r of fact, very few girls did go in for this prize--five or
six at the most--and these, so far as Mrs Macintyre could tell, chose
the broad light of day to show the stuff they were made of. It never
entered her wildest dreams that Hollyhock would perform her feat, her
daring adventure, about midnight. It was _then_ that the moon would be
at the full.

Hollyhock could not have carried out the design without the help of
Magsie, who had got her sweetheart, Joey Comfort, one of the grooms at
The Garden, to bring Lightning Speed to the Palace of the Kings. But
even Magsie, who knew the horse was there, had not the faintest idea
that her young mistress would take out so spirited a steed in the
uncanny hours of the night. She did, however, wonder during the day on
which the other competitors were performing their feats of bravery why
her favourite, Miss Hollyhock, was holding back. One by one the
different girls did different small things, which were brave enough in
their way, and all the time a mistress stood by and marked the girl and
her achievement. But Hollyhock had not come forward. She, who was so
extraordinarily brave, kept in the background. The girls were not
allowed to be questioned as to their intentions in this open
competition, and the teachers therefore assumed that although the
different essays had gone to the head-mistress in their sealed
envelopes under feigned names, and the other prizes had been competed
for and were waiting a judgment in Mrs Macintyre's room, Holly would
doubtless have plenty of time to perform something brilliant, and they
only hoped not too reckless, early on the following day. That would be
quite time enough for her deed of courage, and no one thought of a
midnight ride--a wild, half-despairing girl, and a horse so full at
once of timidity and courage, who would go forth to perform their feat
of all feats at the hour of midnight.

As usual, the girls crowded round Hollyhock that evening and asked for
bogy and ghost stories. She told them with a _verve_ which she had
never shown before, and they listened with awed and loving admiration.
Oh, was there ever the like of this girl before in the wide world?
thought those who loved her. Never, never had she spoken as she did
to-night. They shrank together under the spell of her words. A few of
them even wept as they listened, and the one who wept most sadly was
Meg, that pious maid, who had done such mischief to save her soul.