on of the girls yielded to the temptation
thus placed in their way, and would take surreptitious peeps to supply
missing dates or names. It seemed hard that the conscientious ones
should often be obliged to lose marks, while those whose standard of
right was lower won words of approval from Miss Harper for their correct
exercises. Patty's particular friends--Enid, Winnie, and Jean--were
among those to whom honour meant more than marks; but Avis, who was a
much weaker character, sometimes allowed herself to slip, condoning her
conduct by telling herself that everybody else did the same. Avis was
seated close to Patty one morning during the half-hour allowed for the
writing of the history exercise. She was not well prepared, and she was
just refreshing her memory from the forbidden chapter, when suddenly
she caught Patty's frank blue eyes fixed upon her with such a surprised
and reproachful gaze, that she flushed scarlet with shame, and turned
the pages of her book hastily back to the questions.

"I really never thought about it," she explained to Patty afterwards;
"at least I suppose I did think, but I knew all the others were looking
up what they had forgotten, so I supposed it didn't matter."

"Enid never looks," said Patty, gravely.

"Well, I won't do it again; I won't indeed."

"I was wondering," said Patty, "if we couldn't get up a little society,
and ask the members to take a pledge to be absolutely honest about our
lessons. Would you join?"

"Of course I would," said Avis, heartily. "I'd be very glad to. So would
many of the girls, I'm sure. We all hate being unfair, only it seems too
bad when two or three take an advantage and get the best marks."

Patty set to work without further delay, and managed to enrol thirteen
names on her list of honour. Enid, Winnie, and Jean were naturally
willing recruits, as were also Cissie Gardiner, Maggie Woodhall, and
five of the lower division, including Ethel Maitland. Beatrice Wynne,
after a little hesitation, added her signature, but May Firth, Doris
Kennedy, and Ella Johnson refused point-blank.

"It's just another of your absurd fads, Patty Hirst," said Ella. "You're
quite a new girl, it's only your first term here, and I think it's very
conceited of you to be always trying to make out you're so much better
than anyone else."

"Oh, Ella, you know I don't!" said poor Patty.

"Yes, you do," snapped Ella.

"You're not a monitress, Patty Hirst," said May Firth, "so I