museum or a concert, and that doesn't
happen often, worse luck!"

Lindsay's picture of the forthcoming term certainly did not seem a
remarkably enlivening one, and the other two groaned at the prospect.

"I wish one wasn't obliged to go to a boarding school," said Cicely in
an injured tone.

"Girls! Girls!" cried a fourth voice, breaking abruptly into the
conversation, "I've been hunting for you everywhere. I thought you were
in the house or the gymnasium. Oh! I've such a piece of news to tell
you!"

"What's the matter, Nora?" enquired Marjorie, for the newcomer was out
of breath, and looked as excited as if it were breaking-up day.

"Come here and sit between us," added Lindsay, pushing the others
farther along the seat to make room.

"Is it anything really nice?" asked Cicely.

"It depends on what you call 'nice'. I'll give you each six guesses, and
even then I don't believe one of you'll be right."

"Miss Frazer doesn't mean to take geography to-morrow?"

"Absolutely wrong, though I wish she wouldn't."

"Somebody has broken another window with a tennis ball?"

"Don't be silly! It's much more interesting than that."

"Miss Russell's going to give us a holiday?"

"You're getting warm! Try again."

"Oh, we can't!"

"We give it up!"

"Go on and tell!"

"Do you remember that just before Easter a gentleman came with Dr.
Redford, and they both went over the school, peeping and poking about in
such a mysterious manner?"

"Yes, we wondered what they were doing."

"Well, it turns out that he's a sanitary inspector, and he's sent a
report to Miss Russell to say that the drains are wrong, and must be
taken up immediately."

"Is that your grand news?"

"No, it's only the first part of it. Let me finish, and then you'll see.
Dr. Redford says the drains can't possibly be touched while we're all in
the house, and yet they must be opened at once. Can't you guess now?"

"Miss Russell never means to send us home when we've only just come
back?" gasped Lindsay hopefully.

"No, not that, though it's nearly as jolly. She's taken a beautiful old
manor house in the country, and it's to be our school for the whole of
the summer term. We're to go there in a body--girls, and teachers, and
servants, and everyone."

If Nora had hoped to astonish her companions she had certainly
succeeded. They were wild with curiosity, and fired off questions all
three together.

"Where is it?"

"When are we going?"

"How di