ait for anybody," she remarked. "If Flossie isn't ready, I
must simply miss her out. We've almost too many pieces to get through
in the time."

The rest of the music went off successfully. Nobody broke down, or even
made a bad stumble, a subject of much self-congratulation to several
nervous performers and of great relief to Vivian, who, as monitress of
the house, always arranged the little concerts as a surprise for Miss
Maitland, the latter preferring that the girls should settle all
details amongst themselves, instead of leaving matters to a teacher.

Coffee was brought in at eight o'clock, after which the recitations
began immediately. At this state of the entertainment Honor felt
magnanimous. She did not want to involve Flossie in serious trouble,
so, slipping quietly away, she ran upstairs, unlocked the door of Miss
Maitland's bedroom, and released her prisoner.

The disappointed violinist emerged looking decidedly glum.

"It's a nasty, mean trick you've played me, Honor Fitzgerald!" she
burst out.

"No meaner than you played on Evelyn Fletcher--not half so bad, in my
opinion. I'm sorry to say you're too late for your solo. The music's
over long ago, and they're hard at work reciting Shakespeare at
present."

"Just what I expected! And it's all your fault!"

"You're very ungrateful! You ought to be most relieved to be let out
before Miss Maitland caught you," retorted Honor. "What an opportunity
to point a moral on the fatal consequences of vanity!" Then, as Flossie
flounced angrily away: "You've never thanked me for unlocking this door
yet. I thought we were supposed to cultivate manners at St. Chad's. If
Vivian asks where you've been, I suppose you'll tell her?"

"I certainly shan't! And you'll be a sneak if you do."

"All right, all right! Keep your little temper! You may make your mind
easy; I don't intend to do anything of the sort," called Honor,
watching Flossie's back as her victim hurried out of earshot down the
passage. "It has been a delightful evening," she continued to herself;
"really quite the jolliest since I came to Chessington. I'm afraid I've
had the lion's share of the enjoyment, but that couldn't be helped. It
certainly is a most immense satisfaction to feel that Flossie Taylor
and I are now exactly quits!"

CHAPTER X

Honor Finds Favour

Honor was undoubtedly finding Chessington College a totally different
place from Kilmore Castle, and in the six weeks she had spent th