e was said the new-comer helped herself to
the largest scone she could find, half covered her plate with jam, and
fell to work with unrestrained relish, while thirty pairs of eyes
watched with fascinated horror. She thought that everyone seemed
uncommonly quiet and solemn, and was casting about in her mind for a
pleasant means of opening the conversation, when a sound broke on her
ears which recalled one of Pat's prophecies with unpleasant
distinctness. Mademoiselle was talking in her native tongue, and it was
not in the least like the French which she had been accustomed to hear
in the schoolroom at Bally William. The agonising presentiment that her
ignorance was about to be discovered before her schoolmates reduced
Pixie at one blow to a condition of abject despair. She hung her head
over her plate, and strove to avoid attention by keeping as quiet as
possible.

"They speak too quick. It's rude to gabble!" she told herself
resentfully. "And I know some French meself. `_J'ai, tu as, il a, nous
sommes, vous etes, ils sont_.' Listen at that, now!" She felt a
momentary thrill of triumph in her achievement, but it quickly faded
away, as further efforts showed how scanty was the knowledge upon which
she could draw. "_Je suis faim_" was the only phrase which occurred at
the moment, and appropriately enough too! She stretched out her hand to
take a second scone, but was immediately called to order by Miss
Phipps's soft voice.

"Bread-and-butter this time, Pixie! You are not supposed to take scones
until you have had at least three pieces of bread. You must do as the
other girls do, you know, dear!"

"Oi like a relish to my tay!" sighed Pixie sadly, and five separate
girls who happened to have their cups to their mouths at the moment,
choked immediately, and had to be patted on the backs by their
companions. All the girls were laughing; even the victims smiled amidst
their struggles, and Mademoiselle's brown eyes were sparkling with
amusement. There was not one of them half so beautiful as Esmeralda,
nor so sweet as Bridgie, but they were good to look at all the same,
reflected the new pupil critically. Right opposite sat her three room-
mates--Flora, plump and beaming; Kate, sallow and spectacled; Ethel, the
curious, with a mane of reddish brown hair, which she kept tossing from
side to side with a self-conscious, consequential air. Margaret sat by
Miss Phipps's side, and helped her by putting sugar and mi