lity.

The Manor pew, though large, could not accommodate the school. The girls
sat in the left aisle, and made quite an important addition to the
little congregation of villagers. They certainly helped to swell the
singing, and I think even the most thoughtless among them learned to
love that dear old church, and carried its remembrance into after years.

The Rectory marked the last boundary of the village, then the road
passed over a bridge straight into the open country. The scenery was
pretty without being grand. Picturesque farmhouses stood in the midst of
rich pastures, behind which rose wooded slopes leading to a higher peak,
called Pendle Tor, that stood out as a landmark for the district.
Naturally the girls were very anxious to explore the neighbourhood, and
delighted when Miss Russell allowed walks on half-holidays. The whole
school was not often sent out together, but each form would go in turn,
separately, with its own teacher--an arrangement that all much
preferred, as they could then ramble about in an informal manner,
instead of keeping to the prim file which was the general rule.

One Wednesday afternoon, at the end of May, it was the turn of the third
class, and its six members were standing by the gate, impatiently
awaiting the arrival of Miss Frazer, who, to do her justice, was not
often at fault in the matter of punctuality.

"I hope she isn't telling Miss Russell what bad marks I got this
morning," said Effie Hargreaves dismally. "She threatened last week to
report me if I had another cross for history, and I missed five times,
and four times in literature, and all my problems were wrong in
arithmetic too."

"I believe they're planning to hire another piano," said Beryl Austen,
"so that we can all get in the same amount of practising as we did at
Winterburn Lodge."

"Oh, what a shame! I'm sure half an hour a day is enough for anybody,"
came in a chorus from the others.

"Especially now, when we haven't a music master," added Cicely.

"That's the very reason," explained Beryl. "Miss Russell says she wants
us to keep up what we've learnt, so that we won't seem to have fallen
back when we begin with Mr. Nelson again."

"Don't talk of Mr. Nelson! We shan't see him for ages."

"You will, in September."

"Well, it's not September yet, it's only May, and in the meantime we're
learning from Miss Frazer. Here she is, by the by, hurrying down the
drive as fast as she can."

"I'm sorry to have