," she began.
"I'm very surprised, for she doesn't seem a nice sort of girl."

"She's the only one who's been kind to me," returned Gwen, up in arms
at once at Beatrice's tone.

"Indeed! Well, I wouldn't be too much with her if I were you. I'm
afraid she's anything but desirable."

"Who said I was much with her? Has Winnie been telling tales about
me?"

"Don't be nasty, Gwen. You know Winnie never tells."

"There's no particular harm in Netta," protested Gwen, taking up the
cudgels for her schoolmate out of sheer contrariness. "She's only
rather lively and funny. I suppose that's no great crime."

"Are you sure Father would like her?"

"Dad doesn't know her, so I can't pretend to say what he'd think of
her," retorted Gwen, shuffling out of the matter with what she knew
was a lame excuse.

CHAPTER VI

A Casting Vote

Gwen had not been prepared to find the Fifth exactly a bed of roses,
therefore she was hardly surprised at the thorns which beset her new
path. In spite of the extra teaching from Miss Woodville, she found
the work of the Form extremely difficult, especially in mathematics.
There was a whole book of Euclid theorem which she had not been
through, and the consequence was that every other problem had some
little point proved by a theorem of which she had never heard. It was
a most decided stumblingblock. It is possible to sit and look at a
problem for hours without getting any further if there is just one
statement of whose existence one is not aware. More than once Gwen had
to hand in a blank page, and felt very humiliated at the meaning
glances which passed between Rachel Hunter and Edith Arnold. Neither
of these was yet reconciled to Gwen's presence in the Form. Rachel,
mindfu