answered Patty, "but I was in the
recreation room in the evening. Didn't you see me?"

"No, of course I didn't, or I'd have come and spoken to you."

"I wish you had, then, for nobody spoke to me at all, and no one's said
a word to me at meals, or in my bedroom either."

In spite of herself, Patty could not help her voice sounding rather
aggrieved.

"What a shame! Then you don't know anybody at The Priory yet?"

"Only my cousin Muriel."

"Muriel Pearson? Is she your cousin?"

"Yes."

"Well!" exclaimed Enid, throwing such a depth of expression into the
brief monosyllable, that it seemed to convey a whole volume of indignant
comment.

"Do you actually mean to say," put in Avis, who had joined them, "that
Muriel Pearson's your cousin, and yet she's never taken any notice of
you, nor introduced you to anybody?"

Patty nodded. She did not want to accuse Muriel, but she certainly could
not deny the fact.

"Then she's the meanest, nastiest girl in the whole school, and I shall
just tell her so," said Enid, flushing quite scarlet with righteous
wrath. "I never thought much of her, but I didn't believe she'd have
done such a horrid thing as this. She deserves to be sent to Coventry
for it."

"Didn't Miss Lincoln ask anybody to be friends with you?" enquired Avis.

"No; I only saw Miss Lincoln for a few minutes in the library when I
came."

"That's queer, because she always sees that new girls are made to feel
at home. But I expect she'd think your cousin would be sure to look
after you. Oh, it's too bad! I can't forgive Muriel."

"Come with us to lunch, and we'll try and make up for it, at any rate,"
said Enid, seizing Patty by the arm, and dragging her down the passage
to the pantry. "My name's Enid Walker, and this is Avis Wentworth.
That's Winnie Robinson over there. Come here, Winnie, I want to tell you
something. Do you know, this new girl is Muriel Pearson's cousin, and
Muriel never introduced her to anybody, and she's not had a soul to talk
to since she came. Isn't Muriel mean?"

"Disgusting!" cried Winnie; "but it's just like her. She and Maud
Greening and Vera Clifford and Kitty Harrison have made a little set all
to themselves, and they won't let anyone else come into it. Not that one
wants to, I'm sure. I don't care to be friends with them in the least.
You'd better drink your milk, Avis, if you want it. Be quick! The bell
will ring in a moment. The bread and butter's all gone, I'm afraid."

"N