at foreign kid?" enquired Madeleine Newsome, a member of
the Fifth, pausing in a friendly quarrel with a Form mate to take a
quick, comprehensive survey of the stranger's personal appearance.

"Can't say, I'm sure," responded Emily Atkinson, "but we'll soon find
out. Hello, you kid, what's your name? And what part of the globe do you
spring from?"

"She's Spanish and American and New Zealand and South African and
several other things, and she's been shipwrecked dozens of times," began
Lennie Chapman, who was prone to exaggerate, and liked to act showman.

"Let her speak for herself," interrupted Madeleine bluntly. "I suppose
she understands English, doesn't she? What's your name, kid? Don't stand
staring at me with those big black eyes!"

But here Gipsy's momentary bashfulness took flight. Seven schools had
taught her to hold her own, and she was soon imparting information about
herself with a volubility that left no doubt of her acquaintance with
the English tongue. Other girls hurried up to listen, and in less than a
minute she was the centre of a crowd, answering a perfect fire of
questions with a beaming good humour and a quickness of repartee that
rather took the fancy of her hearers.

"She's sharp enough, at any rate," commented Mary Parsons. "Not very
easy to take a rise out of her, I should think."

"Awfully pretty, I call her," responded Joyce Adamson. "Those big red
bows are immense in more ways than one."

"She's not the sort to play second fiddle evidently," grumbled Maude
Helm a trifle enviously. "New girls oughtn't to have such cheek, in my
opinion. When I was new----"

"Oh, yes! We all remember how you stood looking black thunders, and no
one could drag a single word out of you, not even your name! Can't see
where the sense came in! I like a girl with plenty to say for herself."

"This one's got enough, at any rate!" snapped Maude. "She talks away
like a Cheap-Jack. Now if I were----"

"Hold your tongue, can't you? I want to hear what she's saying."

"What Form's she in?"

"I believe Poppie's put her in the Upper Fourth."

"Hush! Here's Poppie herself!"

As the Principal stepped upon the platform and rang the bell, the girls
hastily scurried to their seats, deferring further catechism of their
new schoolfellow till eleven o'clock. Gipsy's name had been placed on
the roll call of the Upper Fourth, so as a member of the Lower School
she marched in the long line that filed from the lecture ha