in a row, subdued and envious, and
tasted in advance the ecstasy of the moment.

"What sort of prizes do they give you--books?"

"Books, of course. Improving books. Poets, with nice soft backs, and
Dutch Republics in calf, and things like that. The sort of book you are
awfully proud of, but hardly ever read. You put it carefully in a
bookcase, and admire the binding. You can always tell a prize a yard
off, it looks so smart and gilt, and unopened. I've seen rows of them
in some houses, all ranged together with their little silk markers
hanging out at the bottom, as smooth and uncrumpled as if they had never
been moved; and the owners take them down and show you the inscription
on the first page, to prove how good and clever they were when they were
at school!"

"Ah!" Pixie drew a rapturous sigh, seeing herself be-capped and
shawled, in the act of exhibiting her own spoils to a bevy of admiring
grandchildren. The great point seemed to be to have the inscription as
striking as possible, so she inquired anxiously if the class prize was
the highest that could be obtained.

"She's ambitious, girls, isn't she? The class prize isn't enough for
her, you notice!" cried Ethel, splashing her face with cold water, and
interposing her remarks with audible shudderings. "Yes, there's one
thing higher--the `Alice Prize,' we call it, because it is given by the
father of a certain Alice who used to be at school here, and who died at
the end of her last term. She was Lottie's sister; but Lottie is not in
the least like her, for she was very shy and nervous, and the girls
teased her a great deal, and she took it to heart and made herself
miserable. After her death it was found that she had kept a diary, and
written down all her troubles; and her parents read it, and tried to
think what they could do to prevent any other girl suffering as she had
done. At last they thought of offering this prize--it is given every
year--five pounds' worth of books, which you can choose for yourself.
You can get a lot of books for five pounds, and it is given to the girl
who is kindest and most considerate to others. She has to be nice to
new girls, and answer their questions, and be patient with them, as I am
being with you, my dear, at the present moment, and dry their little
eyes when they weep, and cheer them up when they are low in their minds.
And she has to be careful not to hurt other people's feelings, and to
use her influence to s