its
full, and that would not be until midnight.

The dressing of herself, the arranging of her sidesaddle on Lightning
Speed, the starting for the celebrated gorge, would take her altogether
about half-an-hour, the gorge being some distance from the Palace of
the Kings.

At half-past eleven, therefore, she might safely get up and prepare for
her task. Every other girl in the school was long in bed and sound
asleep. The servants had retired to their rooms, the teachers had gone
to their rest, for to-morrow was to be a great day, as the Duke himself
was expected to present the lockets to the six successful candidates
for the prizes. The great Ardshiel would be at the school to-morrow at
mid-day, and Mrs Macintyre thought she had better go to bed early. She
was always the last to sit up in the Palace of the Kings; but to-night
she went to her room at sharp eleven, a little weary, a little
perplexed, a little sorry, for she had read Leucha's vindictive essay,
and felt that she could not possibly keep such a girl any longer in the
school.

CHAPTER XXVI.

HOLLYHOCK'S DEED OF VALOUR.

Little did any one in that great house suspect what was going on during
those hours devoted to peaceful slumber. Mrs Macintyre was dreaming of
the Duke, and of the great honour he was about to confer on her school.
Leucha, worn-out and unhappy, was sleeping peacefully at last. Every
girl in the school was at rest, with the exception of the one girl who
had yet to perform her feat of valour. There was, however, one
exception to the intense peace of the school, and that exception was
Magsie, who, although she never imagined such an awful catastrophe as
might occur, still was full of a latent uneasiness with regard to Miss
Hollyhock. Magsie slept, of course, because she was tired; but she
woke again because her dreams were bad. They were all about bonnie
Miss Hollyhock and Lightning Speed. She felt so anxious that after
some time she rose softly, left the other servants, and crept out into
the moonlight night.

It was now past midnight, and the moon was setting. Magsie's steps
first took her in the direction of the stables. She peeped into one
stall after another. There was no sign anywhere of Lightning Speed.
This was quite sufficient for the brave Scots lass. She made up her
mind and acted accordingly.

Meanwhile Hollyhock, a little before half-past eleven o'clock, had
risen very gently, and carefully adjusted her hab