itatingly.

"Which do you mean?" asked Jean, smiling.

"I mean 'yes'," said Patty. "A teacher showed us round, but I'm afraid I
didn't take very much notice, because, you see, Father and Mother were
just leaving, and I----"

Jean gave a nod of comprehension.

"Then we'll go and explore," she said. "There don't seem to be any
particular rules nor any preparation the first evening. Everybody is
unpacking, and I think we may do as we like until supper. Come along!"

Nothing loth, Patty rose and joined her companion. She was anxious to
see something of the new life into which she had been launched, and she
looked with curiosity round the large quadrangle, which appeared at
present to be the central heart of the school. Here girls of ages
varying from thirteen to eighteen were assembled, comparing holiday
experiences, examining each other's tennis rackets or hockey sticks,
passing jokes, or eagerly enquiring for news on various class topics. To
Patty it seemed almost bewildering to see so many school-fellows, and
she wondered whether it would ever become possible to learn to
distinguish their various faces, and to call each one by her right name.

"I suppose we shall get to know them in time," she said, "but it will be
confusing at first. Do you notice that some of the big girls wear
badges? I wonder what that means?"

"Let us ask somebody," said Jean, glancing round to see if there were
anyone near to whom she might venture to address her enquiry. "That fair
girl sitting on the bench over there looks nice; I'm sure she would tell
us. I don't think she's new, because she was talking to some of the
others a minute ago."

Patty turned in the direction indicated, and recognized the
fellow-traveller who had wept so copiously in the train, and whom her
companions had called Avis. Her tears were dried, but she still appeared
pensive. She held a blotter on her knee, and with a fountain pen was
evidently already beginning a letter home. She put it aside when Jean
spoke to her, and answered pleasantly:

"Of course I can tell you. The badges are worn by the prefects. They're
the six top girls, and they're supposed to keep order. It's a tremendous
honour to be a prefect. Phyllis Chambers is head of the school this
year. We're all glad, because she's so jolly, and she was our tennis
champion last summer. There she is!--that girl in the grey dress. She
won us four matches against other schools. We were so proud of her."

"Isn